GUIDES · 12
Equipment guides
Which pans, tools and appliances matter for baking, and how to use them well.
- Baking Stone vs Baking SteelStones and steels both store heat for crisp bread and pizza bottoms. Compare heat transfer, preheat times, durability and which suits your oven and bakes.
- Bench Scraper Uses for Bread and PastryOne flat blade divides dough, builds surface tension, lifts sticky pastry, smooths frosting and cleans the counter. Here is how to use a bench scraper well.
- Choosing a Dutch Oven for BreadPick the right size, shape and material of Dutch oven for crusty loaves, plus safe preheating, knob limits, and how to load dough without burns.
- French vs Handled Rolling PinsTapered French pins, straight dowels and handled rollers each feel different on pie dough, cookies and laminated pastry. Choose one and roll evenly.
- Glass vs Metal vs Ceramic Pie DishesPie dish material decides how fast the bottom crust bakes. Compare glass, metal and ceramic, their depths and sizes, and tricks for a crisp base in any of them.
- How to Use and Care for a BannetonPrepare a new proofing basket, flour it so dough releases cleanly, pick a size for your loaf, and clean and dry it to prevent mold.
- Light vs Dark Cake Pans: Does It MatterPan color and material change browning, doming and bake time. Learn how light aluminum, dark nonstick, glass and silicone behave and when to adjust the oven.
- Loaf Pan Sizes ExplainedA 9 by 5 inch pan holds about 25 percent more than an 8½ by 4½. Match dough and batter amounts to loaf pans, including Pullman and mini pans.
- Piping Tips Guide: What Each Shape DoesRound, open star, closed star, petal, leaf and filling tips each make a distinct mark. See what common tip numbers pipe and which few to buy first.
- Silicone Baking Mat vs Parchment PaperSilicone mats and parchment both stop sticking, but they brown, spread and handle heat differently. Know which liner to use for cookies, macarons, bread and more.
- Stand Mixer vs Hand Mixer for BakingWhich mixer earns its counter space? Compare stand and hand mixers by task, from cookie dough and meringue to brioche, and see which one fits how you bake.
- Why Bakers Use a Kitchen ScaleA digital scale makes bakes repeatable and cuts dishwashing. What capacity and precision to buy, how to use tare, and when a 0.1 g pocket scale helps.