9 'unsexy' kitchen products that I, a pro baker, can't live without — from $6

I try to minimize waste in the kitchen as much as possible, which is why this reusable silicone baking mat comes in clutch. Not only does it help keep my parchment paper costs to a minimum, but it protects my sheet trays from caked-on residue.

The nonstick material couldn't be easier to clean, and I find that I can still achieve a nice golden brown on the bottoms of my cookies when I use it. Plus, I don't have to pry the cookies off once they're out of the oven — they can easily be lifted with a spatula. As for dough that needs to be rolled out, you can do it on one of these rather than your counter to make cleanup less of a headache.

The Silpat brand is more expensive than generic liners, but it's the most durable I've tried — you won't have to replace it for a long time. (Actress Jennifer Garner, an enthusiastic baker, is also a fan.) Stock up while it's down to its best price in months.

Rather than mixing butter into my pie dough with my hands, I cut it into my flour using this trusty tool. This way, the heat from my hands won't make the butter too soft — butter needs to be cold if it's a flaky crust you're after. Once my crust has been rolled out, I slide my bench scraper underneath to cleanly lift it from the rolling surface and into my pie dish. So much easier than trying to pry it up with my hands!

This is the hand mixer I use at home, and it's still going strong about a decade after I bought it. It comes with beater and whisk attachments, it has a long cord and it isn't too heavy, so I don't mind standing over a bowl with it while it goes to town. 

No, it doesn't have a ton of bells and whistles, but its six speeds are more than adequate (I rarely have to set it over medium) and it comes with a storage case for the attachments. It's powerful enough to tackle even the thickest dough, and I often use it to mix cake batter or whip cream. At under $30, it's one of the most affordable hand mixers I've come across, and it has yet to let me down. 

Check out my full Hamilton Beach hand mixer review for more. 

How many Ove Gloves does it take to screw in a lightbulb? Apparently one. (PSA: Turn the light off before you attempt this!)

When you take baked goods like cookies out of the oven, the heat of the pan will continue to cook them. That's why you need cooling racks on hand — by resting your treats on these, more air will circulate around them, allowing them to cool faster and keep from over-baking. 

It might seem boring, but I'm gonna kick things off with a good ol' half sheet tray (or two). Their most obvious use is for cookies, but I've also used mine to make cakes (you can cut out layers or make a large sheet cake), homemade Pop Tarts, galettes and roasted vegetables. Oh, and if I'm baking something runny in a pie or cake pan, I always stick one of these babies underneath to catch any drippings — easier to clean the tray than the bottom of my oven! 

Nordic Ware is durable and has never let me down. Plus, more than 10,000 of these have been purchased in the past month, so I'm in pretty good company. 

No matter how hard you try to preserve the appearance of your pots and pans, they're going to get grimy with regular use. That's the sign of a well-loved piece of cookware! That said, taking a crusty pan and transforming it into a shiny stunner is something I find deeply satisfying.

I've tried a lot of different cleaners, and this one's the real deal when it comes to extending the life of your cookware. All you do is wet whatever it is you're trying to clean, sprinkle a generous amount of the powder over it, gently rub, rinse and wipe dry. For the best results, I usually let it sit for a few minutes before rubbing it in to give it some time to lift the stains, rust, grease — you name it. Then I'll use a cloth or sponge and start buffing it into my pans, making sure to go in the same direction as the metal's brushstrokes, if there are any. For intense stains, I've found that using the rough part of a dry sponge works better than wet, but I've also had success with damp cloths. 

Just check out that photo of my pan — if that doesn't make you believe in magic, I'm not sure what will.

I learned the hard way that losing just one small metal piping tip down the drain could mean having to replace my entire garbage disposal. No more! 

I immediately purchased these bestselling strainers to catch any small baking and cooking tools before they wreak havoc on my sink system. They fit most standard drains and are super easy to clean. Plus, they trap food remnants before they're able to fill my drain with unappealing odors. 

Last, but not least, these stainless steel baskets are handy for everything from draining water from rinsed produce or rice to sifting flour — and the latter is what I use mine for most often. 

When you don't sift flour before baking, say, a cake, little balls of flour can show up in the final product. Not appetizing. These baskets are made of mesh with just the right sized openings for breaking up clumps while still allowing flour to flow through easily. Plus, having three different sizes means you can use them in a variety of mixing bowls.