Over the last several years my husband and I have tried very hard to let go of things we don't need in the kitchen. Some of it was overkill from our wedding registry and others were things that just didn't turn out to be as helpful as we originally thought. That said, these 5 baking tools will always be in my kitchen and you'll have to pry them from my cold dead hands.
Ok, so cold dead hands is probably a little far, but I'd like to think that when that day comes that I'll go peacefully while baking bread so it could in fact be plausible right? Regardless of how my last days are spent these are still 5 tools that breathe life and sanity into my kitchen.
1. Scale:
For many years I was puzzled as to why I didn't get the beautiful results promised from the recipe I was trying out. I measured everything perfectly, rotated my pans, checked the dates on my baking powder... but none of that helped. It wasn't until I started weighing ingredients that things really came together like they should. Humidity is high here in the Midwest and even in large bulk storage containers there's still enough moisture to alter the weight of flour and even sugar.
2. Bench Scraper:
Do you own one? Have you forced yourself to use it? If you answered yes then you probably love it the same way we do. If you haven't well then guess what your plans are for a Friday night? They make clean up a snap, they pop spilled boiled sugar off your stove (not that I would ever be so messy), they cut clean so edges of biscuits aren't pinched down.... seriously, if I was ever a pirate, I would request a bench scraper for a hand, I love it that much.
3. Straight Silicone Rolling Pin:
I never thought I would swear loyalty to a rolling pin before. Truth be told, before I owned this sleek, silicone orange one... I didn't actually have one in my possession. Usually I used my balsamic vinegar bottle to roll things out, but once this came into my life, I haven't looked back. It cleans up easy and distributes pressure well creating flat level surfaces on whatever your're rolling out. You can find it here on Amazon.
4. Flat Sheet Parchment Paper:
I have professed my love for flat sheets of professional grade parchment paper in the past and my sincerity about the topic hasn't waned any. It's so marvelous I now use it for more than just baking, you just can't understand it's full glory until you've made the switch!
5. Stand Mixer:
Yes I can do anything my stand mixer does by hand... but I don't really want to. I'm not however married to the Kitchenaid brand and support many other professional grade, home sized brands on the market. My Kitchenaid Pro was given to me as a wedding gift and I couldn't have been more thankful. It's made life easier for sure, even if it weighs what a small cow does.
How does your top five baking tools differ? Do you double-plus love your measuring cups? What makes them great? Let us know in the comments below!
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I have a wooden cheapo rolling pin but working professionally at a bakery day in and out, I cant tell you I loathe silicone in all its forms, especially rolling pins. Its just so not necessary. The idea silicone makes things "better" is just over in my mind- Ive yet to meet anything coated in silicone I like. Get a real rolling pin...please!
I agree with you on the scale but I use a digital one--I am often weighing quantities that are too small for the scale you show, plus I like putting the mixing bowl on the scale to zero out before I start adding ingredients. I wish all cookbooks gave weight equivalents! As for the kitchenaid, mine was recently in the shop and I couldn't be happier to have it back.
i'm more partial to a good, well-cured wood rolling pin (with quality bearings) than i am to a man-made one. i have a nonstick and it lacks the solid feel of my mother's.
that said...top 5 baking tools?
1 - a GOOD set of cookie sheets (like these).
2 - my KA stand mixer.
3 - a FULL set of measuring spoons. they're kindof hard to come by in brick-and-mortar stores - most sets are just 4 spoons - and it's nice having those little in-between sizes.
4 - Silpats! reusable = less waste = a much happier kitchen, in my case. but i'm a bit weird about such things.
5 - my rolling mat. it's silicone, so it sticks to my countertop when i'm rolling things out, and i find it easier to clean/less of a pain than trying to get all the flour out of the divots/cracks in my countertop.
Scale: check
Bench scraper: double check
Rolling pin: check, but mine is a plain, tapered wooden model
Parchment: haven't used the flat stuff but I love the roll type.
Mixer: meh. I get a lot more use out of my food processor. Are your butter cubes for pastry? I shred or slice frozen butter in the food processor and then switch to mixing blade and add the rest of the ingredients. Best pie crust ever and scones take less than 5 minutes.
By the way, I have those same measuring spoons and I love that they fit into narrow spice bottles.
