Baking is a very fun and relaxing activity… most of the time. When you’re baking chocolate chips with your family, it’s fun. But when you only have a couple of hours to make three dozen cupcakes for your kid’s bake sale that they forgot to mention until the night before… it’s not so much fun. Regardless of why you are baking, having the right baking equipment will make your life so much easier. The right equipment will also elevate the quality and presentation of your food, so you can impress all your friends and family with your newly learned baking skills. At the end of the day, every kitchen needs these 8 must-have baking essentials:

1. Silicone baking mat

Silicone baking mats are not only better for the environment, they are just an easier way to bake in general. No more having to spend money on constantly buying parchment paper or foil, a silicone baking mat is reusable and easy to clean.

2. Cookie scoops

Sure, you can just use a spoon to scoop out your cookie dough, but an actual cooking scoop makes the whole process a lot easier. Think an ice cream scoop, but designed perfectly for scooping cookies. It is mess free and gives you equally shaped cookies with every scoop.

3. Baking pans

One of the most simple yet useful baking utensils that every kitchen needs: baking pans. I mean, how else are you going to bake? Invest in a nice set of baking pans that comes with a variety of pans, such as a cake pan, muffin pan, loaf pan, pie pan… just to name a few. They will all come in handy at some point.

4. Rolling pin

A rolling pin is an absolute baking necessity useful for many baking purposes: cookies, breads, pastries- the list goes on. You can even get an engraved rolling pin to make patterns on cookies and bring your baking to the next level.

5. Cooling rack

You do not want your cookies to sit on a hot baking sheet for too long, as it will just prolong the cooling process. Instead, once your baked goods are out of the oven and have cooled down just a bit, transfer them to a cooling rack. That way your baked goods will not get overcooked by sitting on the hot sheet.

6. Food scale

With cooking, you can get away with eyeballing things and experimenting, but with baking, precision is key. Which is exactly why you need a food scale. A food scale is necessary for weighing ingredients so that you do not put too much or too little of something and completely mess up a recipe.

7. Sifter

You might think sifting ingredients is unnecessary… well, think again. A good sifter is essential for your kitchen as it aerates ingredients to get rid of any lumpiness. If a recipe calls for it (and even if it doesn’t), make sure you sift dry ingredients like flour and sugar to ensure your recipe will come out the best it can.

8. Stand mixer

All baking recipes require some sort of mixing and a good, quality stand mixer will make the job so much easier. Not only does it make mixing a lot easier and less time consuming, it allows you the chance to multitask while baking. With a stand mixer, you can do multiple baking tasks at once. Who would have thought?

The right baking essentials will cut the amount of time you spend baking in half and make those busy days feel a whole lot calmer. With these 8 essentials, your baking game will completely change for the better. No matter what your baking purpose is, it is crucial to have the right baking utensils to make the whole process that much easier. Not only will your baked goods turn out better, they will look a whole lot better, too. Impress your friends and families and get these baking essentials ASAP!

8 Must-Have Baking Essentials