Pastry brushes

The flatter brushes which look like miniature decorator's brushes, are the best for large surfaces, while the rounder shape is okay for brushing round rims of pastry.

Don't ever put pastry brushes in the dishwahser - the collect nasty bits of grit. Just wash them in warm, running water and a little washing-up liquid and rinse them thoroughtly.

These are also useful for brushing away crumbs when you want to deal with toppings and icings.