I take those big boxes of parchment to Kinkos and have them cut the paper in half for $2. Kinkos charges per cut, so they stack it all up and cut it in one shot. Done. Ready for a 9x13 or 1/2 sheet.
Can't live without my timer.
I so agree with the bench scraper! I have a more flexible one that I found for something like 50 cents at a kitchen supply warehouse. I'm soooo in love. I use it for everything: from pastry cutting to transferring chopped veggies from the cutting board into the pot. Not sure how I lived for so long without one!
@ Limes: BRILLIANT TIP!! I love those flat parchemnt sheets, but cutting them *perfectly* is not my thing.
Damn, I didn't know you could get parchment in flat sheets. The rolled kind can be such a pain in the ass.
@falnfenix I have that exact half sheet (or 4) and I love it! It's the best thing for *all* cooking needs, not just baking :) No non-stick stuff, it's terrible. Professional bakeries use the untreated aluminum, you should at home too!
can anyone source the pink scale in that picture? I need that scale.
I don't know how easy it would be to make italian buttercream by hand though... there must be something you need a stand mixer for!
I have a bench scraper but no bench. so no, having a bench scraper hasn't helped much since finishing school lol.
I too love the scale!
And what a great tip on the parchment paper and Kinko's- although I *just* this week ordered silpats (generic) from Amazon, so no more parchment paper for me. I agree with s00ngtype, the rolled kind can be such a pain!
I agree with the stand mixer. One of those tools that's a joy to use, and even if you don't, still makes you look like a good cook when company comes over!
One of my favorite tools is a little garlic chopper that minces your garlic when you roll it on the counter. Oh I love it so much! No smelly hands, and the garlic comes out so fine in just a little bit. Also love a good solid wooden spoon and a handled mixing bowl.
I love my digital scale, your pink scale is the first I've seen that would make me let my digital know not to let the door hit it on its way out.
That scale is (was) made by Typhoon. I have it in black. They were having some financial trouble and I am not sure they are still around. Good luck!
The scale seems to be by a UK brand called Typhoon. And it also seems to be out of production, though I managed to find some through a Google search.
http://www.typhoonus.com/KitchenScales.html
No pink though. It seems that Cooking.com had them at one point, but are now out of stock.
My kitchen life completely changed when I promoted my food processor (http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-DLC-2007N-Prep-7-Cup-Processor/dp/B00005OAZ3/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1300052328&sr=8-1) from its below-the-baker's-rack home to on-the-countertop status. Now I use it about every other day (especially since I can use it as a stand mixer!)
I also use my scale whenever I bake, but I would love to have more recipes that actually listed ingredients by weight, not volume. Does anyone have cookbook/web site recommendations?
My favorite tools of the kitchen are: a cup of tea, a hand towel, and a plan. There are days that, with these simple three things, I feel ready to take on the world. :D
@ lime: Excellent re: Kinko's - who knew?? @ Annuin: thanks for the research on the scale! I have a scale - but I'm not super fond of it; need to do some comparisons. @ elizabeth188: I agree re: ingredients by weight, but alas you can just do the conversion - lots of conversion calculators on the Internet. With regards to Silpat vs. parchment - I have both. I got the Silpat for free and tried - but I'm still not sold on the whole silicone stuff - I'm not found of "plastic" but then again am all for "renew, reuse, recycle" concepts and parchment isn't reuseable - so I guess on that matter it's a toss up! Food scraper, eh? I don't have one - haven't used one but it sounds like I need to check 'em out!
My "FIVE" would be:
-My Kitchen Aid - although I want a nice food processor - I have just a small one.
-Much like falnfenix - cookie sheets!
-Measuring spoons
-My "wooden" rolling pin - which was my grandmother's - works like a charm
-Last but not least - I think I'm going to have to say parchment paper!
This article is old enough that I doubt anyone is still reading it, but I feel like pointing out how much I love my French style rolling pin. I find them much easier to use than a roller, particularly when working with dough that needs to be spread out wider than a typical roller. A tip I got from my mother was to attach an eye bolt to one end, which makes for easy hanging on a hook underneath a cabinet.
@sarabclever
@elizabeth188
or For everyone that likes to use weight measurements when baking King Arthur Flour has a conversion chart to help you make the conversions easy for any recipe
http://www.kingarthurflour.com/recipes2008/master-weight-chart.html