Every home baker needs the right tools for successful baking. I'm not talking unnecessary fancy expensive gadgets, but straightforward inexpensive quality equipment that's both compact and easy to use.
For the past couple of months, I've enjoyed testing Terraillon's essential baking utensils for this review. You may have seen me on social media, baking constantly over weekends and many weeknights, making tarts, macarons, financiers, ice cream, and more recipes from my latest book, Teatime in Paris, just to fully put them to the test.
To date, I've been most impressed with the digital scales from the macaron range. If you don't use digital scales to measure your ingredients for baking, then please read this now on why it's important to measure in weight not volume. Please avoid using cups: weighing your ingredients exactly by grams (or ounces) will not just give you successful results - but consistently successful baking results.
Let's start with this clever new mixing bowl kit. As with all Terraillon's baking utensils range, it's approved by Christophe Michalak, one of France's most prestigious star pastry chefs. As they say, Express Your Chef!
Terraillon Multi Function Mixing Bowl Kit
The compact design is ingenious: it's a five-in-one mixing bowl kit stacked conveniently together to avoid cluttering the kitchen. It includes:
- Transparent lid
- Egg yolk separator
- 0.5L microwavable silicone bowl
- Anti-splatter and non slip support
- 3L Stainless steel mixing bowl
Stainless steel bowls are essential tools and this mixing bowl is a dream for making macarons, particularly as it's slightly heavier than my current ones. As a result, there's more control in mixing the batter (macaronnage) and placed on its non slip support, I can turn it around effortlessly and securely while mixing. Without this support, I've been known to zealously whisk using a super light bowl with the bowl finally flying in the air and batter on the floor! It's not possible with this, rest assured.
The non slip support has a dual function, as an anti-splatter lid - and I've found it conveniently fits on all my other bowls in the kitchen. It's ideal for mixing up cookie dough, mousses or meringue without the splatter that can be caused using an electric whisk.
This microwavable silicone bowl is handy for directly catching the egg whites from the separator: put the lid on and store in the fridge for about 3 days if you're making macarons. It's also great for gently melting butter or chocolate directly in the microwave.
Although it didn't fit my own smaller saucepan, it's ideal for melting chocolate over a pan of simmering water (bain-marie) and I've used it for preparing ganache fillings for macarons and Tigré (financier) French cakes. It's also handy for storing leftover batter or ganaches with the lid on in the fridge.
Essential Baking Utensils: Tall BalloonWhisk
The Premium Tall Whisk is part of the hand tools collection. I already have 3 whisks that are used constantly for making smooth sauces, silky pastry creams, ice cream, etc. and so they take a beating. 2.5 out of 3 are already deformed and frankly, not good quality.
On the other hand, this tall whisk is very slightly heavier and at 35cm, with its comfortable ergonomic stainless steel handle with stainless steel arms, is sturdy and robust for continued easy whisking. I find it bounces along beautifully and copes well with the thicker sauces or custards, and I love the comfortable length. The silicone ring makes it easy to hang up too. As with the rest of the Terraillon baking equipment, it's dishwasher-safe.
Terraillon Pastry Mat & Rolling Pin
Yet another ingenious space-saving innovation is Terraillon's rolling pin and pastry mat set. It's just as compact: the pastry mat is neatly rolled inside the rolling pin tube, closed at the end of the tube with a silicone cookie cutter.
It's a 2-in-1 mat (47.8 x 38cm) that's graduated for precision to fit your tart rings/pans and - wait for it - goes DIRECTLY IN THE OVEN, withstanding temperatures up to 220°C/425°F/Gas 7. This is particularly useful when using tart rings, for example, as once you've rolled out your pastry and pressed it neatly into the ring, it's so much easier to keep it directly on the mat and place in the oven. No transferring to the oven sheet is necessary: just slip the baking sheet under the mat.
I also find the mat washes well and, unlike other mats I've tried, it dries quickly and doesn't leave a greasy film on it. Once cleaned, it's easy to roll it up neatly with the elastic and pop it back in the rolling pin tube.
How can you define the best kind of professional standard rolling pin? It's pretty subjective as some of us may prefer handles but after trying this rolling pin, I'm not going back to my old ones with wooden handles. For a start, it has a lovely length of 42cm and as it's lightweight, just glides smoothly without the stickiness on the pastry dough.
Its precise graduations and 3 pairs of removable rings allows you to adjust the thickness of your dough: 4mm, 6mm or 8mm, making your pastry beautifully even.
For tart and tartlet recipes, enjoy this chestnut flour, pumpkin and mushroom tart.
Another essential item for the home baker? You'll need my book, Teatime in Paris! As well as recipes for more macarons, éclairs, millefeuilles, ice cream, teacakes etc. there are also detailed instructions on how to make the perfect tart pastry (including chocolate) in the tart recipe chapter.
