8 Tools You Need to Make Perfect Macarons

So, you’re serious about learning to make perfect macarons? Then the following 8 tools will help you get there.

French macarons are temperamental, but they’re definitely possible to perfect, even for us, home bakers. The proof is in the comments under my Lemon Macarons recipe. It’s the second most popular recipe on my entire blog (and if you’re curious, this one is #1).

I’ve been making these delicious french treats for over 3 years now. And I’ve tried many different tools, ovens, and techniques along the way. (PS: Making macarons in a kitchen other than yours is not fun!) I’ve already shared my tried and true macaron recipes, a comprehensive French Macaron 101 with lots of tips and tricks and visual troubleshooting guide, and even detailed video tutorial. And now it’s high time to show you what kitchen tools are essential in making macarons and why.

Kitchen Scale

French macarons require precision!! I weigh not only the dry ingredients, but also egg whites (<- because I use farm fresh eggs and they vary in size). I learned the hard way that too much egg whites add excess moisture to the batter, causing all sorts of problems. That’s why getting a scale is essential if you’re serious about learning to make macarons, or any baking for that matter.

Sifter

Sifting the dry ingredients is another important step. By doing so, you’ll get rid of big chunks of almonds, thoroughly mix the dry ingredients and aerate the mixture. In my macaron recipe, we sift the dry ingredients 3 times! Crucial for flawless macarons. I use this and this for sifting. You probably have one or another, but either one works just as great. Again, you’ll use this not just for making macarons, it’s also useful in baking extra-fluffy cakes.

Oven Thermometer

Did you know that not all ovens heat properly? The temperature could vary 25-50°F up and down. What? Yes, it’s true! For example, when you set your oven to 350°F, it could heat to up 400°F!! That could easily burn your cookies and cause many other issues, like too much browning, cracked top, etc. My mom’s oven is even crazier, it keeps getting hotter and hotter. Don’t even think about baking something for over 30 minutes in it! So, the solution is to get an oven thermometer to accurately set the oven temperature. This inexpensive little tool might just save you whole lot of headache!

Electric Hand Mixer

Unless you want to spend 30+ minutes to whip egg whites manually, you need some electric help in a form of handheld mixer. To be completely honest, I mostly use my stand mixer, only because it’s right there on the counter. Simple hand mixer will do the job just fine!

Glass Mixing Bowls

No, not necessarily these glass bowls, and you don’t actually have to go out and buy new bowls to make macarons. What I’m trying to say is don’t use plastic bowls, because plastic bowls tend to absorb oil, which is the biggest enemy for good stable meringue. So get your stainless steel or glass bowls out and start whipping those egg whites.

Silicone Spatula

Macaronage, aka folding technique, is a skill that you’ll need to master. And having comfortable n’ flexible silicone spatula makes the job so much easier. I love this OXO spatula set, the far right (white) one is what I use for folding. Again, these are must-haves for any kitchen. I can’t imagine cooking and baking without them!

Plain Round Tip

I get asked a lot how I make perfectly round, uniform macarons. The truth is they’re not always perfectly uniform, but practice makes everything better. I don’t use stencils or anything, I pipe the macarons free hand. What helps me is a regular piping bag with large plain round tip. I use this Wilton A1 tip. And you can watch me in action in my video (piping starts at 3:20).

Heavy Duty Baking Sheet

Last, but not least, nice and think baking sheet helps to cook the shells evenly. I’ve been using this heavy-duty aluminum baking sheet for quite a while, and it’s my absolute favorite. I have about 5 of them, and use them for everything!

And there you have it. I can’t promise you’ll have perfect macarons after you get all these tools, because you know, sometimes macarons fail for no apparent reason. But I can assure you, you’ll have much higher success rate equipped with these tools and my tips and tricks I’ve shared here.

And if you try any of my macaron recipes, don’t forget to share your experience with me. I love hearing from you.

For your further reading on this topic…

French Macaron 101

Funfetti Macarons

This post is not sponsored, but does contain affiliate links to products I use and love! Read the full disclosure here.