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Must Have Kitchen Tools

3/24/2020

1 Comment

 
Since I've started my tutorial journey, I feel as though I should also include some of my favorite must have kitchen tools. These are just some of my personal favorites that I have used over the years and highly recommend to people when I am teaching actual in-person classes. 

​

I have been using this scale for close to 10 years! It is my favorite, hands down. And I've used my fair share over the course of my career. I own this in a 5 lb scale I keep in my house, for smaller projects/ making drip coffee/ etc, and a 11 lbs scale I keep in the kitchen for most of my every day baking projects. I also use a 22 lbs scale from the same company for larger projects.
OXO 1130800 Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull-Out Display, 11-Pound,Silver
OXO 1128380 1128380 Good Grips Stainless Steel Food Scale with Pull Out Display, 22 Pound, Silver/Black

Other than the scale, the one tool I use daily is my KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Now this is an investment piece. In the beginning of my baking journey, I mainly used hand mixers because I was not ready to make the leap. But my KitchenAid has lasted me the last 10+ years of my baking journey and still has many more years left in it. ​
KitchenAid KP26M1XNP 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer - Nickel Pearl

The Sil-Pin Rolling Pin is not your average rolling pin. It is heavy, which makes for less pressure, and comes with a non-stick silicone rolling surface. I use this rolling pin for all of my dough rolling! It is the one rolling pin I use most frequently
Silicone Rolling Pin Set with Silicone Baking Mat Extra Large 21" Ball Bearings Non Stick From Sil-pin

Cookie Scoops. So I know what you guys are thinking. Why is a cookies scoop on this list? It's a cookie scoop. Well. With my business I have scooped thousands of cookies. Some scoops break real quick. And some last.... These last! I use the Blue (size 16) for my big cookies, Black (size 30) for my standard dessert bar cookies, and Red (Size 24) for Cupcakes. 
Vollrath (47143) 2 oz Stainless Steel Disher - Size 16
Vollrath (47145) 1-1/3 oz Stainless Steel Disher - Size 24
Vollrath 47146 Disher - Color Coded Size 30

There are so many spatulas out there! But if you are looking for one that we use in commercial kitchens across the country. Its the ones that are high heat resistant with a red handle. It has no seams. So nothing will get stuck in places. And as pretty as the wood handles ones are. You can't put them in the dishwasher, so that's a no-go for me. 
Rubbermaid High Heat Scraper 9-1/2
I also really love these ones, particularly the smaller sized ones. You'll see me use these to empty out portion cups, mixing frosting colors. They are so versatile. 
Silicone Spatula 4-piece Set,Heat-Resistant Spatulas,Non-stick Rubber Spatulas with Stainless Steel Core

Other than the scale, I'd say this is the next required tool. They make ones with wood handles, but once again, I prefer the plastic so I can run it in the dish washer. There are also a lot of brands out there. But Ateco is my personal favorite. This set comes with the 3 main sizes you would need. 
Ateco Ultra Offset Spatula 3 Piece Set; Top Sellers 1305 - 4.25 Inch, 1307 - 7.75 Inch, and 1309 - 9.75 Inch, Stainless Steel Blades

Not all bowl scrapers and bench scrapers are created equal. And they are also not really interchangeable. Why? Because you want a flexible bowl scraper, to really get all of your dough out. But you need a super stiff bench scraper to get all the stuck/dried dough off of your table. So here is my favorite bowl scraper. 
Ateco 1303 Scraper, Single Bowl, White

Ok. So the reason I like this for the bench scraper option is 1. It is metal. 2. It has a ruler. 3. Its edge is flat... Why is that important? Because, you can also use it to decorate cakes!! And because it comes in a 2 pack, I would designate 1 for the bench, and 1 for cakes. Because using it to scrap the bench, could mess up the perfectly smooth edge, which is what you need for those nice cake sides.
2 Packs Dough Scraper Cutter, Stainless Steel Bench Pastry Scraper Kitchen

If you are looking for a cake specific scraper. This is the one I use. It is by Cake Safe, who also makes the container that I transfer and deliver my cakes in. It has a super tall angled surface, which is perfect for the really tab straight edges. 
CakeSafe 10 Inch OG Acrylic Icing Scraper with Angled Edge

I go through more piping bags per year, than maybe anything else. And while many people invest in reusable piping bags, I prefer disposable because I deal with a lot of people with allergens. And I just don't think you can ever get those reusable ones quite clean enough. I use these tipless ones for most projects, including decorating cookies.
yueton Pack of 100 Disposable Cream Pastry Bag Cake Icing Piping Decorating Tool

For buttercream and fillings or macarons, I prefer these bags, as they are a little thicker and significantly bigger, so I'm not constantly re-filling the bag. 
Industrial Strength 18 Inch Disposable Piping Bags | 100 Roll Dispenser Box - 100% Food Grade Disposable Pastry Bags - Cake Decorating Bags, Icing Bags, and Food Preparation Bags

This is less of a necessity and more of a luxury. But pre-cut parchment paper is the best. You don't have to worry about the curling edges, or cutting them to size. These will fit your standard half sheet tray most of you have at home. 
120 x Parchment Paper Sheets - No Curl, No Tear, No Burn Baking Paper (16 x 12 inch) – Precut Parchment Paper For Baking – No Chemical Unbleached Parchment Paper – Cookie Paper Baking Sheets

And on that note. If you don't have half sheet trays at home, these are the best! 
They also have a set that comes with a cooling rack. So I'll link that too.. 
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Commercial Baker's Half Sheet (2 Pack), Silver
Nordic Ware 43172AMZM 2 - Piece Set - Half Sheet W/Oven Safe Nonstick Grid, Aluminum

I love my Nordic Ware bundt pan. My only complaint is that it doesn't have handles. This one is the exact same ones as the one I own, only it actually has handles! 
Nordic Ware 50342 ProForm Bundt Pan with Handles, 12 Cup

The last thing you really need to really get your cake decorated journey started is a turntable. There are plenty of cheap options available, but its worth it to get a decent one that will last you a while. Ateco has a Cast iron turntable that is more expensive, but I find that this one is great option as well.
Ateco 615 Revolving Cake Decorating Stand Aluminum Turntable and Base, 12-Inch Round

If you really want to up your bread loaf game, it helps to have a dutch oven. Le Creuset is the creme de la creme in cookware, and it is worth it if you want to plan on a longterm investment piece. But there are other decent options that are a bit more cost effect. But the enamel of the Le Creuset is really unbeatable in the market today. 
Le Creuset Signature Round Dutch Oven LS2501-265HSS, 5.5 qt.

​This option by Lodge is a good cost effective alternative. 
Lodge 6 Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Oven. Blue Enamel Dutch Oven (Blue)

I just got this Air Fryer/Toaster Oven Combo and it is amazing!!!! It cooks James's nuggets in 5 mins, it makes Tuna melts in 10 mins, crispy french fries in 10 mins and it makes Biscuits in 15 mins! No preheating. No overheating the kitchen. It has been amazing, and my only complaint has been, why the heck didn't I buy one of these sooner!!! 
Cuisinart TOA-60 Convection Toaster Air Fryer, 15.5"(L) x 16.0"(W) x 14.0"(H), Silver
1 Comment

IGTV-why not

3/24/2020

0 Comments

 
Sometimes, you get bored. 

You are stuck at home with very minimal work to do. You have a toddler to entertain, and you need to stay sane. 

So you decide to start an IGTV series called....
Really Crappy Tutorials.
I'm not a filmmaker. I'm rarely put together. I hardly ever wear makeup. Enjoy!
www.instagram.com/blueboxbakery/channel/

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