Baking Essentials Checklist Every Baker Needs

Quick summary: The baking essentials every baker needs start with a digital scale, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, and an oven thermometer, then a whisk, spatula, wire rack, and a set of baking pans. Below is the full checklist of must-have tools, nice-to-have equipment, and pantry ingredients, plus a free printable to help you stock your kitchen.

Baking essentials checklist

This is a comprehensive list of the baking tools and ingredients I use and recommend for beginner bakers (and experienced bakers) to have in their arsenal.

If you're new to baking, start stocking your kitchen with my Baking Essentials Checklist. You can download and print it out for free. It is a great place to start.

Must-have baking tools

These are the baking utensils you'll need in your kitchen when making a small batch of cookies or baking for a crowd. They include baking mixing tools, baking cake tools, and baking materials.

1. Oven thermometer

An oven thermometer is a must-have for checking oven temperature. Discrepancies between the temperature you check and what you see on the display are one reason you may fail at baking. So, this tool is essential throughout the baking journey.

2. Kitchen scale

A digital scale that weighs liquid (fl oz, ml) and dry ingredients (g, oz, lb + oz) with an accuracy of 0.1 ounces (1 gram) helps measure your recipe ingredients precisely.

It's waterproof and features a smooth glass surface that's easy to clean. I would say that it is the best kitchen scale on the market.

This grams-to-cups conversion guide will be handy if you ever need to convert grams to cups.

3. Measuring cups and spoons

If you prefer measuring ingredients with cups and spoons, this 9-piece set is an ideal choice. They are durable and resistant to rust, stains, and breakage.

You will enjoy their stackable option for easy storage in your cabinets. This set also makes a perfect gift for any occasion. However, to measure liquids accurately, you need a specially designed liquid measuring cup.

4. Mixing bowls

A single mixing bowl or a set of 6 stainless steel mixing bowls is perfect for mixing cake batters, cookie dough, making cream, or chocolate ganache. They are dishwasher-safe and freezer-safe.

5. Measuring shot glass

You will love this 3oz. (90ml) measuring shot glass that helps measure small amounts of dry and liquid ingredients. It is one of the handy baking items.

6. Flour sifter

Most recipes call for sifted flour or a mix of dry ingredients. With this flour sifter made of rust-resistant stainless steel, you will perform this task in no time. It is perfect for working with various types of flour (such as all-purpose flour and almond flour), icing sugar, cocoa powder, and more.

7. Cake pans

You can start with a round cake pan for layer cakes and later add a 3-tiered cake pan set designed for professional bakers. They release easily and clean up fast, and they last through daily use for years.

You will also love to pick up one or a couple of cake pans of different sizes and styles:

round cake tin,
square cake pan,
rectangular baking pan,
half-sheet pan,
bundt cake pan.

However, the pans above become optional if you use a simple cake pan size converter.

Moreover, if you ever need to recalculate ingredients for a fancy pan with a creative design, such as the Silikomart Kit Woody silicone mold, there is a solution available. Learn how to adjust a cake recipe for different-sized pans.

8. Loaf pan

You will use a couple of loaf pans, such as this silicone loaf pan or bread loaf pan, more than you'd think.

Banana bread, apple bread, and zucchini bread are just a few examples of loaf cakes and quick breads that call for a loaf pan. If you want mini loaves, consider investing in mini loaf pans.

9. Muffin/cupcake pan

A classic muffin pan is a must-have in the kitchen. It is so versatile that you can make muffins, cupcakes, mini brioches, and even French madeleines without a mold.

This standard 12-cup muffin pan is designed for everyday use, providing easy release and quick cleanup. It comes with a 10-year warranty.

10. Baking sheets/cookie sheets

You need at least one, or better, a couple of baking sheets in your kitchen. These half-sheets, made of pure aluminum, are designed for a lifetime of use. They are perfect for sweet and savory baking.

11. Pie plate

For homemade pies, sweet or savory, you will need a pie plate. You will also use it for preparing French classics, such as apple Tarte Tatin and various custards.

