The aroma of freshly baked goods filling the kitchen is a heartwarming experience. If you know someone who finds joy in kneading dough, whipping cream, and creating delicious treats, finding the perfect gift for them can be just as rewarding. This guide is dedicated to helping you discover the ideal gifts for the baker in your life, whether they are just starting out or are seasoned pros. From essential tools to splurge-worthy items, we’ve curated a list that caters to every baker’s needs and passions.
Essential Baking Gifts
Every baker, no matter their skill level, needs a solid foundation of essential tools. These gifts are the building blocks of any successful baking endeavor.
OXO Stainless Steel Food Scale
An accurate kitchen scale is paramount for any baker aiming for consistent results. This OXO model is highly recommended for its precision and user-friendly pull-out display.
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A bench scraper, like this OXO one, is a versatile tool for moving ingredients, dividing dough, and keeping the workspace tidy. It’s a must-have for any baker.
Sur La Table Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
While your baker may already have measuring cups, upgrading to a high-quality set like these stainless steel ones from Sur La Table ensures precision and durability.
Sur La Table Spice Measuring Spoons
Similarly, accurate measuring spoons are crucial, especially when dealing with spices and leavening agents. This set from Sur La Table offers both accuracy and elegance.
Vollrath Economy Mixing Bowl Set
A good set of mixing bowls is indispensable. This Vollrath set is similar to those found in professional kitchens, praised for their durability and practicality.
For silky smooth batters and lump-free dry ingredients, a fine mesh sieve like this Rösle strainer is an essential tool. It ensures the finest texture in baked goods.
Nordic Ware 8 x 8 Square Cake Pan
A good square baking pan is a workhorse in the kitchen. This Nordic Ware pan is a top pick for its even baking and durability.
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Cookbooks are always cherished gifts for bakers. The Baking Bible is a fantastic resource for mastering baking techniques.
For everyday baking inspiration, BraveTart, filled with iconic American dessert recipes, is a delightful choice.
A Good Day to Bake offers simple and mood-boosting baking recipes, perfect for any day.
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Serious Eats / Taylor Murray
Gifts for Bread Bakers
For those passionate about the art of bread making, these specialized gifts will elevate their sourdough and crusty loaf game.
A Danish dough whisk is a unique and efficient tool for bread bakers. Its looped design quickly mixes doughs and batters.
A proofing basket is essential for shaping and proofing dough, helping to create beautiful artisan loaves.
A bread lame is used to score bread dough before baking, controlling expansion and creating decorative patterns.
Challenger Breadware Challenger Bread Pan
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View on Challengerbreadware.com
For serious bread bakers, the Challenger Bread Pan is a fantastic upgrade from a Dutch oven, designed to handle various loaf shapes and sizes.
Williams Sonoma Nonstick Loaf Pan
For sandwich bread lovers, the Williams Sonoma Goldtouch loaf pan creates perfectly squared loaves with sharp corners.
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A quality bread knife is essential for slicing through crusty loaves. The Tojiro Bread Slicer is highly rated for its sharpness and clean cuts.
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Serious Eats / Andrew Janjigian
Gifts for Cookie and Cake Bakers
Cookie and cake bakers will appreciate these thoughtful gifts designed to enhance their sweet creations.
Nordic Ware invented the Bundt pan, and their Bundt pans remain a top choice for creating beautifully shaped cakes.
This Nordic Ware cake pan is an inexpensive yet high-performing option for baking perfectly even layer cakes.
Williams Sonoma Nonstick Cake Pan
A springform pan is a must-have for cheesecakes and delicate cakes. This leakproof Williams Sonoma pan is easy to use and clean.
For muffin and cupcake enthusiasts, the USA Pan muffin pan ensures evenly baked and perfectly shaped treats.
Nordic Ware 8 x 8 Square Cake Pan
The Nordic Ware 8×8 square pan is also ideal for brownies and other square cakes, offering consistent baking and easy cleanup.
Nordic Ware Naturals Baker’s Half Sheet
A quality half sheet pan is essential for baking cookies and roasting vegetables. This Nordic Ware sheet pan is a favorite for its even heating.
Mrs. Anderson’s Baking and Cooling Rack
Cooling racks are crucial for preventing cookies from getting soggy and cakes from sticking. Mrs. Anderson’s cooling rack is a top-rated choice.
