Essential Tools for the DIY Candy Maker
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There really aren’t a lot of candy making specific tools out there intended for small batch candy making in the home. Trust me. At first I found this incredibly frustrating, but the more I started working with sugar, the more comfortable I got just winging it and using what works. So now, here’s a list of things that work for candy making and chances are, you have most of these things in your kitchen already:
A good quality saucepan
This is probably the most important tool you need, so much that I wrote an entire post just about it.
Candy thermometer
Ok, sorry, this one is specific to candy making. The good news is, they are very reasonably priced. The even better news is, ensuring your thermometer reads correctly is very easy and if it doesn’t read correctly, all you need to do is adjust your cook time.
Silicone mats
I don’t know where I’d be without my varying sizes of silicone mats. Any type of sugar made will not stick to silicone, so I use silicone for my workspace area, as well as I put one beside the stove for a place to put my sticky utensils and thermometer.
Bamboo skewers
You can pick up bamboo skewers at almost any dollar store. I like using them for mixing when I add flavour or colour to sugar, because it’s easy and reduces mess. You could also use a silicone or wooden spoon, just nothing metal because metal conducts heat and you’ll only make that mistake once.
Glass liquid measuring cups
I love using these especially if you are pouring into molds because the spout gives you a bit more control than a pan. It also helps to pour your sugar into something else after you’ve reached the proper temperature so that it doesn’t keep cooking in a hot pan. Also, if you are adding colour, the clear sides help you to figure out if you want to go darker or not.
Tin foil
I love me some tin foil. Candy doesn’t stick to tin foil either, so this is a great alternative to silicone mats. I use tin foil when I want a really shiny, flat finish on my lollies. Silicone is great, but sometimes I find it can dull the candy while setting up.
If you want to play with hot sugar and make fun shapes, here are some extra things you’ll need:
Silicone molds
If you’d like to start out with something easy, pouring sugar into silicone molds is the way to go. Silicone is non-stick, so you won’t need to oil the molds, also they are bendable which helps when you are trying to get your candy out in one piece. Start with lollipops, then see where your candy making journey takes you!
Gloves
Two pairs: The first pair is a cotton pair in order to protect your hands from the heat. I just order valet/butler gloves online and they seem to do the trick. Plus I feel super classy. The second pair is a food safe vinyl glove so the sugar doesn’t stick. I find these in the grocery store, but don’t cheap out, you’ll go through many of them if they are too thin.
Warming tray
This was my aha moment of an idea. I was watching lots of videos on candy making and you need a heat source to keep your sugar at the proper temperature in order to work with it. You can either provide heat from the top down (a heat lamp) or from the bottom up (a heating table). Neither of those options seemed very friendly to the home candy maker, so I bought a warming tray that is meant to keep food at a certain temperature. This seemed perfect to me. And it is.
Pastry scraper
This is my all star of a tool in order to make fun shapes like flowers, hearts or stars. I like a metal pastry scraper to keep the edges of your candy nice and sharp, but a silicone one would work too.
All set? Let’s make some candy!
Hey, I’m Kim!
After a lot of practice (and a few sticky disasters), I’ve crafted a delicious selection of lollies and mastered a ton of candy making tips to share with you—lump free. (You’re welcome.)
