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Blender/mixer recommendation?

homey_bird
9 years ago

Hi everyone,

I am aware of the Cooking forum here, but I frequent this forum much more and really value thoughtful responses that I have got before. So turning to you folks for advice!

I am in the market for a sturdy hand mixer. I see that there are dedicated hand mixers with double whisk set ups (sort of look like clothes irons). While browsing through various models and makes, I came across blender+mixer that come on a stick type configuration, sometimes it comes with a mixing/chopping bowl etc.

I am a new baker and am buying a mixer mainly for that purpose. I look forward to making pies and cookies and everything in-between :-) and that is what got me looking.

While on that, I noticed that a lot of stick blenders have a mixer attachment. Although blender is not a necessity to me currently, I must say that it would be helpful. At the same time, in order to get more, I do not want to settle for something that would do neither properly :-)

So -- I am back for advice. I am ok buying two separate items, but I do have a very small kitchen and would love to save space if possible.

So --
- any bakers out there who make pie crust with stick mixer? How does that work? (I am specifically asking about pie because you need to mix cold butter and flour, which I assume takes more power).

- any feedback about Cuisinart and Kitchenaid? (Costco has a Kitchenaid stick blender+mixer combo for $29.99).

- Any bakers who have tried both double whisk hand mixer and a stick blender, and what differences do you notice?

I am interested in above points, and all other experiences you want to share! Thanks in advance!!

Comments (16)

  • plllog
    9 years ago

    The first thing to remember is that all this baking can be done by hand. If you don't have the shoulder strength to do it by hand, you probably don't have the shoulder strength to do it with a hand held device. That said, both have their good uses.

    Do check out this thread in Cooking about Ann T's new immersion blender with the FP attachment.

    So, for pie crust, there are two popular ways to achieve this using a food processor. Either grate the butter in, or cut it in using the knife blade. I don't know if the food processor bowl on a stick blender like Ann's is big enough for a single crust--you could ask her. You might have to do it in two halves. Mixers aren't good for pie crust. It's really fingers, fork, pastry blender or food processor (I've done all of those).

    Cookie dough is stiff and heavy. You could probably do the initial creaming of the softened butter and sugar with either device, and add the eggs, but neither is well suited to getting in the last of the flour. A full sized KitchenAid mixer will do it. When I was a kid, we had to knead in the last of the flour by hand because my mother's old style stand mixer couldn't handle it. To manage the whole thing, you need a mixer with a paddle or similar open construction, rather than the double loop "egg beaters" on hand mixers. The powerful ones might plow through it, but it would be hard going. You can probably mix cookie dough fairly well in a full sized food processor. The little one on the stick blender wouldn't make many cookies, and the blender itself isn't suited to making cookie dough.

    Both devices should be fine for cakes and quickbreads, with the edge going to the mixer. Both should do a fine job on eggs and whipped cream, crepe batter, etc. Anything loose rather than heavy with flour.

    I think the stick blender with the food processor attachments could be extremely useful in a small kitchen, but more for cooking. than baking. You could grate frozen butter with it, too and mix it into your pie flour with your fingers (dead easy). Baking by hand you only need good wooden spoon and a fork. Or get a good stand mixer.

  • homey_bird
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    plllog, thank you. That other thread was great too. Overall, she has found that Breville does an awesome job! If nothing else, I guess I can buy Breville (although I do not feel like sinking so much money in it yet).

    Some background to clarify my needs: I am an avid cook but only started baking recently. A good friend is an awesome baker and was kind enough to do a bake session with me to teach me the basics. She has cuisinart hand mixer - the heavy kind that looks like clothes iron.

    Now, while learning, I discovered why I never baked before. The thought of all that stirring and mixing is scary and made me not take up the baking project at all. At her house, the hand mixie made that part a breeze and so I realize that if I get that part covered, then a whole new world of baking is awaiting me!

    Another aspect is that I really enjoyed pie making out of all the recipes that she taught me. I also am a fan of short crust pastries in general and was drooling at the thought of several variations I could achieve. So looks like that would be my future direction.

    So - there are no physical limitations but surely there are mental blocks in baking with hand. :-)

    Also, since I learned it with a hand mixie, it never occurred to me that food processor could be used :-) Now let me dust off my old dear FP to see whether it has dough making blade.....

    In the meantime, my search for a handy hand tool continues as Plan B.

    Thanks again, and looking forward to other awesome responses.

  • tishtoshnm Zone 6/NM
    9 years ago

    If new to baking, a think a basic hand mixer is a good start, but not the stick ones. Food processors are great for pie dough. The caveat about using power tools for things like pie crust, is the power means things happen quicker and your pie crust could get overworked before you even realize it, so it may be more beneficial to start the more finicky things by hand so you can develop a feel. A food processor is not as likely to overwork if you are doing it in pulses.

