measuring spoons
A basic set of measuring spoons, usually made of metal or plastic, includes ¼-, ½, and 1-teaspoon sizes, plus a 1-tablespoon size. Sets with ⅛-teaspoon and ½-tablespoon measures are also available. It’s well worth buying more than one set of measuring spoons if you do a lot of baking so that you don’t have to stop and clean spoons while making a cake or other dessert.
parchment paper
Ovenproof up to 420°F, parchment paper is often used to line baking sheets and cake pans. It’s helpful for removing cakes from pans after baking. Plus, it eliminates the need for a spatula when transferring cookies, crostatas, and scones from a baking sheet to a cooling rack—simply slide the paper off the baking sheet and onto the rack.
pastry bags
Use a pastry bag, which can be fitted with a variety of tips, both plain and star shaped, for piping icing, cookie doughs, and meringues. Made of washable plastic-coated cloth, traditional pastry bags are reusable, while disposable pastry bags, suitable for one use only, are made of clear plastic. Available at specialty cookware stores and in the baking section of some supermarkets, disposable bags are sturdy and cheap, and a boon to bakers who like using multiple colors of frosting for decorating cookies and cupcakes.
No pastry bag? No problem. In the Bon Appétit test kitchen, we often use a heavy-duty resealable plastic bag with a corner snipped off.
pastry blender
Made for mixing pastry, biscuit, or scone dough by hand, a pastry blender is used to cut cold pieces of butter into dry ingredients instead of using your fingertips (the heat from your hands can melt the butter and result in a less flaky pastry). This simple hand tool consists of five or six closely spaced semicircular blades or wires on one end and a handle on the other. If you don’t have a pastry blender, two table knives or a large fork would work, too, although it is not as convenient.
pastry brushes
Coating a pie crust with an egg glaze, brushing melted butter onto phyllo dough, buttering a Bundt pan, or brushing down the sides of a saucepan when making caramel—all of these jobs are most neatly done with a pastry brush. Brushes are available with natural or silicone bristles; both are effective for evenly applying egg washes and glazes. Silicone brushes are easier to clean, but some cooks prefer natural bristles when especially gentle brushing is required—such as when applying an egg wash to a yeast-raised dough that shouldn’t be compressed or spreading fruit glaze on top of a carefully arranged fruit tart.
pie dishes
Pie dishes come in diameters ranging from 8 to 10 inches, in glass, metal, and ceramic. In the Bon Appétit test kitchen, recipes are tested with glass pie dishes, so you’ll have the best results if you use the same. Avoid dark metal pans—they tend to brown what’s inside too quickly.
pie weights
When blind baking (baking a tart or pie crust before filling it), metal or ceramic pie weights prevent the dough from buckling and shrinking during baking. Dried beans can also serve as pie weights—and the beans are reusable.
pot holders & oven mitts
Look for thick pads or gloves made of moisture-resistant fabric or silicone. To protect your forearms when reaching into the oven, choose extra-long gloves.
roasting pan
A large, heavy-duty roasting pan that measures about 16×13×3 inches can hold a water bath for baking cheesecakes, molten chocolate cakes, custards, and puddings, or an ice bath to use for cooling dessert sauces like hot fudge, custard, and butterscotch sauce. A roasting pan is deeper than a simple baking dish, and has sturdy handles that make moving a water-filled pan in and out of the oven much easier.
rolling pins
Rolling pins come in a few different shapes and are available at well-stocked cookware stores and restaurant supply stores.
A straight rolling pin is the simplest and most versatile. This wood dowel is about 20 inches long and 1¾ inches in diameter. Because you push the pin with your hands directly on the dowel, monitoring the texture and thickness of the dough as you roll is easy. Silicone-coated nonstick versions of a straight rolling pin are also available.
A tapered rolling pin is more slender than a straight pin. Thanks to its curved profile, a tapered pin permits rolling a round of dough with minimum effort. Silicone versions are available.
A traditional rolling pin with handles and ball bearings can be helpful for rolling out very stiff doughs because of its heft. Traditional pins come in wood, metal, and silicone-coated versions. However, these rolling pins with handles generally aren’t as long as straight or tapered pins. Also, many bakers believe that using a rolling pin with handles on the sides puts distance between your hands and the dough, offering less opportunity to monitor the feel of the dough as you roll it out.
ruler
Keep an 18-inch ruler in the kitchen along with other hand tools. It’s handy for measuring the diameter of rolled-out pie crusts and puff pastry, and for checking the measurements of cake, tart, and pie pans in case the dimensions are not visibly marked on the pan.
A silicone pastry or baking mat with markings for various diameters of pie crust makes easy work of rolling out pastry dough. Some pastry mats are also marked with a numbered grid, which helps ensure precision when rolling out square and rectangular pieces of dough. Pastry mats are available from specialty cookware stores and online.
saucepans
Saucepans come in small (1 to 1½ quarts), medium (2 to 3 quarts), and large (3 to 4 quarts). In the dessert kitchen, they’re indispensable for making fruit compote, fudge sauce, and custard. When paired with a metal bowl, a saucepan makes a serviceable double boiler. A saucepan should feel heavy in your hand, with a snug lid and a handle that stays cool and is easy to grip. The best pans are made of a mix of materials. Effective heat-conducting metals like copper and aluminum are sandwiched between metals like anodized aluminum or stainless steel, which are hardy and don’t react with acidic ingredients like fruit. A saucepan with a stainless interior has the added advantage of being shiny enough to make color change easily visible—especially important when making caramel syrup and other preparations in which color change is an indicator of doneness.
sifter
We don’t use a sifter in the test kitchen. When dry goods need sifting, we use a strainer instead. In general, however, combining ingredients with a whisk aerates them sufficiently.
skillets
Skillets come in small (7 to 8 inches in diameter), medium (around 10 inches), and large (12 to 14 inches). Their shallow, sloping sides allow the most moisture to evaporate in the shortest amount of time. In the dessert kitchen, skillets come in handy for making small batches of preserves, for browning nuts, and for sautéing fresh fruit. A skillet should feel heavy in your hand, with a handle that stays cool and is easy to hold. Some large skillets have a loop handle on the opposite side from the long handle to ensure a good grip. The best skillets are made of a mix of materials. Effective heat-conducting metals like copper and aluminum are sandwiched between metals like anodized aluminum or stainless steel, which don’t react with acidic ingredients. Nonstick skillets are handy for sautéing fruit, but their dark interior can make it hard to see color change. Cast-iron skillets are the best choice for dishes that go from stovetop to oven.