With Great British Bake Off starting again, the UK is about to be whipped up into another baking frenzy. There are many gizmos and gadgets available for the novice and professional baker alike but sometimes its best to get back to basics. Equip your kitchen with the most essential of items and you will put yourself on the right track for baking success time and time again.
Fifteen essential utensils for baking:
The most basic of equipment but the most necessary is a mixing bowl; look for a deep bowl for incorporating as much air as possible
Essential for scooping and scraping. The silicone heatproof type of spatula is the best as it can also be used for for jam making
Best bet is two whisks, large and small for gentle folding and fierce whisking
Careful measurement of ingredients leads to successful cakes and pastries, the more precise the scales, the better
For quick measurement of liquids, jugs are also useful for pouring batters and custard
Whether you choose a weighted one or the non-moving French type, the heavier the rolling pin the better
Stand mixers are expensive but essential for the avid home baker
Whether sifting flour or straining compotes, sieves are always handy
A pastry brush is a multi-use tool for egg-washing, buttering, glazing etc. and great for sweeping away excess flour
A wooden spoon is a trusty staple for stirring, mixing and beating
Useful for filling and decorating cakes, making macarons and also piping eclairs – piping nozzles are a must for pastry week!
You will need one of these to avoid ‘soggy bottoms’ in cake week
All shapes and sizes are handy for weird and wonderful European cakes but an 18cm sandwich tin is a good place to start
Not only useful for smoothing and frosting, palette knives can be used to lift cakes and biscuits from boards and tease cakes from tins
The best way to test whether a cake is cooked is to insert a skewer into the middle – if it comes out clean, the cake is cooked
