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The best baking essentials, tried and tested by the GHI
From time-saving appliances to the most flavoursome ingredients
Tested by Callum Black and Blossom Boothroyd
With the return of Bake Off, it's the perfect time to dust off your rolling pin and get whisking, folding, sieving and baking.
Having the right gadgets and the best ingredients is crucial to success in the kitchen, from whipping up the perfect, soft-peaked pavlovas to achieving a soft, crumbly pastry. No soggy bottoms allowed.
To help you on your journey to a Hollywood handshake, the GHI recruited a panel of experts and consumers to conduct extensive tests in search of the best baking essentials, from the finest eggs, vanilla essence and butter for bakes full of flavour to the top-rated stand mixers, food processors, and bread makers to streamline the prep.
These are their top picks in a handy list, but keep scrolling for their full reviews.
What baking essentials do I need?
The tools and ingredients required depend largely on what you intend to bake, but a good starting point would be a set of digital scales, measuring cups, and a measuring jug to ensure precise quantities (especially important for pastry and bread).
Of course, you’ll need a quality mixing bowl and silicone spatula for folding ingredients and ensuring no batter is left behind. It’s worth investing in durable non-stick baking sheets for cookies, as well as a loaf tin and springform cake tin.
Keen to tackle more challenging bakes? You may benefit from adding an instant-read thermometer, piping bags, and fondant decorating tools to your arsenal, while an intricate bundt tin is guaranteed to impress your guests.
Add good quality ingredients and some of our expert-tested tools (below) and you should be in line for star baker in no time. On your marks, get set… bake!
Need some baking inspiration? We've got hundreds of delicious Triple Tested recipes.
Best eggs
How we test
Our panel sampled 12 different eggs from the leading supermarkets and independent farms. They were served scrambled and cooked for one and a half minutes, with no additions other than a small pinch of salt.
Our testers were looking for cracking, free-range eggs that had a well-balanced, fresh flavour (no nasty sulphur smells here) and a smooth, creamy texture. These are their best buys – whether for baking or whipping up your favourite Sunday brunch recipe.
Score: 81/100
With a fresh-from-the-farm flavour and rich, “buttery” yolks, our winning eggs are a top choice for breakfast, baking, and everything in between. They’re free range and their larger size makes them a steal at £2.50 for half a dozen, too.
Score: 80/100
The quality of Waitrose’s eggs is apparent from their distinctive sage green shells and gorgeous golden yolks. There’s a hint of natural sweetness, making them an excellent choice for desserts. Their rich, creamy texture means they’d be the perfect pick for comforting custards and bread and butter pudding.
Score: 80/100
At £3.15 for half a dozen, these are the most expensive eggs we tested, but their generous size means they’ll go far in your bakes; be that a giant Crème brûlée or fluffy Yorkshire puddings. They have a fresh aroma and smooth texture, while the rich, golden yolks are guaranteed to add flavour to your dishes.
Score: 76/100
Despite the sweeter aroma, our testers felt these free-range eggs tasted “fresh and healthy,” without the heavy richness of others on test. The yolk and whites combined well to create fluffy scrambled eggs, but we reckon they’d be perfect for lighter, airy bakes such as a roulade or fairy cakes.
Score: 75/100
Have a big bake sale or birthday party to prepare for? These budget-friendly eggs are great for keeping costs down. The aroma and flavour is light and mild (so we’d use them for baking over breakfast), with a fluffy texture that testers felt would be ideal for creating soft peaked meringues.
In-store only
Best vanilla essence and vanilla extract
How we test
A mainstay in many of our favourite baking recipes, the GHI put 11 vanilla extracts and vanilla essences to the test. Each was served blind to avoid brand bias, and mixed with equal parts milk to soften the concentration. Our panel was looking for essences and extracts that offered an authentic vanilla flavour (think: woody, floral and lightly spicy notes), without lingering bitterness or alcohol burn.
