Like any hobby, the stuff you get to buy for it is half of the fun! Whether you are just starting out, or have been baking for a while, I thought I would recommend some products that I have found really useful.
I started off by inheriting some baking tins from my Mum and slowly my collection has grown through the years. I actually had to do a big edit and clear out during the first lockdown as we were running out of space in the cupboards (3 Christmas tree baking tins is a bit much!).
Cake decorating uses many different bits of equipment and it can get quite pricey buying all of the accessories, so I am going to focus this post more on baking equipment. You don't need to spend a fortune, and if you keep your eyes peeled at the moment, you may be able to bag an online bargain during the pre-Christmas sales, or perhaps if you have been good this year, Santa may leave you a little something under the tree!
The first 3 items I am going to recommend are to do with measuring. I find that the more accurate you are in all the aspects of the baking process, the better you're bake will turn out. Unlike cooking where you can add a little bit of this and that, tweaking as you go - baking is all about the exact amount of ingredients cooked at the exact temperature for the exact time. I think that's why I love baking, it's a way to really focus your mind and concentrate on the task in hand - we can't control the crazy world we live in at the moment, but we can control the baking process and create something delicious! :)
Measuring scales: I would recommend getting some electric scales as they make the measuring out process so accurate, right down to the nearest gram or milliltre. I bought this scale 10 years ago and it's still really useful.
Oven thermometer: Getting the right temperate in your oven is SO important. 10 degrees out, it can mean your bake doesn't cook through properly, or ends up burning. In my previous house, I had an old gas cooker. It wasn't until I started using an oven thermometer that I realised my dial was a whole gas mark out!!! Even if you have a good oven temperature dial, it's worth putting an oven thermometer in anyway to see how accurate it is and you can adjust the temperature to make sure its ready for your bake. You don't need to spend too much - this one is £5.99 and hooks nicely onto your oven rack so you can easily see the temperature without opening the door and letting out the heat!
Measuring spoons: It's worth getting a set that includes a tablespoon, all the way down to a 1/4 teaspoon. Rather than using your normal eating cutlery to measure, with these spoons, you can fill them up and then slice across the top so they are completely flat and you know that you have got the exact right measure. Especially when you are measuring products like baking powder, too much or too little can really affect the outcome of your bake. This set is £12.99.
Free-stand mixer: This is quite a treat item. I lusted after one for years after seeing them on the Great British Bake Off. When I got married, my husband and I were kindly gifted some John Lewis vouchers so we decided to make the investment into a Kenwood Mixer (well, I decided on our behalf!!!!). The Kitchenaid is the most well known mixer and actually they have really dropped in price during recent years, so you might be able to bag yourself a bargain. They really do make mixing so much easier (especially icing sugar), they also knead bread and you can add on fancy attachments such as a meat grinder or pasta maker. This is the one I have - its 5 years old and I still love it: https://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/products/kmix/kmix-stand-mixers/kmix-stand-mixer-kmx754bk-0w20011139 (currently £249 on the Kenwood website). If you have always dreamt of a kitchenaid, check out their website for current deals. The range of colours are lovely (if you are like me and like all your kitchen appliances to match!) and they have a number of different sizes: https://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/all-mixers
5. Silicone mixing tools: They are really easy to clean, don't rust and are sturdy at the same time which is helpful when mixing, whisking or scraping. You can get fun different bright colours to brighten up your kitchen, but I am recommending this black set as it's such good value.
6. Cake tins: Every baker needs a set of cute airtight cake tins to store their lovely products. Great for transportation, or just to look nice on the side - here are my favourites.....Sara Miller's gorgeous tropical hummingbird design round tins, a good value clip side large cake tin from Dunelm, a pretty floral set of 3 round tins from Joules and I couldn't not have some from my favourite designer Emma Bridgewater (see my tins below) with her square 3 tin classic dots design.
Bonus item: These kitchen essentials (apron, tea towels and oven gloves) help raise money for an amazing cause and you can pretend you are Star Baker while you are rustling up some brownies. https://shop.cancerresearchuk.org/product/ted-baker-apron-tea-towel-oven-gloves
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