Ideas to shop around
Directions rather than one particular thing, for when you’d rather choose. Some come with a few that fit.
Big kitchen gifts
The splurge pieces. A KitchenAid stand mixer handles bread dough that hand mixing and cheaper brands struggle with, and a Lodge Dutch oven does soups and no-knead bread.
2 that fit · about $89.90 – $489
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixerabout $489 · amazon.com
Lodge 6-Quart Enameled Cast Iron Dutch Ovenabout $89.90 · amazon.com
Baking helpers
Everyday basics and ingredients. Nielsen-Massey vanilla beats supermarket imitation extract, and a silicone mat replaces disposable parchment.
4 that fit · about $8.99 – $28.99
Nielsen-Massey Madagascar Bourbon Pure Vanilla Extractabout $18.93 · amazon.com
J.K. Adams French Tapered Rolling Pinabout $28.99 · amazon.com
Amazon Basics Silicone Baking Matabout $13.24 · amazon.com
22-Piece Christmas Cookie Cutter Setabout $8.99 · amazon.com
Books and local
A cookbook for technique and a local shop for browsing. Salt Fat Acid Heat teaches why recipes work, not just what to do.
2 that fit · about $27.90
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat by Samin Nosratabout $27.90 · amazon.com- Village Books and Paper Dreams Gifts (Bellingham)villagebooks.com
Scales and measuring
Baking is chemistry, and a scale beats cups for consistent bread and cookies. A glass-top OXO or a budget Etekcity both work, so pick by how much she bakes.
4 that fit · about $10.99 – $28
OXO Good Grips Glass Food Scaleabout $28 · amazon.com
Etekcity Digital Kitchen Scaleabout $10.99 · amazon.com
OXO Good Grips 4-Piece Stainless Measuring Cup Setabout $22.99 · amazon.com
Pyrex Essentials 3-Piece Glass Mixing Bowl Setabout $17.99 · amazon.com
Pans and cooling
The workhorse bakeware. Heavy aluminized steel from Nordic Ware and USA Pan resists warping and browns evenly, unlike thin supermarket pans.
5 that fit · about $6.99 – $19.95
Nordic Ware Natural Aluminum Half Sheet Panabout $14.97 · amazon.com
USA Pan Bakeware Loaf Panabout $19.95 · amazon.com
Cooling Racks, 2 Packabout $7.97 · amazon.com
12-Cup Silicone Muffin Panabout $6.99 · amazon.com
Parchment Paper Baking Sheets, 12 x 16 Inchabout $9.99 · amazon.com
Dough and shaping tools
The small tools that make bread and pastry easier. Each one replaces something improvised, like a knife for scoring or a spoon for mixing.
5 that fit · about $7.33 – $26.78
Amazon Basics Stainless Steel Bench Scraperabout $7.33 · amazon.com
Fox Run French Marble Rolling Pinabout $26.78 · amazon.com
Saint Germain Bread Lameabout $7.64 · amazon.com
ORBLUE Danish Dough Whiskabout $7.99 · amazon.com
Cookie Scoop Set, 3 Pieceabout $16.19 · amazon.com
Decorating and finishing
Tools for the last step: piping, zesting, brushing and handling hot pans safely.
5 that fit · about $9.37 – $18.95
RFAQK Icing Piping Bags and Tips Setabout $16.99 · amazon.com
Microplane Classic Zester and Graterabout $12.99 · amazon.com
Le Creuset Silicone Spatulaabout $18.95 · amazon.com
HOTEC Silicone Basting and Pastry Brushabout $9.37 · amazon.com
Gorilla Grip Heat Resistant Silicone Oven Mittsabout $18.89 · amazon.com