But how to choose a suitable pie tin? Opt for an oven-safe Pyrex glass pie plate. It's even better if it's made with borosilicate glass. Learn more about how to bake in a glass pan.

12. Rolling pin

Made of premium solid wood, this rolling pin is ideal for rolling out cookie dough, pasta, pizza, and yeast dough, among other applications. It is durable and moisture-resistant.

You will probably use it for more than just rolling dough. For example, you can crush cookies or Pink Praline if you don't have a food processor.

13. Parchment paper

Parchment paper lines baking sheets or pans to prevent your baked goods from sticking. Oven-safe and nonstick, this parchment paper fits most baking sheets. A positive review from over 45,000 customers makes it worth investing in.

Over time, you may want to add a silicone baking mat and precut circle cake pan liners.

14. Cookie scoop

Initially, consider investing in a medium cookie scoop that's user-friendly. Later, you can buy a cookie scoop set with three scoops, perfect for making various cookie recipes. It is one of the best in the market.

15. Silicone spatula

This silicone spatula is made of premium silicone, making it heat-resistant and safe for use. You will use it to mix cake batter or cookie dough, scrape batter or dough from the sides of the bowl, spread cream or jam filling, and decorate cakes, among other uses.

16. Hand whisk

You will use a hand whisk to beat eggs with sugar and mix dry ingredients. It is essential in making French crepes and whipping up the custard. Here is one of the best balloon whisks, with a perfect handle that is easy to hold.

17. Wire rack

A wire rack, also known as a cooling rack, is essential for cooling your baked goods. The nonstick cooling rack is durable and perfect for cooling cookies, pies, and cakes.

18. Oven mitts

You can't survive in the kitchen without oven mitts. Made in different colors, these oven mitts offer protection up to 450°F (232°C) and are essential for every baker and cook. Long enough (14.7 inches or 37.3 cm), they perfectly protect fingers, hands, and wrists from burns.

19. Hand mixer

While you can whip ingredients with a hand whisk, a hand mixer makes it much easier. An electric mixer is a cheaper, excellent alternative to a stand mixer for baking. It combines ingredients at seven speeds, making it easy and comfortable to use.

20. Kitchen scissors

You will need handy kitchen scissors whenever you need to cut parchment paper, trim the dough for the perfect pie, or cut gift paper and ribbon.

Nice-to-have baking equipment

These are baking tools that you invest in once you have developed your baking skills, have enough space in your kitchen after decluttering or renovation, or receive them as a gift.

While these items don't fall into the category of baking must-haves, they make an excellent addition to your existing baking arsenal.

1. Cake roll pans

If you are a fan of roll cakes, whether they're Bûche de Noël or Swiss roll cake, you will need a nonstick baking sheet. Made with high-quality platinum silicone, you can rest assured: baking with silicone is safe.

To bake a classic Jelly roll cake, you will need a specially sized jelly roll pan. If you don't have these fancy-sounding baking pans, use a baking sheet lined with parchment paper as you learn how to make roll cakes.

2. Cookie/brownie spatula

This cute cookie spatula, with its perfect size, is versatile for small cakes, pizzas, quiches, cookies, and brownies. Is this spatula a must? No, but it is nice to have in your kitchen arsenal.

3. Pastry blender

If you love making pies, you will enjoy this handy pastry blender. It helps cut the cold butter or shortening into flour to make flaky pie dough. But you can always use two butter knives if you don't have one.

4. Pastry brush

This handy tool is a nice addition to your baking equipment. You can use a pastry brush to grease your baking pans or apply egg wash or fruit tart glaze.

5. Icing spatula

This 13-inch (33 cm) bent spatula is perfect for smoothing icing between cake layers and transferring a cake roll to a serving platter. It's comfortable in your hand and easy to use.

6. Wooden spoon

A single wooden spoon would be enough and handy in your kitchen. You can use it to stir pastry cream, caramelize fruit, and make thick cookie dough.

7. Baking cups

While you can bake muffins without baking cups, or make your own, these high-quality, unbleached cupcake liners are best because they fit a regular muffin or cupcake pan perfectly.

