The greatest hand mixers can be used to combine a wide variety of foods, including mashed potatoes, salad dressing, whipping cream, batter, dough, and even cooked chicken. How you use it, and your tastes will determine which hand mixer is best for your kitchen. In addition to the beaters, some hand mixer models also have whisks or dough hooks, making them multifunctional kitchen appliances. Others might feature chambers for the cord and attachments. For most home cooks, hand mixers work better for quick mixing and blending jobs than stand mixers since they are more convenient (and less expensive).
A hand mixer is a useful and adaptable kitchen gadget on par with a stand mixer. The best hand mixers can handle thick batters and difficult doughs almost as well as their larger cousins, but their true strength lies in a variety of quick and simple kitchen jobs like whipping cream, beating eggs, blending salads, and more.
What is a Hand Mixer?
In the modern kitchen, a portable electric mixing tool that is usually still connected to an outlet is referred to as a “hand mixer.” Two metal beaters are fastened underneath the handle at one end and are put on top of the case that houses the engine in the basic form. Usually, speed controls and a button that ejects the beaters are located on top of the handle.
Rotating, non-electric egg beaters can sometimes be called “hand mixers.” Many years ago, these were necessary cooking items. When the electric version of the homemaker was introduced in the early 1900s, most women never looked back.
Compared to non-electric rotary egg beaters, electric portable hand mixers are thought to be significantly more efficient. They take much less time and effort to mix because they have consistent power. But even today, rotary egg beaters are still accessible and very well-liked by campers and residents of isolated locations without electricity. A vintage egg beater is still in many homes and is occasionally used.
What are the Uses of Hand Mixer?
With a hand mixer, you may combine a wide variety of meals. It works well for whipping cream or eggs, combining cookie and cake batter, and preparing items like frosting and salad dressings. Whipping boiled potatoes is one of the most popular uses because it’s the quickest way to prepare mashed potatoes.
- Without question, hand mixers have established a good reputation as a necessary and useful kitchen appliance for food preparation. Even stand mixer owners might be reluctant to part with their handheld device because it makes little mixing and blending activities easier.
- But there are restrictions. Using a hand mixer can be challenging when mixing batters or meals with a heavy consistency, and it depends on how soft the meal is and how strong the mixer is. A more potent stand mixer is preferable for specific tasks (like kneading bread dough).
- Additionally, using a hand mixer to combine some items is not advised. For instance, the chips should be manually incorporated into the dough at the very end of baking chocolate chip cookies. If you do that with your electric mixer, the motor can (and soon) burn out. Nuts and various fruits are examples of additional hard substances that fit this description.
- A hand mixer can be maintained by removing the metal beaters, which can often be cleaned in a dishwasher. It is simple to store the unit because it doesn’t take up much space and can be readily cleaned. A hand mixer lasts a long time when used for the purpose for which it was intended.
Best Hand Mixer
Here are some of the best hand mixers:
KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer
Features:
- Combine ingredients at speed one for slowly stirring in chunky ingredients, speed six for mixing bread batter and creaming butter and sugar, then speed nine for whipping meringue
- Soft Start Feature gradually brings the beaters up to the selected speed to help prevent ingredients from splattering.
- Lockable Swivel Cord lets you lock the cord into either the left or right side of the mixer so you can approach ingredients from any angle. The round cord is easy to wipe clean.
- Soft Grip Handle provides comfort while mixing.
- Beater Ejector Button to easily and quickly remove any accessory from the hand mixer with a single-handed button press.61 inches power cord length
Cuisinart HM-90BCS Power Advantage Plus 9-Speed Handheld Mixer
Features:
- The Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus 9-speed hand mixer has 220 watts of power with automatic feedback, including the Smooth Start feature with 3-low mixing speeds that eliminates splattering
- One-step power switch with 9-speed LED display
- Simple on/off button, 1-touch speed control with 9-speed options, extremely easy to store away and dishwasher-safe parts
- Includes beaters, chef’s whisk, dough hooks, spatula, instruction/recipe book and Sturdy snap-on case to store mixer and accessories
- Refer to the user manual for troubleshooting steps and questions surrounding warranty policies – this product is BPA-free.
Features:
- Whether whisking cream or kneading dough, the Handy Mix Scraper detects which attachment you’re using and automatically recalibrates to the perfect speed.
- No clinging or rattling in your kitchen. The rubber Scraper Beater maximizes contact with the bowl while minimizing sound to ensure you incorporate all ingredients for more thorough mixing.
- Nine speeds plus a boost to ensure precise speed for your mixing load.
- An ergonomic handle creates a natural hand position, so mixing never feels like a chore.
- A detachable storage compartment houses all the attachments and swivel cord, so you’ll love this mixer even when it’s turned off.
