KITCHEN TOOLS: handy helpers every baker needs!
List of handy kitchen tools that will make your time spent baking easier and more fun! A must-have list of items for a well equipped kitchen.
One of the things that I re-discovered when I decided to add recipes to my blog is baking. Or I should say, how much I love to bake. When my kids were home and I was working full time, it was one of the things that went to the end of a very long list. Now, I have plenty of time to spend in the kitchen. I have become re-acquainted with the items in my kitchen drawers. Family heirlooms have been joined by new (and very cool) handy kitchen tools. I’d like to share my favorites…and I want you to know it was very hard to narrow it down to ten!Â
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My Favorite Kitchen Tools
I’ve really never met a spatula I didn’t like, but the colored ones with wood handles are my favorites. They come in different shapes and sizes now. For the past few years, my daughter has been putting new spatulas in my Christmas stocking so my collection is growing.
These scoops are amazing. They make the job of dropping cookie dough so easy and the bigger one is the perfect amount of batter for a cupcake. My mom used to drop cookie dough with a teaspoon and her finger. That method still works fine of course, but the scoops are quicker.
No kitchen tools list would be complete without a whisk. That’s just my opinion but I bet most of you agree. I use my whisk every time I bake to mix my dry ingredients together. I could not live without it.Â
This very rolling pin belonged to my grandmother. I had been married just a few months when she passed away. When we emptied out her house, it made my Dad so happy when I said I would give some of her kitchen tools a new home. I had never made a pie in my life at that time, but something told me to take this rolling pin. Since then, it’s been used to roll out everything from pie dough to Play-Doh and is truly one of my most treasured possessions.
Up until a few years ago, I didn’t have measuring spoons that I really liked. I had a set of plastic ones that were a little flimsy but I used them for years anyway. This All Clad set was a Christmas gift.  Just owning them makes me feel a little more legit!
The same goes for these measuring cups. They too were a gift and I feel just like Martha Stewart when I use them! I highly recommend a good, solid set of measuring cups. It’s an investment that will last a lifetime.Â
One of my favorite things in the world is Pyrex. Not so much the colored pieces but the clear ones. My dream would be to have a pantry full of well-organized, clear and shiny Pyrex. That’s not going to happen any time soon, so I am content with the pieces I have. I could not live without the big bowl and the nesting bowls. (The nesting bowls aren’t technically Pyrex but they look just like it!) I use them on a daily basis and not just for baking. I have four measuring cups. Two that are 2-cups and two that are 1-cups. The new Pyrex doesn’t have quite the charm that the old stuff has but I still love it all!
Cooling racks have come a long way. There are stacking ones and really big ones too. Mine are, once again, from my grandmother’s kitchen. They are a little bent in places but still do the job. Every time I touch them I think of her and that is absolutely the best thing of all.
I’ve talked about these baking pans many times on my blog. They are Williams-Sonoma Goldtouch. I discovered them a few years ago and have slowly been adding the ones I want to my pan collection. The very first ones I purchased were the Set of 2 Quarter Sheets. They have little dimples and cookies baked on these pans come out perfect every time. Like the spatulas, I have been asking for these pans for Christmas. I personally have only bought a few…the rest have been gifts.Â
KitchenAid mixers have come a long way in the past few years. Mine is one of the basic models and I got it back in the day when the only color choices were black and white. (Again, a Christmas gift.) Even though this is an investment for sure, I highly recommend owning one if you like to bake. Â Mine came with three basic attachments, but there are lots of new ones that are made specifically for certain jobs. For example, there is a scraper attachment that scrapes the sides of your bowl while you are mixing.Â
There you have it. I’m not a professional baker…actually I’m not a professional anything. This kitchen tools list is based on my 35 years of experience and what works for me. If you have any handy helper kitchen tools to share, please leave me a comment. I love to find new things to add to my Christmas list!
All items in this post are linked above and can also be found (except for the Goldtouch) in my Amazon shop. Click HERE.Â
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