I'm a pro baker, and my most-reached-for kitchen items are all $30 or less

Alright, I'm gonna kick things off with a good ol' half sheet tray. When it came down to choosing my No. 1 piece of equipment, the most important factor was versatility, and this kitchen essential has that in spades. 

Its most obvious use is probably baking cookies and roasting vegetables, but I've also used mine to make cakes (you can cut out layers or make a large sheet cake), homemade Pop Tarts and galettes. 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 a trustworthy brand and has never let me down; my pans are old enough to be museum relics at this point, and they still perform just as well as the day I got 'em.  

Related: These 10 kitchen essentials will last a lifetime, according to a pro baker

Cast iron is right up there when it comes to durable cookware materials, and my Lodge skillet is still going strong after over a decade, but these things can last a century! It's so sturdy that it can be used on any stove type and even over a fire.

Because iron is excellent at retaining and distributing heat, nothing will give you a better sear on your steak or crispy exterior on your potatoes. I often go the sweet route, from the literal best chocolate chip pancakes I've ever made to cinnamon rolls and cornbread. 

A lot of people are intimidated by cast iron cookware maintenance, but seasoning is simple. All you need to do is scrub the skillet with mild dish soap and warm water, then apply a thin coat of vegetable oil on the inside and outside of the pan. Place it on the top rack of a 450-500°F oven, upside down, with a baking sheet on the bottom rack to collect any oil drippings. Keep it in for an hour, let it cool and you're good to go.

When it comes to cleaning, this is a job you'll want to do by hand (sorry, dishwashers remove the seasoning and can cause rust). But it's really simple: Just use water and a tiny bit of dish soap if needed (I usually don't). Lightly scrub with a non-abrasive sponge or cloth, then dry really well. Apply a light coating of oil, then wipe off with a paper towel. If there's any caked-on mess, Lodge's instructions say to simmer some water in it for a few minutes to help loosen the residue. 

Related: Ina Garten's fave $20 Lodge cast iron skillet is a must-have for home cooks (says me, a professional baker)

In my opinion, anyone who bakes on a regular basis should own some sort of electric mixer. While pricey stand mixers usually get all the love, I'm of the mindset that if you're sticking to simple things like cakes and cookies, an affordable hand mixer like this one (which I use at home) will do. It might be the stand mixer's less flashy cousin, but it certainly saves time and helps with tasks that require more power (creaming butter and sugar together, anyone?). 

Mine's still in great shape after nearly a decade of use, which speaks to how durable it is. And it's not just handy for making cookie dough — I've used it for whipping up cake batter, frosting, whipped cream ... nearly any dessert you can think of. 

Related: Stand mixer or hand mixer? A pro baker explains which type belongs in your kitchen

I try to minimize waste in the kitchen as much as possible, which is why these reusable silicone baking mats — also a favorite of Jennifer Garner — come in clutch. Not only do they help keep my parchment paper costs to a minimum, they also protect my sheet trays from caked-on gunk. 

The nonstick material is a breeze to clean, and I find that I can still achieve a nice golden brown on the bottoms of my cookies when I use them. 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. Pro tip: You can roll dough out on this rather than your counter to make cleanup a whole lot easier.

The Silpat is more expensive than the competition, but it's the most durable baking mat I've tried — you won't have to replace it for a looong time! Use it when you roast vegetables to keep 'em from sticking too. 

Calling this clever tool a spatula would be doing it a disservice, so I'm glad the folks at GIR gave it a more suitable title. True to its name, it's a silicone spoon and spatula in one, and I love it because it's thin and flexible enough for getting into the corners of bowls but also has a spoon-like shape for scooping. 

It's the sturdiest stirrer (say that five times fast) I've ever used — far more durable than the flimsy plastic spatulas I've tried. Plus, you're sort of getting two tools in one. (Giada De Laurentiis also swears by this brand.)

Even the most expensive, quality knives lose their edge at some point, which is why having a sharpener on hand is a must. Sure, you could shell out lots of money to have your blades honed by a professional (and that might be a wise thing to do from time to time), but as far as general maintenance goes, this little gadget does the trick just fine.

I have knives that are still going strong after years of use, and whenever they need a refresh, I just slide them through these notches. It's a small investment that could save you lots of money down the line, since sharpening the knives you already own is often way less expensive than buying a whole new set.  

P.S. If you need some knives, Ina Garten says Wusthof will "last a lifetime" with proper care — but they're not cheap!

Related: This compact knife sharpener is the one I, a pro baker, use at home

I'd like to give a little shoutout to an unsung kitchen hero. After all, where would we home cooks be without the humble oven mitt? (In the emergency room, probably.) In my opinion, the best oven mitt out there isn't a mitt at all, but this glove. Unlike a cavernous mitt, this nifty invention allows you to move your fingers individually for better control.

Covered in nonslip silicone grippers, it gives my pots and pans something to stick to, and being able to move my fingers around handles and edges provides so much more stability than awkwardly clamping down on them with a claw-like mitt and hoping for the best.

Upon first glance, it might not look like it can handle the heat, but the Ove Glove can endure temperatures up to 540°F — it's made from the same heat- and flame-resistant material firefighters use. 

I know, I know, this unassuming tool doesn't look like much — how many uses could it really have? Oh, let me count the ways.

While this bench scraper — also known as a "bench knife" — certainly comes in handy when lifting and portioning out dough, it's so much more than a baker's tool. For starters, it's my go-to for removing caked-on residue, flour and food scraps from my counter when I'm cleaning up, since the blade is dull enough that it won't leave scratch marks. That said, it's sharp enough to cut through many types of vegetables, and when you're finished chopping, you can slide the scraper under the pieces to easily transport them to your pan. I also prefer it to a knife when it comes to slicing uniform cubes of cheese and butter, thanks to its straight edge.

Want your cakes to look like they were made by a professional? I've even used my bench scraper to smooth out the frosting after I've applied it for a clean finish. The more you know!

Finally, 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.