Checklist · 19 picks · 3 categories
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Cookie season goes faster with a few good tools. A hand mixer handles most cookie dough, and a stand mixer is a nice upgrade if you bake every week. Cookie scoops make same-size cookies that bake evenly, a silicone mat keeps them from sticking, and a cooling rack stops the bottoms from going soft. A kitchen scale is the easiest way to get consistent results, because weighing flour beats scooping it. Nearly every pick here won or placed in America's Test Kitchen's published reviews, with budget, mid and splurge options where it named them. The stand mixers are optional, which is why they don't count toward the essentials total.
Who this is not for. Skip this if you mostly bake bread; the sourdough list covers that gear.
Tell me what you can spend. I pick a tier for every item, essentials first, and show what is left. The first amount covers everything you need at the cheapest tier.
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Estimates based on typical prices, checked Oct 29, 2026. Prices change; see the store for today's price.
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means three independent outlets recommend a pick, means one, and limited evidence means none has yet. I research these picks. I have not tested them myself. How I pick · Broken link, wrong price range or an outdated pick? Tell me
| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus 9 Speed Hand Mixer | budget | $50-100 | cookie dough and frosting without a stand mixer | 1 outlet |
| Breville Handy Mix Scraper | splurge | $100+ | bakers who use a hand mixer every week | 1 outlet |
| NutriMill Artiste Kitchen Stand Mixer | budget | $100+ | a stand mixer you can lift easily | 1 outlet |
| KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer | mid | $100+ | most home bakers | 1 outlet |
| Ankarsrum Assistent Original 7 Liter Stand Mixer | splurge | $100+ | serious bread and cookie bakers | 1 outlet |
| OXO Good Grips Everyday Silicone Spatula | budget | under $15 | scraping every bit of dough | 1 outlet |
| Di Oro Living Silicone Spatula, Large | mid | under $15 | bowls and skillets alike | 1 outlet |
Best hand mixerbudget pick · Compact
Best for cookie dough and frosting without a stand mixer
America's Test Kitchen's Best Buy: it performed like the winner, with a wide speed range and the most intuitive controls.
Heads up. Skips the winner's extras, like a timer, light and pause button
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best buy hand mixer.
$50-100
Search AmazonAffiliate link. I may earn a commission at no cost to you.
splurge pick · Compact
Best for bakers who use a hand mixer every week
America's Test Kitchen's winning hand mixer: fastest at creaming and whipping meringue, with wide beaters that don't clog.
Heads up. The most expensive of ATK's top picks
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning hand mixer.
$100+
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
budget pick · Countertop
Best for a stand mixer you can lift easily
America's Test Kitchen's best lighter-weight mixer: it handled whipped cream, cake batter, cookie dough and bread dough.
Heads up. Swapping whips and dough hook mid-recipe is clunky, and the plastic bowl may crack more easily than metal
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best lighter-weight stand mixer.
$100+
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
mid pick · Countertop
Best for most home bakers
America's Test Kitchen's best mid-priced mixer: it beat bigger, pricier mixers, from egg whites to a double batch of pizza dough.
Heads up. The bowl has no handle, and the tilt head broke in ATK's extreme abuse test
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best mid-priced stand mixer.
$100+
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
splurge pick · Countertop
Best for serious bread and cookie bakers
America's Test Kitchen's winning stand mixer: strong, sturdy and easy to handle, and ideal for serious home bakers.
Heads up. Large and heavy, with many parts to store and a thick manual
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning stand mixer.
$100+
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
budget pick · Drawer
Best for scraping every bit of dough
One of America's Test Kitchen's two co-winners: flexible enough to scrape the bowl, stiff enough for thick dough.
Heads up. The slanted edge bothered a couple of testers
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen co-winning spatula.
under $15
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
mid pick · Drawer
Best for bowls and skillets alike
America's Test Kitchen's other co-winner: and easy to clean, with edges that wipe bowls clean.
Heads up. The handle end bends against your palm with stiff cookie dough
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen co-winning spatula ().
under $15
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OXO Good Grips Medium Cookie Scoop (1.5 Tablespoon) | budget | $15-25 | classic-size cookies | 1 outlet |
| OXO Good Grips Large Cookie Scoop (3 Tablespoon) | mid | $15-25 | big bakery-style cookies | 1 outlet |
| J.K. Adams Plain Rolling Dowel Pin (19-inch) | budget | $15-25 | rolling out sugar cookie dough | 1 outlet |
| J.K. Adams French Rolling Pin (Tapered) | mid | $25-50 | pie crusts and rounds | 1 outlet |
| Checkered Chef Quarter Sheet Cooling Rack | budget | $15-25 | small kitchens and small batches | 1 outlet |
| Checkered Chef Cooling Rack (Half Sheet) | mid | $25-50 | cooling full batches of cookies | 1 outlet |
| Mrs. Anderson's Baking Nonstick Silicone Baking Mat | budget | $15-25 | cookies that slide right off | 1 outlet |
Best cookie scoopbudget pick · Drawer
Best for classic-size cookies
Same-size cookies bake evenly. America's Test Kitchen's best 1.5-tablespoon scoop, with an easy-squeeze handle.
