I'm a pro baker: This is what's worth the splurge (and what's not) in your kitchen

Updated

Mon, May 5, 2025 at 8:55 PM UTC

This is the hand mixer I use at home, and it's still going strong about a decade after I bought it. It comes with beater and whisk attachments, it has a long cord and it isn't too heavy, so I don't mind standing over a bowl with it while it goes to town. 

No, it doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles, but its six speeds are more than adequate (I rarely have to set it over medium) and it comes with a storage case for the attachments. It's powerful enough to tackle even the thickest dough, and I often use it to mix cake batter or whip cream. At a mere $24, it's one of the most affordable hand mixers I've come across, and it has yet to let me down. 

Check out my full Hamilton Beach hand mixer review for more. 

For all of my home bakers looking to take their pastry skills to the next level, this one's for you. KitchenAid has practically become synonymous with stand mixers for a reason, and this mixer is my ride or die. Whether you're making large batches (the bowl is a roomy 5.5 quarts) or have a lot of prep work that needs to get done, this workhorse will save you a ton of time and energy. 

Its 11 speeds cover all the bases, from gentle folding to intense whipping, and the bowl-lift design makes it sturdier than its less-expensive tilt-head cousin. In fact, it makes me feel like I'm using a smaller version of the industrial mixers I worked with in professional kitchens. I love the look of mine (I have it in silver), so I leave it on my counter to make dragging it out less of a hassle. I can promise it's well worth the investment and then some. 

Related: Stand mixer or hand mixer? A pro baker explains which type belongs in your kitchen

True, those high-end ceramic mixing bowls you see chefs using on TV are gorgeous. But I sometimes have butterfingers when I bake — literally and figuratively — so I prefer to use inexpensive, durable metal mixing bowls that won't shatter if they accidentally go flying off the counter (oops). 

I like this set because it contains different sizes — larger bowls can be used for mixing batters and doughs, while smaller ones are suitable for whisking a few eggs. Plus, they come with lids, so if you're making a cookie dough that needs to rest in the fridge, like this one, you can keep it right in the bowl you mixed it in without the need for plastic wrap. This set of five costs less than many single bowls.

I try to minimize waste in the kitchen as much as possible, which is why this reusable silicone baking mat comes in clutch. Not only does it help keep my parchment paper costs to a minimum, but it protects my sheet trays from caked-on gunk. 

The nonstick material is a breeze to clean, and I find that I can still achieve a nice golden brown on the bottoms of my cookies when I use them. Plus, I don't have to pry the cookies off once they're out of the oven — they can easily be lifted with a spatula. And for dough that needs to be rolled out, you can do it on one of these rather than your counter to make cleanup a whole lot easier.

The Silpat brand is more expensive than generic liners, but it's the most durable I've tried — you won't have to replace it for a long time. (Actress Jennifer Garner, an enthusiastic baker, is also a fan!)

My Lodge skillet is still going strong after over a decade, but these things can last a century. The pan — which is also one of Ina Garten's go-tos — is so sturdy that it can be used on any stove and even over a fire.

Because iron is excellent at retaining and distributing heat, nothing will give you a better sear on your steak or crispy exterior on your potatoes. I often go the sweet route, from the literal best chocolate chip pancakes I've ever made to cinnamon rolls and cornbread. For comparison, this Le Creuset version is smaller and costs over $150 more. 

Calling this clever tool a spatula would be doing it a disservice, so I'm glad the folks at GIR gave it a more suitable title. True to its name, it's a silicone spoon and spatula in one, and I love it because it's thin and flexible enough for getting into the corners of bowls but also has a spoon-like shape for scooping. 

It's the sturdiest stirrer (say that five times fast) I've ever used — far more durable than the flimsy $4 spatulas I've tried. Plus, you're sort of getting two tools in one. (Giada De Laurentiis also swears by this brand.)

This tough-as-nails pot has "Lodged" its way in my heart. There's not much I haven't made in this thing, from pasta dishes and stews to fried doughnuts, and it's all turned out exceptionally. Its 6-quart capacity means I'm able to prepare enough to feed about six hungry people (more if it's a side dish), and since it's heat-safe up to 500°F, I never have to worry when placing it in the oven. Its slick enamel coating makes cleanup a cinch — never more than a rinse with soap and water, followed by a quick wipe.  

At under $100 (hundreds less than a certain French brand), it may have you asking: "Le who?" No wonder it's an Amazon No. 1 bestseller. 

Check out my full Lodge Dutch oven review for more. 

Recently, I decided to go against the grain and swap all of my plastic cutting boards for wood. This hefty block, which counts Ina Garten and Giada De Laurentiis among its many fans, is the sturdiest I've ever used, and I can tell it was built to last (unlike my flimsy, cheap plastic ones). In fact, Garten even says, "I have lots of them, and if you take care of them, they last forever."

Speaking of longevity, wood is more gentle on knives than plastic, so it could help preserve your beloved blades as well. You do need to condition the board about once a month to keep it from drying out — I use the brand's Mystery Oil and Board Cream — but it's a small price to pay, knowing I'll probably never need to replace it.

I understand the appeal of a ceramic pie dish (so lovely to serve from!) or a glass pie dish (it lets you see how your crust looks). But I choose an affordable, no-frills metal pie pan like this one every time. Why? For starters, aluminum conducts heat more quickly than glass or ceramic, which I find contributes to a flakier crust. And on the flip side, it cools more quickly, meaning your pie is less likely to overbake once it's out of the oven.

Because I freeze my pie crusts before baking (you want that butter to be cold!), I never worry that my metal pie pan will shatter in the oven. Glass, and sometimes ceramic, can break in response to sudden changes in temperature, and that's something I'd rather avoid.

I'm really not an ingredient snob — I bake with Trader Joe's butter and whichever brand of flour is on sale all the time. But one hill I will die on is that paying more for a good quality cocoa powder makes all the difference between a "just fine" chocolate dessert and one with depth that'll have people going, "What type of chocolate did you use to make this deliciousness?!" (This literally happened to me the other week when I served a chocolate cake.)

I'm partial to this one, which is Dutch-processed for a smoother, less acidic flavor and a deeper chocolate color. It can be used in most recipes that call for cocoa powder, but if you'd like something more universal, Guittard also makes an excellent natural cocoa powder.