20 handy gadgets every baker needs to own

Whisk

OXO Good Grips 11” Balloon Whisk

A sturdy whisk is a versatile tool: ideal for whipping up double cream or egg whites, whisking eggs or producing lump-free batters and sauces.

This lightweight OXO Good Grips whisk stood out in our tests for its large, balloon-shaped whisk and how quickly it helped us produce the results we were looking for. For added convenience, the handle is non-stick and the whole unit can be popped in the dishwasher after use.

Read our full review of the best whisks.

Oven thermometer

KitchenCraft MasterClass 50-300 degree Celsius Oven Thermometer

Over time your oven’s thermometer can become less accurate. But when it comes to baking, being a couple of degrees out could change the results entirely.

An oven thermometer, like this one from Masterclass, simply hangs on the oven shelf, and - provided you’ve got a nice clean oven door - you’ll be able to see inside to see what the actual temperature is. This is especially useful if you don’t have a high-tech oven with one-degree temperature increments on the dial.

Do be aware, a wildly different oven temperature to the one you set could be an indication that your oven is on its last legs. For more information, head over to our best ovens guide.

Loaf tin

KitchenAid Non-Stick Loaf Tin

Loaf tins are an uber versatile piece of kit. Not only are they perfect for loaves of bread (of course), but are ideal for loaf cake classics, like lemon drizzle and banana loaf. Or use yours for savoury dishes like chicken terrine or nut roast.

In testing, we favoured this KitchenAid tin for its robust walls and thick lip, making it easy to remove from the oven. It produced even browning all over our test cake. We particularly loved the long, thin shape of the tin, which gave our cake a professional-looking finish.

For more tins, take a look at our best cake tins review.

Stand mixer

Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL

A must-have for chefs and home bakers alike, a stand mixer is a truly sophisticated bit of kit that’ll elevate your bakes to a professional level. These workhorses power through tough dough and take on the burden of repetitive whisking too.

This Kenwood model excelled in our tests, producing a light and well-risen cake, a crisp, glossy meringue and super-soft Chelsea buns. It also comes with two bowls, a bowl-warming function to prove dough and melt chocolate, plus in-built scales.

Read our full Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL review

Hand mixer

KitchenAid nine-speed hand mixer 5KHM9212

If you’ve not got the space for a stand mixer, or are looking for an upgrade on your old model, this KitchenAid hand mixer is a sturdy, lightweight affair that was a real joy to use.

It comes with dough hooks, twin beaters and a balloon whisk for all manner of baking tasks. Plus, there are nine speeds to choose from: the lowest speed is low enough to gently start bringing mixes together and the top speed produces perfectly whipped egg whites and cream in no time.

Read our full KitchenAid nine-speed hand mixer review

Thermometer

Thermapen

Coveted by BBC Good Food’s Food and Reviews Writer, Maga Flores-Trevino and Food Copy Editor Samuel Goldsmith, the Thermapen is a must buy if you do a lot of sugar work when you’re cooking. It’s the thermometer of choice for professional chefs and is renowned for its unparalleled accuracy and wide temperature range (-49.9 to 299.9C). In test, it offered fast results, and although it comes at a high-price, this versatile thermometer is worth every penny.

Read our best sugar thermometer review

Springform tin

Lakeland 20cm springform cake tin

A 20cm cake tin is a must-have for any regular cake-maker. In fact a good majority of BBC Good Food cake recipes call for a 20cm tin. This Lakeland one impressed us in test with its robust walls and even browning. The release lever has a silicone cover for added protection from the heat and the whole tin can be popped in the dishwasher after use.

For more cake tins, take a look at our best cake tins review

Oven gloves

MasterClass Seamless Silicone Double Oven Gloves

Sometimes, a tea towel just doesn’t offer the right protection when removing hot items from the oven. These silicone double oven gloves from MasterClass are much loved by Food Copy Editor Samuel Goldsmith. These gloves also come with a silicone glove section offering added grip, and for easy cleaning, they can be thrown in the washing machine when dirty.

Decorating turntable

Wilton 307-0838 High and Low Cake Turntable

For Cassie Best, BBC Good Food’s Food Director, a decorating turntable is an absolute must for any keen cake-maker. This model is adjustable, allowing you to ice your cake at two different heights. The non-slip ring on the top keeps your cake in place and the non-stick base keeps the turntable firmly planted on the work surface.

• Available from Sellite Design (£29.99)

Palette knife

Wilton 409-7716 Angled Spatula 13-inch

A long palette knife will help you to achieve a smooth and professional finish. It’s ideal for spreading buttercream or jam onto cakes, or use it to spread an even layer of cinnamon butter onto dough, for cinnamon buns. Unlike a traditional knife, a palette knife blade flexes, allowing for even and smooth coverage.