8. Cake lifter

You can use an angled spatula (also known as an offset spatula) and your hand to transfer the cake to a serving platter or a cake board. However, once you start making cakes more often, you will need a cake lifter that can lift cakes to 12 inches (30 cm).

9. Cake leveler

While you can cut Italian sponge cake with a serrated knife, a cake leveler is a treasure. It is perfect for slicing cakes and tortes into thin layers.

10. Microplane (zester grater)

This Microplane is designed to make fresh citrus zest and to grate Parmesan, ginger, and garlic. It would be nice to have, but if you don't have one, you can use a sharp knife or a simple grater.

11. Pastry bags

If you start decorating cakes, 18-inch (45 cm) disposable decorating bags will become essential for you as a baking enthusiast. Pastry bags are a must for professional bakers.

12. Piping tips

While you might be impressed by cake decorating on Instagram, you only need a few piping tips to start. These are essential tools for cake making:

The 1M open star pastry tip is one of the most popular and widely used piping tips for decorating cakes and cupcakes.
Ateco plain pastry tip 809 is wide enough and is perfect for piping dollops and making cakes.

13. Mandoline slicer

A mandoline slicer with six cutting options is excellent for making thin or thicker slices, cubes, and thick strips. It is both a fancy and valuable tool.

14. Kitchen torch

A kitchen torch, also known as a blowtorch, is perfect for making crème brûlée and vanilla meringue cake.

15. Citrus juicer

While you can squeeze a lemon with your hands, this manual citrus juicer saves time, money, and effort in making juice. It is easy to use and clean.

16. Colander

This colander with micro-perforated holes is a great cooking essential for draining rice while making French rice pudding.

17. Fine-mesh sieve

Use a finer-mesh sieve to sift a small amount of dry ingredients (or use a flour sifter if available) and dust powdered sugar over your baked goods. This tool is space-efficient and easy to use. If desired, you can alternate its use with a dredge.

18. Spider strainer

A spider strainer may become essential if you make apple fritters, blueberry, pineapple, or peach fritters. It is also used to make different kinds of donuts.

19. Egg separator

While there are many ways to separate egg whites from yolks, nothing beats an egg separator. It is great for you if you often make meringue-based desserts.

20. Vegetable peeler

Yes, you can peel fruits and vegetables with a sharp knife, but a vegetable peeler is a specially designed tool for this purpose. It is used for cooking too.

21. Coffee grinder

A coffee grinder is a must for coffee lovers and helps make icing (powdered) sugar at home. It is also compact and stylish.

22. Plastic wrap

Plastic film is used for everyday cooking, baking, and storing. You will use it to cover your pastry cream to prevent skin formation and to wrap your baked goods for storage in the refrigerator. If you love to freeze food, it will become essential in your kitchen.

23. Aluminum foil

Aluminum foil is another good addition to your baking equipment. It is very versatile in the kitchen and for DIY projects.

24. Airtight food container

An airtight container made of glass, with a leak-proof lid, is perfect for storing food, including baked goods.

25. Ziploc freezer bags

It's nice to have a few Ziploc freezer bags with a triple-seal system in your kitchen.

26. Madeleine pan

If you love madeleines, you will want to have a madeleine pan on hand. Choose to purchase a top-quality silicone madeleine mold or a steel madeleine pan.

The de Buyer madeleine mold is an excellent investment that makes 44 French madeleines at once.

27. Crepe pan

Investing in a good-quality crepe pan is advisable if you love simple French crepes, banana Nutella crepes, or Parisian crepes filled with ham, cheese, and mushrooms.

If you ever consider making crepes every weekend, look no further than the de Buyer crepe pan.

28. Food processor

This quiet and powerful food processor is perfect for chopping, slicing, whisking, and even kneading. It's ideal for everyday kitchen use. Choose Braun if you want to buy a food processor.

29. Stand mixer

This classic 5-quart tilt-head stand mixer, paired with an elegant glass mixing bowl, is a dream for bakers and cooks worldwide. It is one of the kitchen tools worth investing in. As a more affordable alternative, you can use an electric mixer.

