Baking Basics - Equipment

Over the past recent years, there has been quite a big change in the roles of a mother; back in my mother’s generation, it is understood that you are doing a good job if you feed/dress/shower the kids well. Now that is hardly the case. The new generation of mothers is expected to be super multi-taskers: teacher, caregiver, nurse, chauffeur, cook, baker, cleaner, planner etc. Basically you are expected to know it all and do it all. That probably also explains why in each arena stated above, more mommies are getting more well versed in them. In my case, I have ventured into the baking and cleaning aspects. I’m far from an expert and I’m still learning but I’m always on the lookout for tips and tricks and the whys of stuff. Maybe because I was trained as an engineering student, maybe it is just me, I don’t know. :)

Many mommies like me, have ventured into baking too and a lot that I know are so good in it that they could probably bake for profits even if they didn’t receive formal training. More and more of my friends are also starting to bake for their kids and family. For me, my baking started when I was a teen. Back then, I didn’t really have proper equipment or reference resources as I was still a student and there was no budget. The library was my go-to place for recipes and information. Now the Internet and my baking kaki groups are my go-to places for my learning. I have learnt a lot from various sources and friends and will like to share with others the things I know. If you are a new baker and will like to know more about the basics, you will find the following entry useful. J

Basic Equipment:

Oven

I’m often asked for recommendations on a choice of oven but I’m really no expert in this. Yes, I did research and recce around before I finally decided on the choice of oven for myself but that’s based on my needs and budget and my needs might not be the same as others’. Hence my advice will be: get an oven that suits your needs and budget. If you have cabinet space constraints, get a countertop oven. If you need to bake large batches all the time, a built-in oven will be more suitable. Of course an oven with all the latest functions and add-ons will be good and fanciful but that also means costlier price tags. So take into consideration all these factors when shopping for an oven. Below are some factors that I find useful to note and my opinions on them.

Oven Capacity

This was one major factor I considered when buying my oven. I was so frustrated with the small capacity of the countertop oven I used to have at my parents’ place that I could not wait to get a built-in oven after getting my matrimonial home. I’m not updated re the countertop ovens currently available in the market but if you ask me, please make sure that the oven you are buying is big enough to fit the whole batch of bakes you are making. Do not be fooled into thinking that if that oven can fit 3 racks, it can bake 3 trays at a go, it doesn’t work that way. My oven has 5 racks but it can only bake max 3 trays at a time. Countertop ovens are not known to bake multiple trays at a time (the lower tray is often half cooked) but like what I have mentioned, I’m no oven expert and not very updated with current models, please check with the oven manufacturer if your choice can really bake multiple trays at a time.


Though the built-in oven can bake multiple trays and have lesser probability of hot spots compared to smaller countertop ovens, if you do not have a space in your kitchen cabinet for a built-in, then a countertop one will be your only choice. A built-in oven will also be costlier so do consider your priorities.

Electronic Controls (Temperature & Timing)

Given a choice, I will prefer an oven with electronic controls on temperature and timing as that give me better precision but these of course come with a price. Currently my oven has only electronic control on the timing and the temperature control is mechanical but this works just fine for me. Electronic control on temperature allows you to set temperature to the nearest 10⁰C (i.e. 175⁰C) while a mechanical one only allows you to have a rough gauge between the 2 marks (10⁰C intervals) on the dial.

I currently own a Bosch HBA23B550J.

Mixer

For most bakes, we often need a mixer to mix the ingredients together. This is particularly true if you need to cream the butter or if you are beating up a meringue. If you have the budget and if you intend to take your baking to a serious level, a heavy duty stand mixer with a stainless steel bowl will be a very good investment, especially if you need to deal with hot boiling syrup (e.g. when making an Italian meringue). Otherwise, a small size stand mixer or a handheld electric mixer will suffice. I will not recommend using a balloon whisk or spatula to mix your ingredients by hand as that can really be tedious and it is very hard to yield the same results as that with an electric mixer. Experience has taught me that if a process proves to be tedious or yields unsatisfactory results, it will often kill the interest in the bud before it gets any better. Currently I'm loving my Kenwood kitchen machine Titanium Chef KMC030.