Food processor

Cuisinart FP8U Easy Prep Pro

You can make all manner of foods in a food processor. Use to mix a cake batter, make pastry or finely chop nuts and other ingredients. The Easy Prep Pro by Cuisinart is a fantastic model; it's powerful, with extra sharp blades that make light work of typically hard-to-break-down ingredients. We also felt it was one of the quieter models we’ve tested.

Read our full Cuisinart FP8U Easy Prep Pro review

Reusable liners

Bake-o-glide

We should all be a lot more sustainable, particularly when it comes to the items we cook with. Making little changes, like swapping out parchment paper for reusable liners will not only save you money, but will also cut back on wasteful single-use products.

These liners come highly recommended by Lulu Grimes, BBC Good Food Group Managing Editor. They can be cut to size and simply hand washed after use, allowing you to use them over and over again.

Muffin pan

Deep and Jumbo Muffin Tray 6 Cup Large Silicone Muffins Pan

Much loved by our Group Magazines Editor Keith Kendrick, this deep muffin tray is a versatile piece of kit ideal for muffins, cupcakes, Yorkshire puddings and much more. For added ease this tray is also dishwasher and freezer safe. Thanks to the non-stick surface, there’s no need to single-use cake cases either.

Mini spatula

John Lewis & Partners Spring Baking Silicone & Bamboo Spatulas

A selection of mini spatulas are great for melting chocolate and getting every last drop of cake mix and batter out of your mixing bowl; they're a must-have product for BBC Good Food’s Food Content Creator, Liberty Mendez. These small but mighty spatulas come in two sizes, great for different sized bakes.

• Available from John Lewis and Partners (£10)

Dusting wand

OXO Good Grips Dusting Wand

A dusting of icing sugar or cocoa powder provides a professional-quality final flourish. Whilst a mini-sieve can produce fantastic results, a dusting wand makes the process mess-free, neat and tidy. This OXO Good Grips dusting wand comes highly recommended by Barney Desmazery, BBC Good Food’s Skills and Shows editor. He also uses it to evenly dust flour over a surface when he’s making one of his showstopping bakes.

Weighing scales

Salter 1160 BKDR Electronic Digital Platform Kitchen Scales

Sometimes we eyeball recipes, and sometimes, specific measurements are a must for making the best bakes possible, particularly for bread. You want a pair that’s easy to read and store, and most importantly, accurate in its measurements.

BBC Good Food experts rated this set the best kitchen scales for large loads because their precise measurements extend all the way up to the 10kg mark. It’s not a level we’re likely to reach on a regular basis, but for batch-baking for picnics and birthday parties, or even making dough for freezing, the large capacity is incredibly useful.

For more, read our best kitchen scales review

Precision scales

My Weigh KD8000 Bakers Percentage Kitchen Scale

If you’re into your bread making, you’ll know that exact measurements hold the key to a successful bake. This means a set of precision scales is an absolute must. These scales have a variety of different weighting modes, from grams, to pounds and kilograms. The most useful feature for bakers is the percentage function, which is ideal for making sourdough starter, and so much more.

Sieve

Lakeland 20cm Dia. Soft-Grip Stainless Steel Sieve

Featuring on the BBC Good Food best sieve list, this Lakeland model was praised for its comfortable handle. It has a rubbery coating that provides extra grip, even when the hands are wet. It’s also dishwasher safe for easy clean up. In test, it sifted flour and cocoa powder very well and made light work of our raspberry purée.

Read our best kitchen sieves review

Measuring spoons

Chef Remi 6PC Measuring Spoons Set

Earning the title of best classic measuring spoons in our expert test, this set of six spoons features large and clear engraved measurements and a handy ring to keep them all together. Our tester praised these spoons for their anti-spill rims and they also found them easy to level. Everyone should have a set a measuring spoons at home; they’re not just great for baking.

Read our best measuring spoons review

Baking tray

ProCook non-stick baking tray

• Available from ProCook (£10)

A baking tray is an absolute cooking essential, not just for baking. These ProCook trays come in a range of sizes, the largest of which are ideal for cookies and other batch bakes. Our expert tester praised this baking tray for its thick, heavy-gauge carbon steel design as well as it’s impressive non-stick coating. It’s also dishwasher safe and oven safe up to 260C.

Read our full review of the best baking trays

• Available from ProCook (£10)

More baking products

Best cake storage tins
How to line different cake tins
Best icing turntables
Best stand mixers
Best hand mixer
Best kitchen scales
Best mixing bowls
Best spatulas
Best oven thermometers

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