What are the best tools and equipment recommended by Hilary Erickson for home baking?

Hi, I’m Hilary Erickson from The Pregnancy Nurse and Pulling Curls. Love this question!

From what I share on my site and podcast, here are the main tools and equipment I really recommend for home baking:

• A good stand mixer – I used a KitchenAid for years, but lately I’m loving the Bosch Universal Plus. Its quirky mixing action adds great airiness to cookie dough. The Artiste is a more budget‑friendly “little sister” with interchangeable bowl parts.
• Scraper attachment for your mixer – On the Bosch I love the bowl scraper, so I don’t have to stop and scrape with a spatula constantly. For KitchenAid, a flex/side-scrape style paddle is handy.
• Cookie paddles (Bosch) – Use them for creaming butter, sugar, and eggs; then switch to the dough hook if you’re adding lots of chunky mix-ins so they don’t break.
• Sturdy jelly roll pans – I prefer these over small cookie sheets and usually bake 15 cookies per pan (5×3).
• A medium cookie scoop – Makes portioning super fast and keeps cookies uniform.
• Silicone baking mats – Great for easy release and cleanup.
• Simple measuring cups/spoons and a decent rubber spatula for scraping bowls clean.
• A brown sugar saver – Helps keep brown sugar soft between baking days.
• Cooling racks – So those after‑school cookies can cool quickly (at least the ones the kids don’t grab warm!).

Is there a particular type of baking you’re focusing on right now—cookies, cakes, or bread—so I can narrow this down even more for you?