I just finished my first semester of pastry school. Here are the 2 tools under $10 that have changed the way I bake.

• I just completed my first semester of a two-year pastry program, and I'm learning a lot.
• My baking improved the most when I had access to a kitchen scale and an offset spatula.

I just completed my first semester of a two-year pastry-school program.

Of all the things I've learned so far, what really stuck out to me wasn't a flashy skill but rather how game-changing having access to the right equipment can be.

More than anything, using a kitchen scale and offset spatula has made me a better baker.

Professional chefs measure things by mass with a kitchen scale

Ingredients can be measured in a few different ways, but the first thing I learned in school is that professional chefs weigh ingredients by mass using a scale.

Despite its popularity with home bakers, volumetric measuring doesn't account for variance in tool shapes or ingredient textures. Two different tablespoons can hold different amounts of salt depending on their shape and depth.

This might not seem like a big deal, but it can have a detrimental effect on the final product since baking recipes are really just formulas.

Measuring ingredients by mass is more accurate. Most kitchen scales can report in a few different units, but it's most common for bakers to work in ounces or grams.

My baking has improved so much since I swapped out my measuring cups for a scale, especially when I make bread.

When I measured ingredients by volume, the end result was invariably rock-hard and dense. Now I tend to my active sourdough starter with decimal-place precision, which results in tangy, chewy loaves every time.

The offset spatula is a baker's Swiss Army knife

The sheer beauty of the offset spatula is its utilitarian nature. A butter knife, rubber spatula, pastry bag, or spoon could do some of the things an offset can — but none of them can do it all.

This tool is typically used to spread and smooth icing or glazes into a sleek layer on baked goods, saving hours of work on what may seem like a simple task. I really don't know how I ever iced cakes without one.

Offset spatulas can also smooth cake batter into one flat surface before baking, which prevents it from forming unseemly dome tops that create more work.

They're also great for spreading layers of filling onto rolled dough, like cinnamon buns or babka, which helps every piece feel like a perfect bite and reduces spillage in the oven.

Though the offset can do more than smooth things over.

Thin ones with rounded edges can adeptly slide fresh cakes out of pans and can work in place of a conventional spatula in a pinch.

Overall, you don't need fancy equipment to make fancy things

Even though these two tools aren't the only items I regularly use at school, they're the most useful to me.

My scale cost about $10 on Amazon, and I bought my offset spatula from a restaurant supply store for about $8.

Considering how often I use these tools, their cost has felt negligible. For less than $20, I laid a rock-solid foundation for my pastry career.