September 11, 2020 - 12:01am
Essential & must-have tools?
My girlfriend is an avid baker and cook. Her birthday is coming up so I thought I'd try and find out what tools are out there that you folks think are essential, or even just time savers. She probably has most of the basic requirements, e.g. pans. With your help though, I think I may be able to find something. So, what do you consider an essential tool in your cupboard when it comes to baking? Or, what is not necessarily essential, but a wicked timshowboxe saver? usps tracking
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https://brodandtaylor.com/collections/folding-proofer-slow-cooker
A good scale. I like the My Weigh KD 7000. $44.40
https://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-kd7000-black.html
Many like the KD8000 for a couple of dollars more because it has a "Baker's Percentage" feature. $48.70
https://www.oldwillknottscales.com/my-weigh-kd8000.html
Other stores will probably have similar prices.
Dave
High heat gloves - they may sound a little practical, but as a baker and a cook, they will come in handy. My favorite is no longer available, but these have good ratings, and are a bit cheaper. All you have to do is brush your forearm against a hot oven rack to realize the value of a good high heat, long sleeve glove, infinitely better than oven mitts.
They are also great for handling hot Dutch ovens when baking bread.
GEEKHOM-Resistant-Grilling-Waterproof-Oil-Proof
The most important question is what sort of baking does she do? Even down to what type of bread she makes can make a difference. Also, what does she have? Finally, how much are you spending?
I saw someone post an "essential" list for sour dough baking. It had 25 or so things on it. I have like 10 of them, only use 5 of them, and would be annoyed if I got about 10 of them. It is all very personal.
This may seem silly, but I upgraded my cheap plastic rubber spatulas to some silicone ones 5 years ago and I still generally smile when I pull them out and tend to sigh when they're dirty and I use the brittle old one. I know nothing of this particular one, but an example of the product is https://www.amazon.com/KITCHEN-WORLD-Resistant-Silicone-Spatulas/dp/B07C4MGL8N.
So, you may just want to watch what she uses and buy nicer ones. Another for me was knives, if she has cheap dull ones (you did say cook, not just baking). But when I got a nice knife set and replaced my $50 set I started enjoying the cutting part of cooking.
Oven thermometer?
A good culinary mixer is a great gift. It is good for the pastry chef and for those who cook non-sweet dishes. In general, a useful thing. Here https://mykitchenadvisor.com/best-hand-mixer/ is a good overview of mixers of different price categories. Take your pick!