Who says you’ve got to have a storefront to have an awesome workspace? If you have a few essential items you will be set!
I have compiled a list of items to make your home bakery experience as organized and efficient as possible.
Some of these items can be purchased at local hardware stores, craft stores, at an auction or online.
Here’s my list of the most important items that will put your home bakery over the top!
1. Cuisinart Mixer
Yes, this is very specific. No, Cuisinart is not paying me to say this (however, if you purchase from my link, Amazon will pay me as their affiliate). I just really believe in this mixer. I have had 4 of them at one time. I currently have one that I use now, along with a Kitchenaid Professional series that sets inside my cabinet. I paid nearly the same price for both and let me tell you, the Cuisinart will out perform the Kitchenaid any day! It is also quieter (as far as mixers go) and you can get a larger capacity for the same price as a smaller Kitchenaid. I am still using one of the mixers I used daily at the bakery when it was open (that’s a lot of use in 4 years). I love it and I will absolutely fall to pieces when it finally quits me!
This mixer is large enough to do at least 2 batches of cake or buttercream in at a time. This is one of the reasons I recommend it so highly. The more you can do at once, the more time you save, the more money you make in the end! I promise, it is worth the investment! It has also been very reliable as it’s been in constant use for over 4 years straight.
2. Multiples of Pans/Utensils/Tools/Mixing Bowls
This is another one of those time saver/money maker things. It is costly in the beginning to purchase multiples of every item you have, but it is worth it.
Take your time if need be, and purchase a few items a week, month or even year until you have at least double sets of each pan size, icing tip, spatula, and definitely mixing bowls for your mixer!
3. Sheet Pan Rack
If I had purchased a baking rack before I opened a storefront, I may have never even considered making such a huge move! I’m not even kidding. This is one tool that makes things so much easier to operate from your home. It is a huge space saver and it’s so convenient to store all your baked items in once they have cooled. You can buy covers that zip over these and it keeps your cakes fairly fresh!
These racks are typically equipped with rollers so they can be moved around easily. I push mine into my kitchen when I’m using it over the weekend and then back to my storage room once I’m finished! You should be able to find them used fairly easily on Craigslist, at auctions, or even new online.
Just be sure you choose the proper size trays to fill the rack. You will most likely need to buy trays and cooling racks to place onto the trays separately. These can usually be bought from the same place you buy the rack. The racks come in two sizes- 1/2 sheet and full sheet.
4. Extra Refrigerator
Having an extra full size refrigerator is a must! You can use it solely for your baking supplies and finished cakes. If you have the space I highly recommend a commercial type cooler.
I always had an extra fridge from the beginning of my caking days, but when I closed the bakery I kept the commercial cooler. It is so nice to have a cooler large enough to place finished, stacked cakes into!
You can find commercial coolers fairly cheap at the same places you can find the baking racks. If you buy an older used unit it can cost similar to a brand new consumer type refrigerator from the box stores.
5. Storage Shelves/Organizing System
I feel like this is pretty self explanatory but I’ll elaborate anyhow…
The more organized you are, the more productive you will be! You will spend less time hunting down your tools or putting them away, and more time working if you are well organized.
Try to find stackable containers or baskets to place all your decorating tools into. Don’t worry about buying specialized containers, such as those for icing tips, just a bucket with a lid will do just fine. You want to be organized, but you want it to be easy to put things away. You don’t need to make things complicated!
6. Order Board
You will benefit so much with a designated board for displaying your weekly orders.
This can be anything from a chalkboard, whiteboard, or bulletin board. You can either write your weekly orders or pin your paper order forms to a board. However you decide to do it, it is so helpful to have all the information in one place for constant reference.
There you have my top 6 recommended items to make your home bakery run smoother and more efficiently!
Be sure you check out this post to remind yourself why a home bakery is the best! 🙂 And just in case you are considering a storefront, read this post to see if you’re ready!
What do you use in your home bakery that you just can’t live without? Let me know in the comments below!
Oh, and don’t forget to Pin!
I have two cuisinart stand mixers – an 800w which I’ve had for almost 10 years and a new 1000w one – they are the best mixers out there, in my opinion!
Hi Tina! Have you ever used a K-Mix mixer? I have this old trusty kenwood (from the 1980’s) I got from my mother in law and it is amaaaaazing! Do realize though that it will die one day, so I am investigating all options.
Hi Aurelia! No, I haven’t ever used a K-Mix. I did use my mother-in-law’s Kenmore hand mixer when I first started my business though. I had burned up my handheld mixer and it was late in the evening so I borrowed hers. It is from the 80’s or perhaps even the 70’s. She doesn’t use it frequently, but I just can’t believe it’s still going! I wish they made things the way they used to. Anymore I feel like appliances are made to only last a few years at most. 🙁
My Cuisinart is still hanging on after nearly 5 years or so of heavy everyday use! I’m crossing my fingers it lasts a while longer! Hopefully you can eek some more time out of your Kenwood! 🙂