Kitchen Scales

The accuracy of the measurements of your ingredients before baking can make or break your final products. If your measurements are way off from the recipe, you can be sure your end products will be way off the mark too. So do invest in a reliable digital kitchen scales. You do not need one with fanciful functions; you only need the TARE function and it is better if your scale can measure up to 5kg (yes, you probably won’t be making a 5 kg cookie dough but don’t forget the weight of your mixing bowl and most scales sold often have a max capacity of 2kg or 5kg.).

I especially like my old Tanita KD811 until the ON/OFF button died on me. Currently I’m using a Mayer Health Diet scale which a friend has bought for me at a sale (I think I only paid $20 for it! J). The only con for the Mayer one is the idle time it allows before it auto switches is too short!

If you can, please avoid using those cheap mechanical kitchen scales. Yes, I did use them for the initial years of my baking but I didn't know better then. These are very often not accurate and they get spoilt easily over time, making readings erratic and inconsistent. Besides a good digital scale cost between $50 to $90 and can last you many years. Just skip a good dinner at a restaurant and you will have the budget for this. If you really have to buy the mechanical scales, make sure that you weigh your items twice to check that it gives you the same readings for the same item. Please also calibrate it by making sure it gives you the correct reading of a known weight item.

Measuring Cups/ Spoons

For the same reason as the kitchen scales, get good quality ones that give you accurate readings and it will be advisable to have both cups(tsp) and ml readings on your measuring cups and spoons. Do take note that measuring cups have different definitions on the volume of a cup. Some are only 236ml while others are 250ml per cup. I always buy the set which gives me 250ml per cup.


I also prefer stainless steel measuring cups (though I also have a Pyrex glass 500ml cup) over plastic ones. For measuring spoons, I have a set of magnetic ones that clipped together for easy storage. I think the brand is Progressive.

My measuring spoons that are magnetic and can be clipped together for easy storage. It can also be clipped onto the fridge for easy retrieval.

 Spatula

A good quality silicone spatula will serve you many years before needing a change. Get one that can be easily cleaned without needing to get into nooks or gaps in the handle or between the handle and the silicone. Don’t forget to take apart the silicone flap and the handle when washing! Personally I do not like those white plastic ones as these tend to crack and tear after a while because they are not as flexible as the silicone ones. Besides I am pretty paranoid re dipping a plastic spatula into a hot liquid compared to a heat resistant silicone one.

Rolling Pin

Any kind of rolling pins is fine. Get one that is sized for your frequent bakes; big ones for rolling big pie pastry, small ones for rolling fondant etc. Given a choice, I will prefer stainless steel material over wood because of the ease of washing. A rolling pin with thickness guidance rings is very useful if you are not good at gauging the thickness of the dough manually. I like my Joseph Joseph rolling pin for this. As I bake different sorts of pastry, I have a collection of various sized/material rolling pins.

Baking Paper

I am a big fan of baking paper over silicone baking mats, not just because of easy clean up but because baking paper does yield better results for most of my bakes, even for the fussy macarons!

Cling Wrap

Now you must be wondering why is the cling wrap even mentioned here? Yes, I use it to cling wrap my cookie dough before chilling and covering my custard to prevent a skin forming but most important of all, I use it to cling wrap my work station! I often use my dining table as my baking station and for hygiene reasons and ease of cleanup, I cling wrap the table top before doing any mixing or rolling of dough. Trust me, this will be a life saver.

Other Tools:

I have received suggestions from friends to post my take on some other tools not mentioned above and the following are some of it.

Oven Mitts

Oven gloves are not on the top of my list when it comes to baking effectively; as long as it can protect your hands from being scalded, any kind of gloves will do. Personally I prefer the good old cotton gloves more than the silicone ones and they must be long enough to cover at least up to half of my forearms. This is to prevent any burns on my inner forearms when retrieving my trays from the hot oven. Recently when I was doing some minor organizing in my kitchen I started to make sure my gloves have some style too.

My new double oven gloves!

Cooling Rack

It will be good if you have a cooling rack to cool your bakes while you reuse your baking trays for the next batch of cookies but it is not a must to have them. Sometimes when I get lazy to use the racks I just let my cookies cool on the trays. However, there is a minor pro in using cooling racks over dinner plates or the baking trays: cooling racks allow the baked goods to cool on the bottom and prevent moisture from being trapped. This is especially important for cookies and sometimes even some cupcakes.

Disclaimer:

The above are my own opinions and preferences on the basic tools needed for baking and I do not receive any remuneration for the specific items mentioned; I am just sharing for those who are curious and will like to know specifically what tools I am using.