My Favorite Cooking and Baking Tools ~ Gluten Free Cooking and Baking
We love baking and cooking in our house! Everything I make is gluten free, made with gluten free flours. Using certified gluten free, from flours, to pasta, to spices, vanilla, chocolate and everything in between. And we have my favorite cooking and baking tools on hand and ready to go!
Tips for a Gluten Free Kitchen
My husband eats bread that contains gluten. For this reason, we have separate butter dishes and sides of the toaster. We have a counter bar separating our prepping counters. Separate cutting boards for slicing bread or cutting pizza on. Separate pizza peels. We don’t let gluten containing food into our cast iron pans or skillets, our stone pans, our Dutch ovens, or our colanders. Many of these items do absorb more gluten particles.
I know this might seem extreme to some. Just believe me when I say that I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t need to. Honestly since discovering that if I eat this way, that I’m fine after being so sick for so many years. So, I can’t go back to having crumbs or contamination, or spices that contain gluten. I can’t go back to being sick more often than not!
Many products are labeled and certified gluten free now. So many more than years ago when I started cooking and eating this way, almost twenty years ago. I’ll share about my favorite flours and cooking and baking products soon, but today I wanted to share a list of some of my favorite cooking and baking tools.
The Kitchen Necessities
Everyone has what they consider the necessities they like to use in the kitchen. Many of mine have been with me for years, some I have even inherited or were passed down from my mom or my grandma, others just purchased from my favorite stores or online stores. I’ll list a few here with some links if you are looking to purchase any new tools.
A Few Favorites
Here are a few things I couldn’t do without: a Dutch oven, a stone pan, a few cast iron pans (check out the paragraphs and articles below for some favorites), a mixer, some utensils and mixing bowls. A food scale is a must also for baking. And of course your kitchen must be equipped with some good, sharp knives (ours are J.A. Henckels from our wedding 34 years ago!) . We also recently purchased a set of Paudin knives and steak knives, plus a boning knife.
You’ll also need various sizes of cutting boards. Please send me a comment and tell me what you’d add to my favorite cooking and baking tools. What are the items that you couldn’t live without!
Favorite Cooking Tools in the Kitchen:
#1 Dutch Oven
I can’t count how many times I’ve used my dutch oven over the years. My husband got it for me when the San Francisco Giants won the World Series in 2010! Go Giants! What a gift! He has benefited from the gift too, as many delicious food items have been made in that pot! It is a Kirkland brand, so definitely nothing fancy. But it still makes the most wonderful stews and soups, roasted meats, meat sauces and sourdough loaves.
I use my dutch oven to make Coq au Vin (chicken and wine), Braised Beef in Wine Over Polenta, Gluten Free Zesty Chicken Tortilla Soup, Easy Chicken Verde (Gluten Free), Laura’s Easy Mexican Chicken, Gluten Free Carnitas, Birria, Grandma Rose’s Chicken Sauce (Pasta Sauce). The list goes on to include all the sugo pasta sauces I make, gluten free sourdough bread, Tender and Moist Oven Roasted Baby Back Ribs, Tender Oven Roasted Pulled Pork (Gluten Free) and so many other dishes, including soups and stews.
Many things cook so well in the Dutch oven; cooked in the oven often, but sometimes I’ll use it on the stove top as well.
You can purchase many different brands of a Dutch oven. It is simply a covered porcelain enamel coated cast iron heavy pot with a lid. It dissipates the heat really perfectly and evenly so you get a really nice, even cook on whatever you are making. And although I would love a LeCreuset brand dutch oven….but right now they are out of my budget!
Some Top Rated Dutch Ovens
Here is an article I enjoyed looking at for comparison of the five top Best Dutch Ovens of 2020.
https://reviews.chicagotribune.com/reviews/best-dutch-ovens
The top rated is of course the Le Creuset, but there are others in the top five that would be a great purchase as well, at a fraction of the cost. The Lodge Dutch Oven is #4 and would still be a great value purchase.
