Ceramic

Ceramic dishware is usually not used for baking cakes. Instead many people use it for crème brûlée, soufflés and other recipes which require a crust.

• It has a high tolerance for heat and cold. It can withstand blow torches and the freezer. Be sure to read the instructions before putting a frozen dish in the oven.
• Its thick surface makes warm moist meals. Due to the thickness of the dish, it is perfect for melding flavours together while forming a light fluffy crust over the top. Delicious!
• It is the one dish for everything. Ceramic's glossy finish is attractive so bake and serve. No more piles of dishes!
• It is naturally non-stick. Any dish that is resistant to sticky messes is our best friend.

Glass

Glass dishes are difficult to find, but are a good choice for certain types of baking. Things you should know are:

• Do not put glass under cold water immediately after heating it! The glass could crack or shatter. Tempered baking glass is supposed to withstand certain pressures, but its just a good idea to let it cool on its own.
• Glass heats up faster than metal, and it stays hot longer make sure you check on your baked goods often so you can take it out before it is too late!
• Be sure to check the washing instructions, but most glass dishes are able to be washed in a washing machine. Easy clean up makes for a happy baker!

Metal

Metal baking pans come in all shapes and sizes, but the things you need to know are:

• They come coated or non-coated
• A non-coated pan (lighter in colour) will make it more difficult to remove the cake. Make sure to grease it well.
• A coated pan (darker in colour) is usually non-stick, but may take longer to bake your cake. Be sure to follow the recipe and watch the cake carefully.
• Novelty pans are usually not coated, but they are fun to bake with. They MUST be greased well, or the cake will not come out of the mould!

Silicone

Silicon is the next frontier for the bakers in the world. This substance when moulded into different shapes is very easy to use and care for.

• It is naturally non-stick, and because of its flexibility there are no more worries about getting your cake out of the pan.
• It is tolerable to both high and low heats. Don't worry if you need to put your cake in the fridge to frost it the next day!
• It is resistant to grease and dirt, so clean up is a breeze.
• Even if it does get dirty its dishwasher safe.

As I said, its the substance of the new frontier, or just MAGIC!

Jelly Roll Pans 

Possibly the largest pan, jelly roll pans are used to create thin layers of jelly or sponge cake to be rolled. They are characterized by how shallow they are. One famous confection is the Yule Log, which uses this pan in its recipe.

Baking Sheets 

Flat like the jelly roll pan, a baking sheet usually does not have sides. They are found in dark and light metals. Remember, the darker the pan the faster your confection will cook.

Muffin Pans 

Muffin pans come in three sizes, jumbo, standard and mini cups. They also come in six muffins, or twelve muffins per pan for jumbo and standard or twenty-four for mini-cup pans. To create evenly cooked muffins make sure to put even amounts of batter in each cup.

Tart Pans 

Tart pans are round pans also characterized by their shallowness as well as the indented border to create a unique shape to the tart shell. Beware: these pans are not deep enough to bake pies in!

Pie Pans 

Pie pans can come in several different materials and shapes. Usually pie pans are metal but can be ceramic. Ceramic pans can take longer to cook, but they come in more unique cut-outs to help form the top crust.

Square Cake Pans 

Square or rectangular cake pans are the most common cake pans available. They also come in a variety of depths.

Round Cake Pans 

Are used for the traditional two layer birthday cake. There are several diameters available, check your recipe for instructions.

Springform Pans 

The springform pan is most often used while baking a cheese cake. The latch allows the baker to remove the sides of the pan while maintaining the shape of the cake.

Loaf Pans 

Loaf pans are primarily used for baking a loaf. Bread and pound cake are the two most common baked goods made.

Bundt® Cake Pans 

The Bundt cake is certainly a strange shaped cake. The hole in the centre was created in order to allow the cake to bake fully without burning. These cakes are not frosted, but usually have a glaze dripped over them.

Madeleine Pans 

The Madeleine pans are used to make fluffy French cakes. These pans can be found in both metal and silicone forms. The advantage is with silicone which can be bent to pop the cakes out to prevent breakage of the Madeleine.

