Bakers weigh in on their favorite tools

Whether it’s out of boredom, a way to relieve stress, or a mechanism to scratch a creative itch, more people have turned to baking over the last few months. People are posting images of their first loaves and others are showcasing their baking prowess with towering, gorgeous cakes. If you are new to baking you might wonder about what tools and equipment to buy. Salon recently polled several well-known bakers about which items they deemed indispensable.

Topping the list of recommendations was a kitchen scale. Not only does it allow for more precise measuring, it saves time and mess as you don’t have to clean up a bunch of measuring cups and spoons. Dorie Greenspan extols the merits of a kitchen scale, saying “I’d never want to live without one.” Greenspan has another favorite tool in her arsenal: a set of small ‘pinch’ bowls. Her top tips for aspiring bakers is to make sure you read the recipe twice and prep your ingredients as though you were “on a cooking competition show.” That way you know if you have added the baking soda or vanilla and are not as likely to overlook an ingredient. Plus, says Greenspan, “I think the ingredients themselves look so beautiful. It’s kind of a pleasure to see them on your counter ready to go.”

Other items mentioned run the gamut from the mundane – a heavy mug for quick microwave cakes – to the more obscure Japanese donabe steamer, which can be used to make steamed matcha cake. The donabe can also be used to make vegetables, rice, and more, so it is far from a dreaded ‘unitasker’. One item that is not very common but is recommended by the likes of Nik Sharma is a set of graduated measuring beakers. They allow for precision measuring of liquids, and they have a cool science-y vibe.

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