Favorite baking products? What do you use that makes life easier in the kitchen?

[momee]

I know you all must cook often being at home all day and you probably have lots of kids.  What I mean is I'd love your experienced suggestions...(yes, I know how to google but I trust you all more than google)

 

Care to share your favorites?  Especially for baking sheets, oven mitts and spatulas.

 

 

I don't want a baking sheet that rusts or gets sticky!!

 

my oven mitts have been from target/BB and Beyond and all end up burning on the ends.  I've been using doubled over washcloths but that isn't quite enough for larger pans or tricky handles

 

and I would love to buy a spatula that can handle making scrambled eggs or help me stir beef stew but can also mix pancakes - I know if I find a good one I'll use it all the time.

 

I love to cook - if you have any other gadget suggestions I'm all ears.

[Freckles]

My favorite baking sheets are called half-sheets. I get them from the local restaurant supply store. They will get sticky if you use any kind of Pam on them, but most every baking dish will.

I'm not just saying this, but my all time favorite oven mitts and spatulas are from the Pampered Chef. They are so worth the expense.

I've been using mine for a decade.

 

Have fun in the kitchen!

[Carol in Cal.]

My favorite, most durable and reliable pot holders are cotton ones woven from bulky Harrisville loops the old-fashioned way.

I have a lot of decorative oven mitts that I can burn my hands through.  Those pot holders are dense and thick enough to work, every time.

 

For baking I love the newish gold series from Williams Sonoma.

 

I have a silpat mat that I use for a few applications, like making candied nuts, and it is invaluable for those.

 

 

[KatieJ]

Chicago Metallic bakeware is the brand I have switched to over the years.  I have regular, but my DD's are nonstick and we like both of them.  I have bought some on Amazon and some at Bed Bath and Beyond.

ONe of my favarotie rubber scrapers I picked up Gordon Food Service at the counter.  ( restaurant food service store with public access)

 

I love my wooden spoon/spatula with a flat edge on it.  I don't know where I got it, but they are readily available.  I use it for everything.I

 

I have liked every OXO kitchen tool I have bought.  Recently I saw the man who started that company in an interview.  His wife had arithtis I think.  He invented tools to make her life easier and eventually a company was formed.

[wapiti]

I bake a lot of cookies.  I prefer Calphalon nonstick cookie sheets (like this one - if I'm careful, I can fit 20 cookies on a sheet), 10 bucks at the outlet mall.  I have one such dark nonstick sheet that I was given as a present around 15(?) years ago and I recently bought a new one (silver-colored).  I don't know what took me so long!  I can make more cookies faster by rotating my two sheets.  I might get one more new one, to replace the really old one, as the nonstick surface is better.  I wash nonstick things carefully and I do not use cooking spray on these ones (I have other, cheap, old pans that I use the spray on, for baking fries and such - but not my good cookie sheets).  The cookies literally slide right off if I'm not careful, LOL.

[umsami]

My favorite baking product is parchment paper.  With that, my actual pan doesn't matter. These days I'm using a pack of half-sheets I got at Sam's for maybe $10-$15.  They've held up quite well.

 

For spatulas and baking mitts, we actually usually buy them at the Dollar Store….and they hold up great.  Now…what/how they're made is a different story….

 

On a side note, I bought a Popover Pan a few years ago, and I'm so glad I did.  We love to have popovers on the weekend, and it makes such a difference.  I have had good luck with Chicago Metallic brands…as well as Nordic Ware non-stick.

 

Oil sprays like Pam will make any pan sticky, but I've heard that if you use one of those pump bottles (no additives), it's less likely. 

[Indian summer]

The best spatula is a wooden spoon. Except for scraping, but any rubber spatula that's bendy works for that. And silicone liners are great for keeping baking sheets from looking too seasoned, if there is such a thing. Personally, I prefer well seasoned pans - when they turn all black they are the best. I would also make sure baking sheets have a lip around the edge so anything greasy/drippy doesn't overflow into the oven.

 

Not sure if you need new frying pans but those new "rock" ones are really good. The name escapes me, if I find it, I'll edit this. They are an as seen on tv product, but they really work well for non stick without the scratchy Teflon dangers.

[Amy in NH]

The soy lecithin added to many items (like french fries or chicken nuggets) will also cause a pan to get sticky.

 

We like the regular old aluminum sheet pans you can get at Sam's club.  Aluminum doesn't rust, and the surface doesn't scratch off like with a nonstick pan.  I to use parchment paper to keep cookies from sticking, and for easier cleanup.

 

We got a pair of Williams Sonoma pot holders as a wedding gift 13 years ago, and they are still going strong.  They are nice and thick, too.  I am imagining they haven't changed much, but you can't be sure...

 

I also love my thick silicon spatulas which were also a Williams Sonoma gift about 10 years ago.  Like you said, they are my go-to tool for mixing batters or stews, making scrambled eggs, etc. - hot or cold.  They are really lovely.  I killed the medium one in a blender a few years ago, and just replaced it this year.  I didn't want red, so I got the Paula Deen ones on Amazon and they seem to be a similar quality although I've only had them a month.

 

One of my favorite kitchen tools that I didn't know about forever and now can't live without is a scraper.  Making bread, biscuit, scone, or pie dough?  Instead of spending 1/2 hour trying to wash that stuff off the leftover crusty flour dough off of any table or counter and making it all gooey and sloppy, the scraper will just take it right off without scratching it.  It's also perfect for cutting up your doughs before shaping, cutting baked goods, etc.  Love it!