Taylor & Colledge Organic & Fairtrade Vanilla Bean Extract, 100ml
Score: 75/100
Our winning vanilla essence is as classic as they come, with light floral notes and delicate spicing. Using only the finest quality bourbon vanilla pods, it brings complex molasses-style sweetness to your bakes, be that a creamy custard for crumble or a Victoria sponge.
Score: 74/100
This budget-friendly vanilla extract boasts a lighter aroma, with sweeter notes of creamy butterscotch, warming nutmeg and a hint of ripe tropical fruit, too. A versatile addition to your baking arsenal, our testers thought it would be perfect for whipping up homemade vanilla ice cream (strawberry sauce and sprinkles optional, but wholeheartedly encouraged).
Score: 72/100
Heilala carries a more premium price tag, but the high concentration of vanilla (which undergoes a unique three-month cold-extraction process to preserve the aromatics) means a little goes a long way. As a result, the flavour is impressively complex, with notes of wood, cinnamon spice, and a honey-like sweetness on the finish.
Best butter
How we test
Our panel put 17 different butters to the test. Each one was served blind to avoid brand bias, and spread on plain crackers to ensure the flavours weren’t overshadowed.
We were looking for a high-quality butter with a rich, creamy texture, well-balanced flavour and a touch of natural sweetness. These are the best buys for baking in 2024.
Score: 75/100
There’s no denying the French know how to make excellent butter, and Isigny Sainte-Mere is proof. Using milk from grass-fed cows, it boasts a rich, refined flavour with a light natural tang and a velvety smooth texture, making it a go-to for buttercream, or just spreading on freshly baked bread.
Score: 74/100
Creamy and slightly sweet, this budget-friendly butter is a worthy addition to your weekly shop. The higher fat content is evident in the richer flavour, allowing the butter to melt easily without over-browning; testers thought it would be perfect for achieving soft, chewy chocolate chip cookies at home.
Score: 73/100
Lurpak has a notable tanginess (akin to buttermilk), which helps to cut through the creaminess well. Unsurprisingly, the flavour leans more on the savoury side, too, which means it’s great for incorporating into everything from cheese scones to our warming savoury crumble recipe.
Best stand mixers
How we test
Looking to level up your baking? A reliable stand mixer is a must-have, making light work of beating, whisking and kneading to create showstopping cakes, loaves and more. To help you find the best stand mixer, the GHI tested leading models from well-known brands including KitchenAid and Kenwood.
To judge performance, our expert kneads dough for bread using the dough hooks, before whipping up egg whites and double cream to test the whisk attachment. They also mix the ingredients for a Christmas pudding, cookie dough and classic sponge cake to see how well the machine copes with different mixtures and quantities. Finally, they assess the overall design of each machine, including ease of use, cleaning, energy consumption and mobility.
Score: 97/100
KitchenAid’s newest stand mixer has taken all the features of its long-loved Artisan model and added the ability to raise and lock the bowl in place to offer greater stability when mixing.
It aced all our tests and our experts praised the well-labelled controls (including a half-speed that’s ideal for lightly folding in ingredients) and handy splash guard that minimises the risk of batter-splattered kitchen cabinets. The best bit? Cleaning up couldn’t be quicker, thanks to the dishwasher safe bowl and attachments. It’s undeniably an investment and requires generous countertop space, but is a must-have for budding bakers.
Key specifications
| Bowl capacity | 5.6L |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D cm) | 41.9 x 28.7 x 37.1 |
| Variable speeds | 11 |
| Accessories | Pouring shield, whisk, paddle, dough hook, extra 3L bowl |
| Colours available | Red, black, pistachio, cream |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes – bowl and most accessories if put on top rack; hand wash whisk |
| Power | 325W |
KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer 4.3L
Score: 94/100
If you want a KitchenAid but can’t stretch to our winner, the brand’s iconic stand mixer is still an outstanding buy. Sturdy and simple to use, it performed consistently across all our tests, speedily whipping cream into stiff peaks, and creating light, airy cake batter.
