Inside A Professional Baker's Home Kitchen | NYT Cooking

Erin Jeanne McDowell is a professional baker, cookbook author, food stylist and recipe developer. She also creates many delicious recipes for NYT Cooking. She let our video team explore every nook and cranny of her kitchen. She showed us her tiny spatula and even made a snack. See how a professional baker organizes her kitchen at home.
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About NYT Cooking:
All the food that’s fit to eat (yes, it’s an official New York Times production).

[@teddy9333]

Awww she’s not a hoarder. She’s EXTREMELY prepared and if she wasn’t a professional baker then...maybe lol but it makes sense considering her career.

[@josephdadey]

I live in an apartment now, but when I had my house, I had a huge bakers rack full of cooking items. I got rid of most of it, and live a bit simpler now, but if cooking were my job? I'd have an extra bedroom as a pantry :)

[@teddy9333]

Joseph Dadey Lol! I love that. It’d be a magical room 😻

[@lorrainegunn4111]

@@josephdadey Guilty! I DO live in an apartment; it's not easy stuffing your love-of-baking-tools and pans, PLUS your love-of-sewing-tools and gadgets from a 4 bedroom/ fully finished basement & garage house into a small space! Brioche pans and Charlotte moulds up the wazoo.

[@fr3atlast448]

She needs her own show...she’s adorable, and that’s refreshing! SO tired of all the “Everyone wants to be me” chefs...cooks...whatever. 🌷🚍

[@krazykarenm]

FR3 At Last I agree with this statement!

[@territ.5357]

I see her alot, baking, on XUMO Channel.

[@fr3atlast448]

Terri T. Thank you! I’ll look for it!!💗🎄🎄🎄

[@kristiemao4275]

@@fr3atlast448 she's also on Food52 a lot.

[@fr3atlast448]

Chris M Thank you! I’ll look for her!!🎄

[@NYTCooking]

We stan a tiny spatula.

[@Laurenlucky12]

WHERE did she get that?

[@hopegold883]

Getting stuff out of the blender!

[@swisski]

Yeah, they are cousins of freakishly small wooden spoon and brother to tiny whisk!

[@shillandkillary2236]

@@swisski I love Chef John!

[@shillandkillary2236]

My favorite spatula, nobody has ever seen. dreamfarm.com/us/minisupoon/ I use it EVERYDAY! You won't be sorry if you buy it.

[@karenkaren3189]

She is adorable, and no, she is NOT a hoarder. Everything she has is useful and organized and it gives her joy.

[@sharpnova2]

hoarders regard all of their hoarded stuff as necessary and useful and it essentially gives them joy since taking it away would make them go insane. so your argument against her being a hoarder isn't particularly good.

[@karenkaren3189]

She had all her stuff neat and organized, she just happens to run a home business out of a small house. Don’t get me wrong, I am pretty minimalist. I couldn’t live like this. However she seems like a happy and productive.

[@thatssoari3533]

@@sharpnova2 she uses all of those things for her job tho lmao

[@hillary96renteria82]

@@sharpnova2 you can't possibly compare the useless things hoarders consider "necessary and useful" to someone who has a lot of cooking appliances and supplies because they are literally a professional chef who has to work out of her kitchen. so the argument is good since there are things that are objectively useful and necessary

[@Karmaisagod8228]

Yes do what you love ❤ she's proud 👏 🥳

[@Matt-fl8uy]

I think the NYT just found their next series. This woman is magnetic. She can teach us things while sympathizing with our need for having 3 separate rolling pins.

[@lorrainegunn4111]

I am designing a rack for my 3 different rolling pins - in 2 different sizes plus 1 antique China one...

[@skies6546]

for anyone wondering they do have a series. Bake It Up A Notch

[@sidsid6380]

She is just so fun.....and those cameramen are adorable.

[@delphimichaels164]

Bet there was some office “fighting” to be the ones to go film her video. They were *not* shy about asking her to make them something to eat. 😃

[@kamicrum4408]

And typical guys always hungry, feed, them,!

[@suziechavez8523]

I'm totally with her saying "we don't like single use things" and then showcased a bunch of single use things

[@linzbelle]

How else are you going to pit a cherry or olive?

[@yuding6019]

@@linzbelle Make a slice in the middle and hand pit them. But considering her job I don't think a pitter will be a single use thing.

[@linzbelle]

@@yuding6019 that would take much more time.