Libbey Selene Glass Cake Stand
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For a touch of elegance, a domed glass cake stand like this Libbey Selene stand is a beautiful way to display their baked masterpieces.
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Serious Eats / Meghan Splawn
Gifts for Pie Bakers
Pie bakers have their own unique set of needs, and these gifts are tailored to help them achieve pie perfection.
A French rolling pin with a tapered edge, like this J.K. Adams pin, offers excellent control for rolling out pie dough.
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For precise pie crust thickness, an adjustable rolling pin like the GIR rolling pin with thickness guides is an invaluable tool.
Eboot Stainless Steel Ruler Kit
To ensure perfectly sized pie crusts, a ruler kit like this Eboot stainless steel kit is surprisingly useful.
Norpro Stainless Steel Pie Pan
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A simple metal pie pan like this Norpro pan is ideal for achieving perfectly golden and crisp pie crusts due to its excellent heat conductivity.
Williams Sonoma Signature Stainless Steel Pie Server
A pie server with a serrated edge, like this one from Williams Sonoma, ensures clean and neat pie slices every time.
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For bakers who love decorative pies, the Sur La Table pie crust roller makes creating Pinterest-worthy lattice pie crusts easy.
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Serious Eats / Eric King
Stocking Stuffers for Bakers
These smaller, budget-friendly gifts are perfect stocking stuffers for bakers, adding delightful surprises to their holiday season.
An instant-read thermometer is essential for checking the doneness of bread and cakes. The ThermoPop 2 is a fast and accurate option that won’t break the bank.
An oven thermometer like this Rubbermaid model is a thoughtful gift, as it helps bakers ensure their oven temperature is accurate.
GIR 11″ Ultimate Stainless Steel Whisk
A high-quality whisk is a baking essential. The GIR whisk is comfortable to use and efficient at whipping creams and batters.
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Piping tips and pastry bags open up a world of decorating possibilities for cakes and cookies. This Wilton set is a great starter kit.
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An offset spatula is perfect for frosting cakes, smoothing batters, and other delicate tasks. Ateco spatulas are known for their quality and durability.
Food52 Five Two Silicone Oven Mitts
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Stylish and functional oven mitts are always appreciated. Food52’s silicone oven mitts offer excellent heat protection and come in attractive colors.
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Good quality vanilla is a baker’s best friend. Heilala Vanilla Bean Paste adds intense vanilla flavor and specks of vanilla bean to baked goods.
GERBS Natural Cocoa Powder, 32 ounce bag
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For chocolate lovers, GERBS Natural Cocoa Powder is a Serious Eats favorite, delivering rich and deep chocolate flavor.
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Serious Eats / Eric Brockob
Splurge Gifts for Bakers
For a truly special and impressive gift, these splurge-worthy items will make any baker feel like a pro.
KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid 7-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer is a dream gift for any serious baker. It’s a professional-grade appliance that can handle large batches and heavy doughs with ease.
KitchenAid 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
For a more versatile option, the KitchenAid 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is another excellent choice, perfect for a wide range of baking tasks.
If a stand mixer is not needed, upgrade their hand mixing experience with the Breville Handy Mix Scraper, a luxe hand mixer with multiple attachments and a built-in light.
Brod & Taylor Compact Dough Sheeter
For bakers who love laminated pastries like croissants, the Brod & Taylor Compact Dough Sheeter is an incredible, albeit pricey, gift. It makes sheeting dough for croissants and puff pastry significantly easier.
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Sourdough enthusiasts will appreciate the Brod & Taylor Sourdough Home, a temperature-controlled environment for maintaining a perfect sourdough starter.
For bakers who value style and comfort, the Hedley & Bennett Smock is a premium apron that is loved by many culinary professionals.
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Serious Eats / Irvin Lin
Why We’re the Experts
- Rochelle Bilow is a seasoned editor at Serious Eats with a background from Bon Appétit and Cooking Light.
- Rochelle’s culinary school education and experience in professional kitchens and bakeries bring a wealth of expertise to her kitchen equipment reviews.
- This gift guide is compiled based on thorough baking equipment reviews conducted by Serious Eats over the years, featuring products that have been rigorously tested and highly recommended.
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