Expert Bakers From Across The Country Tell Us The Best Baking Equipment Brands

Shriya Shetty is the Internet’s favourtite for Mangalorean Ghee Roast. But a little while ago she opened Buttercream Co., her own bakeshop in Mangalore. She loves baking brown butter cookies for herself and says it’s never a good idea to bake in a bad mood. And, to bake at home she loves Green Heirloom, an Indian brand that makes cast iron bakeware. “I absolutely love it. They are sustainable, and truly working towards keeping the Indian heirloom cookware alive”, she says. Ask her how to maintain bakeware and keep it clean, her key tip is to never use a steel scrubber on baking equipment. As baking involves a lot of grease, she recommends soaking all the cookware in warm water before washing. “You end up saving water too!” she adds.

Zainab, head chef and founder of Mizah Bakery in Mumbai. She says she’s obsessed with ceramics by Rekha Goyal, a ceramic artist in Mumbai. Her other brands for bakeware include Curators of Clay, Ware Innovations and Slow Pottery. All brands have great serveware and other ceramics that are all made in India and she loves using them. 

Brands To Shop: Rekha Goyal, Ware Innovations (some products are also on LBB), Slow Pottery, Curators Of Clay

Smita is the baker and co-founder behind Pune’s The Good Butter Bakery that bakes breads and more on pre-orders only. For her, baking is a relaxing process and baking bread means she always has a quick meal at hand. While Smita doesn’t use ceramic bakeware for the bakery, her go-tos for personal use include brands like Freedom Tree and Nestasia.com. It’s because the products are “well made, very pretty to look at and add color to the kitchen shelf, other than the practical use.” 

Dima is the founder and baker-at-the-helm of Sapa Bakery in Pondicherry. Her bakery, of course, uses more industrial equipment, for which she lauds Mumbai store Stec Hotelwares. But for personal use, Dima recommends Nugu Handmade, a handcrafted ceramic brand that’s by the Nugu River in Pondicherry. “The main potter there has worked in Israel and other places and is highly skilled and experienced. He knows which clays to mix, everything is completely handmade and sourced locally; and he can customise anything for you too.” She says the brand is an ideal go-to if you’re looking for something that’s economical and craft-oriented. 

Brands To Shop: Nugu

A master chocolatier and pâtissier, Toshin Shetty is the head chef and owner of his namesake dessert brand and Mumbai’s Ivy Restaurant and Banquets. For his restaurant and patisserie, Toshin shops mostly abroad and also recommends Stec Hotelwares in Mumbai. But a ceramic brand he swears by is, “Indus People. They customise crockery, which is great for restaurants and cafes and I believe they have done that for several Mumbai restaurants.” The brand’s range is artistic and craft-focused, with a few different collections to choose from that are inspired by India and its culture. Toshin adds a helpful tip too and recommends buying Bosch Siemens Cleaning Gel Spray for your baking oven. He says it’s the best way to clean baking equipment.

Brands To Shop: Indus People and Stec Hotelwares in Mumbai

Pastry Chef Sahil is a master baker from Jodhpur and is popular for his training and lessons in baking. For personal use, he says his go-to brands are Ellementry, The Label Life and Nicobar because “you know you won’t find such pieces anywhere else. Their designs are unique, but even the finishing and overall product is high quality.” If you’re looking for a more economical range, he advises shopping from Westside Home but hates that you can’t shop the brand online. For stand-mixers, he recommends Spar, which he believes is increasingly popular and offers better quality equipment and functions. 

Brands To Shop: Ellementry and Nicobar