We all know that the right tool makes a job easier. Here’s a list of what I consider to be the most essential appliances, equipment and tools to outfit your kitchen.
Whether you’re a serious and experienced baker or a newbie dabbler, you’ll find some fun stuff on this list.
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First things first! Before we get into the full list- Remember! Clean hands are your best tool. Don’t be afraid to touch the dough.

Appliances, Equipment & Tools for Bakers
Here are some of the most essential baking equipment and tools for every baker. Whether you're a serious baker or a weekend dabbler, these items will help you produce your best baked goods. As an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Absolute Essentials
These are the items that will be required for any single baking project. This is the bare minimum you'll need in your kitchen to do the most basic recipes.
New Star Stainless Steel Measuring Spoons and Cups Combo
Nested, scoop-style cups are used for measuring dry ingredients. For spoons you need a good set that measures from ¼ teaspoon to 1 tablespoon. The “teaspoons” and “tablespoons” you eat with are not the proper size.
Pyrex Measuring Cups, 3-Piece, Clear
Glass or plastic cups are used for measuring liquid ingredients. You can see the measurement at eye level from the outside of the cup.
Meal Prep Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl (5-Piece Set)
An assortment of bowls in an assortment of sizes makes measuring and mixing your recipes easy and efficient.
Wooden French Rolling Pin
A rolling pin is essential for making pies, tarts and cookies. I prefer the tapered french rolling pin for ultimate control.
OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Better Balloon Whisk
You’ll need a hand whisk for combining dry ingredients and folding together light and airy batters. You can
also use a hand whisk for whipping egg whites or heavy cream if you don’t have an electric hand mixer.
Rubbermaid Commercial Spoon-Shaped Spatula
Spatulas are used for mixing batters and for cleanly scraping the batter from bowl to pan. Silicone spatulas are heat-resistant. The spoon-shaped spatula is my favorite.
OXO Good Grips Utensil Set, 3-Piece
A selection of wooden spoons are essential for mixing heavier batters and dough. They are also fairly heat proof.
Small Appliances
My favorite small appliances for bakers.
KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield
I’ve had my KitchenAid 5 quart mixer for almost 30 years and have really put it through it’s paces, making everything from meringues to bread dough to rolled fondant. I recommend getting one spare bowl.
KitchenAid Hand Mixer
An electric mixer is essential for making cookies, cakes and frosting. Even if you have a stand mixer, it's nice to have a hand mixer to do those quick batters that don't require a powerful stand mixer.
Cuisinart 14-Cup Food Processor
A food processor is indispensable for pureeing and grating ingredients. Use it to grind nuts, mix dough and puree fruits and vegetables.
OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale
The most accurate way to measure ingredients for baking is with a kitchen scale. A digital scale that can measure pounds, ounces, and grams is great to have.
Baking Pans
Here's a selection of the most essential cake and baking pans listed in order of importance.
Nordic Ware Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet (2 Pack)
These are the workhorses of both professional and home kitchens. You’ll use these for baking everything from cookies, to sheet cakes, to pizza.
Fat Daddio's Round Cake Pan, 8 x 3 Inch
I recommend having at least 2 cake pans in this standard size for baking layer cakes.
Pyrex Easy Grab Glass Pie Plate (9.5-Inch, 2-Pack)
Pyrex is my choice because the clear glass not only uses both radiant and conduction heat to bake the crust, but you can see if the bottom of the pie is browned.
Wilton Non-Stick Bakeware Muffin and Cupcake Pan, 12-Cup
Obviously, the pan you'll need to make cupcakes and muffins. But you can also use this pan to make individual tarts. Jumbo and mini muffin pans are nice extras.
Wilton Non-Stick Square Brownie Baking Pan with Lid
This is a good pan for making half batches of brownies or for snack cakes and other treats. A pan that is non-stick and has a fitted lid is especially nice.
