7 Essentials Every Baker Needs

As you stock your kitchen with bake ware basics, remember versatility—baking sheets can also roast asparagus or crisp up a pizza, a round cake pan can bake a frittata, and a loaf pan can do banana bread one day, meatloaf the next. Here are seven must-haves.

Cooling Rack

This nonstick rack raises baked goods and hot pans off countertops, allowing air to circulate while cooling and stopping the cooking process.

Muffin Pan

Prepare twelve perfectly baked muffins…or cupcakes, egg bakes, even miniature cheesecakes. Look for a pan with a silicone glaze finish for clean food release.

Cake Pan

The perfect tool to create a traditional layer cake, a round cake pan can also bake up sweet rolls, biscuits and cookie cakes.

Baking Sheets

Baking sheets are often associated with cookies, but they’re good for so much more. Roast vegetables and cuts of meat, or beautifully bake pastries, breads, even pizza.

Ramekins

Small, simple and durable, ramekins work behind the scenes as prep containers, then showcase everything from custard to miniature souffles on the table.

Baking Dish

At Crate and Barrel, a beautiful baking dish also brings a knockout presentation to the table. Serve casseroles or lasagna straight from the oven, then enjoy easy dishwasher cleanup.

Loaf Pan

From poundcake to sandwich bread, a loaf pan makes small-scale baking easy. Use it to cook up sized-down dinners too, like lasagna or meatloaf