Do I really need a cooling rack? What’s the deal with cookie scoops? Is parchment paper the same as waxed paper? We took these questions and more to the Betty Crocker Test Kitchen’s pastry chef, Carrie Franzen—the brain behind Betty’s Christmas cookies and many more desserts. Carrie shared her list of essential, nice-to-have and semi-pro tools to help us make sense of all the baking equipment out there.

(For the record, the answers to the above questions are: yes, you need a cooling rack; once you get a cookie scoop, you’ll wonder how you lived without it for so long; and no—parchment and waxed paper are very different!)

The Essential Cookie Making Tools

Once you’ve got the basics, you don’t need to buy anything more. But if you do want to upgrade your tools, invest in ones that improve your technique and the quality of your cookies.

Here are some tools that are nice to have when making cookies, plus qualities you should consider when purchasing these tools.

• Cookie scoop
• Oven thermometer
• Electric hand mixer
• Kitchen ruler

Cookie Scoops

Cookie scoops have spring-loaded handles that pops cookie dough out of the cup of the scoop with a click of the handle. They look like mini ice cream scoops. Scoops come in all shapes and sizes—a #70 scoop is equivalent to one level tablespoon, which is a great size for a cookie, but note it’s always best to test your scoop because sizes vary by manufacturer. At around $15, this tool is relatively inexpensive, super convenient and best of all, it ensures a better end product, as cookies of similar size will bake up in the same amount of time. While not strictly essential, we’d put this scoop high on our list of favorite tools.

Oven Thermometer

Ovens are great at many things but displaying their actual temperature accurately is not always one of them. Ovens are often up to 50F degrees off, which is why we recommend buying an oven thermometer. These easy-to-find—try your local hardware store—and inexpensive tools (typically about $5-10) will help ensure that you’re baking cookies at the correct temperature.

Electric Hand Mixer

There’s nothing wrong with using a wooden spoon to mix up your cookie dough—after all, it was good enough for grandma—but if you’ve got one, electric hand mixers are extremely efficient tools for mixing dough. Their speed helps incorporate butter and dry ingredients and some air pockets, which will lead to a nice crumb.

Kitchen Ruler

Dedicate a ruler to the kitchen, so you don’t have to guess how thick your dough is or the size of your cookie cutter. Precision really does leads to better results in baking.

Semi-Pro Cookie Making Tools