Nonstick Carbon Steel Baking Bread Pan, 9.5 x 5 Inch, Set of 2
This is the standard loaf pan for sandwich breads, pound cakes and quick breads. Get a non-stick pan to make life easier.
Cuisinart 9-1/2-Inch Fluted Cake Pan
A Bundt pan has a hole in the middle and ridges on the surface for quick and even baking of cakes and monkey breads.
Lodge Cast Iron Skillet 10.25", Black
Cast iron is deal for making corn bread, upside down cakes and cobblers.
Wilton Recipe Right Non-Stick 9 x 13-Inch Pan
This is a good pan for making brownies or for snack cakes and other treats. A pan that is non-stick and has a fitted lid is especially nice.
Tart Pan 10 Inch Removable Bottom
A shallow tart pan with fluted edges and a removeable bottom is what you’ll need to make gorgeous fruit tarts that look like they came from a fancy pastry shop.
Nordic Ware 2-Piece Angel Food Pan
An Angel Food Cake Pan with removable bottom is what you need to make the classic sponge cake.
Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven
If you want to bake artisan bread at home, a cast iron dutch oven is what you'll need. The heavy lid traps in moisture, which helps the bread develop a thick and crisp crust.
Various Baking Equipment & Tools
These baking tools and equipment make quick work of every recipe.
Cooling Racks fit Standard Half Sheet Pans
Cooling racks are not only essential for cooling baked goods, but also for perfectly glazed cakes and pastries.
Reynolds Non-Stick Parchment Paper, 25 Sheet, 4 Count (100 Total)
Parchment paper not only keeps cookies and biscuits from sticking to sheet pans, I also cut circles for lining cake pans. You can also use parchment paper to make piping bags for writing on cakes and decorating cookies.
Ateco Cast Iron and Non-slip Pad Cake stand
A cake turntable makes it easy to split cake layers, ice a cake, fill a tart shell or flute the edges of a pie crust.
BernzoMatic Jumbo Flame Torch Head
Believe it or not, apropane torch is an absolutely essential tool in my kitchen. Forget those frou-frou “culinary” or “creme brulee” torches, once you have one of these babies in your kitchen you’ll find a million ways to use it beyond creme brulee. Use it for unmolding cheesecakes, warming up meringue buttercream, etc.
Ateco Ultra Offset Spatula 3 Piece Set
These spatulas are great for smoothing cake batter and tart filling. Medium size spatulas are perfect for icing cakes.
Dough Bowl Scraper Kit 4 Pack
This is the ideal hand-held tool for scraping batter and dough out of mixing bowls.
Dexter-Russell 6" x 3" White Dough Cutter/Scraper
A bench scraper is absolutely indispensable. I use it to cut blocks of dough, scrape flour and dough off the work surface, and most of all, get a perfectly smooth side on an iced cake.
Cookie Scoop Set 3
Scoops of various sizes are essential for perfectly portioned cookies, cupcakes, muffins and truffles.
Ateco 787 - 6 Piece Decorating Tube Set
Round tips are great for piping cookies and candies. Star tips are great for icing cupcakes and piping eclairs and cream puffs.
Round Cookie Biscuit Cutter Set
Biscuit cutters cut through dough easily and make a clean cut. A nested set comes with several sizes.
Ateco Disposable Decorating Bags, 12-Inch, Pack of 100
Pastry bags are useful for decorating, filling pastries and piping cookies and candies. Disposable pastry bags are great to keep on hand and there’s no washing up, which is always a good thing.
9 Inch Proofing Basket + Bread Lame +Dough Scraper+ Linen Liner
A proofing basket is my favorite tool for rising lovely boules of artisan bread. The lame is wonderful for scoring bread.
[20 Pack] 8 Inch Round Cake Boards
Cardboard cake circles are great to use as a base when building a layer cake. The Cardboard base makes it easy to move the cake from refrigerator to serving plate. Use cardboard cake circles between tiers when building a multi-tier cake.