[@flea10x6]

LinzBelle just push the pit through with a cherry - it’s soft. you can use a hairpin. but for the quantity she does, a potter makes sense. and esp of doing olives too. they can be a bit tougher to push through

[@rocklobster007]

@Suzzzie....ike Martha Stewart and her raclette machine. Different show but such an unnecessary $400 machine for a home cook lol

[@mercynamikoye9084]

This woman and her kitchen tour has made me confident that I can start with a small kitchen and still make my dreams come true

[@ulovetashi]

I bake from home now and it's difficult mainly because I don't have everything I need. I'm slowly adding items to make life easier but overall, I enjoy it. Plus you save a lot of money because you're not paying extra for retail space and other things that come with having an actual physical bakery.

[@mercynamikoye9084]

@@ulovetashi I agree

[@78625amginE]

I’m a truck driver and I cook and bake in here when I’m on the road. You can do anything in a small space with some chutzpah and the time to figure it out to make it happen! Dream and make it happen 😊

[@hannahdido]

Nigel Williams that’s so cool!

[@LiddoNickim]

She’s a professional baker , her life revolves around baking . I wouldn’t expect her house to look any different . She don’t work out of a bakery she works from her home ...

[@hoshiiusama7932]

the fact that she has walking space is what amazes me I'm not even close to being a professional baker and I want a quarter of her stuff

[@katgiu4235]

I want to become besties with her. She's so bubbly and fun!

[@krazykarenm]

Katherine Giuffre meeeeee toooooooo

[@tscarnegie]

Me too. She’s awesome 👏🏾

[@loveangelo29]

I’d get so fat if I was friends w her lol

[@katgiu4235]

@@loveangelo29 fat and happy!

[@genasingleton8381]

Me too she is so fun

[@falonmichalczyk9104]

"I live in the magical world of New Jersey. Where we have DRIVEWAYS" I WAS dead

[@jackc5315]

Imagine kids in that neighborhood growing up and reminiscing about "going over to this pastry chef's house every Christmas and decorating the best gingerbread houses ever..."

[@jasongrady8590]

I love that her kitchen doesn't look like the sterile and artificial looking ones you see on TV commercials. She seems like a lot of fun to be around, too!

[@Laurenlucky12]

As a head baker, I found this joyous, aspirational, and entirely relatable.

[@EyeDigress]

She’s incredible to watch. What a joyful person to be around, I bet. I will remember her name (and recipes) from now on.

[@LadyLocket]

"you're making me come off really extra here!" nope you come across as very charming and a VERY thorough and dedicated baker/cook. Honestly, it just confirms that your amazing at your job and how much you truly love it. You need your own show as you are a delight to watch and clearly love making food fun.

[@josealanmedinal.3378]

SHE NEEDS HER OWN SHOW. Does she has one or guest in one? Or something?

[@dliciousgurl41]

Jose Alan Medina L. I’m sure it’s coming soon if she doesn’t have one already.

[@BorislavVeselinov]

Has her own series on another channel.

[@joannnnnn]

@@BorislavVeselinov she has a series called Bake it Up a Notch on the channel Food52

[@madisonbaker7056]

So I already wanted to be her new best friend. But when she showed us her grandmas cookie cutter used for the family recipe,... I felt that.

[@delphimichaels164]

Whispers “spice.” 🙂

[@kizmomma7009]

Me too! We have a family mixing bowl and when I got married my mom gave it to me. I cried like an idiot.

[@patriciaperez784]

madison Baker ii8a😉

[@emcee2684]

Anyone who loves to cook is drooling over her kitchen. She's living our fantasy.

[@78625amginE]

If she were on Hoarders, in the middle of the episode they’d be like, “You can keep everything,” and it would just go to a blank screen with an apology from the network to the viewer and her.

[@dustidunn8788]

Nigel Williams they would have a “cream puff break”

[@sighiguess]

😂😂😂😂

[@sweetboo1022]

I'm dying for her vanilla bean tattoo. This is the best video I've seen in a while. She is joy. Pure sweetness. I love everything about this chick

[@jmcosmos]

That is obviously the spatula cousin to Babish's Tiny Whisk.

[@borbetomagus]

I think it's a "Sweet Sugarbelle Bottle Spatula"

[@kimmy2468]

Which is also distant relative to Chef John's (foodwishes) freakishly small spoon

[@candicewaller403]

@@borbetomagus Thanks! I added to my wishlist ;-)

[@TheMeghan99]

YES

[@potatocorners]

"Just like a whisper of spice, like... _spice_ ." I felt that. Love her and love this video!