Yorkshire Pudding Pans 

These heavy duty pans are usually non-stick. They usually have four places for individual sized Yorkshire puddings. Make sure to read the instructions of your recipe for directions on how to prepare the pan.

Ramekins 

This dish is often associated with Crème brûlée, but can be used for various dishes including; molten chocolate cakes, cheese dishes and soufflé. They are sturdy dishes which can withstand high temperatures, including a crème brûlée torch.

Custard Cups 

These porcelain or glass cups are primarily used for the making of small individual sized custard dishes. However, many people find that they are convenient for preparing food for cooking, or small servings of ice cream or berries.

Pineapple Upside-Down Cake Pans 

As the name suggests, this pan is only used for pineapple upside-down cakes. Using one of these pans will help your baking process by evenly distributing the pineapples and cherries on your culinary creation.

Mixing Bowls 

Mixing bowls are convenient in many different ways. They are made in a variety of different materials including; metal, plastic and glass. They can not only be used to mi your batter, but also to store large quantities of food in the refrigerator.

Rolling Pins 

The rolling pin is essential to the creation of certain cookies and pie crusts. Some tips to keep it from sticking to your dough are:

• Pat it and the dough with flour
• Freeze the rolling pin for a few minutes (it really works)

Pastry Scrapers 

While many people use these sharp utensils to chop and/or clean cutting boards, the real use is for moving and handling pastry dough. This dough is quite delicate and can be ruined with too much handeling.

Pastry Blenders 

Pastry blenders are most often used to to blend together pie crusts. It helps to transform the crust from a heavy dough to a light, fluffy and crispy perfection.

Pastry Bags 

These bags are designed to be filled with frosting when icing a cake. Choose different shaped frosting tips to make unique designs on your cake. Or, if you want to get really creative at a dinner party, put room temperature butter in and create fancy individual butter pats. (Make sure to place the butter in the refrigerator for awhile before serving!)

Pastry Brushes 

When you want to make crisp fluffy crusts, it is important to brush your pastries with an egg wash. These pastry brushes are specially designed to help you complete the task, easily and efficiently.

Cooling Racks 

Often times we don't think we need a cooling rack. After all what is wrong with putting our confections straight on the counter? Well, for one your confection can end up sticking to your counter, and two a cooling rack helps to get air evenly distributed around the cake or cookie. This speeds up the cooling process!

Frosting Tips 

These specially shaped tips for pastry bags allows for easy, even distribution of frosting on our confections. Whether you want straight lines, bows, or dots, these tips can do it all. If you aren't familiar with frosting a cake, experiment. It is just as fun to eat an imperfect cake as a perfect one.

Crème Brûlée Torches 

Crème Brûlée torches are small and produce a steady flame to help ease the process of caramelizing the top of your crème brûlée.

Cookie Cutters 

These sharp metal shapes (copper or steel) are essential for the cookie enthusiast. The come in every shape and size, and there are themes for every holiday!

Cake Lifter 

If you are afraid of dropping a heavy cake, you are not alone. Cake lifters are the answer, these sturdy lifters help support heavy cakes when coming out of the oven.

Silicone Pans 

While regular pans are now being made out of silicone, try these neat designs to see what creative cakes you can make!

Food Colouring 

What is more important than getting vibrant colours when frosting your cakes and cookies? Probably nothing. The more colouring you use, the brighter your frosting will be!

Sifters

Sifters are used to aerate dry goods to make fluffy light recipes. No matter what model you get, it will be a work out. Here are some things you should know about sifters.

Kitchen Mixers

Hand-held and counter top models of kitchen mixers have their advantages and disadvantages. Unsure of what you are looking for? Check here to get the information you need!

Measuring Cups and Spoons

Measuring cups and spoons are possibly the most used utensil in the kitchen. Cooking is a science, therefore use measuring utensils to get your recipes just right. Here's a guide to help you.

Spatulas

From scraping out your batter to mixing stir fry these kitchen essentials all have their own unique jobs. Be sure to check out this guide for information on an individual spatula.

Whisks

Like sifters, whisks are used to aerate liquids such as mousse, scrambled eggs or whipped cream. There are several kinds to choose from, all of which are described in this guide.