I have several Tramontina Dutch Ovens in various sizes, which I love. I think they cook wonderfully and evenly. So, if you can’t afford one of the top rated, look for these often in sets of two at Costco. These Dutch ovens definitely make it on my list of favorite cooking and baking tools. (Updated 3/30/2025)
I recently came across another article on Dutch ovens from Food & Wine Magazine – if you want to check it out: The 7 Best Dutch Ovens, According to Our Tests. According to the article, the top pick for overall Best Value was given to the Cuisinart Covered Casserole Dish, priced at $100. While the Lodge Dutch Oven got the best cast iron Dutch oven, and is also reasonably priced at just $54. Check out their other findings and helpful information on Dutch ovens in the article. (Updated 3/30/2025)
#2 Stone Bar Pan
This is definitely either #1 or #2! I have two of these pans and use them practically every day or every other day and have for the past twenty years. Ours are Pampered Chef Stone Bar Pans. I use them for baking cookies, pizza, roasted veggies, oven potatoes, crackers, roll cakes, granola, roast chicken, bacon and much more! They are one of my best purchases that I’ve made over the years.
Tips for Cleaning the Bar Pan
I have also purchased these for both of my daughters, as well as for wedding or shower gifts for friends. Perfect for anyone who loves to bake. Please be sure to follow the manufacturer directions for both seasoning and cleaning these pans. No soap, just scraping with the rubber scraper they come with or a soft vegetable brush, very hot water, then salt scrub lightly and rinse.
Some of my daughter’s friends, who grew up with her and had many a dinner or breakfast here, still talk about the oven potatoes that were made on these pans! Four year old grandaughter, Maddie, loves french fries made on these potatoes. That’s saying a lot, because it’s difficult to get her to eat many things!
#3 Cast Iron Skillets
Again, on this one you don’t necessarily need the top of the line, although if you can afford it, then by all means. We have a 8″ that was passed on from my parents, and a 12″ Lodge Cast Iron Skillet that we purchased. Also a 15″ cast iron which is great for large amounts of Paella (but you can cook up to 4 or 5 servings in a 12″)! Our 12″ Lodge brand in the link came with a red silicone handle, which although it still will get hot, helps with easily grabbing with a pot holder.
If you have a few different sized cast iron skillets in your kitchen, you really don’t need much else, besides some nice saucepans and a dutch oven. We use these on the stovetop or in the oven, for anything from bacon and eggs to pork chops, pan fried fish, sauteed veggies, and sauces. Again, the trick is in the seasoning of the pan. You never want to wash these with soap, just scrub with a soft brush, rinse, dry, and then oil and salt. Finish with a rinse.
Here’s another article rating cast iron skillets. Out of 16 twelve inch skillets tested, the Lodge skillet won! Article from the New York Times: The Best Cast Iron Skillet.
I came upon another article recently from Food & Wine which contains an updated guide of Lodge cast iron skillets. Check out the article if you’re interested: Food&Wine.com – Lodge Cast Iron Skillet Review – I’ve Tried $400 Cast Iron Skillets, but This $20 Lodge Is Still the Best. (added 3/30/2025)
Favorite Baking Tools in the Kitchen
# 4 Assorted Measuring Cups and Mixing Bowls –
You need a nice set of measuring cups and measuring spoons, an assortment of mixing bowls. There are many sets that are inexpensive for bowls and super fun ones out there. I use one that was my grandma’s, so I always feel like she is cooking or baking right there with me.
#5 A KitchenAid Mixer, Other Stand Mixer or a Hand Held Mixer –
You will most likely want a mixer, either stand mixer, like a KitchenAid, or a hand held mixer for baking. It doesn’t have to be a KitchenAid brand, but these definitely are easy to use and worth the money if you bake a lot. A simple hand held mixer would work too, and that is what I used for many years until my generous brother-in-law helped me purchase one of these very discounted. I told him I owe him a lifetime supply of desserts!
The Kitchen Aid ~ a mixer and so much more
I have used this tool so much over the past 7 or 8 years! It’s helped me deliver some amazing desserts, tortes and tarts, pie crust, cookies, cakes, scones, breads, and pizza dough. I even have some other attachments for it. It can handle making sausage with the Food Grinder Attachment, or zucchini noodles with the Spiralizer Peel, Core and More Attachment, plus others.
