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A Baker's Guide to Kitchen Equipment
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Cookware shops are overflowing with baking tools and gadgets. Some of them are very useful, although many of them are redundant and unnecessary. You should only buy what you really need, but be sure it is the best you can afford. Good quality baking equipment can be found at reasonable prices, so it is worthwhile to shop wisely. Remember, well-made equipment lasts a very long time.
Pans
The size, shape and construction of the pan you use can mean the difference between baking success and failure. Aluminum and heavy, tin-plated steel are good all-around metals for everyday baking.
Try an assortment o sizes and shapes. Depending on the kinds of things you like to bake, you will need cake pans, loaf pans, muffin pans, pie pans, cookie sheets and jelly-roll pans.
Spoons, Spatulas and Whisks
Wooden spoons: A collection of inexpensive wooden spoons is essential for mixing batters and doughs. Wooden spoon won’t scratch your bowls and pans the way metal ones can. Be sure to have one flat-ended spoon to scrape the bottoms of pans.
Metal and rubber spatulas: Buy an assortment of metal spatulas, both wide and narrow. Spatulas are necessary for removing hot cookies and biscuits from baking sheets. Use narrow ones to loosen cakes and breads from their pans and for spreading glazes and frostings. Rubber spatulas are useful for mixing batters and scraping bowls clean.
Wire whisks: Use wire whisks to mix light batters and sauces, as well as for beating egg whites and whipping cream.
Measures
You will need two sets of measuring cups, one for liquids and one for dry ingredients.
Liquid measuring cups: Use transparent cups so you can you read at eye level.
Dry measuring cups: Buy a graduated set – 1/4-, 1/3-, ½- and 1-cup – which can be filling to overflowing and leveled off.
Measuring spoons: These usually come in sets of four spoons: ¼ teaspoon, ½ teaspoon, 1 teaspoon and 1 tablespoon. You may find it useful to have several sets.
Gadgets
Timer: Don’t trust yourself to watch the clock; a reliable timer has countless cookies and cakes from a fiery end.
Wooden juicer reamer: The best tool for extracting small amounts of juice from citrus fruits.
Kitchen scissors: Keep a sturdy pair of scissors handy for trimming pie dough, cutting paper to line pans and snipping large pieces of dried fruit. You will find a million uses for them.
Vegetable peeler: Use this for shaving zest from citrus fruit. It is easier than using a grater or a special zesting tool.
Ruler: Essential for measuring pan sizes and pastry shapes. Use one as a straight edge to cut against when cutting pastry.
Dough scraper: Buy the biggest one with the thickest, widest blade you can find. Use for cutting, lifting, and turning sticky doughs and for scraping work surfaces clean.
Cookie cutters: Definitely one of the most fun tools in the kitchen. In addition to making cookies, use cutters to stamp out biscuits and cut fancy shapes to decorate piecrusts.
Pastry Tools
Pastry bag: For decorating cakes and cookies, and forming and filling cream puffs, you will want to buy a pastry bag with an assortment of decorating tubes. Also use a pastry bag to pipe meringue mixture and soft cookie dough’s.
Pastry blender: When making piecrusts and biscuits, use a pastry blender to cut the butter or shortening into the flour. If you don’t have a pastry blender, to table knives can do the job.
Pastry brushes: A soft-bristled brush is the perfect tool for applying glazes.
Pastry cutters: For cutting strips of pie dough to make a lattice top and trimming and cutting pastry, a stainless-steel pastry wheel is the best tool there is. A pastry wheel is the best tool there is. A pastry wheel won’t pull or tear the dough or crush the layers of puff pastry as a knife is likely to do.
Rolling pin: A good rolling pin is essential for rolling out piecrusts and pastry. Look for a heavy, well-balances pin made of smooth hardwood with a nonabsorbent finish.
Other Essentials
Cooling racks: A wire rack is necessary for even cooling of baked goods hot from the oven. Air circulates underneath the rack, which prevents condensation that can turn baked goods soggy.
Mixing bowls: Every baker needs a selection of mixing bowls in a range of sizes. Bowls can be ceramic, or made of glass, stainless steel, or plastic.
Work surfaces: Cold marble is the best surface for pastry because it keeps the dough chilled while it is being rolled and shaped. Stainless steel and Formica™ work well and clean easily. Wood makes a fine surface for rolling out dough, though it can be hard to clean.
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