[@TheMwaxoxo]

she reminds me of Sookie from gilmore girls love her!

[@catherinecampbell1215]

Yes! Except way less neurotic. When Luke gets in Sookie's kitchen, a dark side of her comes out.

[@adynncluver8349]

That’s what I was thinking! I literally just cornered about that. 😂

[@adynncluver8349]

*commented. Lol

[@lissyperez4299]

Waaaaahaaaahaaa! Yes!

[@sunniertimer598]

She's a good sport! Not every chef wants people going through their cupboards. She has a lot of great tools.

[@bajamedic]

I have a culinary degree, she is my home equipment spirit animal.

[@celestewatson4874]

Ten upvotes for this

[@HollieForrest]

I’ve never wanted a tiny spatula as much as I do after watching her 🥰😃🙌

[@borbetomagus]

It might be a Sweet Sugarbelle Bottle Spatula...

[@Platypi007]

Oh goodness, you're not a hoarder you've just managed to combine home, professional bakery, and a studio into one space. Of course it's going to be crowded and cluttered but if all those spaces were separate they'd take up 3 to 4 times as much square footage. I'm sure you get extra joy working out of your home than you would going to a specialized location for work!

[@mammamathews]

I also love how she can whip up something little to eat in no time. My grandma always said that a good cook can go into any fridge or pantry and make something without planning.

[@LaurenOrion]

GIVE THIS WOMAN HER OWN KZbin SERIES. WE WILL RIOT IF THIS DOESNT HAPPEN

[@mrrandywazz]

I am just so enamored with her love for all things food and kitchen utensils and gadgets. She's hilarious and needs her own show.

[@ghostpipe888]

Oh my! A sprinkle shelf, heirloom baking tools, a plethora of pretty dishes and bake wear... could this kitchen be more magical? Super gorgeous baker and a super lovely creative space.

[@yvonnerahmes9618]

I love Erin AND all her "stuff" that would be the envy of all who love to cook! I learned to do all things food from my grandmother "Nettie Noel." She and grandfather had a cottage in rural PA., it was divine (sigh). I miss it but the lessons I learned from her are PRICELESS. I wish Erin could have a much bigger house to hold a much bigger kitchen and work tables... Bless her for her talents and generous heart!

[@joannagriffith3403]

She makes my little baker heart so happy! Love this video!!!!!

[@trudavies2010]

I stan a cute polka dot dress.

[@kociatkomale]

And it has pockets!!!

[@shillandkillary2236]

@@kociatkomale I love Karen Brit Chick

[@katherinep.8919]

This is a house of love, humor, and happy abundance. I come back and watch this video when I need to feel comforted and taken care of. I wish it was 3 times longer. In case you ever read this, Erin, I love you!

[@nchelemichegbo4259]

when you can relate so much that you have goosebumps on your body.... this lady is amazing....living the life

[@PhoebeGrigor]

I love how personal this whole thing is, from her conversation to the team involvement

[@BrunoSantos-sb6vh]

She is SO FUN, I love her.

[@ulovetashi]

Can I just say, I really enjoyed watching this and this lady Erin Jeanne McDowell needs her own show. She's entertaining, and funny. This video really made my day a lot better.

[@devlandiablo]

"The magical land of New Jersey"- yes, every time I see what living in NYC would mean, I relish being in NJ for the sheer fact of cupboard storage.

[@shawnsisler3743]

I love that her oven shows that it's used... :D You can barely see thru my window on my oven too. I clean my oven, but I use it too, and that means the window has that brown color that will not come off without a razor, steel wool, and a sandblaster. I love that she keeps her cake decorating tips in a tackle box too. I kept mine in 3 big Kaboodles... until I quit making wedding/specialty cakes.

[@ivyginny]

Not a hoarder. I am so impressed with that kitchen. Every little thing has its place, and there are a lot of things needing places -- as there should be. All nooks and crannies used perfectly, sensibly, hardly any frills, only a handful of sentimental, beautiful memories. This glimpse into her life and personality makes me like her even more. Show me your kitchen and I'll tell you who you are.

[@donnakrosp3734]

Loved this video so much!! She is HYSTERICAL and seems like so much fun and she is such a great baker & teacher!!

[@bonneb7729]

love that they had to clarify that her husband loves sharpening knifes *being a cullinary professional*

[@fncickrmfkhfifkrfjf7]

She reminds me of Sookie off of Gilmore girls, like her bubbly personality

[@bobsalamone9798]

As a baker, I relate to this on alllll the levels. And she’s right about the tiny spatula. They’re amazing.

