Basic Kitchen (continued): Equipment, Part III: Baking and Roasting

Here we go again with the continuing list of minimum kitchen requirements.

Things get a little hazy right around now. Any list of essential oven ware is going to need some customizing. Because some cooks hardly do any baking, and others are in business primarily for the sweets. While the second group is going to have to get dinner on the table as well as filling the cookie jar, it is possible to be an excellent, engaged cook, and almost never bake. So here's where we're going. First, a list of real basics, then a list of basics for sometime bakers, and finally a few specialty items for those who are engaged in producing dessert on a regular basis. I have more special baking equipment than is consonant with my actual level of activity in this area. I just have a weakness for the stuff.

Basic:

roasting pan with rack

8"X8" square pan steel or ceramic (I use an Emile Henry one, which is nice for small dishes of baked pasta, as well as brownies, and comes to the table looking pretty.)

Three 8" round metal cake pans- you want a bright surface, the dark ones cook too fast. Nonstick is nice.

lasagna pan 8 1/2"X11", (or larger, if you have a big family) pyrex is nice, and some come with snap on lids for carrying your bring-alongs

2 loaf pans (most pan bread recipes make 2 loaves), also good for meat loaf

a pyrex pie pan

a covered oval-shaped or round casserole for pot roasts and oven-roasted chicken, etc. - ceramic , metal or enameled cast iron

2 jelly roll or "sheet" pans, which serve as cookie sheets, and drip-catchers- again, go with a bright metal surface to prevent overcooking, otherwise known as "burning"

6-8 little 4, 6, or 8 oz. custard/timbale cups, pyrex are great, and cheap, too- ceramic ones are often very pretty. (Thanks to Lynn D., who reminded me of these.)

one or two shallow gratin type dishes- porcelain, pottery, or enameled cast iron are dandy. Mine are pottery Frankoma ones, which go with my green everyday dishes. Like the dishes, I got them for a song on ebay.

Sometime Bakers also need:

tart pan or pans with removable bottom

springform cake pan

tube and/or bundt pan

muffin tin

baking tiles or baking stone for making crusty breads and pizzas

rolling pin

porcelain oven-proof quiche pans, large and small

silicon nonstick mats and/or parchment paper

Serious bakers, or crazy people like yours truly, who are maybe less than serious, but love this stuff may want:

mini bundt pans, mini tart pans, mini loaf pans and /or mini-spring-form pans for making baby-cakes

mini muffin tins

madeleine pans

various bundt and kugelhopf pans with different designs

silicon financier pans (bigger silicon pans don't work for me- even as small as muffin size- I crack stuff- but for these little pastries, I love 'em)

a shortbread pan (square) with designs that emboss their cute selves onto the cookies

pudding basins

a linen-lined banneton for rising round breads, and a floury linen for bread making

a marble rectangle for rolling pastry

cookie cutters

a biscuit cutter or 2, and (blush)

a pate terrine...it's true. Also, I must admit to a box full of tiny walnut shaped molds, for making walnut cookies. I love them; they ain't going anywhere.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got to go sort this stuff out. Next up: Pantry needs. This project is actually helping me organize my kitchen. Much dubious stuff has been moved to the basement lockup, given away, listed on ebay, or, in some cases tossed. My back hurts, but in a good way. I think. As always, I welcome your suggestions for important items I have overlooked.And I do realize the photo is more suited to the top-of-the-stove section, but I haven't done any decent ones of cake pans. Maybe soon.

Comments

[littlebouffe]

I would add to your list a dish brush. It's far and away the best thing I have for cleaning pans, especially ones with creases (springform and bundt, I'm looking at you).

Plus it's good at scrubbing those "overcooked" bits off the roasting and lasagne pans. And since it goes into the dishwasher, you can keep it around for a while.

I'm biased towards the Ikea ones, which I think are a full 99 cents. Smallness is a virtue here; you don't want one that looks like a toilet brush.

[Baking Soda]

Now I was thinking... where do we leave all this stuff? I mean seriously have you ever tried stacking cake pans/bundt pans whatever pans? Is there someone around who has THE solution?
Neat, tidy, easy accessible?
(Mine are in a mess in a massive Curver box in my basement)

[Lindy]

little bouffe-I have one too, and use it often, as it doesn't damage any of the different pan surfaces, and molds into corners nicely. I do put mine in the dishwasher, but was probablynot supposed too- it has a wooden handle, which was once painted green, and is now very pale, and cracked. Still , it was awfully cheap, has lasted years, and can be kept clean.

baking soda- I am currently keeping mine in two smallish bottom cabinets. This is crazy, but during this most recent re-organization, I put round pans and empty storage containers in one, and the square and rectangular ones in the other (slightly larger) cupboard. They still don't stack all that well, but they fit a little better, and it is a bit easier to find them!

[MyKitchenInHalfCups]

About the time things seem somewhat organized along comes some project and whap it all comes unglued.
Have to laugh about BakingSoda and the stacking! I have most of my loaf pans(bread) in a drawer under the ovens but the cake & molds are over the fridge. I spent a long time on a ladder two days ago getting thing stacked and I thought well organized. Then in the afternoon, I'm fixing dinner and crash bang boom. I haven't opened it yet.

[Lynn D.]

Pyrex (or ceramic) custard cups? I have them in two sizes and use them all the time for custard, timbales, little baked egg thingies.. Or do you use pudding basins and mini pans for such things? What exactly is a pudding basin?

[Lindy]

Yes,Lynn -I forgot about them! I use them all the time, too. I now have pretty little Emile Henry ones (green) and Le Creuset ones (red) about 9, all together, but I used pyrex ones for years- they work perfectly well and are loads cheaper. And, this somehow reminded me- I forgot about a couple of shallow gratin dishes, which are also very handy. I'm going to add both to the post.

[zp]

What about a pastry brush? I've needed one more times than I can count, despite (or rather because of) the fact that they always seemed really IN-essential to me. And I'm no mad baker. Or did this appear with utensils?

QUESTION for Lindy and her readers: Can anyone recommend a small, cheap but reliable, easy to use (maybe even slightly pleasurable to touch and easy on the eyes) under-the-cabinet (well, that's negotiable) kitchen radio? We're thinking we'll buy ourselves one this holiday season.

[Christine]

Where do you purchase walnut shaped molds, for making walnut cookies
Thanks
Christine
theacvcm@yahoo.com

[Lindy]

Christine- I got them from the King Arthur Flour Company catalog-I believe it's called "The Baker's Catalog".