You don’t need a bakery’s worth of gear to make great donuts at home. After testing our recipes the scrappy way and the fancy way, here’s the honest list: what’s worth buying, what’s nice to have, and what you can skip.
Quick answer: for baked donuts you need a donut pan and a piping bag. For fried yeast donuts you need a heavy pot, a thermometer, and a round cutter. Everything else is optional.
If you bake your donuts
1. A donut pan (must-have)
A nonstick 6-cavity pan makes standard donuts; a 12-cavity mini pan makes bite-size ones. Two pans halve your bake time. Grease them even if they’re nonstick, since cake batter loves to grab the center post.
2. A piping bag or zip-top bag (must-have)
Spooning batter into a ring mold is messy and uneven. Fill a bag, snip the corner, and pipe each cavity about two-thirds full. Uneven filling is the #1 reason baked donuts come out lopsided.
3. Cooling rack (nice to have)
Donuts steam on a plate and go soggy on the bottom. A wire rack keeps them crisp and gives the glaze somewhere to drip.
If you fry your donuts
1. A heavy pot or Dutch oven (must-have)
Heavy cast iron or enameled steel holds oil temperature steady when cold dough goes in. A thin pot swings 30°F or more, which gives you greasy donuts.
2. A deep-fry / candy thermometer (must-have)
This is the one tool that separates good fried donuts from bad ones. Hold the oil at 350–365°F. Too cool and the dough soaks up oil; too hot and the outside browns before the center cooks.
3. Round cutters or a donut cutter (must-have)
A 3-inch round plus a 1-inch round for the hole works perfectly. In a pinch, use a drinking glass and a bottle cap (flour them first).
4. Spider strainer or slotted spoon (must-have)
For flipping and lifting donuts out of the oil without piercing them.
5. Stand mixer (nice to have)
Yeast dough is soft and sticky. A mixer with a dough hook makes kneading easy, but you can do it by hand in about 8–10 minutes.
Tools you can skip
- Electric donut makers: fun, but they make small, pale, cake-y rings. A $15 pan does better.
- Countertop deep fryers: worth it only if you fry often. A heavy pot plus a thermometer works just as well.
- Specialty glazing racks: a cooling rack over a sheet pan does the same job.
Our starter kit, by budget
- Under $25: nonstick donut pan + piping bags → start with baked mini donuts.
- Under $60: add a thermometer and a cutter set → try classic glazed donuts.
- All in: Dutch oven, stand mixer, two pans → you can make anything on this site.
FAQ
Can I make donuts without a donut pan?
Yes. Fry them, or bake the batter in a muffin tin for “donut muffins.” You’ll lose the hole, but you’ll keep the flavor.
What oil is best for frying donuts?
A neutral oil with a high smoke point: canola, vegetable, or peanut (if no one has an allergy). You’ll need about 2 inches of oil in the pot.
Silicone or metal donut pan?
Metal browns better and gives a more classic look. Silicone releases easily but makes paler donuts. Set it on a sheet pan so it doesn’t wobble.