Disclaimer: I was not compensated for this post and was given the above new baking equipment from Terraillon UK for the purpose of a review. I was not required to be positive and, as always, all opinions are my own. Links to Amazon are not affiliate links.
yasmin ismail
This rolling pin is so versatile and also looks amazing too. I would particularly love to win this to help me to achieve a perfect even thickness in my biscuit dough, tarts, quiches etc. The heat proof mat is a definite added bonus.
Laurie Saffell
I would 'express my chef' by really honing my pastry skills. I already use Terraillon scales and fully understand the need for acurate measurements when baking. Sometimes my pastry is 100% even, so rolling out pastry to a precise thickness would be fantastic. I'd celebrate by offering up a different tart to celebrate a seasonal product each month of the year.
Meg
I would express my chef by baking more biscuits and pies with my two small children. They can have my hand me downs! The space saving features would be ideal in my tiny kitchen!
Denisa Lee
I would 'Express your Chef' with this rolling pin and pastry mat set by achieving perfect results every time due to the well thought out design and the fact you can put the sheet into a hot oven meaning no more pastry breakages! Brilliant!
Klara Moyes
Uber cool rolling pin! The fact that it measures thickness of a pastry as you roll is a game changer. I always use my two old wooden sticks which I put either side of my pastry. It makes the pastry even and smooth but it’s only one size thickness.
Any pastry chef would be impressed with this rolling pin&matt combo. I would use it to make all sorts of tarts, sweet and savoury and shortbreads.
Lesley Moyes
Roll, roll, roll with a Terraillon.
My current rolling pin belonged to my great granny. It is over 100 years old and very heavy.
A new light weight rolling pin with a lovely new mat would inspire me to roll out pastry for mincemeat pies and roll out dough for Christmas biscuits and lovely shortbread for New Year. HO HO HO
June S
I would express my chef by using such fresh and modern equipment. The lightweight rolling pin and mat looks a great space saving idea. I'm sure I would spend more time in the kitchen with all of these easy to use compact tools.
Thomasina
I would express my chef by throwing away my heavy not very hygienic wooden rolling pin. Having recently started to bake after a 10 year + gap I would love to try out the lightweight rolling pin and the removable rings to adjust the thickness of the dough would be a huge bonus. AND to have a baking mat would replace my ancient wooden baking board not to mention being able to put it in the oven. To store the mat inside the rolling pin for me is a super much needed space saving innovation. I do use digital scales though and love them.
Jill Colonna
Good for you to start baking again! And also wonderful you've already got the digital scales. Best foot forward, Thomasina 😉
Chuiyanxx
Amazing! I would express my chef by baking some stunning stuff using Terrailion's rolling pin and pastry mat. They're definitely essential baking utensils to create beautiful treats for all and just very handy to use!
Suzanne
Love the way you roll! When my 3 yr old granddaughter comes to stay we always bake. She insists on rolling the pastry and we get all sorts of thicknesses - this rolling pin would sort that out nicely for the mince pies we’ll be making next time she comes!
Jill Colonna
How wonderful, making sweet, precious memories through baking like this, Suzanne.
Peri Moritz
What would I do to “Express your Chef” with Terraillon’s rolling pin and pastry mat? How many words am I allowed here :-)! I just bought both of your books, "Mad about Macarons" and "Tea Time in Paris" and have begun to realize that with all of my baking tools back in Seattle (living in London now), I have to start from the beginning. I'm hoping to finally get my macaron on and find my feet. And who knew that the pie I grew up on isn't well known here, so to get my pie fix, I guess I'll have to make it myself now. No big whoop though. But a bottle of wine was meant to be drunk, not turned into a multi tasking tool.
Jill Colonna
Love it!
Claudine
Would love all that equipment! Always struggling to get an even thickness when rolling dough so the rolling pin would be fantastic.
Jill Colonna
Well, Claudine, this is perfect for it. Really impressed.
Camilla Hawkins
Oh I could seriously have done with these for my last bake which was a Brie & Cranberry Puff Pastry Tear n Share Ring would have made the job far easier, especially the non-stick element. Thanks for sharing as I'd not heard of this brand, now following on Instagram-)
Jill Colonna
Great! You won't be disappointed, as this brand is used by French chefs and is wonderful to work with. Go on, make another puff pastry brie and cranberry ring. Sounds good, Camilla!
Christina | Christina's Cucina
Oh now I wish I was living back in Scotland! haha! Kidding, but I will absolutely share this with my readers, Jill! I love all of the kitchen items and sure they will too!
Jill Colonna
Thanks, Christina. Much appreciated, as this is a most wonderful opportunity for our readers in the UK to have access to such quality products.
Christina | Christina's Cucina
I'm passing it on to my rellies in the UK!
Jill Colonna
Brilliant! Thanks, Christina. You rock - as always x