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They always share their delicious homemade breads and baked goods with you, and now it’s time to return the favor. These 11 handy gadgets, tasty ingredients and practical tools will soon be your favorite bakers’ newest kitchen indispensables.
Burlap & Barrel Sugar, Spice & Everything Nice gift bundle
Everything they need for a sweet treat or comforting warm beverage is in this collection. The star is Royal Cinnamon, Burlap & Barrel’s signature spice known for its intense flavor. Bottles of coconut sugar, cinnamon sugar crunch, panela cane sugar, chai base and Nyanza vanilla extract round out the set. ($86, Burlap & Barrel)
Challenger Breadware bread pan
The cast iron Challenger bread pan is beloved for a reason — it makes “incredible” loaves, said Food & Wine. One secret to its success is the “air-tight” lid, which mimics a steam oven and “creates an ideal baking environment.” The preseasoned pan was also designed with easy-to-grip handles for safer transfers into and out of the oven. ($299, Amazon)
Emile Henry French ceramic artisan cherry embossed ruffled pie dish
Raise their pie game with Emile Henry’s elegant ruffled pie dish. It’s made in France from durable Burgundian clay, which slowly and uniformly distributes heat. Pies come out of the oven properly cooked and ready to devour — after they cool, of course. ($70, Williams Sonoma)
Esembly Bowl Caps
These waterproof and machine-washable bowl caps keep dough safe and ingredients fresh. Each set comes with four stretchy caps, and you choose from a variety of patterns, including a colorful poppy print and sweet strawberry motif. Add the Sourdough Set for a starter cap, proofing cover and dual-layered bread bag. (Bowl Caps, $18, Esembly; Sourdough Set, $26, Esembly)
Goldie by Sourhouse sourdough starter warmer
Sourdough starter is at its healthiest and most active when kept between 75 and 82 degrees Fahrenheit, and the Goldie by Sourhouse ensures the starter stays in the “Goldilocks Zone.” This “sleek” countertop device lets you know when starter is too cold, too hot or just right, and turns a “scientific aspect of sourdough uncomplicated,” said The Kitchn. The Goldie also comes with a cooling puck to drop the starter’s temperature should it get too high. ($150, Sourhouse)
House of Noa Nama standing mat
Spending hours in the kitchen can be brutal on the knees and feet. The Nama standing mat, made of high density, ergonomic foam, offers relief. It is “supportive” and “hugs” feet, said The Strategist. Choose from a variety of patterns and sizes, starting at 22×36 inches. (starting at $59, House of Noa)
Le Creuset Vancouver pinch bowls
Le Creuset is known for its colorful glazed stoneware, and this collection of six bowls features a rainbow of hues. Use each one to measure and hold ingredients like salt, spices and herbs (up to two ounces), turning a “process as mundane as mise en place into something worthy of a photo shoot,” said The Strategist. The bowls can pull double duty and be used to serve dressings, sauces and dips as well. ($30, Amazon)
Mosser glass cake pedestal
Their cake stunners deserve to be displayed on an equally impressive stand. Mosser’s lovely vintage-inspired glass pedestal comes in three colors — jadeite, light pink and white — and is a statement on its own or when part of a dessert station. (starting at $50, The Vermont Country Store)
Nielsen-Massey vanilla extract set
The three pure vanilla extracts in this collection — Mexican, Tahitian and Madagascar Bourbon — are tasty additions to baked goods, or drizzled lightly on ice cream. The Mexican vanilla has a “deep, earthy flavor,” while the Tahitian boasts a more “floral, aromatic quality,” said Serious Eats. Madagascar Bourbon is creamier, with a rich finish. ($53, Williams Sonoma)
Oxo stainless steel food scale
Whether you’re making bread, cookies or a cake, using a food scale is the “key to baking precision,” said Food & Wine. Measuring by weight is “superior” to measuring by volume, and Oxo’s stainless steel scale offers “accurate” numbers and features an “easy-to-read digital display.” ($65, Amazon)
Paper Farm Press Blueberry Field tin recipe box
Important recipes need a safe storage space, and this tin box is primed for maximum kitchen security. It can hold 250 4×6 inch recipe cards, so there’s room for both new recipes and trusted family favorites. It begs to be showed-off — the tin is covered in a cute blueberry print with gold accents and comes with a starter set of 15 matching recipe cards and coordinating recipe divider tabs. ($36, Paper Farm Press)