When a beginner sets out on their journey to bake, various questions pop up in their head. Most of them have to do with the apt paraphernalia that is required to bake the desserts. One constantly wonders: why buy a spoon set when I have spoons at home or why would I need a wooden spoon or should I buy a rubber spatula?

But worry you not, because here we have listed the must-haves baking tool in your kitchen that will assist you the best as you set out on this new adventure.

1.)WHISK

A whisk is a lightweight tool featuring interlocking loops of wire or plastic held together at one end by a handle. Doubtlessly this is one of the most important tools. A whisker is so versatile- you can use it to beat eggs, mix ingredients or whisk the cream. Sure, you can beat an egg or two with a fork, but a fork won’t be much helpful, say if you have to beat 8 eggs. 

2.) MEASURING CUPS AND SPOONS

The first thing that is often learnt in baking is precision, the ingredients should be well measured. Therefore, one needs a whole set of measuring cups and spoons for both wet and dry ingredients. Buy a spoon set that has a tablespoon, teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, and ¼ teaspoon. Look for a set of metal measuring cups that range from 1 cup down to 1/4 cup.

3.)SPATULA

A silicone spatula is versatile in every sense of the word- it can be used to stir or mix ingredients or scrape every last bit of batter from the inside of your mixing bowl.

It is advisable to opt for a heat resistant spatula that has a long handle.

4.)ROLLING PIN

A rolling pin is used to evenly flatten everything from pie and pastry doughs to cookie and pasta doughs. In case you don’t possess a food processor and you need to crush cookies, dry fruits, chips, or crackers for a recipe, simply put them in a zip lock bag and use the rolling pin over it. You can buy either a marble or a wood rolling pin; the former is cooler to touch, making it a better choice to roll over a dough.

5.)PANS

Baking pans are an extensive category in their own right because different products require different kinds of the pan. So invest in pans that you would be using. For example, in order to bake a bundt cake, one needs to buy a bundt pan of the desired size (yes, there are many options) or for cheesecake and tarts, a springform pan is required and so on.

6.)WIRE RACK

As a beginner, have your cake ever gone soggy? The solution is: to get a wire rack. One of the most important steps while baking is letting the finished product cool down- the right way and for the right period of time. This helpful appliance circulates air around baked items while they cool, ensuring that they taste just as excellent at room temperature as they did fresh from the oven.

7.)HAND MIXER

A hand mixer makes combining ingredients into a thick, hard cookie dough considerably easier and faster, and it's by far the best technique to do so without wearing out your arm. A stand mixer is essential when working with a large amount of dough/batter or creating something that requires several minutes of mixing

8.)SILICON BAKING MAT

A substitute of parchment paper, silicone baking mats are an eco-friendly option, especially for avid bakers. Along with being reusable, these are multipurpose as you can even roast a chicken on it or to roll dough, among other uses.   

9.)MIXING BOWLS

Mixing bowls are kind of all-purpose and a baker must have these. One is never enough, as these can be used to organise the ingredients, mix the dry ingredients and wet ingredients separately. Now the question is, which one to buy- plastic, glass, aluminium or stainless steel? Go with glass and steel as aluminium reacts with acidic ingredients, changing the flavour of your baked product. 

10.)FINE MESH SIEVE

Also known as a sifter, a sieve can be used for multiple purposes. One can sift dry ingredients or sprinkle powdered sugar over baked products like a cake or muffins. It can come in handy for draining wet ingredients as well- for example, removing seeds from the raspberry sauce. Basically, the sieve is important to get rid of any lumps and aerate the ingredients, so that the recipe turns out to be flawless.