I Won a Baking Blue Ribbon at the Iowa State Fair, All Thanks to This $15 Tool

Cookies, cakes, cinnamon rolls, pies, muffins, scotcheroos—no gathering or celebration growing up was complete without something sweet. I learned at my mom’s hip, and although I abandoned cooking and baking during college and early in my career, I returned to it in my late-20s as a stress-relieving salve and a terrific way to share some extra sweetness with loved ones.

So when a friend asked me to join her and enter the 2019 Iowa State Fair, I couldn’t resist at least giving it a shot.I’m proud to report that I took home the blue ribbon that year, along with a whopping $13.56 in prize winnings.  That amount is only slightly less than what it cost to invest in kitchen equipment that I think was a key factor in my recipe success.

Cuisinart Stainless Steel 6-Piece Set of Magnetic Measuring Spoons

As someone who has written professionally about food for more than 12 years and worked in partnership with a Test Kitchen to develop new recipes, I know that precision is key with baking. My Cuisinart Stainless Steel 6-Piece Set of Magnetic Measuring Spoons helped me dial in the just-right amount of baking soda, salt, cinnamon, vanilla extract, and almond extract in the blondie batter.  The spoons also helped me measure the 2 tablespoons of mayonnaise in the powdered sugar glaze (I promise that you can’t taste it!), which was the secret to help the cereal crumbles adhere on top.

Since the 2019 competition, I’ve fallen even more in love with these sturdy dual-sided spoons (which come in ¼, ½, ¾, and 1 teaspoon as well as ½ and 1 tablespoon sizes). Their narrow scoop fits nicely into spice jars or into other small spaces for dry ingredients. Plus, thanks to their dual-ends, I can use them for wet and dry ingredients without needing to wash them all the time. 

Another thing I love about these spoons is that each spoon lists measurements in milliliters, too, in case a recipe is written in metric. They are also really easy to clean. Once I’m finished using the spoons I need, I simply toss them in the dishwasher, then add them back to the stack. 

The heavy-duty magnets that line the handle portion of the spoons keep them tucked neatly together, so I’m not always digging for the one I need in my drawer. Plus, it’s much easier to measure with a single spoon instead of a whole keychain of them dangling around. Even still,  more than five years in with having these spoons as part of my kitchen toolbox, I have yet to lose a single one. 

I may have spent my blue ribbon winnings and then some all in one place (and that pedicure was worth it!), but it will be a long time before I need to invest any more dough on a new set of measuring spoons.

Shop More Baking Tools at Amazon: 

Oxo Dusting Wand

Llesca Cookie Scoop Set

Lasenersm Bench Scraper

Oxo Spatula

Silpat Cookie Mat 

At the time of publishing, the price was $15.