[Carol in Cal.]

If you're serious about baking bread, get a kitchen scale.  Flour is notoriously variable in volume, and weighing it makes for helpful precision, especially in making whole grain recipes.

[RoughCollie]

The only potholders I have are Ove Gloves:  http://www.amazon.com/Ove-Glove-Surface-Handler-Pack/dp/B001EPR98Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394040846&sr=8-3&keywords=ove+glove

[G5052]

The only potholders I have are Ove Gloves:  http://www.amazon.com/Ove-Glove-Surface-Handler-Pack/dp/B001EPR98Q/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1394040846&sr=8-3&keywords=ove+glove

 

Yes, my one Ove Glove has outlasted everything else.

 

I can't remember the brand, but I have some spatulas that are silicon with stainless handles.  My aunt gave me several, and my husband added to the set.

 

Also a flat whisk.  Much easier to get the batter combined with a flat whisk IMHO.

 

And chef-style stainless steel bowls.  You want them with a stable bottom and nice, sloping sides (not straight, which is much cheaper to make).  I bought mine at a restaurant supply house.

[Annie]

This flexible metal turner is my most favorite thing.

 

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B000079XW3?vs=1

[LostSurprise]

Spatulas~make sure the spatula is heat rated. It should say that it works up to 300 (or above). That way you can use it while cooking or when you take something out of the oven. Otherwise it will melt. 

 

No particular brand recommendations. Sticky cookie sheets have more to do with an improperly cleaned sheet. Just make sure you scrub them well (especially the corners). Remember that dark sheets cook things faster than light colored sheets. 

 

No ideas about pot holders. I had two (one a glove, one a square) I got in the late '90s that I loved. I haven't found any I've liked as well since then. I bought one made of woven cord from Target a month or so ago and it actually started on fire when it was left on a hot pan lid (no flame nearby)! What's that about? Flammable pot holders??

 

Other gadgets I like: 

whisk

instant read thermometer

zester

adjustable tsp/tbl

large covered pourable bowl

silicone liner (for pizzas) or parchment (for everything else)

[kewb]

My favorite pans are my pampered chef stoneware pans.  My favorite spatula is also from pampered chef.

[Pippen]

Favorite cookie sheet USA

http://www.amazon.com/USA-Pan-Aluminized-Cookie-Americoat/dp/B00282JLDK/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394054852&sr=8-1&keywords=usa+cookie+sheet

 

Doughmakers cake pans

 

Happy spoons

http://www.amazon.com/Zak-Designs-Cheeky-Orange-Spoons/dp/B000FNESLE/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1394054913&sr=8-1&keywords=zak+smile+spoon

[Forget-Me-Not]

My favorite baking sheets are called half-sheets. I get them from the local restaurant supply store.

Yep. I got mine at a local restaurant supply for about $7/each. I use parchment paper with them and I don't usually even have to wash them. (You could use Silpats if you prefer).

 

Speaking of parchment paper, that's my other favorite thing. I bought a HUGE box of parchment paper cut into sheet pan size at Cash n' Carry. I do have to fold/cut them to fit the half-sheets (I'm seriously tempted to have my dad split the box with his big fancy saw next time :D) but they lay flat rather than curling like the stuff that comes on a roll. They're also great for wrapping baked-goods for gifts and to lay out on the dining room table for art projects :)

 

My other favorite things are scoops (aka dishers) I have them in 1, 2, & 3 Tbsp sizes. They're great for portioning out cookie dough, cupcake batter, etc.

 

Pampered Chef spatulas. Worth the money. They hold up. I especially like the ones they call "Mix n Scrape".

 

And I big red puffy heart my Kitchen-Aid. â¤ï¸

[zoobie]

I like the sheet pans Sparkly Unicorn linked up thread. I've gotten them from Marshall's/HomeGoods. They come in a cute little quarter sheet size too. Costco used to carry restaurant-style pans in a two-pack, but I haven't seen them in a while.

 

I love using a digital scale when baking and cooking. It's so much faster (especially after you memorize key weights) and less stuff to wash.

 

Wooden spoons and spatulas

Silicone spoonulas

 

Two sets of oval measuring cups and spoons

 

Microplane

 

French whisk and regular whisk

 

Silpat mats (several different brands available now) and parchment paper

 

Scoops in several sizes (muffins, meatballs, cookies)

[solascriptura]

Cookie scoops are great for cookies and mini muffins.

[NASDAQ]

Find a restaurant supply store and scope it out. We aren't buying much made for consumers any more. Apparently "consumer" means "occasional user."

[umsami]

Yes, I forgot about scoops/dishers.  I started with a 2 tablespoon one, and now have a 1 tablespoon and a 4 tablespoon.  I use them all the time!

[ThatHomeschoolDad]

Fav..hmmmm.

 

I scored 50 sheets of parchment on Amazon and cut them in half to line my smaller-than-half-sheet pans. I won't touch the rolled stuff again.

 

Like my zester, wishing for a microplane, but still like the longer curls from my zester.

 

Love my bench scraper. Not a meal that it doesn't come out.

 

Totally dig my OXO apple corer - actually all my OXO stuff, except when ya got limited light, one drawer, and yer 20/400 in one eye, all those ergonomic black handles mean it's a total crap shoot if I grab a pizza wheel or a peeler. First world problem.

[Kareni]

 

I like tongues for cooking. 

 

That's an amusing typo, but it seems strangely apropos in a cooking thread!

 

Regards,

Kareni