To Make the Best Banana Bread, You’ll Need These Serious Eats-Approved Tools

banana bread tools — Serious Eats / Francesca Fasciglione

Banana bread is a classic comfort food that can be put together quickly (and enjoyed even quicker). One of our favorite banana bread recipes uses pantry staples you likely already have on hand—and, yes, packs six whole bananas into one loaf. While the cook ultimately makes or breaks the bake, the tools (like accurate measuring cups) matter, too. We gathered all our favorite baking tools that will help you make the best banana bread, and then some. Starting at just $10, these essentials include the best loaf pan, balloon whisk, mixing bowls, and more.

Essential Tools for Baking the Best Banana Bread:

A Great Loaf Pan: USA Pan Nonstick Standard Bread Loaf Pan
The Best Cast Iron Skillet: Lodge 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet
A Versatile Set of Mixing Bowls: Vollrath Set of 3 Mixing Bowls
A Flexible Silicone Spatula: OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Spatula
The Best Balloon Whisk: GIR Premium Stainless Steel Whisk
An Accurate Set of Measuring Cups: OXO Good Grips 4-Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups
The Best Measuring Spoons: Sur La Table Rectangular Measuring Spoon Set
The Best Cooling Rack: Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack
A Powerful Potato Masher: Tovolo Silicone Potato Masher
A Grippy Oven Mitt: OXO Silicone Oven Mitt

USA Pan Nonstick Standard Bread Loaf Pan

This loaf pan browns and releases loaves like a dream, thanks to its nonstick coating and ridged sides and bottom. The square corners turn out neat, tidy loaves, while the tall walls give the loaf some more height This is also the loaf pan our commerce writer swears by at home (That’s me, An!).

nine different loaf pans viewed from overhead — Serious Eats / Jesse Raub

Lodge 10-Inch Cast Iron Skillet

Lodge 10.25 Inch Cast Iron Pre-Seasoned Skillet — Amazon

For any recipe that calls for caramelizing, such as this banana bread with caramelized bananas, you’ll want a pan that can brown and sear to golden perfection. This Lodge cast iron skillet has been our top cast iron pan pick for years, and we specifically recommend it in the banana bread recipe above for its prowess at caramelizing bananas and browning butter. It’s also on sale for only $20.

five cast iron skillets on a white surface — As you can see, cast iron skillets come in a myriad of sheens and colors, with some sporting a dark patina and others more of a coppery tone.

Vollrath Set of 3 Mixing Bowls

We love that these mixing bowls are shallow enough to allow for a loose stirring motion yet wide enough to contain splatter. They excelled at mixing batters during our tests and we like that they have a slightly curved, thin lip for dripless pouring.

overhead shot of various mixing bowls on a black countertop — Serious Eats / Grace Kelly

OXO Good Grips Silicone Everyday Spatula

The beveled edge on this flexible (but not too flexible!) silicone spatula aced all of our tests, whether it was folding chocolate chips into cookie dough, scraping brownie batter into a pan, or stirring a pan of soft-scrambled eggs. We trust it’ll gently mix your banana bread batter without over-mixing.

a group of silicone spatulas on a marble surface — Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

GIR Premium Stainless Steel Whisk

This user-friendly whisk has a textured silicone handle that makes whisking more comfortable during longer tasks. The 12 wires hold excellent tension and vary in height, making it great for aerating whipped cream and producing smooth, clump-free pastry cream.

12 ballon whisks laid out in a semi circle on a piece of grey slate — Serious Eats / Amanda Suarez

OXO Good Grips 4-Piece Stainless Steel Measuring Cups

An unsung hero of the kitchen, these humble measuring cups are super precise and come with magnetized handles to keep the set from floating aimlessly about your kitchen drawers. They’re easy to scoop sticky ingredients out of and we especially like that the cups are made of one solid piece of metal, so there are no rivets that could fall apart over time.

Scooping flour from a bowl using the OXO Stainless Steel Measuring Cups surrounded by stacks of measuring cups — Serious Eats / Taylor Murray

Sur La Table Rectangular Measuring Spoon Set

These measuring spoons are accurate and rectangular, making them easy to fit into spice jars. We like how the long, thin handles help maneuver the spoons into the bottoms of jars, while the curves along the handles keep them from bending. During our tests, we thought the included eighth-teaspoon and three-fourths teaspoon were a nice bonus.

a number of measuring spoons on a marble surface — Serious Eats / Eric King

Mrs. Anderson’s Baking Half Sheet Baking and Cooling Rack

Once your banana bread is out of the oven, you’ll want a safe place for it to rest. If it even makes it to a cooling rack before you grab a slice, we recommend Mrs. Anderson’s Baking half sheet rack, which helps baked goods cool quickly without any warping or sagging. It’s also easy to clean thanks to its minimal design.

A stack of wire cooling racks — Serious Eats / Irvin Lin

Tovolo Silicone Potato Masher

Tovolo Silicone Potato, Stainless Steel Handle & Core, Food Mashers Kitchen Utensil Vegetable Ricer & Avocado Blender, Scratch-Resistant &... — Amazon

To make sure your ripe bananas are evenly mashed and ready for the batter, you’ll want our top potato masher pick from Tovolo, which makes quick and thorough work of mashing foods. The silicone head is also easy to clean. At $17, you’ll want to make even more banana bread just to have an excuse to use this well-built tool.

a group of potato mashers against a white background — Serious Eats / Taylor Murray

OXO Silicone Oven Mitt

OXO Good Grips Silicone Oven Mitt — Amazon

The snugger fit on these oven mitts provides you with greater flexibility and dexterity when handling hot pots and pans. They’re also thick enough to protect your hands as you maneuver baked goods inside a piping hot oven.

oven mitts and pot holders on a marble surface — Serious Eats / Eric Brockob

FAQs

What is the best banana bread recipe?

For nut lovers, we have an Ultimate Banana Nut Bread recipe. For a more straightforward bake, we have this pantry-friendly banana bread recipe.

What are other baking essentials I should have?

We put together a guide of essential baking tools that everyone should have at home.

Why We’re the Experts

An Uong is a commerce writer for Serious Eats and Food & Wine.
She’s an avid baker whose baking tools drawer is bursting at the seams.
Her favorite baking tool is the whisk attachment to her immersion blender (but used without the immersion blender as a stand-alone whisk).