Gift Ideas for Bakers

I've purchased and been given a lot of kitchen gadgets over the years. Some were discarded after breaking, many were donated because they didn't fit to my needs. A few have stood the test of time, and been so useful that they were even worth replacing after they wore out. I'm sharing the winners here for those who struggle with finding the perfect gift for the baker in their life--even if that baker is you!

Glass Batter Bowl: The ones with painted on numbers will last just as long as those that have the measurements debossed into the glass. The difference is the former will eventually fade or melt off in the dishwasher, and the latter will last as long as the bowl. I've never had one that came with a lid, so I can't say how long the lid will last with normal use. The bowl itself won't wear out, but it will break if you drop it.

Half sheet pan lids: They don't form a perfect air-tight seal, but they do protect your food from dust, bugs and being squished. We used them in the tea room to protect assembled tea sandwiches from drying out prior to serving. I have a zillion aluminum half sheets that were purchased from a warehouse store, and these lids fit. The price fluctuates between reasonable and insane, so pay attention. If you don't already have the half sheet pans, you can purchase a lid and pan set instead.

Dough scoop: We used this scoop for our sorghum scones in the tea room, as well as our extra-large cookies that we sold in the pastry case. I've seen a lot of people leave negative reviews on dough scoops because they broke them while attempting to scoop cold cookie dough. I know what the recipes say, and I realize that finding refrigerator space for a bowl is easier than finding space for a cookie sheet or two. Regardless of what your recipe says, scoop the dough at room temperature and then refrigerate. Your scoops will last longer, and your hands will thank you.

Parchment sheets: These things make it so much easier to get your cookies and bread off the baking sheet, as well as making them easier to wash. You won't need non-stick spray either.

Bench scraper: These things are handy for scraping dough off your work space, of course. I use them for cutting scone dough into roughly equal wedges, and also for cutting portions of dough for dinner rolls, challah and artisan bread.

Spoon-shaped measuring cups: Heavy, one-piece measuring cups, shaped like great big spoons. These are sometimes easier to fit into tight spaces. Just note though that the largest spoons is 1/2 cup, NOT 1 cup.

1 cup measuring spoon: To complete your set of measuring cup-spoons. It's not a perfect match to the Lindy spoons, but it works well.

Set of 7 measuring spoons: All one piece, heavy duty stainless, and sizes from 1/8 tsp. all the way to 1 Tablespoon.

Whisk: Sturdy, easy to clean. I find these much handier for sifting flour and mixing together dry ingredients than a sifter. I prefer to buy these in person rather than online, because I like to know that the wires are rigid and heavy enough to not bend and twist out of shape. I do not like whisks with a silicone coating on the wires, as it tears off over time.

Stainless Spatula: For transferring cookies onto a cooling rack. I don't like silicone for this and I really don't like spatulas with a molded-on plastic handle. Silicone will eventually tear and peel off, and molded-on handles are cheap and will break. Riveted-on wooden or plastic handle will last a long time.

Cooling rack: I like that these fit onto my half sheet pans. And I prefer that the wires run in both directions too. This style is handy for keeping meat and vegetables up out of the liquids while roasting too.

Folding cooling rack: These save a ton of counter space in a small kitchen. I'm not crazy about the price, and as I recall, they aren't super easy to use with a muffin pan, but for quarter sheet pans and large cake pans, they are handy.

Wall-mount cooling rack: For half-sheet pans, if you have the space, this thing is really handy. The price is high, but if you are a frequent baker with limited counter space, it's worth it.

Silicone spatulas: Yes, I know I've mentioned that I don't like silicone for several other kitchen gadgets. But for this purpose, silicone is ideal. Nobody wants to waste food, and these spatulas will help you get every last bit of batter, dough or icing out of your bowl. These are not a huge investment, so when they eventually wear out, you won't break the bank replacing them.

Erasable labels: These labels won't come off in the dishwasher, and they are erasable, even though you use permanent markers with them. They were so handy for writing contents and dates on food containers in the tea room.

Woven Cotton Towels: The white with red stripe and white with blue stripe are my favorites, and we use them for drying dishes, covering bread while it rises and similar non-grimy purposes. For drying hands, we use the black with white stripes.

I chose each of these baking tools to share because I've found them to be useful, well-designed and durable. I hope you find them to be the same.