where you can find the best information on countless products. Today we will be talking about kitchen mixers. Did you know that there are four types of mixers? Many are very similar to each other and are often confused with blenders, but they all have specific functions to create different delicious recipes, such as smoothies, desserts, sauces, or your baby’s food.
So do not miss this entertaining mixer buying guide, where we will tell you what they are about, which one is best suited to your needs, where to find them, and everything you need to know to choose the best on the market. Regardless of whether you want to renew your equipment or are a lover of these appliances.
The Important Things
- A blender is an appliance that has a motor of a specific power, which will rotate a blade, rod, or hook to mix, beat, chop, and grind soft or solid ingredients.
- A blender is a tool that you must have in your kitchen, since it is the basis for making many recipes that we consume daily, such as soups, creams, sauces, natural juices, etc.
- There are hand mixers, pastry mixers, glass mixers, and mixers. Each of these has a specific function, and with the help of their respective accessories, you can make millions of preparations.
The best mixers on the market
Hamilton Beach
This brand has nothing to envy its competitors, with this stand mixer, you will have a powerful 300-watt appliance, a 2.8-liter bowl whose blades reach the full length, and its head reclines for easy access.
It has 7 speeds and has an anti-splash system. If you are a busy person, you will enjoy its hands-free function.
KitchenAid
This hand mixer will come in handy for whipping eggs or cream, its size is very comfortable and light for your hand. The cable has a locking system to prevent it from becoming disconnected while in use.
Depending on the series you choose, its speed varies from 3 to 9, which will help you achieve different textures in your preparations. In addition, it has a soft start feature, no matter what speed you choose, its acceleration will be gradual to prevent the ingredients from splashing.
Braun
This immersion or arm mixer is very versatile since, unlike other models, it chops and also beats. Both its blades and accessories are removable, especially for easy cleaning or for the proper addition of ingredients.
Its main glass is 1.8 liters. This model specifically has several glass accessories that have different sizes and blades so you can keep your preparations separate.
KitchenAid
This is one of the pedestal favorites. Due to the wide variety of accessories that it includes, dough hooks and whisks, it has 10 mixing speeds and its tilting head helps you have better access either to clean it or add ingredients to your mixtures.
The mixing rods perfectly reach each axis of the bowl. It is very pleasing to the eye and will help any kitchen look cosmopolitan with its more than 20 metallic colors available.
Cuisinart
We love this immersion mixer, it stands out for being very light and having two-speed buttons that are very easy to reach with your finger and are very sensitive so you won’t have to press more than necessary and wear out your wrist.
Its power is 200 watts, however, users comment that it is quite powerful and can crush ice in a matter of seconds and with no apparent effort. It does not contain glass or containers since its shape is easy to access pots, cups, and other containers.
Read another article about Which is the best hand mixer
Buying Guide: What you need to know about a mixer
Do you like pastries? How about some freshly baked cookies, or some cupcakes fresh from the oven? To do this and more, a blender will be your best ally. You can find them in various sizes, colors, and different functions. Keep reading and discover more about this product.
What is a mixer and what advantages does it have?
A mixer is an appliance that uses a rotation mechanism that rotates different types of accessories, to mix, emulsify or fluff elements that are generally liquid or solids with liquids. It is a staple of any American kitchen. It has the advantage of helping us prepare many recipes. With a good high-speed mixer, you can beat egg whites to show off your favorite desserts, and emulsify mayonnaise at medium or slow speed to make porridge or puree.
They are often confused with the blender since this is a derivative of the mixer. But in simple words, the difference is that the first one generates juice with the food and the second one grinds them creating new textures.
[i2pc show_title=”false” title=”Pros & Cons” show_button=”false” pros_title=”Advantage” cons_title=”Disadvantages” ][i2pros]They are easy to handle
The manuals are quite affordable.
They have accessories to perform more functions
Its size is precise for any kitchen
You can make preparations quickly[/i2pros][i2cons]The pedestal ones are heavy and take up a lot of space
Reduced life of the manual type and must be held at all times while in use
It can cause a problem with the storage of accessories
Pedestals have a considerably higher value[/i2cons][/i2pc]
Hand or stand mixers – what should you pay attention to?
As we mentioned before, there are at least four types of mixers. These are the hand, for confectionery, pedestals, and glass. They are all different, however, in this buying guide, we will focus on the hand and pedestal or also known as mixers since they are the most widely used in our homes. Although some could also fall into the professional category as they are high-powered and durable.