Essential baking ingredients

Here is a list of essential baking ingredients for a well-stocked pantry that

saves you time both when searching online and when shopping;
narrows your list to just necessary baking ingredients;
suits your baking needs;
helps you create desserts your family and friends will love.

Undoubtedly, you can adapt this basic baking ingredients list with additional baking products and more premium ingredients. Over time, as you progress as a baker, you will discover other baking essentials that fit your baking demands.

1. Flour

All-purpose flour, also known as plain flour, is a pantry staple and an essential baking ingredient. It makes everything from cookies to crepes, muffins, and cakes.

For gluten-free baking, you will need gluten-free flour or a 1:1 gluten-free baking blend.

As you gain more baking experience, you will invest in cake flour, pastry flour, bread flour, and self-rising flour.

You can add some specialty flours to your basic pantry:

Nut flours, such as almond flour, hazelnut flour, coconut flour, etc.
Whole wheat flour, thanks to its high nutritional profile.
Whole grain flour, such as oat flour, millet flour, buckwheat flour, and a combination of different grains.

While it's nice to have a well-stocked pantry, try to approach it slowly and wisely. Buy small quantities of flour, especially specialty flours, to avoid waste and spoilage.

Store flour in an airtight container in a dry, cool place at room temperature. Unopened flour lasts up to one year, and opened flour up to 8 months.

Since whole wheat flour and other grain flours tend to go rancid quickly, keeping them in the fridge or freezer is a good idea.

Nut flours contain oils, so store them in the refrigerator for up to 6 months (respect the date on the package).

A good tip is always to follow the manufacturer's storage recommendations.

2. Sugar

Basic white sugar includes granulated sugar and caster sugar (also known as superfine baker's sugar). Superfine sugar is used to make meringue-based desserts.

Icing sugar, also known as confectioners' sugar or powdered sugar, is perfect for dusting baked goods, making meringues, or sweetening whipped cream. You can even make your own at home using a coffee grinder.

If you opt for commercial powdered sugar, it's good to know that it is often mixed with a small amount of cornstarch.

You will notice that some baking recipes call for brown sugar and muscovado sugar, which are rich in molasses.

Do you need other types of sugar, such as coconut sugar or date sugar, in addition to sweeteners? It all depends on your baking preferences.

Store different types of sugar in airtight plastic containers in the pantry at room temperature. Unopened and opened sugar lasts up to 2 years.

To keep brown sugar soft, store it with a special Brown Sugar Bear, a sugar saver, and a softener.

3. Leaveners

Leaveners, or leavening agents, induce chemical reactions in batters and doughs that cause baked goods to rise. Stock up your pantry with

baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) and
aluminum-free baking powder.

But how to store chemical leaveners to ensure your baking is successful each time?

Store baking soda in its original packaging in a cool, dark, and dry place. Keep it away from foods with strong scents since it tends to absorb odors. Unopened baking soda lasts up to three years, while opened, it lasts up to six months.

Store the baking powder in the pantry in its original packaging, with a tight-sealing lid. If unopened, keep it for up to 18 months; if opened, use it within six months.

To bake bread, donuts, brioches, croissants, and yeasted blini, you will need yeast as a biological leavener.

How to store it? Store unopened active dry and instant yeast in a sealed container in a cool, dry place, or in the fridge or freezer for up to 2 years. If it is opened, keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 4 months or in the freezer for up to 6 months.

To store fresh yeast, check the date on the package. It generally lasts for two weeks in the refrigerator.

4. Fats

Grapeseed oil and vegetable oil have a neutral flavor, and both are used for most baking recipes and greasing pans.

Keep them in sealed bottles, preferably tinted glass or stainless steel. Store them in a dark, cool place for 6-12 months, but always check the expiration date.

Butter, margarine, and shortening are other fats often used in baking. Store butter and margarine wrapped tightly in the refrigerator for up to three months.

Unopened shortening can be stored at room temperature for up to 8 months, and opened shortening for up to 3 months.

5. Dairy

Buy dairy products as you go with your recipe, since these ingredients don't keep well.

