Choose the right equipment for baking

Measuring cups for dry ingredients: Enable you to level off ingredients at the rim for accurate amounts. Remember to never pack down your flour; spoon it in and level it off.

Measuring cup for liquid ingredients: The lowered measuring marks let you measure without sloshing. Set cup on a flat surface and stoop so you can see the line at eye level.

Measuring spoons: Never underestimate the value of accuracy. Leave your soup spoons for soup.

Bench knife/scraper: A real workhorse for scooping up ingredients, dividing dough, scraping up scraps; you'll find more uses.

Whisk: Great for thoroughly mixing by hand, and doubles as a sifter when fluffing and combining dry ingredients.

Metal nesting bowls: Can't break them, and they also conduct heat and cold more efficiently.

<CHARENTITY>7</CHARENTITY>Spoon-shaped heatproof spatula: Great for stirring hot mixtures, and the spoon shape comes in handy for filling muffin tins.

Wire cooling rack: Lets air circulate beneath your baked goods as they cool to keep them from becoming soggy.

Heavy-gauge metal sheet pan: Thin pans heighten the risk of burned cookies; sturdy pans conduct heat more evenly.

<CHARENTITY>7</CHARENTITY>Parchment paper: Takes the place of greasing pans with shortening or spray oil, and also helps keep cleanup to a minimum.

Hand mixer: Elbow grease only goes so far; essential for whipping cream, egg whites and more.

Kitchen scale: Pros swear by measuring ingredients by weight (not volume) for accuracy and also consistency.

Rolling pin/rolling mat: If pies are your passion, you'd want these on the basic list. But they're great for rolled and cut cookies and more.

Pie tins: If pies are your passion.

Springform pan: A necessity for a classic cheesecake.

Pastry blender: Easier than using two knives for cutting butter into flour. Treat yourself.

Infrared or insta-read thermometer: Easier than the clip-on thermometers to gauge the temps of oil or sugar syrup. Helps ensure breads are baked through. A guideline: basic loaves to 190 degrees; enriched with eggs or butter, 200 degrees; no-knead bread recipes, 210 degrees.

silicone eliminates the chance of a stray bristle.

Microplane zester: Super-sharp grates are perfect for zesting citrus, or hard cheeses.

<CHARENTITY>7</CHARENTITY>Pastry bag and tips: Gives you more consistent results and the different tips are great for decorative frosting or other uses.

Offset spatula: That bend in the blade makes frosting layer cakes so much easier.

<CHARENTITY>7</CHARENTITY>Tube pan with removable bottom: The only thing for a classic angel-food cake, but also for coffee cakes or pull-apart monkey breads.