Heads up. America's Test Kitchen gives no drawback detail for this one
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best 1.5-tablespoon cookie scoop.
$15-25
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
mid pick · Drawer
Best for big bakery-style cookies
America's Test Kitchen's best 3-tablespoon scoop: a grippy handle and a well-balanced spring for neat, controlled scoops.
Heads up. America's Test Kitchen gives no drawback detail for this one
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best 3-tablespoon cookie scoop.
$15-25
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
budget pick · Drawer
Best for rolling out sugar cookie dough
America's Test Kitchen's best dowel pin: a long 19-inch barrel for big batches of cut-out cookie dough, and dough didn't stick.
Heads up. America's Test Kitchen gives no drawback detail for this one
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best dowel rolling pin.
$15-25
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
mid pick · Drawer
Best for pie crusts and rounds
America's Test Kitchen's best tapered pin, with the most usable flat surface, which makes round pie crusts easier.
Heads up. America's Test Kitchen gives no drawback detail for this one
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best tapered rolling pin.
$25-50
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
budget pick · Small
Best for small kitchens and small batches
America's Test Kitchen's best quarter-sheet rack: strong, holds a dozen cookies, and goes in the dishwasher.
Heads up. It shifted a bit inside a small baking sheet
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best quarter-sheet cooling rack.
$15-25
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
mid pick · Standard
Best for cooling full batches of cookies
America's Test Kitchen's winning cooling rack, reinforced with an extra support bar so it stays flat and lasts.
Heads up. Slightly wider grid, and a little wiggle room in baking sheets
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning cooling rack.
$25-50
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
budget pick · Half sheet
Best for cookies that slide right off
A reusable nonstick liner so cookies slide right off. One of America's Test Kitchen's two co-winning mats.
Heads up. Not dishwasher-safe, so grease and odors can build up
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen co-winning silicone baking mat.
$15-25
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
| Pick | Tier | Price | Best for | Evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ozeri Pronto Digital Multifunction Kitchen Scale | budget | $15-25 | weighing flour for consistent cookies | 1 outlet |
| OXO Good Grips 11 lb Food Scale with Pull-Out Display | mid | $50-100 | baking with big mixing bowls | 1 outlet |
| ThermoWorks Gravitas Precision Kitchen Scale | splurge | $100+ | precise bakers | 1 outlet |
| OXO Good Grips Stainless Steel Measuring Cups | budget | $15-25 | everyday baking | 1 outlet |
| Cuisipro Stainless Steel 5-Piece Measuring Spoons | budget | under $15 | baking soda, salt and spices | 1 outlet |
Best kitchen scalebudget pick · Compact
Best for weighing flour for consistent cookies
Weighing flour is the easiest way to better cookies. America's Test Kitchen's Best Buy scale: accurate, simple and bright.
Heads up. No extras, a flimsier frame, and no removable platform for cleaning
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best buy kitchen scale.
$15-25
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
mid pick · Compact
Best for baking with big mixing bowls
America's Test Kitchen's winning scale: accurate, with a removable platform and a display that pulls out from under big bowls.
Heads up. Harder to clean around the display cord, and sometimes a gram or two off
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning kitchen scale.
$50-100
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
splurge pick · Compact
Best for precise bakers
America's Test Kitchen's upgrade pick: certified accuracy to a tenth of a gram, a detachable magnetic display and a waterproof build.
Heads up. Reads slightly slower than the OXO, which ATK called insignificant
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen upgrade pick kitchen scale.
$100+
View at ThermoWorksStore link, not an affiliate link. I don't earn from this one.
budget pick · Drawer
Best for everyday baking
America's Test Kitchen's Best Buy: accurate, durable steel cups that snap together with magnets and level easily.
Heads up. Plastic handle tops collect flour, and the markings wore off with scrubbing
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen best buy measuring cups.
$15-25
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
budget pick · Drawer
Best for baking soda, salt and spices
America's Test Kitchen's winning measuring spoons: oval bowls for a clean sweep, sturdy steel and a hinged ring that's easy to use.
Heads up. The hinge takes some force, and the tablespoon doesn't fit every spice jar
1 outlet. America's Test Kitchen winning measuring spoons.
under $15
Search AmazonAffiliate link.
A mixer (a hand mixer is enough), measuring cups and spoons or a kitchen scale, a spatula, baking sheets with a silicone mat or parchment, a cookie scoop, a cooling rack and a rolling pin for cut-out cookies.
No. A good hand mixer handles most cookie dough and frosting. A stand mixer helps with big batches, stiff doughs and bread, and frees your hands while it mixes.
A cup of flour can vary a lot depending on how it is scooped, which changes how cookies spread and bake. A scale gives the same amount every time.