In the manual category, there are immersion, rod, and jar blenders. You can use these to make slightly smaller and lighter preparations to make quick preparations such as puree, sauces, porridge, beat egg whites, or cream.
In general, it works for everything as long as they are rather soft ingredients. They can be easily washed thanks to their removable parts.
The pedestal ones have a larger and heavier structure but in the same way, they could professionally fulfill functions. With one of these you can beat eggs, and cream just like with a manual one, the difference is mainly that its primary function is to mix.
You can make delicious bread, cakes, and other types of dough. The mixing container can be removed as well as its accessories for better access and cleaning.
| Hand | Pedestal |
|---|---|
| Light to use | Can mix dough |
| Easy to handle | High capacity and power |
| Compact and portable size | Larger and heavier size |
| Easy to clean | Hard to clean |
| Cheap price | High price |
| Can be used with any container or bowl | It only works with the container that is part of its design |
How much does a mixer cost?
There is a wide range of manual mixer options, within reach of all budgets.
The cheapest ones have a value that starts at $200 and remembers that the more accessories you have, the price will increase, reaching up to $500. Other pedestal models start at $100 for the smaller, lower-powered models, usually without aftermarket accessories. Models with a larger capacity and more power and speeds range between $150 and $650.
Where to buy a mixer?
Remember to prefer to make your purchase online, so you can get the best products and promotions on the market. Do not forget to visit Amazon.com which has incredible offers. If this type of purchase suits you, you can also visit BestBuy, Mercado Libre, Costco, or the online store of your favorite brand. If you’re a hard-to-please user and need to see and/or try everything before you buy, we recommend visiting any Walmart or Liverpool department store. Specialized confectionery stores such as FWequipment can recommend the best mixers that specialize in this matter and for a more professional line, you can consult BathamMex.
Compare and rate the different models of mixers
Various criteria will allow you to compare all the alternatives on the market, we have wanted to group them into five main points that will help you discover which blender best suits you.
We understand that people who are not experts can get carried away by the words of a seller whose objective is to promote their brand or anyone who speaks to us from their personal opinion that may or may not be related to our requirements.
So that you can be the one who decides, as always we recommend that you be clear about your needs, for the main function you need this product and the space you have in your kitchen to locate it. The comparison factors are the following:
Speed
Many mixers have too many speeds. However, it is difficult to know when and for what preparations each one is. We have concluded, based on the opinions of our users, that a good mixer should have at least three speeds.
As long as they are well distinguished from each other. You will be able to achieve similar results to a mixer with more speeds, yes, keep in mind that the more speeds it has, the more difference in texture you will achieve in your preparations.
You can also check if it has an integrated anti-splash system, so you can keep your workspace clean and it will be easier to clean.
Comfort
The space you have in your kitchen is very important so you can choose the perfect mixer. However, most of them are small and easy to use if we talk about manual ones. Remember that you must continuously support approximately 1-2 kg, while you are using it.
As we know, mixers usually take up more space and are heavier to move to the place where we will use them. Although this will not be a problem for you if you have a lot of space to put it.
With these models, you just have to press a button and wait for the machine to do its job, without having to hold them all the time.
Accessories
Make sure that the rods of your mixer is easy to clean, it would be very convenient if they were removable and made of an anti-oxidant material.
It would also be useful to look for a blender that has other elements that will allow us to expand the range of possibilities, such as grinding blades, extra glasses, pulp separators for natural juices, etc.
The main accessories that you must have are the mixer rods and mixers. A glass or container of the size that accommodates you. In any case, the pedestal models can come with a roller for pasta, making ravioli and ice cream, sausages, grinding grains, etc.
All these accessories are additional to any mixer, if you want to have them or buy them later, you must make sure that your device is suitable for these extensions, otherwise, you will have to invest a little more money and look for a package that contains them from the beginning.
Noise
You should know that due to the constant movement of a motor, these appliances are usually quite noisy by nature.
Currently, they have a rotation system that mitigates the noise quite a bit, but if you are a little more demanding you should make sure how much noise it emits or if it has a silencer that can be attached to it.
Stability
This is very important, especially for manual mixers, since when you want to add ingredients to your mixtures or simply do something else while it is in use, you will have to support it somewhere and they generally tend to lean to one side, leaving a disaster in the kitchen
Some of the most current models are made so that you support them in the same mixing bowl and they will not move from there until you handle them again.
Pedestal models are usually the most stable since their weight is well distributed and they are made to withstand the vibration and movement caused by use. You should pay attention to the smaller models since, not being for large productions, they tend to destabilize at the time of use.