There are no annoying dirt traps, making clean-up faff-free. It is heavy, but when an appliance looks this good, you’ll want to keep it on display.
Key specifications
| Bowl capacity | 4.3L |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D cm) | 35.3 x 35.8 x 22.1 |
| Variable speeds | 10 |
| Accessories | Whisk, dough hook, beaters |
| Colours available | White, black |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes (although not all accessories) |
| Power | 275W |
Breville Flow Hand and Stand Mixer 3.5L
Score: 91/100
This budget-friendly Breville mixer certainly doesn’t cut corners when it comes to functionality, offering the option to use it as a stand mixer or electric hand whisk. Not only that, but clever Heat-Soft technology means it can melt butter as you’re mixing, and the bowl even rotates to ensure every ingredient is combined – genius.
Its lightweight design makes it ideal for smaller kitchens (simply stash away when guests come calling for cake) and, most importantly, it produced a “near perfect” batter. At this price point, it’s hard to beat.
| Bowl capacity | 3.5L |
|---|---|
| Dimensions (H x W x D cm) | 24.5 x 38 x 26 |
| Variable speeds | 5 |
| Accessories | Dough hook, beaters |
| Colours available | Grey |
| Dishwasher safe | Yes |
| Power | 250W |
Best food processors
How we test
Making light work of chopping, kneading, grating and mincing, owning a food processor is like having a second pair of hands in the kitchen.
To find out which food processors are worth investing in, we put 50 models through their paces at the GHI. We tested them on a range of kitchen skills, including grating chocolate, chopping whole hazelnuts, whipping cream and, finally, mixing pastry dough and cake batter, before baking both to analyse the taste and texture of the finished product.
Score: 92/100
Scoring full marks in almost every test, this Magimix food processor is a must-have for keen bakers. For maximum functionality, we recommend opting for the premium model, which boasts a selection of bonus accessories, including an egg whisk, soft spatula and citrus press – did someone say lemon meringue pie?
Space-saving nested bowls (in sizes 1.2, 2.6 and 3.6 litres) make this ideal for keeping the kitchen clutter-free, too. In fact, we were hard pressed to find a downside, other than it only has one speed setting, which may not work for everyone.
Key specifications
| Capacity | 3.6L |
|---|---|
| Power levels | 1 |
| Pulse function | Yes |
| Suction-cup feet | Yes |
| Included attachments | 2mm and 4mm slicing disc, 2mm and 4mm grating disc, citrus press, dough blade, stainless steel blade and geared egg whisk |
| Size (H x W x D cm) | 44.5 x 26 x 26 |
Millie is freelance journalist and editor with five years’ experience writing product reviews, buying guides, breaking news and about the latest trends.
Millie has also reviewed countless restaurants and written travel features for British GQ, The Telegraph and the Independent, and has interviewed a number of leading chefs, including Jamie Oliver, Heston Blumenthal and Raymond Blanc.
Founder of creative catering brand @grazeandgorge, Millie also spends her time creating seasonal recipes and tablescape content, as well as planning her next golden retriever-friendly getaway and rearranging her own home bar cart (... again).
Callum is our Food and Drink Testing Manager and has been part of the world of professional catering for 10 years, from cheffing to food manufacturing. While working in manufacturing he specialised in bespoke product and menu development for several start-ups and well-known brands such as Wrap It Up! and HOP Vietnamese. He holds the WSET Level 2 in wine, a Level 3 in spirits and has a particular interest in agave spirits.
Blossom is passionate about finding the best home products and appliances for GH readers. As head of the homes testing team, she has led reviews across multiple categories, from pizza ovens, and smart plugs to portable fans and hobs. She enjoys delving into the intricacies of products and refining testing protocols to ensure we’re testing them against their claims. Her aim is to find the top-performing products on the market, to help take the hard work out of housework. Blossom’s most notable accomplishment in the lab has been toasting 528 slices of bread in her quest to find the best toasters money can buy. In her free time, she openly admits to being a music geek and indulges her creative side through crocheting, baking, singing and writing.
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