Top 6 tools used in baking

This blog is based off my friend Garrett's list.  His list is the Top 5 tools to have in your knife kit, not including knives.  This list is similar in that way, but his is pretty specific to culinary where as I felt that was incredibly different for a baking student.  This is why I chose to make my own list.

I felt that there were 6 things that I considered to be necessary in a basic baking event.  Not to say that there aren't more tools I would love to have, but these 6 I have deemed vital.

Offset Spatula

For me, an offset spatula is wonderful for plating, cake filling and decorating as well as many other items.  Offsets help to level items, smoothing and allow for careful clean and specific decorative work.

Rubber Spatula

Rubber spatulas are most useful for clean work, stirring while making meringues which are used for so many things while baking.  It's vital to most chocolate work unless you have a tempering machine, which are pricey and typically are not in most bakeshops.  

Thermometer with Timer

A good thermometer!  This is completely necessary.  Timers help for obvious reasons but are also good for mixer times and proof times, etc.  Many baked goods require a temperature, especially meringues, ice creams, creme anglaise, etc.  All of these things, if not temperature checked hold a huge risk of not working out properly.

Bowl Scraper

I love bowl scrapers, they're useful for just about everything in baking.  You can use them for scooping doughs out of a mixing bowl, for folding mixtures together, for getting all of the yield out of a pastry bag.  All of these things are incredibly important to baking.  Yield is a major point in making money in this industry.

Whisk

There are many varieties of whisks: balloon, flat whisks, dough whisks, etc.  For me, their value is in mixing, aeration, and even combination of different components of a baked good.  

Piping Tip Set

Piping tips are needed for decorative display of individual cookies, cakes, writing on anything, whipped cream, etc.  They also allow for similarity between any two items of the same variety, and make the job of decoration easier than if it had been done without the tips.

This is just a short list of items that I have deemed necessities for a baking and pastry student.  Pastry is very specialized to the more specialized a job becomes, different tools become important.  One of my past pastry chefs told me that equipment was made to make our jobs easier, so the most important tools to me are the ones that make my job as easy as possible without making myself obsolete.

Bake Love, Not War <3