If you are a first time baker, one of the question that comes to your mind is about the baking equipment and tools required for baking. What should I buy to start baking at home? Another thought that comes to mind is the cost.
Many people have a notion that baking equipment are expensive. Yes, to some extend they are. But to make a simple cake or two, you can bake a cake with things at home. So, no need to worry about big budget.
I know many students who made their first cake in a pressure cooker. They use normal household vessels to mix the batter, a hand wisk to make the batter and the a perfect cake was out of the cooker in no time. In fact, my mom used fork to whiff up the batter.
Back in 2011, when I started taking baking class in Trivandrum, I borrowed oven from my cousin's wife. Every month when I had class, I used to borrowed it from her and returned the oven after the class. This shuttling of oven went on for months, till I bought my first oven in Trivandrum.
Another thing which I used to hire was the tables for the class. I used to call the near by Babu Decorations and they would send some 4 or 5 foldable table to my house. Again, I used to depend on this hire service for more than a year, till I made wooden tables for the class. Looking back at things, I'm glad that I started taking class without waiting to buy all things.
The wish list always keeps growing. This is true for everyone. When I started, I just wanted an oven, now after buying the basics, now I wish I had a big size Kitchen Aid for mixing. One of the item on my wish list was the grill pan, when I bought in 2020.
Basic Tools for Baking
Coming back to the topic of basic items used in baking, the foremost item required is the electric oven. In oven, you can either buy OTG ( Oven Toaster Grill) or a Microwave with convection. I personally prefer OTG. I have Murphy Richards 62 and Bajaj Majesty OTG. I also use a Sunflame cooking range in Bangalore. This I bought as it is used as standby when power goes half way.
Apart from the household oven, I have a single deck Berjaya baking oven ( BJY-G30-1BD – 1 Deck/ 1 Tray) which runs on gas. I would recommend this type of oven to anyone who has plans to sell cakes and pastries on a commercial basis. This was bought from Stains at Attakulangara, Trivandrum. Mr David of Stains was helpful in connecting with the agent who explained the functions, etc.
Okay. Now, let me come to the point. Here are the list of common items used in home baking.
1. Oven ( OTG or Microwave with Convection)
2. Hand held egg beater or whisk ( Philips or Murphy Richards or Bosh)
3. Measuring cups and spoons
4. Bowls for mixing the batter
5. Rubber spatula ( Useful to mix the batter)
6. Angled spatula for applying icing
7. Sieve
8. Butter paper ( used to line the baking tray)
9. Parchment paper ( Expensive and useful than butter paper, parchment paper is best to line the trays)
10. Oven thermometer ( Useful to check if the oven temp is matching with the dial)
11. Cooling rack ( Use this rack to cool the cakes after it comes from the oven)
12. Baking tins
13. Toothpick or thin wooden skewers to check if the cake is baked
14. Turntable
15. Cupcake liners or baking liners
16. Pastry comb
17. Pastry brush
18. Scissors
19. Serrated knife
20. Bread scraper ( used for mixing bread dough)
21. Timer ( handy gadget in a kitchen)
22. Digital Weighing scale
23. Oven gloves
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Murphy Richards OTG 60 Ltr Capacity
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Oven Inside view
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Murphy Richards Beater
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Whisk
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Measuring Cups and Spoons
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Oven Gloves
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Mixing Bowls ( glass or plastic)
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| Rubber Spatula |
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Baking Tins - buy the right size based on the recipe
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Sieve for sifting flour
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Turntable ( Rotating cake stand)
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Pastry Comb ( Used to make designs on the sides of the cake)
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Oven Thermometer
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Serrated Knife ( Used of slicing the cake )
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Butter paper - used to line the baking tins
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Parchment Paper ( More expensive than butter paper and preferred)
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Apart from the itemized list, I will make another post about the list of baking ingredients used for making basic cupcake, fat-free sponge cake and a simple vanilla cake.
The purpose of making this list is to help first-time bakers to get a rough idea of things required to start their baking adventure.
I hope you will find this list useful when you go for shopping to a baking store. In case you know anyone who is planning to start baking, then
feel free to share this list.
Apart from this, if you have questions or doubt about which OTG to buy from the market, then I can give my suggestion.
One of the frequently asked question is this - which oven size should I buy? With oven sizes available from 18 liters to 60 liters, it's natural for first-time buyers to get confused about their requirement, need and functions. I guess, there must be another blog explaining in detailed about the popular OTG in the market and a simple guide to select the right oven size and brand.
This list is not complete and I will try to add new information about baking. Also, if you're looking to set up a bakery or do large number of items from home, then you need different set of equipment. I will details the shops which sells such items in places I have been.
Feel free to give me suggestions on this post.
Good Luck to your Baking!
