Hand mixer | What it is and what it is used for

Discovering a small appliance ideal for small tasks

Summary

.Hand mixer | What it is and what it is used for
.What are the features of a hand mixer
.What is a manual mixer for
.How to use a hand mixer
.What is the price of a manual mixer
.Where to buy a hand mixer

A hand mixer is a small tool used in the kitchen whose purpose is to mix, blend, beat, and knead two or more ingredients to create various recipes ranging from simple desserts to somewhat more elaborate condiments.

This handy tool is very convenient to have on hand, as it replaces arm strength in a variety of repetitive and time-consuming tasks-just think of when you need to beat eggs or whip butter with sugar to make the cake batter.

A hand mixer performs all the rotary motions you would do with your arms, but more efficiently and in less time, thanks to the support of a motor powered by electricity.

What are the features of a hand mixer?

After a quick overview of what a hand mixer is, let’s go into a little more detail.

As previously mentioned, a manual mixer is a device that uses the rotation of several attachments, called “whisks,” to combine several ingredients to make a smooth, homogeneous mixture.

To do this, a mixer consists of a small plastic housing containing a motor, a handle mounted on top of this housing, and two whisks that fit into two holes located on the bottom of the blender.

Usually above the handle are buttons for speed control, an on/off button, and a quick-release button for separating the accessories from the machine.

What is described here refers to a modern electric mixer, which differs from the manual mixers of the past both in its ability to make effective use of electricity and in its state-of-the-art features and functions.

At one time, a manual mixer consisted of mechanical gears, where instead of a simple speed button there was a hand crank that had to be turned by hand.

As time went on, around the mid-1990s, the first electric hand mixer appeared on the market, which was very simple and lacked the technology available in today’s units.

Today’s electric hand mixers are equipped with a range of features that allow a whole range of small preparations to be done effortlessly and with excellent results.

What is a manual mixer for?

An electric hand mixer can be used for a multitude of purposes, and no other small appliance with similar functions, such as a food processor or immersion blender, can beat eggs and whip egg whites to stiff peaks like this small appliance.

Great for small jobs, a hand mixer can quickly whip cream for cake toppings, make light and fluffy batters, whip butter and sugar, whip milk, and more.

The rotary action of its whisks allows it to insufflate air into doughs, making them soft and fluffy; think sponge cake or meringue.

An electric mixer is also ideal for making sauces to use as a side dish to savory foods: mayonnaise or guacamole are no secret to this nimble kitchen tool.

Some high-end hand-held mixers are even capable of shredding chicken or making great dough for pizza or bread, as long as it is in small batches.

If you have to make homemade bread for yourself and your family with a high-end mixer, you will be surprised at the results.

Everything, however, has a limit; even a high-end hand mixer is not powerful enough to handle large batches of dough, overly dense batters, and tough ingredients.

That’s where the food processor comes in, which, although larger, bulkier, and less practical to use than a mixer, is king when it comes to handling all those heavy tasks where a lot of power and stamina are needed for long periods of mixing time.

When it comes to making icings, light batters, and other doughs in small quantities, a hand mixer is all that matters.

To date, there are many models of hand mixers with a wide variety of features: some are better suited for certain purposes, while others are perfect for other mixing needs.

To find out which manual mixer is ideal for your specific needs, I refer you to my article in which I elaborate on The best hand mixers of 2022.

How to use a hand mixer?

Using a hand mixer correctly is not complicated, although you need to pay attention to a few precautions that will allow you to use it without making a mess, and without ruining the recipe you want to prepare.

Step 1: Choose and connect the appropriate accessory

The first point to consider when you want to use a manual mixer is to choose the accessory best suited to the purpose for which you want to use the machine.

For example, if you want to whip egg whites to stiff peaks, you would choose the whisk; if you want to make light bread dough, you would insert the dough hooks into the two holes at the base of the manual mixer.

Also at this stage, make sure the mixer is unplugged and set to the lowest speed.

Step 2: Gently insert the whips into the bowl

First, connect the power cord of the mixer to the electrical outlet, then insert the whips into the bowl so that they are in contact with the ingredients you intend to whip.

At this stage, be careful not to push them against the bottom of the bowl, to prevent them from spilling the bowl onto the work surface.

Step 3: Turn on the blender and gradually increase the speed

Turn the hand mixer on using the on/off button, if your mixer has one, or use the speed dial, which, as I mentioned in Step 1, should be idle when you turn it on.

Now, gradually increase the speed, through the speed dial, to the desired level best suited to what you are blending (read carefully the recipe you want to prepare to know what speed to use).

Step 4: Reduce the speed at the end of mixing

Before disconnecting the hand mixer from the power outlet, gradually lower the speed to the minimum setting and press the on/off button to turn off the unit, if any.

Step 5: Disconnect the mixer

Unplug the mixer from the power outlet and only then, you can proceed to disconnect the accessories by pressing the release button (usually located above or below the handle).

Step 6: Clean the mixer and accessories

This part is critical because it directly affects the life of the mixer.

Once you have unhooked the accessories from the mixer housing, wash them thoroughly by immersing them in a bowl of warm soapy water.

Alternatively, you can put the accessories in the dishwasher if the manufacturer allows it (read the instruction booklet).

As for the actual mixer, use a damp cloth to clean the entire exterior, making sure that no water drops fall into it.

Step 7: Store the mixer and accessories in an ideal place

The last step is to carefully store the mixer and accessories in a safe place.

Some hand mixers, such as the Breville Handy Mix Scraper Hand Mixer and the Cuisinart HM-90S hand mixer, come with a handy snap-on case that fits snugly around the base of the mixer and contains all the accessories and power cord.

Other hand mixers, such as the Braun MultiMix Hand Mixer, come with a felt bag for easy storage of accessories.

Note: When using a hand mixer to incorporate two ingredients such as eggs and flour, some of the mixtures may remain along the edges of the bowl.

In this case, it is ideal to have a spatula and move the ingredients toward the center so that they come into contact with the movement of the whisk and mix properly.

What is the price of a manual mixer?

Hand mixers are relatively cheap kitchen items, certainly less expensive than stand mixers or food processors.

This is due to both their function, mixing and blending simple ingredients, and their elementary design.

Based on price, manual mixers are divided into low-end, medium-end, or high-end blenders.

Low-end: Low-end hand mixers are the cheapest and have a sparse design of buttons and levers. They are ideal for occasional use and are priced at about $20–$30.

Mid-range: mid-range mixers are the most popular because they do the most common jobs well (beating eggs, mixing light batters) and are priced between $50 and $90.

High-end: high-end models usually have a sleek design with an ergonomic handle, and offer excellent mixing performance even when it comes to kneading thicker mixtures. They are priced at more than $100.

Where to buy a hand mixer?

Hand mixers are sold almost everywhere. Whether it’s a physical store that specializes in the small appliance trade or online e-commerce, you are spoiled for choice.

My suggestion is to turn to e-commerce of the caliber of Amazon, which has a large catalog of manual mixers at all prices.

Also, if you have problems with the product you buy, Amazon provides you with the support of its customer service, which is one of the best in the industry.

The advantages of having a manual mixer are enormous, however, the ‘wide selection that Amazon puts in front of you, can be disorienting and not a little.

To avoid being faced with a huge amount of research, and figure out in a few minutes which mixer is best for your situation, I have listed and described practically the Best hand mixers in 2022, which you can easily find on Amazon without wasting hours and hours.