This is the KitchenAid I have and I have loved it and it still works great. It was definitely worthy of making it on my favorite cooking and baking tools!
I still want to purchase the pasta attachment, which I recently got for my son-in-law. It really would help to simplify the gluten free pasta making! Currently, I am using a hand crank one, which is quite tedious.
#6 Some of My Favorite Kitchen Utensils –
A couple of these I inherited from my grandma and I use them almost everyday. The slotted spoon works great for stirring sauteed onion and veggies. Also great for scooping when you don’t want the liquid. The other slotted spoon also was hers and it’s a great one to use when cooking pasta or removing something small from the pan.
A good cookie spatula, rubber spatulas we buy by the dozens at the Dollar Tree, but also have some better quality ones, and a whisk are some needs.
Also the Pampered Chef Garlic Press should be in this list as well. It is solid and easy to use, and if you rub your hands over the metal when you are done, no garlic smell will remain on your hands or it. Pretty amazing . For $20, it’s a steal. I am on my second one now. The first one we wore out after using about 20 years. That’s a pretty great value! See here for the Pampered Chef Garlic Press.
A few special to me products ~
The blue ceramic bowl here belonged to my Grandma Rose. I also have some of the vintage cookie cutters and ravioli cutters. These always make me think of her and how special she was. She would make her delicious zeppole in the blue bowl. Now, I’ve tried to make my gluten free version similar to hers, Gluten Free Zeppole (Italian Fried Soft Dough).
The glass measure bowl is by Pampered Chef and a favorite. It comes with a solid lid. I use it for prepping and measuring liquids, mixing muffin or scones in, and refrigerating excess pasta sauces, and soups.
A few cookie scoops are helpful. The small one for truffles, the larger for cookies. A spoon rest from Orvieto, Italy, the Pampered Chef garlic press, a silicone pastry brush, a Microplane for zesting and grating, a favorite pie spatula from Pampered Chef, and a grater. There are many more but that is probably my list of favorites!
You may need a digital thermometer for breads, frying, or candy making.
More Favorite Baking Tools
#7 Springform Cake Pans, Tart Pans, Mini Tart Pans, Muffin Tins, Mini Bundt Cake Pans, and Ramekins –
Many a Chocolate Ganache Tart or Lemon Curd Tart has been made in a tart pan or a springform pan. The springform pan is a cake pan that has a removable bottom and is usually non-stick. It is very versatile and I use it for tortes and tarts and cakes of all kinds.
You can get a set of three springform pans of various sizes like these Wilton Springform Cake Pan Set 3-Piece ones at Amazon.The muffin pans of course are indispensable and I think a 12 cup and 6 cup pan is helpful.
Also the mini bundt pans and mini tart pans are super fun. Sometimes you might want a dessert that is just a bit different and special.
I also use ramekins of various sizes for creme brulee, pot de creme, or mousse (but putting mousse pot de creme into liquor glasses or small flutes is prettier). Look for used vintage glassware at thrift stores. That is where I have gotten most of my fancy stemware.
You also probably need a small cake decorating kit with a few pastry bags and tips for creating some baking creations.
#8 One of My Newest Favorites
If you want to try your hand at Gluten Free Canelé de Bordeaux Pastry you might need to purchase some canelé molds. You can go with a copper mold or molds. Or purchase this CHEFMADE Canele Mold Cake Pan, 12-Cavity Non-Stick Canele Muffin Bakeware Cupcake Pan for Oven Baking (Champagne Gold). It received a 4.7 from 927 reviews on Amazon. It’s super easy to use this 12 hole, non-stick mold.
Hopefully you now have a pretty good list if you are starting out in your kitchen. These are just some of my favorite cooking and baking tools of my kitchen. If you’ve been cooking and baking for a long time, maybe you just want to get a few new tools to add to your collection. I hope you find that these recommendations to be helpful.
~ Laura
(updated 3/20/2025)
