Whisks

I find three sizes of whisks particularly useful for baking: A small piano wire whisk, 10 inches long and 5 inches in circumference, with at least eight loops of fine wire, will reach into the corners of a saucepan, making it ideal for both preparing a smooth pastry cream and evenly mixing together dry ingredients. I recommend an enormous balloon whisk, 14½ inches in circumference (see JB Prince, in Equipment Sources), in place of a spatula, for folding one mixture into another. And, a whisk with a long handle is good for stirring mixtures over hot water.