Eggs bind the ingredients together. Most recipes call for large eggs, but it's always a good idea to check the size of eggs the recipe requires. Keep eggs in their original, closed carton in the refrigerator. Eggs last up to 1 month.
Milk and buttermilk make the cakes moist. Store them in sealed containers at the back of the fridge, checking the expiration dates regularly.
Cream, mascarpone, and sour cream. Store them in sealed containers in the refrigerator. Always check the expiration date.
Alternative milks include soy, rice, and coconut, as well as other plant-based options.

6. Other dry ingredients in baking

Besides must-have ingredients like flour, sugar, and butter, you may also need a few additional staples on hand.

Salt (table salt, sea salt, fleur de sel)
Starches (cornstarch, potato starch)
Cream of tartar
Cocoa powder
Powdered milk
Spices (ground cinnamon, ground nutmeg, allspice, ground ginger, etc.)

7. Add-Ins

This is where you can get creative. The list of baking ingredients can become endless, depending on your needs and preferences. So consider adding some along your baking adventure.

Chocolate: white, milk, and dark chocolate in a bar form.
Chocolate chips: sweet, semi-sweet, dark chocolate, unsweetened.
Nuts and seeds: almonds, hazelnuts, pecans, walnuts, coconut, chia and flax seeds, etc.
Dried fruits: raisins, cranberries, etc.
Oats: quick, gluten-free.
Flavorings: vanilla extract, almond extract, etc.
Gelatin sheets or powdered gelatin.
Honey, jams, and preserves.
Nut butter: almond, peanut, etc.
Matcha green tea powder.
Sprinkles.
Food coloring.

How to choose baking essentials for beginners

You don't need every gadget at once. Start with a small set of baking essentials that cover measuring, mixing, and baking, then add specialty pieces as your recipes get more ambitious.

The four pieces that make the biggest difference for beginners are a digital kitchen scale, a set of measuring cups and spoons, one or two sturdy mixing bowls, and a reliable oven thermometer.

With those, you can measure accurately and bake at the right temperature, which is where most first-time flops come from.

After the basics, buy what you need for the recipes you actually make. If you love cookies, prioritize baking sheets, parchment paper, and a cookie scoop. If quick breads are your thing, a loaf pan comes first.

Building your kit this way keeps costs down and stops your drawers from filling with tools you rarely reach for. Buy quality where it matters most, such as pans and a scale, and save on items you replace often, like parchment or piping bags.

Conclusion

Now, with a comprehensive list of baking utensils and ingredients, you're ready to start.

Baking 101 offers fundamental baking basics and comprehensive guides for both aspiring and experienced bakers looking to expand their baking skills.

To make your life easier and save money on the baking stuff you don't need, download this Baking Essentials Checklist. It's free!

Also, visit my Amazon page, where I created a list of baking and cooking tools, gifts for bakers, and more.

Bakery essentials include more specialized equipment compared with home and restaurant kitchens. The list calls for fine-tuned equipment, including ovens, freezers, refrigerators, sinks, dishwashers, and safety equipment.

Baking essentials FAQ

What are the most essential baking tools?
The core four are a digital kitchen scale, measuring cups and spoons, mixing bowls, and an oven thermometer. Add a whisk, a silicone spatula, a wire rack, and a set of baking pans, and you can make most home recipes.

What baking essentials does a beginner need first?
Start with accurate measuring and temperature tools, then add a couple of mixing bowls and pans that match the recipes you bake most. This small starter kit covers cookies, cakes, and quick breads without overspending.

What is the difference between must-have and nice-to-have baking equipment?
Must-have tools are the ones you reach for in almost every recipe, such as a scale, bowls, and pans. Nice-to-have equipment, like a stand mixer or a cake roll pan, speeds things up or handles special projects, but you can bake well without it at the start.

What baking ingredients should I always keep in the pantry?
Stock flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, salt, eggs, butter, and a good vanilla. These staples let you put together cookies, cakes, and breads on short notice, and you can build from there with cocoa, chocolate, and spices.

More baking tips and free downloads

Do you wonder what to bake, something special yet surprisingly simple? Here is a baking recipe for beginners: this banana bread guarantees success on your first try.

Happy baking!