Kitchen Essentials

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.

As you follow along on my blog, these are some of the kitchen essentials you will see that I always have on hand.

Kitchen Scale

As a baker, I write all of my recipes using the metric system.  Measuring in grams is much more accurate than cups! It made all the difference when I was mastering macarons.   It may seem odd to not see cup measures at first, but trust me, with a kitchen scale working through a recipe is a breeze.  This is a must have!


Sheet trays

Sheet trays are my go to when baking biscuits or cookies or roasting veggies for dinner. You can never have too many!

Half Sheet

Quarter Sheet

Parchment Paper

After years of struggling with curling parchment paper- I discovered these precut sheets and have had them on hand ever since. These fit exactly inside half sheet and quarter sheet trays.

Half sheet

Quarter sheet

Sheet Tray lids

Because I use my sheet trays so much, I love having a lid that fit perfectly on top! You can cool your macarons or cookies on a cooling rack and them put them right into the fridge. I’m trying to cut down on my singe use plastics as much as possible, so these are great!

Chef’s Knife

This is my favorite knife.  I love how Global knives look and this one is perfect for so many kitchen tasks.

Graduated mixing bowls

A standard in any kitchen…I have one set in glass and one in metal.

 

Biscuit Cutters

I use these almost every week when I make my sourdough biscuits.  I love the having a graduated set- different size cutters come in handy for all kinds of pastry projects!

Microplane Zester

I love this microplane for zesting lemons (my favorite ingredient!).

Ruler

I’m a very exacting baker, so you will see lots of measurements in my recipes.  I guess it’s part of my artisanal side…but it makes for perfect looking bakes! This ruler is great because it is clear plastic, so you can align it easily and rinse it off.

Silicone Mini Cake Molds

I use these mold shapes to make mini cakes.  You can coat the mold in melted chocolate and fill with cake and frosting to make a perfect cube of cake.  You can also fill with layers mouse, cake, and jam then freeze before turning out.  Coat in a mirror glaze for an impressive treat!

Macaron Essentials

These are the tools that I use specifically for my macarons- of course there are other uses in the kitchen!

Silicone baking mats

I love silicone baking mats that have a guide for piping.  Along with my techniques, it helps to make perfect macarons!

Piping tips and couplers

To get even rounds, I use a size 10 piping tip.


Piping Tip


Couplers

Pastry bags

These piping bags hold a bunch and come on a big roll, so I never have to worry about running out.

Zip ties

I use zip ties to close my pastry bags when piping macarons. The ties close the bag really well so I don’t have to worry about anything spilling out.

Gel Food Coloring

Gel food is the perfect consistency for macarons.  I like this set because there is such a wide variety of colors- great for the bright colors in my macarons!

Macaron Storage and shipping trays

I use these to store and ship my macarons.  Each tray holds 36 macarons.

Kitchen Equipment

KitchenAid Stand Mixer

I live this thing! I have a KitchenAid 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series.  It’s a workhorse, from whipping up egg whites for macarons to kneading dough- this has never failed me!

Cuisinart 11 cup Food Processor

I use my food processor to make my Pâte Brisée and Lemon Curd- among many other recipes!

Sourdough Essentials

These are some of the essentials I use when maintaining my starter and baking my Sourdough Loaves

Weck Jars

Weck Jars are the perfect containers to keep your starter in. The sides are smooth and the glass lid sits on top without the rubber gasket, allowing just the right amount of airflow.

Bowl Covers

I love these washable bowl covers– I can cover my largest bowls during proofing.  No more plastic wrap!

10 inch Banneton Proofing Basket

Banneton Baskets are used to proof my sourdough loaves overnight.  The linen liners help to ensure that the loaves will easily turn out and can be removed for washing.

Flour Shaker

These shakers are great to flour your work surface and loaf before scoring.  It can also be filled with powdered sugar and used to dust the top of desserts!

Bread Cloche

To emulate a professional bread oven, sourdough bread needs to steam for the first portion of the bake- this cloche works perfectly to capture moisture and create a steamy environment!

Parchment rounds

These 10 inch parchment rounds are the perfect fit for the bread cloche. I also use these to line cake pans!

I’ll update this list periodically, check back for new essentials!

1 Comment

  1. lauri fitzgerald

    My kitchen supplies need an overhaul. Thanks for this thoughtful list on stocking some of the important elements. The sourdough bread recipe looks terrific and I will be baking your recipe later this week

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

About me

Corey Grimsley

I’m an artist and art restorer who spends an equal amount of time in the kitchen. Follow along as I put an artisanal touch on all of my bakes!

Get Social

Newsletter