[@sugarspiceandeverythingnic4803]

When you can relate to her on a spiritual level... I love her!

[@TheMiamixbitch]

*vacuum sealer appears* "wait. hold on." lol! that was so funny!

[@DebWashington]

She is not extra 😊 I’m a home baker (cook too) and around Christmas time I have at least 18 to 20 pounds of butter for cookies. I can’t wait for her cookbook 👏🏽👏🏽

[@playdohgolem2832]

Erin is delightful !!! I could watch her all day

[@SynFlowers]

I cook everything in a tiny house and this is literal goals. I wanna move in with her

[@Andrea_Weird]

Love her. 💕 Wish she’d stop calling herself a hoarder, though- she’s a professional artist and that’s obviously her gorgeous, well-equipped studio.

[@emiliana1767]

I want to be her neighbor, her best friend, her kid, her spouse, her mom, her dad, her mailman - there would be no greater pleasure in life 😌

[@zunairajutt3461]

me tooo😀

[@lilithz]

literally a dream kitchen, she is so organized. definitely not a hoarder, just very professional

[@jenniferrivera8627]

I love her energy. Just can imagine having a great time working with her. She is so well informed about it all.

[@MaryMillerSpoolhardyGirl]

When you hover over the 👍 button and it says, "I like this," that is not enough for how I truly feel about Erin and this video.

[@krazykarenm]

Mary Miller meeee tooooo

[@elimtz3665]

She is amazing! If only all the interviews were this positive and fun!

[@jjoyous]

Erin's kitchen is what I call Baker's Heaven.🙏🎂🙏🎂🙏 You are not a hoarder but a friend in my head!🆒😆😆👏👏

[@ajc5869]

This was genuinely one of the most entertaining things I’ve watched in months. I love her and her energy

[@jillkollman1465]

she is amazing happy and entertaining...a delight to watch...she needs her own show!!!!!!! where she get the tiny spatula???????

[@erikaguzman567]

She has the dream job I aspire to have. I love her and every minute of this episode

[@conniegage2141]

I just recently found you on u tube. I can't get enough of your baking. Now I found your home with all the incredible things you have. You are not a hoarder, and I commend you.

[@lifesajourney9575]

Awww...Erin McDowell is a gem!!...I LOVE her kitchen & all the cool gadgets.. Her kitchen is both her professional baking career and the feel of "Home Sweet Home!!" Her kitchen looks so cozy & like it always smells like fresh baked pie!... I Love the fact her kitchen doesn't look like a sterilized operating room. 😷....

[@reginamcpadden5208]

Love love love this! I am an avid baker and so much fun to see how a professional does it. Now I want to go to her Gingerbread party 😄

[@queenbee063]

OMG, I LOVE her. Put her on food network!!

[@jimvega842]

Erin is an incredible woman who loves her work. She is so knowledgeable and it shows by her awesome style of teaching. Because she loves cooking she goes beyond the standard curriculum and teaches the students the how and why concerning the ingredients and procedures.

[@hdubbs9174]

Wow! She’s lovely, love her energy. You notice that she’s so passionate about her job! Love it!

[@kekedream]

She has something called Bacon Jam. She is my soul mate.

[@Pettyjutebox]

Oh, bacon jam is amazing and fairly easy to make..

[@momof2momof2]

You can buy bacon jam at Walmart in the jelly section. It's very good. You can also just make some in a crock pot

[@delphimichaels164]

Having both bacon jam and Rose Levy Beranbaum’s pineapple caramel sauce in the fridge must be amazing. Also, guarantee you homemade bacon jam by her is better than anything Walmart has.

[@Jamila-gz4ls]

I would really like to know what she does with all the pastries she prepares afterwards. The kitchen looks like she found her calling.🙂

[@delphimichaels164]

I fell in love with her. This video wasn’t nearly long enough. Her joie de vivre was infectious. As a fellow baker I swung between complete understanding and massive, massive envy. I could’ve crawled for hours just through her back room alone. Everyone she comes in contact with are lucky people whether she’s giving them food or not.

[@Katherannereese]

She is positively delightful!! Very relatable with a great smile. Yes, I also vote she should have her own show!

[@Pettyjutebox]

I love her kitchen with every fiber of my being.,

[@sabsabsab79]

This was so fun to watch!! Loved it. Thanks for sharing your kitchen!!

