If you’re a casual baker, then you probably have all of the basic baking equipment: measuring cups, wooden spoons, spatulas, whisks, rolling pins, and a variety of baking pans. Even if you’re not a professional baker or chef, there are still many types of baking equipment that you can invest in to make different types of desserts— or even improve on the desserts you already make. Here are 10 baking tools that are useful to have.
#1: Fine-Mesh Sieve
A fine-mesh sieve works just like a colander, but the mesh is smaller than the holes in a colander so smaller food items are less likely to spill out and go down the drain. Invest in this piece of equipment to sift your dry ingredients and sprinkle a light layer of powdered sugar over your brownies. It can also be used to sift out seeds from your fruit sauces.
#2: Juicer
When making citrus-flavored desserts, usually you’ll want to get as much citrus flavoring into the dessert as possible. Many amateur bakers choose to squeeze their limes or lemons by hand, but a citrus juicer will help make sure that you get every drop of juice inside. Most citrus juicers also have sieves to help sift out the seeds and pulp, so all you’re left with is the juice.
#3: Kitchen Scissors
Likely, you may already have kitchen scissors, as many knife sets include them. If you don’t, this is a great tool to invest in— and it does more than cut open packages. Kitchen scissors can help you cut herbs for various recipes, and they’re also useful for cutting parchment paper for baking cookies when the built-in cutter does a poor job.
#4: Pastry Blender
If you like to make biscuits from scratch, then a pastry blender is going to be your best friend in the kitchen. This tool allows you to cut cold shortening or butter into flour, as using a knife or a spoon doesn’t work as adequately. You can also use this tool when making pies from scratch.
#5: Pastry Brush
This tool is used to spread butter, glaze, or egg wash over the surface of whatever you’re baking. It can also be used to grease a pan before pouring in the batter. A pastry brush can help your desserts look more professional and prevent them from becoming crumbling messes from sticking to the pan.
#6: Soufflé Dish
If you’ve ever wanted to try your hand at making a soufflé, then a soufflé dish will help you achieve that. This oven-proof porcelain dish is ideal for making soufflés because the straight sides it’s constructed with help the soufflé expand and rise upward. If you don’t make soufflés often, you don’t have to buy a soufflé dish to make soufflés— all you need is a small oven-proof pan with straight sides.
#7: Springform Pan
This type of baking pan allows you to remove the sides that hold your dessert away from the base, revealing your masterpiece. Springform pans are typically used for baking a cheesecake when you want to bypass the no-bake option. This type of pan is also great for making other deep-dish desserts and deep-dish pizzas.
#8: Whip Cream Charger
This is a tool that’s very popular in the food and drink industry. Cream chargers are gas cylinders filled with culinary-grade nitrous oxide (N2O). As the name suggests, you can use a whip cream charger to make flavorful whipped cream to top your pies, cakes, and various other desserts. They can also be used to infuse cream into the inside of your desserts.
#9: Wire Rack
Did you know that desserts like cakes and cookies need air to circulate them when they’re cooling? This keeps them from becoming soggy, and a wire rack for your countertop will help you achieve the perfect texture for your baked goods.
#10: Zester
Also when making citrus-flavored desserts, a zester will help you get the right amount of “zest” from your lemons, limes, oranges, and other citrus fruits. Some people choose to use a box grater instead, which works just as well, but a zester will give you longer strips of citrus zest. Keep in mind that while graters are multipurpose, seaters can only be used on citrus fruits.
The type of baking equipment you choose to invest in ultimately depends on what you bake the most and how professional you want your desserts to be. Obviously, if you’re a professional baker, you’ll want to invest in as many different pieces of equipment as necessary.
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