Baking Measuring Tools Every Baker Needs
Baking is where science and art meet to create delicious treats. Each baker has their personal touch to baking recipes, but you will surely see a collection of baking measuring tools and equipment to ensure the quality of their work.
After all, a few measurements off intended could mean a sinking soufflé or an overly dense croissant. Because measurements are critical in creating the perfect baked goods, you must understand which baking measuring tools you need.
However, deciding which baking tools and equipment to purchase can be time-consuming and scary if you’re a newbie baker. Don’t worry, we did the research for you!
Baking Measuring Tools Every Baker Needs
Check out these baking measuring tools bakers need:
1. Kitchen Scale
Baking involves a lot of weight measurements, so you need a kitchen scale. Experts use it for recipes that call for weight rather than cup measurements. Weight units in the metric system are based on grams or kilograms.
The majority of countries use this system, except for the United States. As a result, many recipes use grams to quantify ingredients.
Measuring food by weight rather than by cups is also more accurate. This is especially useful for bakers and anyone converting a small serving size to a much larger one.
Try also our mL to Grams Conversion Chart for Baking.
2. Liquid Measuring Cups
Yes, a distinction between measuring liquid and dry components with cups exists. And yes, both are required. Liquid cups include marking lines found well below the rims, allowing the ingredients to splash around without spilling.
Why would you use a dry measuring cup to measure water when it can spill over into the mixer? Whenever possible, you better avoid the risk and handle your liquids properly.
Pour the liquid component into the measuring cup and place it on a flat surface. Then, squat down so the measuring line goes at eye level. This means that you met the liquid ingredient requirement. Liquid measurement cups come in 1-cup, 2-cup, 4-cup, and 8-cup sizes.
3. Dry Measuring Cups
Did you know that the United States is the primary outlier among all countries when it comes to measuring volume in cups? As a result, most recipes from the country (and those influenced by it) use cups. Moreover, if your recipe comes in cups, you’ll need to know how many cups you need.
In the United States, one cup of water weighs approximately 240 grams or 240 ml in capacity. However, this varies for each ingredient because water does not weigh the same as sugar or flour.
These baking measuring tools come in ¼-, ⅓-, ½-, and 1-cup sizes. They’re supposed to be filled to the brim so that excess can be swept away. Bakers also use them for dry components like flour, sugar, oats, cocoa powder, and so on. We recommend stainless steel because it is more durable and can tolerate dishwasher heat.
4. Measuring Spoons
Measuring spoons are one of the most frequently used baking measuring tools, making them a baking must-have. Regardless of the recipe’s origin, these spoons are consistent with the metric and imperial measurement systems. Additionally, they make sure you aren’t messing your values up.
These spoons come in 1/4 teaspoon, 1/2 teaspoon, 1 teaspoon, and 1 tablespoon measurements.
Like dry measuring cups, stainless steel is the go-to material for these baking tools. It can be used for dry ingredients like spices & Calumet baking powder, and wet ingredients like extra virgin olive oil & cake oil.
5. Kitchen Timer
Time is of the essence in baking. This means that you must treat kitchen timers as vital baking measuring tools. It seems redundant to have one when ovens and stoves come with them already. However, you never know when the next distraction will take your focus away from your baking.
A reliable kitchen timer backup will not hesitate to go off. Additionally, it’ll let you know that you are baking something. No longer are the days you’re burning your bread rolls and cakes if you have these in your kitchen.
6. Oven Thermometer
If you believe that your oven’s temperature isn’t correctly calibrated—for example, if your meals are constantly overcooked or undercooked despite following the recipe’s instructions—an oven thermometer can help you check that the number on the oven dial corresponds to the temperature inside.
Oven thermometers may seem redundant as baking measuring tools. However, you must ensure the temperature becomes accurate before putting something inside the oven for baking.
Baked goods can fail pretty rapidly outside of their recommended temperatures. You don’t want this to happen. Getting a trusty oven thermometer helps safeguard your baking from wrong readings.
7. Candy Thermometer
Now let’s talk about the lesser-known baking measuring tools. You probably read this item from a recipe and had to Google what it looked like.
As the name implies, cooks use candy thermometers for recipes that involve sugar and sweets such as hot caramel, hot fudge, marshmallows, jellies, jams, and of course, candies.
You may not need these immediately, but you’re safer playing around with sweet ingredients that tend to reach extremely high temperatures for specific recipes. In addition, you can instantly determine whether your sweet syrup should be mixed now or not.
8. Shot Glass
Have you ever heard of a shot glass being used for baking?
While entirely optional, this baking measuring tool can be handy for certain dry and liquid ingredients measurements. Whether you want to make cupcake design ideas from Pinterest or French and Italian bread, a quirky shot glass with measuring lines can do the job.
9. Ice Cream Scoop
The ice cream scoop is not an essential baking measuring tool or kitchen equipment. However, it made bakers’ lives a lot easier.
Not only is it ideal for the obvious picture-perfect scoops, but it is also the ideal measurement for baking red velvet cupcakes or calamansi muffins. It fills each cupcake liner exactly three-quarters of the way, ensuring that each cupcake bakes at the same rate and looks the same.
