I cleared out my cooking cupboard and piled everything up on a table… I’m trying to make a point.
I think it’s important you know that you don’t need cabinets full of fancy equipment to make glorious things happen in the kitchen.
I think it’s important you know that I don’t have the most, biggest, nor the best equipment in my kitchen. I do seem to have enough… and I’m scrappy enough to make things work.
Let’s talk kitchen gear: what you must have and what you might want to have on hand.
Aaaand, go!
Joy the Baker Kitchen Must Haves:
A good mixer. I have a fancy Kitchen Aid… but any good stand mixer will do. You don’t have to drop hundreds on a mixer to get a good one.
Half sheet baking pan… for cookies and roasting veggies and making blackberry pie bars.
Standard Muffin pan… for all the muffins and cupcakes you could ever want.
Loaf Pan… an 8×4 or 9×5 will do ya just fine.
Bundt pan
Pie pan… glass or metal, whatever you prefer.
Round cake pans… either 8-inch or 9-inch.
9×13 baking pan… brownies, please.
Metal nesting bowls… get these for super cheap from a restaurant supple store.
Sifter… I use this one for just about everything from draining pasta to sifting dry ingredients.
One good, soul saving spatula that is heat resistant, sturdy and brightly colored. God bless this William Sonoma spatula of mine. I love this thing.
A microplane.. for zest, for nutmeg, for Parmesan cheese, for garlic… for everything.
Wooden spoons… preferable inherited from your grandmother.
Metal measuring cups.
Teaspoon and tablespoons spoons.
Tablespoon metal ice cream scoop… for perfect cookies.
Candy thermometer.
** Here’s a fun secret. When shopping for these essentials stay away from Crate and Barrel and other fancy shops. Find a good (often dusty) restaurant supple store in your area and shop for the basics there. Cheap cheap cheap and quality that can stand up to commercial kitchen use. It’s where all of my metal bowl, sifter, sheet pans, loaf pans and measuring cups come from.
Joy the Baker Might Wanna Haves:
Vintage Tube Pan.. thrift store shopping people… thrift stores.
French Press… I suggest baking only after you’ve had your morning coffee.
Mini muffin pan… for cuteness.
6-inch round cake pans.
Pretty glass storage containers… thrift store finds.
Fancy casserole dish that can go from freezer to oven to dishwasher and back again.
Box grater… my secret weapon when it comes to scones.
Metal tongs.
Plastic bench scraper… the little flexible white kind,
Pastry cutter… but I always end us using my fingers, don’t you?
Ice cream maker… if you’re really feeling fancy.
Pretty measuring cups… because pretty just makes you feel good sometimes.
With a few quality pieces, restaurant supply store finds, thrift store gems and some pretty and colorful touches, I’ve made my kitchen into a functional and pretty darling place. It’s not supposed to be daunting… it’s just pans and spatulas!
{ 60 comments… read them below or add one }
Hi Joy,
Thanks for sharing! It’s always fun to peruse somebody else’s kitchen innards.
I was curious — what’s your take on non-stick vs. silicone vs. stainless steel?
I’m in the market for a new muffin pan, and I’m leaning towards stainless steel because I always want to swipe around the edges with a knife to loosen up muffins before taking them out, which is not so great for non-stick… and silicone kind of scares me.
Love your blog!!
- stacy
I love seeing your ‘tools.’ :) I really love that green baking dish, too. I can’t even to begin to imagine pulling out my kitchen stuff…I wouldn’t have the patience.
How informative! I love that you do push products but encourage creativity. You’re a beautiful person.
KISS – keep it simple sister! :D
Hugs,
Jen-
I always love hearing about other people’s treasured kitchen goodies – am particularly envious of your KitchenAid! All looks charming :D
Joy, how is it that everything you manage to touch/own/bake/do turns into magic and beauty and everything good?! Been love-love-loving this blog for a few months now.
I LOVE that you put this list together. I have everything on the must-haves list except the microplane and often wish that I have one, but find other ways to make due when necessary. I might have to print this off to give hubby some ideas, though :)
Thanks for the sneak peek into your cabinets!
Also, I love LOVE the idea of the “restaurant supple” store you refer to – it sounds glorious! :)
Fun post, Joy! I learned this morning while making your maple pecan muffins why my spoons should be wooden and my measuring cups metal–I snapped the handle right off my 1 cup scooping flour and then melted the crap out of my spoon while browning the butter. Whoops! The muffins were delicious, though, so it was worth it.
Your bake ware may be simple, but your serving dishes are always beautiful. I love your cake stands.