- 2 Scraper Beaters. And 2 Dough Hooks. And 2 Balloon Whisks.
- Plastic external housing with chrome accents
BLACK+DECKER MX600B Helix Performance Premium 5-Speed Hand Mixer
Features:
- 2X More Beater Surface Area: Increased surface area of the beaters allows for more contact with the ingredients and complete control of mixing. 120 Volts
- This mixing set includes two helix beaters, two dough hooks, and one wire whisk.
- Reinforced Nylon Beaters: The helix beaters are made with reinforced nylon, delivering strength to handle tough mixes and durability for consistent performance.
- 5 Speeds + Turbo Boost: Find the right speed for every mixing task. Plus, you can slowly increase speed for optimal mixing consistency and to prevent messes.
Oster HeatSoft Hand Mixer
Features:
- This hand mixer softens with heat while mixing, allowing you to bake at a moment’s notice, with fluffier results than mixing with non-room temperature ingredients
- Softens butter 12x faster by using innovative HeatSoft technology to bring cold butter to room temperature quickly Compared to leaving butter out on the counter for 30 minutes
- This 270-watt mixer offers seven speeds for versatility and even gives you an extra burst of power when you need it with a one-touch boost at the touch of a button.
- The mixer is equipped with durable full-size beaters, dough hooks, and a whisk so that you can tackle various baking projects.
- The convenient one-touch beater eject lever lets you remove beaters without getting messy so they can go straight into the dishwasher.
- Beaters, dough hooks, and whisks are hand-wash only
- Comes with a convenient case for storage and portability
What to Look for When Buying a Hand Mixer?
If you’re ready to buy an electric hand mixer but need help deciding which one, consider these factors:
Price
The price range of the hand mixers on our list is approximately $18 to almost $150. You cannot doubt they spend more, and a hand mixer has more features and capabilities because it costs more. While an $18 hand mixer will work just fine for batters and doughs, if you plan to use it for other types of cooking, you might need one with greater power. Over $100, you’re probably paying more for a brand name than actual capabilities.
Uses
Hand mixers can be used for more than just blending soups and mixing cookie dough. And they can be used to mash potatoes, whip cream, and shred meat. However, you’ll need a device that can handle the duties you’ve in mind and the potential usage frequency. Cheaper hand mixers might be used sporadically or perhaps never. A higher-grade hand mixer is probably necessary if you’re a busy cook with loads of recipes to prepare.
Capabilities
The more expensive options come with extra speeds, more attachments, and other capabilities that may be useful to you even though any mixer can perform many fundamental tasks. For instance, a whisk may whip cream more quickly than a beater. If you require this for toppings or meringues, think about a hand mixer with the extra attachment. If you bake bread, dough hooks are necessary; if not, less so.
Storage
If your kitchen drawers are a little disorganized, keeping track of your beaters could be challenging. In such a scenario, a hand mixer with a built-in storage box or snap-on storage container might be your best option.
Weight
Even though most hand mixers weigh no more than two pounds, they can be challenging to control while the engine operates at full speed. Holding the hand mixer while turning it on is preferable, showing you where the machine’s weight “sits” when operating. Choose the option that feels most at ease for you.
What are the Different Types of Hand Mixers?
Here are different types of hand mixers:
Manual Egg Beater
The first-hand mixer was the hand-cranked egg beater, created in the 1850s and primarily used for (you guessed it) beating and aerating eggs. These mixers are still being made, but they are only good for mixing or whipping eggs and cannot handle anything more substantial.
Electric Hand Mixer
All-electric hand mixers are built similarly in general. A motorized set of gears in a portable enclosure that drives the beaters has a handle positioned on top. When they first appeared on the market in the 1950s, they soon supplanted their manual counterparts and have since become an essential appliance in domestic kitchens.
Cordless Hand Mixers
Although a cordless hand mixer appears to be the sexiest improvement on the hand mixer, it has some significant flaws that keep it from dominating the market. Most cordless devices cost more than the typical hand mixer while providing less power, especially when used continuously. Beater attachments are included with cordless mixers, but there aren’t many additional options.
Conclusion
Electric hand mixers, often beaters, make whisking egg whites, sugaring butter, and whipping cream faster. They are both a wise purchase for infrequent bakers and a necessity for regular bakers. Hand mixers are affordable and more accessible to store than stand mixers, and they are ideal for mixing tiny quantities when you want more precise control over them because they are less powerful than stand mixers.
Soft doughs can be kneaded with hand mixers in brief intervals. However, almost all of the models in our test had trouble incorporating flour from bowl rims. A stand mixer might be preferable for regular bread bakers because large doughs or prolonged kneading might strain the engine and compromise the gear alignment.