For National Baking Month I asked on Instagram for your baking questions. When I got hundreds of responses, I decided to make this a series of posts on my site. So far we’ve discussed Pies + Pie Crust, Cakes + Decorating, Meringue, Bread Baking, vegan desserts and now Baking Equipment. If you have any questions I haven’t answered, please leave them in the comments and I’ll do my best to get to every comment that I can!
Your Baking Equipment Questions
- Favorite measuring cups and scale? I’ll start with the scale, because I want everyone to use one for baking! My favorite scale is the MyWeigh. My favorites are a sturdy metal set of dry measuring cups. I like a glass measuring cups that have both cups and ML for liquid measures.
- Could you give a list of essential baking tools and some nice extra tools to have?
- My most used equipment: Kitchen scale, really good rubber spatula, stand mixer, bench scraper, heavy gauge baking sheets.
- Makes baking easier: Cake turner, offset metal decorating spatulas. Pie plate, cake pans, flour jars.
- How do you organize all of your tools/bakeware? I organize my tools by type, so cake equipment stays together, measuring cups and mise bowls are near each other. I also situate them near where I will be using them, so I am not walking all over the kitchen when I need something. My mixing bowls, whisks, spatulas, jars of flour and sugar all sit very close to my stand mixers, so I can just reach for them in the middle of a project. I admit I am a hoarder of kitchen equipment and so I need a lot of space, but the essentials can really fit in a small space. Here’s a tour of the before and after of my kitchen from a long time ago! And here is an Instagram kitchen tour.
- Do you prefer gas or electric ovens for baking? I prefer to bake in an electric oven. The heat tends to be more even and especially with bread, the outcome is often better. When baking a crusty loaf of bread you need to add steam to the oven and the way gas ovens are vented, they don’t trap the steam, so your bread won’t rise as well and it won’t have a shiny crust. When I do bake bread in a gas oven, I use a Dutch Oven so that the steam is trapped in the pot.
- When should we use convection vs conventional oven? I almost never use the convection setting, unless the recipe specifically calls for it. The wind can brown the outside and leave the inside under baked, so it is best to go with flat heat for baking. If your oven only has convection heat, be sure to adjust the temperature down by about 20-25°F to make up for the intensity of the fan.
- Can I trust my countertop convection oven to bake yeasted breads? $0 to waste experimenting! Yes, my mom bakes her bread in one and it is terrific. She tends to make small loaves, so they fit beautifully. She also uses it for cakes, pizza and whatever else she is baking. It does take some experimenting, since it is convection and most baking recipes don’t call for that. So your bakes may be done sooner than the recipe calls for. Once you get to know the oven, you can adjust the baking times on a recipe.
- Do you have a favorite online shop for baking supplies, ingredients, etc.? I have curated a little shop of some of my favorite tools on Amazon. I also really trust the equipment sold at King Arthur Baking Company, Wilton and Williams Sonoma. There may also be local shops near you that sell good quality baking equipment that you want to support.
- Where do you get those white papers for your muffins? They are called tulip muffin papers and they are linked in the blueberry muffin blog post. You can find them here. or you can make your own, as I do in my blueberry muffin demo during my Magnolia Workshop.
- If you could only buy one, which is more versatile: 8×8 or 9×9 pan? I think I use my 8×8 more often.
- Best way to use silicone canele molds? I have copper molds and tend to use those more frequently, just because I find they caramelize a bit better, but the silicone don’t require all of the fussy prep. You’ll find my Instagram video on caneles here.
- Do you have a link for the embossed rolling pin? I got mine at JK Adams, but there is also a large selection here. in my Pie Q&A I talk about how to use this pin successfully to create an embossed pie crust.
- Do you have a favorite rolling pin? I am ready to tackle crust and want the right tools. I use handled rolling pins and French style pins the most. If I am working with a soft dough, I like the French style pin, because I can feel the dough better under it and I can have a gentler pressure. If I am working with a chilled stiff dough I like a pin with handles so I can put some force into it without it hurting my bony hands. There is no right or wrong rolling pin, just the one that feels the most comfortable. I would just suggest you have one that is large enough to cover the width of the dough you are using, it’s just easier to get an even dough.