10. Cookie Scoop
The cookie scoop is also an optional baking measuring tool.
However, if you hate weirdly sized chocolate chip cookies and want them to look as uniform as possible, get this baking measuring tool. Choosing a softer material for the scoop is recommended, as it can be painful to keep squeezing out perfectly round cookies after a dozen or two.
11. Spatula
A spatula is a crucial baking tool. It aids in the flipping, spreading, and scraping of food. Spatulas come in three types namely flippers, spreaders, and scrapers.
Cooks use flippers for frying. They aren’t necessary for baking, but they can be used to serve meals like baked macaroni.
On the other hand, spreaders are long, narrow spatulas. As the name suggests, cooks use them to spread frosting on cakes or cupcakes.
Rubber scrapers are commonly used. They are responsible for scraping liquid mixes. These spatulas can also be used to blend items gently.
Spreaders and scrapers are necessary baking tools, so you should at least have both of these in your dirty kitchen.
12. Pastry Brush
Another necessary baking tool you must have? A pastry brush. Contrary to popular opinion, bakers use a pastry brush for a variety of tasks.
For starters, you can use it to butter a baking pan before baking. Additionally, you can use it to paint the top of a pie crust. You may also use it to brush egg wash on top of an egg pie.
13. Whisk
Cooks use whisks primarily used to beat eggs, but they also serve other functions. For example, you can use it to combine liquid substances such as milk and water. Alternatively, you can combine dry ingredients, such as flour, sugar, and cocoa powder, with this tool.
In addition,you can use whisks instead of mixers. If you can’t afford an electric mixer right now, a whisk will help whip cream and beat eggs.
14. Wire Rack
If you don’t want soggy, overbaked pastries, you must have a wire rack in your kitchen. Air circulates through your pastries thanks to a wire rack. This allows your pastries to cool quickly.
Because cupcakes and cupcakes cannot be frosted while hot, you need a wire rack, the tool also aids in the cooling of cookies and donuts before dipping them in the sauce.
15. Pans
Depending on the type of baked goods you want, there are different types of baking pans. They include cookie pans, cake pans, cupcake pans, pie pans, and loaf pans. It will help if you have some of them in your baking treasure trove.
Cookies are a blessing to the dessert industry. They come in chewy, fudgy, and crunchy varieties. Like pies and cupcakes, cookies come in a variety of flavors. You must own at least one cookie pan if you enjoy baking cookies.
Additionally, cakes are fantastic delicacies that can help your dessert game stand out. If you enjoy making tiered cakes, you should keep two or more different-sized cake pans on hand. You also need a bundt pan or tube center pan for chiffon cakes.
Moreover, you can make fresh cupcakes for your family and friends with a cupcake pan. It’s also great for making mini muffins and Filipino coconut macaroons.
Pies are another adaptable delicacy that many people enjoy. They come in a variety of flavors, from savory to sweet. Pies, of course, cannot be made without pie pans. These tools can also be used to make single- and double-crust pies.
Finally, you need a loaf pan for your favorite bread recipes, making it a baking tool that should not be overlooked. Loaf pans can drastically improve your bread recipe. Having numerous loaf pans for different bakery products is a terrific way to upgrade your bread game.
Frequently Asked Questions
The measuring tools in baking include dry measuring cups, measuring bowls, measuring spoons, and liquid measuring cups.
The 5 common measuring tools for cooking include measuring spoons, measuring jugs, measuring cups, a digital weighing scale, and meat & oven thermometers.
The 10 baking tools you must have in your kitchen include measuring cups (liquid and dry), measuring spoons, wooden spoon(s), rubber spatula & scraper, spatula/metal turner, pastry brush, whisk, kitchen scissors, and rolling pin.
The 3 measuring tools for cooking include liquid measuring cups, measuring spoons, and dry measuring cups.
Measuring tools are important in baking because baking is a science. Hence, it requires the accuracy you need when doing a chemical experiment. Given this, you must accurately measure your ingredients to make perfect treats with consistent results each time.
A measuring cup is used to measure food, from dry to liquid inmgredients and dishes.
The measuring tool used to measure solids and dry ingredients is graduated and adjustable measuring cups. You can use them to measure dry ingredients like sugar, flour, baking soda, oats, and other solid ingredients.
Conclusion
Baking measuring tools drive the quality of baked goods in more ways than you think. Regardless of the baker’s experience, they cover a variety of measurements and functions to make the experience as efficient and seamless as possible. Without them, baked recipes are impossible to pull off.
Whether essential or optional, having these baking measuring tools are worth getting if you love baking as much as the next baker. Just make sure to take care of them after use. However, if you are a frequent baker, then there’s not much room to think about which tools should be in your kitchen drawers or not. The answer is all of them.
About HICAPS
Over the years, HICAPS has helped bakers and businesses make delicious products by offering ingredients like ChiffonAide Cake Oil, Magic Whizk Whipping Cream, Red Velvet Flavor Emulco, and Instabake Brownie Mix.
HICAPS also provides tools and resources to valued partners such as the free “How to Increase Your Sales Amidst the Pandemic” E-book and free dealer locator that helps look for baking ingredients near me.
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