A good set of kitchen scales to weigh out ingredients
A sharp chef’s knife for cutting nuts and dried fruit
A wide Sieve for sifting flours or dusting cake tops
A good whisk for mixing batter
Yes, A very good, flexible spatula
It’s so fun to see your equipment! (You are the Goddess of Baking, after all!) The mini muffin pan is a must for me to bake goodies for my grandchildren. They can have 3 each and think they’re getting ALOT. I also use a whisk quite a bit. I love your blue (?liquid) measuring cups/bowls.
You’re awesome Joy. Thanks for keeping it simple. Amy
Oh, I feel like I’ve been rummaging in our kitchen cabinets! Love the restaurant supply store, several of my favorite tools have come from there.
P.S.: I made your Cream Cheese Cinnamon Rolls for the second time this week and brought them to an early morning staff meeting. We had to bring the meeting back to order after several people started making embarrassing moans of pleasure over their rolls!
love the pyrex covered class dishes! I have the little red one but would love to find some more sizes. I am a thrift store and TJMAXX junkie!
I just love seeing what other people have in their kitchens! My cupboards are very very similar to yours! Great post. Thanks.
One thing I would add is I always buy good stainless steel and no more of that nonstick junk. Nonstick peels very quickly and does not last. Plus who knows what is getting into your food? I’d rather scrub.
I’d also say I need several (at least 3) loaf pans as I bake all my family’s bread so I do a batch that will last a week or more.
A whisk is essential. Also a french rolling pin.
And rather than a candy thermometer, I MUST have an instant read digital. This is invaluable for baked goods, meats, etc. etc.
Finally I would hate to have to bake without parchment paper. It looks like your cookie sheets could use some, too. ;-D Keeps things from sticking and makes cleanup “a breeze”.
In the category of fun baking stuff I’d also add a madeleine pan. I don’t use it often but it is fun to have.
Funny, my first thought when I looked at the picture was “Wow, she doesn’t have a ton of stuff”. I, too, think that we need only so many essentials. Thanks for sharing your list. I need to get a couple more things and I’ll be set
My favorite suggestion of yours: “Mini muffin pan… for cuteness” – agreed!
How cool is your French press with its red top and handle…
I agree about Crate & Barrel and all those kinda stores. I go crazy in those places. Their wares are so pretty but so unnecessary. Plus my tiny NYC kitchen is just not nice enough for some of the stuff they sell there.
OOooh Oooh- Oh Joy- you did it again! WHAT BLISS reading this! I must say, I completely agree with you- its not to be daunting..its just pans and spatulas! Oh and seriously people…simple is best, thats how grandma did it, with her wooden spoons (see, they weren’t there just for your parents spankings!) ha
and seriously, a Kitchen Aid, is THE BEST investment ever! (ok I actually got mine as a gift) but don’t hate me because my mom and dad thought it best to have one while I was a stay at home mom, and not get one once they have all moved out! (thats sort of what my mom did:) Here’s to good o’l baking, thrift stores and kitchen aids!
Hah! The first thing I saw was your french press ;) Totally essential. Great post. I get lots of my stuff from cooking supply stores, sales, or even Overstock. Spending ridiculous amounts of money on something that I am going to put in the oven, wash countless times and may one day possibly break seems a bit silly!
I love our glass storage containers! They’re beautiful. I’ll have to find a thrift store here in Jerusalem…
And by “our” I meant “your.” Little slip meaning that I really want some!
I got a Krupps 12 cup coffee maker at a yard sale for $5…now can’t live without it. Truly covet a stand mixer like yours, but it would break my trusty little beater’s heart to be replaced! He’s like an old friend!! One thing I can’t live without is my collection (?3?!) of whisks. Use them for everything from roues to oatmeal! I should post a pic of my little metal utensil shelf, with ‘S’ hooks galore, all holding various things that are just…well.. indispensable!! Love your pans Joy, you can tell they are well used and loved!!!
From someone not fluent in “baking english”, what’s a metal nesting bowl?
Love, love, love your site! As do my family :)
Joy! We basically have vintage pyrex cousins. Your pretty glass containers are very much circa 1971 because that’s when my mom got her set. Except hers all various shades of funky 70s yellows and oranges. When I moved into my first apartment I inherited them and they are pretty much the best. They make me so happy in all their funky, tripped out colors.
i love love love this post…. when i started baking, i was obsessed with buying all the fancy gear i could find, and that was a very small range of things where i live in hyderabad, india. then i went on a self imposed no more buying of anything except groceries ban…. it never made a difference to my baking… infact it made me more creative, innovative and i learnt it was my mind that limited me and not the pots and pans!! thanks for sharing this with us
I’m so pleased that someone else thinks the same way I do – I have the majority of those pieces in my cupboards, and I keep thinking perhaps I have too many!
It’s reassuring to see that, actually, I’m just normal!
Thanks Joy!
:o)
PS. That dark green baking dish is just THE most beautiful thing I’ve seen in ages!