- Is measuring with a scale better? It seems to be more popular overseas than here in US? Yes, it is better because it’s MUCH more accurate. Think of how differently we may all scoop flour into a measuring cup. Some people dip into a bag, some people level off, some people spoon it in. Those are all completely different weights and it is way harder to control the outcome that way. There are scales ranging from less than $10 to $80. My favorite scale is priced in the middle at about $45. A kitchen scale is a game changer if you’re trying to become a better baker. Plus, it often results in less dishes to wash!
- What stand mixer do you recommend? I have three and I discuss them all here!
- Where do you get the copper molds for your blueberry muffins? They are mini souffle molds from Mauviel.
- Favorite baking dishes/pans? Find all my essentials in my Amazon shop! This gift guide is also a good place to find out my recommended equipment.
- How to successfully use an ice cream scoop for cookies – they always stick like mad! Start with a sturdy, reliable scoop, that won’t fall apart with a thick cookie dough. Having said that, some cookie dough will stick to just about anything, so spraying with baking spray will help release the cookies from the scoop. You can also wipe it with any cooking oil. For some cookies, like meringue, dipping into hot water between scoops, then tapping dry, also works.
- Favorite cookbooks? I have hundreds of cookbooks and I receive multiple copies of cookbooks each week in the mail. But there are some that are tried and true that I bake from all of the time (see below). Here is my full list of cookbooks.
- Canelle et Vanille Bakes Simple by Aran Goyoaga
- Baking for the Holidays and 100 Cookies by Sarah Kieffer
- Baking with Dorie by Dorie Greenspan
- My Sweet Mexico by Fany Gerson
- Artisan Bread in Five Minutes a Day by Jeff Hertzberg and me!
- and of course, Zoë Bakes Cakes!
On the episode, where Zoe bakes an angel food cake and visits the state fair, she used a strainer to sift her dry ingredients. I had one of those years and years ago. I don’t know what happened to it, but I would love to have another one. I like it in particular because it has a very large flat bottom so it saves a lot of product at one time. Can you provide a link where I might purchase this? Thank you.
Hi Joyce! Zoë thinks she picked up this strainer at an Asian market.
Hello Zoe,
I enjoy watching every episode of your show. You are amazing!
When making the Ultimate Carrot Cake, you use a very large, beautifully painted ceramic mixing bowl.
Please tell me the brand and where you got it from.
Hi Marianne, That mixing bowl is an antique given to Zoe many years ago. Cheers!
Are the 2023 Shows available to watch on Magnolia Channel through Discovery?
Hi Bonnie, there are three seasons of Zoe Bakes and all three are available on discovery+, Max and the Magnolia | Time Well Spent app. Season 3 is just now airing on cable.
What brand is the clear mixing bowls with the rim does Zoe use
Hi Linda! The brand is Duralex like the ones linked here (affiliate link). I hope this helps!
I just watched the August 20, 2023 episode, which has Zoe using a new food processor than the one she was using in 2022. I am dying to own this food processor. I’m pretty sure it’s a Cuisinart but I don’t know which model. Help!
Hi Joyce! Here is a link to her Cuisinart food processor. Please note it is an affiliate link.
Hello Stephani. Love the show thanks for answering all these questions!
I too am looking for the food processor and the one link you sent I don’t think that’s it the one she uses is rounder and it has on pulse off buttons on the front they’re not pedals. Burushed nickel or silver. Can you help? Also what is the size of the peeler she uses on the apple episode I want to get one. Thanks!!
Hi Wendy, Thanks so much for watching! Glad to hear you enjoy the show. I made sure to confirm with Zoe that the one I linked is the one she uses in the episode! It is a slightly different color than the one in the link. And here is a link to her Rosle Vegetable Peeler. (affiliate link). Cheers!
Wendy, I to wanted Zoe’s rounded food processor. I wrote in a day or two before you. The food processor on Amazon which you guided to is no longer available on Amazon, but that is the food processor she used only in the color silver. I was able to find it at Lowe’s and at Home Depot. I think it’s also available on the Cuisinart website but I paid less for it at the hardware store.