Essential Equipment for Quick Breads

Makeshift cutters such as juice glasses produce rounds that rise unevenly because of their blunt edges. The sharp edges on real biscuit cutters avoid this problem by cutting through the dough efficiently. Buy a set (so you can make biscuits in various sizes) or pick up a single 2½-inch cutter (the classic size for biscuits).

These broad, slightly blunt blades with handles that span the length of the blade cut through plump rounds of dough or scrape sticky dough loose from the counter. Avoid models with uncomfortable metal handles. A good metal blade is essential, and a plastic, rubber, or nylon grip is preferable. Ruler marks on the blade are handy but not essential.

Portion scoops (basically ice cream scoops that come in varying sizes) are a great way to portion quick breads such as muffin batter or drop biscuits. Scoop numbers (stamped on the handle or spring-loaded trigger) correspond to the number of level scoops it takes to equal 32 fluid ounces. A #16 scoop holds 2 fluid ounces (or ¼ cup). In the test kitchen, we use this size as well as the #12 scoop (about ⅓ cup) and #8 scoop (½ cup). A regular spring-loaded ice cream scoop can be used instead.

We bake some quick bread recipes, such as scones and biscuits, on a rimmed baking sheet. Buy large (18 by 13 inches is ideal), heavy-duty baking sheets.

Don’t try to bake quick breads on a rimmed baking sheet that hasn’t been lined with a piece of parchment. Not only does parchment eliminate the risk of sticking, but it also speeds cleanup. White and brown paper work equally well. If you bake a lot, order flat sheets cut to fit baking sheets so you can avoid having to uncurl the rolls.

This is a no-brainer for muffins. We recommend standard-sized muffin tins with a dark, nonstick coating that promotes even browning and ensures every muffin will come out in one piece. Also look for muffin tins with handles or extended rims, which give you a better grip when removing hot muffins from the oven.

Select a loaf pan with a light gold or dark nonstick surface. This will ensure that your quick breads brown nicely and release easily. We also recommend buying two sizes: 8½ by 4½-inch and 9 by 5-inch. Be sure to pay attention to the size specified in the recipe—baking with the wrong-size pan will result in squat loaves or loaves that overflow the pan.

We like wire racks with a woven grid as opposed to ones with bars that run in just one direction. A woven grid, with bars running perpendicularly, better supports both delicate and heavy quick breads.

When you’re baking, weighing your ingredients is the most accurate method of measurement. Given the choice between electronic and mechanical kitchen scales, we’ll take electronic any day for their easy readability and incredible precision. We prefer scales with larger weight ranges--¼ ounce up to 10 pounds at least.