Baking

A muffin pan is also called a cupcake pan since it works for both kinds of products. For muffins, I prefer a jumbo muffin pan (with about 5 oz capacity in each compartment), which is in accordance with my muffin recipes. I believe that muffins should be larger for greater satisfaction. You can use a regular muffin pan (with about 3 oz capacity in each compartment) or any other size muffin pan (for my muffin recipes) by simply having more muffins or adjusting the recipe.

For cupcakes, I prefer a regular-sized pan since they also have frosting, and it will be more a convenient for portion size. Whatever size you decide, make sure that it will have properly sized and fitting liners. Best is to buy liners in bulk since each one will be significantly cheaper.

An offset spatula is an icing spatula with a blade that is lightly offset. These spatulas are usually shorter than a regular flat icing spatula and are especially convenient for precise edging of frosted desserts.

Read more about flat icing spatulas here.

The most convenient offset size is 4-¾ or something similar. I would recommend that each household have one.

You should purchase commercial versions since they last significantly longer than those made just for household use.

For most baking, you will be just fine with parchment paper which performs great and is disposable. Silicone mats need to be cleaned after every usage but provide you with better burn protection – more suitable for more sensitive baked goods, such as macarons.

Are you tired of cutting parchment paper to fit the size of your baking sheet? There is a simple solution. If you are using commercial baking sheets (read more about baking sheets here), simply purchase parchment paper to perfectly fit your baking sheet – you will save lot of many and time.

Always purchase unbleached so you save yourself from potentially harmful chemicals and help out the environment. Unbleached versions can be recognized by their natural brown color.

Pastry bags are essential tools for decorating pastries, cakes, or even for plating your mashed potatoes. You can use them by just cutting off the top after filling and get a round effect similar to a round pastry tip. Or, you can use the pastry bags with your selected pastry tip or even a coupler (the coupler allows you to switch pastry tips after the filling is placed into the pastry bag).

Read more about pastry tips here.
Read more about couplers here.

Pastry bags can be reusable (usually from polyurethane) or disposable (usually from plastic).

Reusable bags usually come in a pack of 1 and disposable usually come on a roll of 100 PCS.

I personally prefer reusable for these reasons:

1. No need to clean and dry – speeds up the process in the kitchen.
2. No danger of molding if dried improperly.
3. You always cut your opening based on current preferences, tip size, or coupler size (in comparison with reusable bags, which are not possible to reverse after cut).
4. Cost-effective solution = one bag from my online store costs just around 17 cents.

You can buy them in multiple sizes, but for most households, I would always recommend 18” because it is big enough for larger quantities but also not too big if you have just a small amount of filling.

See section “How to Work with a Pastry Bag” here.

Pastry tips are great not just for decorating cakes but also for plating mashed potatoes or a creamy meal or dessert.

You can avoid using pastry tips by just simply cutting off the top of a pastry bag and piping your contents out – the final effect will be similar to if you use a round pastry tips. But if you want more shapes, that is when pastry tips come in handy.

There are multiple kinds of pastry tips and you should always select those which fit your preferences.

For example, these are the most common and useful:

• Pain tips (round pastry tips)
• Open Star
• Close Star
• French Star
• Bismark (very good especially for filling pastries since it has a long and sharp end that can penetrate the pastry)

Pastry tips come in 3 major sizes: small, medium, and large. For most households, the most convenient size is small since it is compact and well suited for dessert preparation. Larger sizes are slightly more beneficial for piping out thicker consistencies and/or larger quantities.

Each tip then has an additional number reflecting the size of its’ opening, for example, #5 French star tip, size small.

Best is to purchase a high-quality set of 20 or more pastry tips to have a selection to start with and to also get a cost-effective solution.

Pastry tips can be simply slid into the pastry bag, where you then cut off the pastry bag tip to adjust accordingly. Or you can connect a coupler to the pastry bag to switch pastry tips after the filling is placed into the pastry bag.

Read more about pastry bags here.
Read more about couplers here.
See section “How to Work with a Pastry Bag” here.

A pizza paddle, often called a pizza peel too, is a great tool to have if you are a pizza and/or a bread baker. Before I bought mine, I was hesitant and questioned this purchase since you can to a certain extent replace it with a large cutting board or an inverted baking sheet. Eventually I decided to proceed with purchasing a pizza paddle since making pizza and breads just wasn’t right without it. It was very cheap, and since the first day I used it, it has become a very useful tool. In the end, it was a great purchase, and one I would recommend to anyone who likes to bake pizza or bread.

Since I bake both of these products outside on my grill, I leave my pizza paddle permanently outside and don’t lose storage space inside. You can choose any length that suits your needs, from a really short one to a really long one. I have a medium length version; which I find convenient and perfect for all tasks I need it for (the size of my paddle is 16 x 18” with a 19” handle).

A pizza stone is great not only for baking pizza, but also for baking bread. It works well in the oven and on the grill. For baking pizza or bread in the oven, you can always replace it with a baking sheet, but the pizza stone will help you reach better results and consistent baking. For baking pizza or bread on the grill, you definitely need it.

You should never buy ceramic versions since they crack incredibly easily even with careful usage (they barely lasted two baking for me). Cordierite pizza stones are unfortunately much more expensive but last a lifetime. When you are selecting your pizza stone, make sure it fits perfectly into your oven or grill while leaving space around for air circulation (at least two inches from each side).

A proofing basket, also called a bread proofing basket, is great for proofing bread dough (to help bread reach a nice loaf shape) or even for serving. There are many shapes and sizes and you should choose the one that you like most. You can also choose one with or without textiles inside. I like to use a round 8″ basket.

You don’t have to spend extra money on a proofing basket. I bought a basic, natural-colored rattan basket, which are originally meant just for serving and are substantially cheaper but also work great for proofing . In my opinion, it really doesn’t matter if you buy a regular proofing basket or a cheap rattan basket- no matter what, you always need to flour it inside to prevent the dough from sticking.

I love to prepare my roasts in my fry pan and finish cooking in the oven, but there are many situations when a roast pan comes in handy (for example, with a large roast for a party or turkey). Based on my experience, the most convenient size, which also fits into any oven, is 12” x 18″. But, if you like to sometimes bake super large birds (and your oven allows it), you may need an even bigger roast pan. Make sure that your roast pan has rims of at least 2″ high (or higher). If you are only using a roast pan, occasionally you can just buy a cheap version (for example, aluminum), but if you are using a roast pan all the time, you should consider investing in a stainless steel pan since it will last longer.