Do you know what’s most annoying and messy work in the kitchen? If you’re a housewife, you’ll definitely say, “mixing dough!”, and why not? It needs to be perfectly battered and beat, so that you’re loved ones get the best nutrients without their bellies being affected.
So, you need a high-quality hand mixer to take care of this job and take care of your family’s health as well. But the real question is, “Can ordinary hand mixer do the job as effectively as you want?” Well, may be!
6 Pro Tips to Purchase a Hand Mixer
If you’re in a fix, just like most people, this post contains top tips to purchase a hand mixer, given by industry’s experts. Here they are:
1. Identify Your Needs
You don’t necessarily have to buy a big machine that can beat the hardest of the doughs. Look at your own preferences. If you’re a housewife, you’d do away with an electric hand mixer that can run within the range of 5 to 7 speeds. Having mentioned that, there are some good models that offer 9-speeds.
2. Look in to the Design Features
And that’s before considering any other feature. You might fall for color or sleek structure at first, but the real problem starts when you start to use the hand mixer in the kitchen. The best hand mixer should have following design attributes:
- It must have rounded shape with easy-to-reach buttons
- It must have slanted handle that should also offer comfortable grip. Slanted handle makes your mixing and beating much easier than straight handles, because you don’t have to point your elbow in line of your shoulder right above the handle.
- The hand mixer should be lightweight
- The placement of buttons should be such that you can on/off or switch speeds with just the movement of the thumb – practically with one hand.
3. Take a Look at the Construction
Next best thing in the electric hand mixer is construction. They are plenty of materials available in the market and each has its own effectiveness, such as plastic and stainless steel. While comfort and feel is one important thing, performance is another factor in choosing the best hand mixer.
- Stainless steel makes your machine a lot more durable, but it can heat up quickly on top speeds.
- On the other hand, plastic material absorbs the motor heating, but the hand mixer tends to vibrate more and cause discomfort while mixing.
4. Consider Speeds
The more speeds you’ll get the better it is, for the hand mixer sounds more efficient and multi-functional. Besides top speeds, there is a zero speed option that gives you smooth and trouble-free start. Then there is a QuickBurst feature to shift to higher speeds rapidly.
- With higher speed options, you can do many mixing tasks with a single device, such as beating dough, mixing ingredients, whipping a cream or egg yolk etc.
- Number of speeds may also indicate the motor power. Normally, an electric hand mixer with 250+ watt motor is a good choice for kitchen work.
5. Look for Accessories
Hand mixer these days come with all kinds of accessories, such as wired beaters, curved beaters, whisks, dough hook and more. While more attachments give you more options, it is more important to see the material. Moreover, price and availability of accessories is another factor you need to think about.
- A hand mixer with stainless steel beaters and whisks is considered a good option.
- Nowadays, some hand mixers also feature a snap-on case for storing these attachments in one place.
6. Consider Convenience
While electric hand mixers are the most sophisticated gadgets around, you may want to dig deeper into more convenient options. So, note whether you’re the hand mixer you’ve picked up has these things on offer:
- Support at the bottom to rest the hand mixer at the edge of the bowl, for smoother, easier mixing,
- Single-press accessory detachment for easy cleaning,
- Tangle-free cord for better reach,
- Manufacturer’s warranty, and more
Conclusion
There is a wide range of hand mixers available in the market but not all of them are the same.
- You need to compare the features and benefits with your preferences.
- Consider the price factor and get the right hand mixer for your kitchen.
- Keep reading our posts and update yourself with the latest hand mixers in the market.