We all know what it's like to work with imperfect tools: measuring cups that aren't accurate, offset spatulas that don't flex enough, whisks that are hard to hold. So we made them better.
After two years of planning, testing and a lot of baking, we are launching a new line of King Arthur baking tools. It's meant to be a capsule collection of some of the most essential kitchen tools, all designed to make baking as simple, accessible, mess-free and precise as possible. And we would know: We use these tools in ours Test kitchenOUR Baking schooland our homes. We know what works best for bakers because we are bakers too.
How we developed and tested (and tested and tested…) our new tools
All of these tools are essential baking items that we wanted to optimize. We started asking ourselves: What are the things that bother us about existing baking tools? One employee-owner mentioned hairs constantly falling out of the pastry brush. (Ugh!) Another mentioned that it was difficult to fit round measuring cups into narrow containers.
Then we started designing: changing tool concepts and creating models that solve these problems. At this point, we were thinking about everything from the size of the measurement letters, to how comfortable the tool felt in our hands, to how well a cup balances on a table. We then ordered samples of our designs, and it was time to get into the kitchen to try!
We baked, baked, and baked again with these tool prototypes, gathering feedback and tweaking the designs accordingly, resulting in extensive back and forth until we finally arrived at the perfect version of each product.
Meet King Arthur's new tools
For each of these tools, we analyzed common complaints and pain points – perhaps a tool was uncomfortable to use or difficult to clean. We then designed a new version that solved those problems, creating the best, most reliable and stable version possible.
Photography and styling by Liz Neily
Offset spatulas
Offset spatulas are one of the our most essential kitchen tools — We use them to frost cakes, smooth dough, and even remove muffins from their pans.
Complaints: The blades can be either too stiff, making them difficult to use, or too pliable, making it difficult to withstand heavy frosts or thick doughs. If the blade isn't at the right angle, your hands sometimes touch the icing while decorating – not ideal!
How we fixed it: We found that the Japanese stainless steel provided the perfect amount of bend in the blade for maximum control and precision. The 4″ blade on our small offset spatula and the 8″ blade on our medium version are both precisely angled to prevent hands from touching dough and frosting.
Find the tools: Small Offset Spatula AND Medium Offset Spatula
Photography and styling by Liz Neily
Professional pastry brush
If you are adding an egg wash to your pie crust or a syrup soaks into the layers of the cakea pastry brush is the tool you need.
Complaints: Many brushes shed their bristles, leaving them behind on the surface of your baked goods. But silicone brushes, which avoid the shedding problem, are not effective in providing a full but thin coating. Oh, and these things are hard to clean!
How we fixed it: This brush has a fully enclosed plastic handle with soft boar bristles — no shedding. We've also included a hole in the handle for easy hook storage. And perhaps best of all? This brush is dishwasher safe, so cleaning is easy!
Find the tool: Professional pastry brush
Photography and styling by Liz Neily
Lightweight measuring cups and spoons
Everyone needs a set of measuring cups and spoons on hand, even if you bake with a scale.
Complaints: High-quality metal measuring devices can be an investment, making them hard to access for novice bakers or kids—or even frequent bakers who just want an extra set on hand. And cheap plastic versions are often inaccurate and unlikely to last long.
How we fixed it: These lightweight plastic cups and spoons are affordable, yet incredibly high quality: BPA and PFAS-free plastic is microwave and dishwasher safe and safe to use up to 212°F. The tools also have embossed measurements that won't budge from frequent use (and this handle is contoured for extra-comfortable use). And of course, these cups and spoons are all tested to ensure their accuracy.
Find the tools: Lightweight measuring cups AND Easy measuring spoon
Photography and styling by Liz Neily
Measuring cup with easy spoon
For frequent bakers, a reliable set of durable metal measuring cups is essential.
Complaints: Traditional round measuring cups are very difficult to fit into narrow container openings, and some options are so flimsy that the handles bend with excessive use.
How we fixed it: The unique oval shape of these cups allows easy access to bags and containers, even those with a narrow opening. What's more, the sturdy handles won't bend with scratches – these are designed to last a lifetime.
Find the tool: Measuring cup with easy spoon
Photography and styling by Liz Neily
Liquid measuring cups
When measuring liquid ingredients by volume, you should use a special type of cup, which is designed for estimating and measuring liquid quantities accurately.
Complaints: Most liquid-specific measuring tools can be inaccurate, and we didn't have liquid measuring cups at all because we hadn't found one that was accurate enough. They're also not always microwave safe, a pain if you need to heat up liquid for a recipe.
How we fixed it: We developed a regular and mini sized liquid measuring cup and tested extensively to ensure that both were the most accurate on the market. They are made of heavy duty glass and have a weighted base to prevent tipping over and are microwave safe. The mini version is perfect for smaller amounts of ingredients such as vanilla extract and other flavorings.
Find the tools: Liquid measuring cup AND Mini Liquid Measuring Cup
Photography and styling by Liz Neily
Measuring spoons
You only need a set of measuring spoons, right? Except, what if you lose one? Or do you need a weird size, like 2/3 of a teaspoon? This is where these come in.
Complaints: Measuring spoon sets are simple, but they are not adapted to our actual baking experience. For example, it can be difficult to measure non-standard amounts. And their design is flawed – the big round spoons can be difficult to fit into small spice jars.
How we fixed it: We have multiple options for all your baking needs. Our spice measuring spoons come in seven popular sizes and are thin enough to fit into almost any container. We also have a set of odd-sized measuring spoons, so it's easy to measure amounts like 1/8, 2/3, 1 1/2 teaspoons, and more. We even have a specific measuring spoon for yeast that measures 2 1/4 teaspoons, the amount most often called for in bread recipes. Lastly, we have a set of spare measuring spoons in the most common amounts, like 1 tablespoon and 1 teaspoon, so you never have to stop in the middle of a recipe to wash your single set of spoons.
Find the tools: Spice measuring spoon, Odd-sized measuring spoons, A spoonful of yeastAND Spare measuring spoon set
Photography and styling by Liz Neily
Dough and Dough Frictions
These oddly shaped tools are one of the our greatest baking secrets. They are perfect for doughs and sticky doughs, as the open ring design allows thorough mixing without overworking the dough. This design also makes it easy to clean even the most stubborn doughs.
Complaints: The wooden handle was not very comfortable to hold, making this tool difficult to use. Doughs and batters tended to get stuck in the gap where the handle and head of the tool met.
How we fixed it: We found a thicker handle more comfortable to hold and added a closed collar to keep moisture and dough out of the handle. We also found that a triple beater works extremely well for loose doughs, so we created the new dough beater model to go with our existing dough beater.
Find the tools: Beating for bread dough AND Baker's Dough Whisk
Find our full set of tools on our site STOREand get ready for your best bake yet.
Cover photo by Danielle Sykes; styling by Kaitlin Wayne.
