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DIY Bake-off: The best baking buys
Whisk up some fondant fancies with kitchen implements that even Mary Berry would be proud to own
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You can get the same set in ceramic for £50, but these durable, hardwearing melamine ones are better for everyday use. Their iconic egg shape makes them perfect for cradling, as well as allowing for mess free pouring and the set, which comes in various colours, is easily stackable too.
£37, www.tesco.com
2. Heston Blementhal Rolling Pin by Salter
No celebrity chef has as much attention to scientific detail as Heston, making him the ideal candidate to create this rolling pin with interchangeable depth guide discs for greater accuracy. Never again does your pastry need to be too thick, too thin or uneven.
£17.60, www.amazon.co.uk
3. Cuisipro Scoop and Sift Flour Sifter
Sieves often aren’t up to scratch when it comes to sifting flour, but the interior rake in this genius invention gently pushes the flour through the wire mesh opening, whilst keeping your other hand free to mix it in the bowl. Also handy is the fact that it scoops flour directly out of the bag.
£9.99. www.amazon.co.uk
4. Brabantia Digital Kitchen Scales
Weigh your baking ingredients with pinpoint accuracy with these large capacity digital scales. The display is nice and clear, they’re easy to store away and there’s a built-in timer so you don’t burn whatever you’ve put in the oven. There’s a five year guarantee.
£28.75, www.brabantia.com
5. Pampered Chef Creative Cutter Set
This handy set of eight stainless steel cutters enable you not only to make biscuits, but to add fun shapes to everything from vegetables to pastry for topping pies. The shapes include a maple leaf, pumpkin, apple, heart, shamrock, flower, chilli pepper and star.
£12.25, www.pamperdchef.co.uk
If you’re after a cheap and easy way to save time on cake baking, look no further. These liners also mean less mess and a nicer looking finish to the cake. Available for loaf tins through to round and square shaped tins, they are non-stick, quick-release and can withstand high temperatures.
From £4.49, www.lakeland.co.uk
Who’d have thought a mere baking accessory could look so stylish? Besides its good looks, this whisk from Danish designer Normann Copenhagen is highly practical, featuring an ergonomic handle and a coloured whisk that’s easy to use and clean.
£15, www.johnlewis.com
8. Lakeland Butcher’s Stripe Oven Gloves
The cotton linings and cuffs of these oven gloves make them really comfortable to use, while the textured super-soft silicone outer are highly heat resistant, unbelievably flexible and easy to grip with. They’re machine washable and will last you years.
£19.99, www.lakeland.co.uk
9. OXO Good Grips Spice Jar Measuring Spoons
It can be utterly frustrating when you can’t get the spoon inside the spice jar, the usual result of which is spilling the spices all over the worktop. These narrow headed spoons solve the problem. What’s more, the flat rim makes it easy to scrape off excess and the contoured handle and flat head means they can sit on the counter without spilling.
£12, www.oxouk.com
10. Cath Kidston Bumper Baking Gift Set
This year’s Great British Bake Off has inspired more people than ever to get their pinnies on, making a baking set the ideal Christmas present for 2013. This one includes a range of pretty and practical bits and pieces and the porcelain rolling pin is particularly good for keeping dough cool.
£50, www.cathkidston.com