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Look, there’s a simple truth about baking: You can have all the technical skill, creative genius, and practice in the world, but if you’re using subpar tools, chances are, your end result just won’t live up to your potential. Burnt edges, raw middles, soggy bottoms — all these tragic endings to your baking efforts can be avoided by equipping yourself with top-notch baking essentials. And, in all my experience in restaurants, with my own doughnut biz, and here at Kitchn testing out tons of kitchen essentials, I’d be hard-pressed to find a better baker’s companion brand than GIR.
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GIR, Get It Right, has been an editor-favorite at Kitchn since their epic spatula first popped on our radar years ago. Since then, we’ve found ourselves falling head over heels for just about anything these the tool masters put out. From ingenious reusable baking mats to game-changing ladles (who knew a ladle could rock your world?) — it seems there’s nothing GIR can’t get right. And, luckily, they’ve recently release a bundle that’s been my secret weapon to perfectly-baked fall goodies: the Baker’s Bundle.
GIR’s Baker’s Bundle includes three key must-haves in any baker’s kitchen: a superb set of oven mitts, an insanely helpful pastry mat, and — my favorite — some super innovative cupcake liners. The set makes a wonderful gift for the baker or aspiring pastry chef in your life, but it’s also just a kit worth having in your own kitchen, even if you don’t bake very often. Let’s talk about why.
Lined with soft terrycloth, I love that the interior of these mitts is not only insulated from your bakeware’s heat, but is also absorbs any moisture from your hands. I’m not sure if you’ve ever experienced this, but water conducts heat, so, if you’ve grabbed a hot pan straight from the oven with a damp towel, there’s a good chance that you’re gonna get a wicked burn. Luckily, these GIR mitts do double duty, protecting your hands inside with the absorbent terrycloth and outside with a pliable, textured silicone coating. The best part? After a big baking adventure, you can throw these puppies straight in the washer for a super easy cleanup.
Next up: The pastry mat. This large silicone mat is meant to be placed down as a surface for rolling out cookies, laminated goods, or, thanks to the handy concentric circles in the center, pie dough. It’s also an awesome way to keep your counter clean when crushing nuts or measuring dry ingredients. Now, working professionally in pastry, all recipes are usually weighed out in grams as opposed to cups and teaspoons, which is why GIR printed helpful conversions, measurements, and recipes right on the mat for no-brainer baking. It’s no wonder this was designed with the help of a professional pastry chef! It shows.
Finally, the muffin and cupcake liners. I’ve been wondering: Why didn’t I think of this before? The set of 12 dishwasher-safe silicone liners require no muffin pan. Please allow me to repeat that: They require no muffin pan! The colorful little holders stand on their own — you just pop ’em on top of a sheet tray or in a baking pan and you’ll have a set of sweet, fluffy treats in no time. This is game-changing for someone who lives in a small NYC-apartment because muffin pans take up so much space in my cabinets, but these liners stack into one another for compact storage. And, if you do wind up using a muffin pan, each liner has two easy-lift handles so your cupcakes can maintain their shape when you take them out. Genius!
Bottom line, this bundle is every baker’s dream — and it’s on sale right now! So, with the holidays ahead (and all the family-sized desserts that come along with them), get your hands on this set ASAP.
