Want to make home baking so much fun!! Look out for these baking essentials

Wow!! Will you believe, these treats are just a beginner’s trial. This article covers what to look for, when you have decided to bake at home, just like how I started. You can make delicious baked treats with ease when you own these basic kitchen tools and utensils.

Whether you're a beginner hobby baker or a keen baker, for enjoyable and time-saving baking, here is our list of the useful tools to make your work so much easier. Also if you make a purchase using the links included, I may earn commission at no cost to you.

Basic tools:

1. Convection Microwave Oven / OTG

Choose your oven/OTG features and capacity, depending on your budget, baking preference and family size. Convection oven varies from Rs. 10000 to 18000. This is the oven which I'm using for baking, it is sufficient for baking small batches of cakes and cookies. For bulk baking or home baking business, I would suggest choosing a larger capacity more than 40L.

Some ovens which are good are

• LG 28L convection microwave oven
• Samsung 28L convection microwave oven
• Morphy Richards OTG Besta 52-Litre

2. Stand mixer/Hand mixer or hand beater

If you are ready to invest money, choose a good stand mixer else a hand mixer will just do the work. I use a Hamilton Beach hand mixer and it has served me well for years.

Some beaters which are good are

• Philips 300-watt hand mixer
• KitchenAid Stand mixer 4.8 Litre

3. Measuring cups and spoons (must have)

Perfect quantities measured yields perfect baked treats. Use cups & spoons with easy to read measurements. Still you will need a conversion table at times.

Some good ones are

• GONIRY cups spoons,spatula & brush set
• INOVERA 12 piece set cups & ml

4. Digital scale

A digital scale is the most important item on the list. Measuring your ingredients accurately, results in perfectly baked goods. You can convert measurements from cups to grams and ounces, depending on what your recipe calls for, simply with just a click.

You could check out good kitchen scales at

• LABZIO digital kitchen scale 0.1-2Kg capacity
• Amazon Basic’s Stainless Steel digital scale
• Dr.Trust digital weighing scale 1g-5Kg capacity
• HealthSense weighing scale 1g-5Kg capacity
• MEPL Water repellent electronic kitchen scale 1g-5Kg

5. Whisk

Initially I used a fork to beat eggs or whip cream instead of a whisk, but nothing incorporates air into egg whites to create that fluffy texture like a whisk. It's not too costly to invest in a good one. Prefer the usual steel balloon whisk over silicone whisk as the latter does not last longer.

Some good whisk combos are

• Kuber industries hand whisk
• Home Centre Ferrit Stainless steel Whisk

6. Mixing bowls

The deeper the mixing bowl, the easier it is to beat without splashing outside. Any good vessel available at home will serve the purpose. Prefer steel or glass bowls than plastic as they may get scratches over time. Bowls with a lid are helpful to refrigerate the contents, like cream or icing until the cake is out of the oven and cooled.

Some good ones if you're planning to invest are

• Signoraware mixing bowl 1500ml
• Treo by Milton mixing bowl 1500ml
• Milton bowl with Lid 1500ml
• AXIOM steel bowl with Lid-Set of 3

7. Baking trays /Baking sheet/ Sheet pans

For baking cookies, biscuits, buns and grilling veggies or meat start with just 1 or 2 baking trays or baking sheet pans. You can bake/grill in bulk in large size trays or select trays depending on your oven size.

Must buy to start your baking

• Prime Bakers 13 by 9 inch baking tray
• USA baking pan 15 by 10 inch
• Good cook 15 by 10 inch cookie sheet

8. Baking pans - Cake, loaf & muffin(cupcake) tins

That moment when you crave for sweets you'll search for these to bake some delicious cakes. So choose cake tins of varied size so you could bake depending on your need for just a snack or a multilayer wedding/birthday cake. Cupcake trays or even ramekins and silicone moulds are good for muffins. A loaf pan is good for baking your own yeast bread, banana bread and pumpkin bread .

9. Spatula (silicone preferably) & Pastry brush

This versatile tool helps you to transfer all the contents from your bowl/pan to the baking tins without wasting a bit and so quick and easily. It's also super good for folding dry ingredients with the wet mixture. Prefer Silicone spatulas as they withstand higher heat than rubber ones and can be used for sauteing. Using a pastry brush to grease a pan before pouring the batter, to coat your buns or dough with melted butter or egg wash or with milk makes it easier.

Buy one if you don't own yet.

• ChirpyChiya Pastry brush and Spatula set
• Voetex zone brush and Spatula set

10. Cooling rack

After your cakes are baked, cooling them using a cooling rack is very important before you start icing.

11. Rolling pin

When making cookies or pie or puff pastry, a rolling pin helps to flatten out and shape everything. Even chapati/roti rolling pin at home is just fine,unless you're planning to make professional french pastries. Get a good quality wooden or steel pin.

12. Sharp knife

After all your efforts are made, it's the way you present matters. So use a sharp knife/pizza cutter to make slices of that beautiful cake or pizza you have baked.

Some good ones to invest in are

• PERFEKT MESSER Chef's knife 8 inch
• SYGA stainless steel cake knife and server set
• MITSICO cake knife
• server set and pizza cutter set of 3

Good to have tools:

If you have enough space in your kitchen, then you can possess these nice-to-have tools, especially for icing and decorating your baked goods.

Innoko cake decorating supplies- 130 pieces (I’m using this good one), Kootek cake decorating supplies

1. Turntable
2. Palette knife/Offset spatula
3. Piping bags, nozzles, couplers
4. Pastry blender
5. Parchment paper
6. Pastry and Cookie cutters
7. Dough scraper
8. Cake leveller
9. Cake scraper
10. Cake smoother
11. Flower nail & lifter
12. Cake pen for writing & designing

These are some of the tools that I love to use while baking and wished to share it with you all home bakers.