[@ilianadelacruz5934]

I LOVE this! I could watch so many more videos of Erin showing us all of her stuff with so much joy.

[@ymb6987]

Erin and her kitchen are magical! Love peeking inside these kitchens aka I'm here for this NYT Cooking!!

[@madcitywendy]

How fun! The creativity of the collected ingredients of the kitchen!

[@jamiestecker9701]

I'm so envious of her supplies. I need all of it in my life. I don't know where I'd put it all but I'd find a place.

[@Sarah-Sunshine95]

She’s such a joy to watch, I love seeing people genuinely enjoy what they do and share it with other people!

[@deeplydeepali]

So much stuff, kinda chaotic, yet familiar and homey...

[@LaineSterlingHale]

I'm not a baker and I hardly cook - but I absolutely LOVED, LOVED, LOVED, did I say LOVED? Loved this video. I felt like the guest that comes over for a dinner party and goes into the bathroom to snoop through the medicine cabinet. Ooops, perhaps TMI? Erin - I would be over the moon to be your neighbor. But perhaps we could call in a professional organizer to declutter?

[@cherishwit]

No need to declutter. It’s perfect. She’s amazing.

[@kathrynwitte3398]

I was right with you until the end. Then NOT. You’re the reason I wouldn’t have the guts to do what she did. She’s fun, fearless and successful. She needs or simply wants what she has or she wouldn’t have it. Be happy for her without wanting to change her.

[@mareencope8421]

If someone decluttered, how would she find anything?

[@delphimichaels164]

Declutter??? You missed the whole point of the joy in this video. 😢

[@kathrynwitte3398]

E H 1) cook for 2-3 meals daily approximately 18-20 meals per week and become a daily baker, no more than twenty baking recipes a week. Do it for a dozen years and make it your vocation. After that we will discuss your definition of “clutter”.

[@iceman9109]

I would definitely love to be her neighbor.

[@Kony-2012]

Love her! She is so fun and relatable. I’m a beginner in the kitchen and her deposition is so calming

[@debbiebuttars5598]

There are no words to describe my love for this woman! Erin, you are bright and funny and smart and just so amazing. I love everything about you. Even your beautiful collection of useful kitchen gadgets!

[@ziggy33399]

She is SOOO adorable!! This is wonderful...she collects such good and interesting things! I’m not sure 🤔 that I’d call this a hoarder as much as a selective lover of these things. I don’t know her from anywhere (she’s probably famous) but she’s certainly a bright star ⭐️ with a magnetic persona. I’ll see if she has a KZbin channel and will subscribe. Thanks for this video! Made my day. ❤️

[@gin6270]

Oh I utterly enjoyed every minute of this!

[@Alpha13Wolf]

I love Erin so much. I never leave a video of hers without a smile.

[@exceeded09]

She is such a charming and adorable person and I love her kitchen. She sparkles so much joy. It was pure fun to watch this episode.

[@LaLaLaAllDayLong]

That cookie cutter is an enchanted object.

[@musicgem2001]

Fabulous! She needs a show,

[@kaitlynbrown9930]

She is amazing and I honestly love her kitchen and her "pantry". She is so adorable and prepared. And I love how organized she is and that tiny spatula!

[@shannonfranklin8636]

She is so nice, she has such a welcoming personality I actually loved watching this video

[@Sbeth85]

"Bundts on bundts on bundts..." I'm dead. And I love her!

[@kathyforgues6994]

Oh my gosh, can I come over and play in her kitchen? Love it!

[@daniellejude7577]

Shes so cute and adorable showing around her house and her spatula

[@bridgetmcarthur155]

Erin, do not change one tiny little thing about you or your space. It is delightful!

[@veroniquefaison]

So refreshing Erin and NYT ❤

[@laurietheiw]

I didn't expect to fall in love with this gal ... but I did.

[@chrisreed26]

What a sweet, lovely lady!!! Who could not just fall in love with her the minute you meet her..or taste her cooking!!!

[@YouAgn3]

I loved every second of this, this is the kind of packed kitchen I would love if only I had the talent that Erin has. It’s fab and she herself is just lovely, she is always just down to earth with a real nice open personality. I would love to be Erins next door neighbour, with a kitchen just like hers with some of Erins talent. Her kitchen is amazing and I don’t think she is a hoarder. I have pots and pans that might be used on a few times in the year that drives my daughter nuts because she is such a minimalist. But the jobs these pans do are what makes them necessary.