Sometimes it’s just nice to buy something new and pretty to play with, I know it isn’t really necessary, but I can’t help it.
love your blue measuring cups!
great great post!
my friend & i were discussing this yesterday & you have reassured us. thanx…your photography is always amazing…love the way you styled these shots…
oh btw: when i clicked to view your sifter, i was redirected back to your home page…never did get to see your sifter image…is my computer the tempermental one?
Agreed wholeheartedly, we need to clear out the mess at times.
We have a huge super awesome thrift store and the kitchen aisle is always my first stop! I’ve found a ton of awesome baking treasures!
Hi Joy.
I am an avid reader of your amazing and insightful blog, and finally decided to come out of ‘the closet’ to tell you so!
You often have a way of making me smile, just like when I see those wonderful blue measuring cups pop up in different posts from time to time. Where oh where did you get them?!
Hi Joy,
What a great post. I have most of the fun things you wrote about…my problem is a very small kitchen and no where to store my stuff. Im working on it!
Keep up the great posts- I love your blog!
Thanks for the post! Here I thought my kitchen was sorely lacking in basics. Guess what? My kitchen is fairly well stocked! Great hint about the thrift shops, I am going to check them out. Love the colorful covered glass casseroles.
Ooh, I have those blue measuring cups!
I completely agree about grater butter for scones and I covet your pyrex refrigerator boxes! Great collection and all that you need to be a fabulous baker!
I’ve been debating whether I need to get a pastry cutter or whether I’ll just always use my hands. Glad to hear I’m not the only one!! This is some great advice for people, like me, who have very limited space in their kitchens!
Oh what a super list!!
I too am addicted to the restaurant supply store. My child attended a pre-school next door to one and I was forever popping in for this and that. You are so right about restaurant supply being a mecca for good quality, cheap tools.
I don’t know how people live without kitchen scales, they’re are absolutely essential to me. Measuring by weight is so much easier and more accurate than cups. I’ll never understand why American cookbooks still use cup measures!
KitchenAids are so nice.
Hi Joy!
I am glad to see you love thrift stores also! I have just recently started going this summer and my life has been changed – forever. It is amazing how many vintage plates, clothes, and my new favorite:records, are there. Thanks for sharing!
sometimes I go a little crazy with all of the lovely dishes that can go from freezer to oven to table to dishwasher . . . also, you can never have too many spatulas or measuring cups/spoons . . I find when I’m baking, I’m making several things and I am glad when I don’t have to wash one set because I’ve got another on standby! and I didn’t see wire racks on your list- where do your cookies go after they are out of the oven? My mom used to put them on cut up paper grocery bags . . . but I do have to say its reassuing in a weird way that I have almost everything you do as far as the essentials :)
Isn’t cleaning out the cabinets refreshing? I did this to my kitchen a couple of times while moving. I realized my kitchen downsized with each move. I had to declutter not only my pots and pans, measuring stuff but also on the top of the counter like get rid of old spices and other baking things.
I absolutely love baking gadgets. I just had my birthday, and I got some great new things (a tart pan!) to bake with. I was curious though, Joy, what restaurant supply store do you go to? I’m in LA, and I would love to check out a store to see what I can find!
Great to see your equipment. Good to know you don’t need fancy things. I’m just lucky that people seem to buy me baking bits every birthday and Christmas, so I’ve amassed a lot!
LOVE your vintage pyrex. I also collect the stuff and have tons of it. I think it’s much better than those ugly, cheap sets available in stores today. Plus, it’s a great form of recycling!
I love all your tools, they are pretty and very usefull…..and I though I had a lot of things in my kitchen…incredible. The only problem I have is that I have a little kitchen, if I had a bigger one…….(my husband always says me, noooooo no more pans pleeeeeaaaase) .Hehehe, Im going to ask for a Kitchen Aid for my christmas presents…..Im in love with it…Empire Red….. Kissesssss from Spain (we cannot find so pretty things like you can there)
I am so jealous of all your pretty tools! I’m just a poor college student trying to cook in a dorm kitchen… I have NOTHING! Even though you say your collection isn’t much, I envy it all the way down to my littlest toes.
I also love my silpat – not necessary, but nice for sticky doughs!
Although I don’t use it all the time – I was happy to see your cookie sheets look as ‘well-loved’ as mine!
I have the same yellow, blue and red Pyrex refrigerator containers! My dad found them at a flea market. I have the mixing bowl set in yellow, green, red and blue as well. They are so cute and cheery.
I need a new tart pan… mine somehow leaks butter through tiny cracks, which then proceeds to burn on the bottom of the oven. Boo.
Love your site and your post. I like to peek inside and see what’s inside cabinets. You are right, the real “work horses” are found at restaurant supply stores, but every once in a something pretty does make you happy, but its got to be functional! I like colorful silicone spatulas.
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