    If it is something you end up loving and doing a lot of, a Kitchen Aid stand mixer is a fabulous tool that is worth it if you will use it. I use it for cutting in butter for biscuits, pie crusts, etc because I like to make 8 pie crusts at a time, triple batches of biscuits, scones, etc.

  • plllog
    9 years ago

    Ttishtoshm is right, but if it's a choice between having a "tough" crust (just means devolped gluten, which is what you get from overworking, and it's more like empanada crust than flaky pie), if the choice is between tough and no crust at all, go for the food processor.

    You can use the regular knife. You don't have to have a dough blade. The trick is you should cut your butter first. You can dice it (I do it in a 9x9 cross section, that is, two long cuts each direction, then slice). If that sounds like too much work, use a butter slicer or dicing grid on the butter when it's just cold from the fridge, then put it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Scatter it around in the FP bowl with your flour mixture. PULSE very quickly-one poik at a time, letting the mixture rest between--about 10-12 times. Add your liquid. Pulse the same way, just enough to mix. There should be visible butter lumps.

    The alternate method would be to use the grater blade on the FP to shave frozen butter (don't do this if you're making the dough in the FP, because it'll get overworked before it's mixed). Put the bowl in the freezer for a few minutes after it's grated to firm it up a little. Then add it to your dry ingredients and just fluff them with your hands. Reach underneath with your fingers spread and lift. Repeat until well combined and it forms a ball. This is REALLY easy. Fluffing isn't work like using a pastry blender. It's just lift and drop, lift and drop, and it's hard to overwork the dough.

    You can also use your FP to make cookie dough up until the point where you add lumpy stuff like nuts or chocolate chips. A dough blade is easier but the knife will work.

    If you're going to get a hand mixer, make sure it's powerful. They're not all the same. The powerful ones are heavier, however. If you liked using your friend's Cuisinart, get that. If you're worried about the price and how much you'll use it, check eBay and garage sales. People get these as shower presents, use them once, and put them back in the box and get rid of them. Usually because they don't like cooking/baking, not any fault of the mixer.

    Since you have the FP, use it! It'll do a lot of baking tasks!

  • crl_
    9 years ago

    I have always made my pie crust by hand using a hand held pastry blender. I use it for biscuits and scones as well.

    For cookie dough I now use my kitchen aid stand mixer, but before that I used the same cheap hand held mixer I got off my target wedding registry for about fifteen years until it finally broke. My mother who makes hundreds of Christmas cookies every year used a hand held mixer for my entire childhood and beyond--she must have made thirty years worth of Christmas cookies using a hand held mixer. I remember one year she told me she was cutting back on the cookies and I estimated she had made over 500 cookies. So it's entirely possible to do so successfully. Mom's was a lot better than my cheap one, so I'm sure a better quality one would be worth a higher price tag.

  • HouseRemod
    9 years ago

    You'll get much flakier dough by cutting it by hand. A mixer mixes it too much and thus destroys the flake.

  • a2gemini
    9 years ago

    For pie dough, I use a hand pasty blender. I also do pancake batters by hand.

    I have a 20 y.o. KA hand mixer that still looks new. I used it hard for 17 years including cookies. I also would take it on road trips. So, if quality is still the same, I would recommend the KA.

    I bought a KA stand mixer on Craig's list for $75 2 years ago. It is really nice and someday I might buy a new one. Recently a friend gave me an old KA/Hobart that I might try to adjust and use as well.

    I don't have a stick blender - I keep trying to figure out when I would use the stick and haven't figured it out but a friend uses hers for smoothies. They seem awkward to hold.

    I have an old food processor. DM used it about twice and I used it a coupe of times.

    My 20 y.o. Blender was also a KA and also looks brand new - although not used as hard as the mixer.

    I upgraded to a vitamix and love it.

    Can one item do all- probably not, but the vitamix is closest. I can rough chop veggie, make a great bechumel(sp), whip up soups, create frozen treats and of course smoothies. I have not tried cookies but the book has recipes.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    Agree with HouseRemod. I've always used the two knife method. Seems to me no more time-consuming than cleaning the big KA would be.

  • homey_bird
    Original Author
    9 years ago

    Thank you everyone for awesome ideas. All those who talk of "hand pastry blender", do you mean the wired (unmotorized) contraption? I would be happy to purchase it, although initially I want to keep my experiments to motorized ones (although they may not make the best pastries...).

    Anyway -- so based on all the ideas, since I already have FP, I will try it to begin with.

    As I develop more interest, I would definitely try other gadgets like hand mixer and Kitchenaid.

    Thank you again!

  • crl_
    9 years ago

    Yes, a pastry blender is operated by hand with no motor. It's cheap, small to store and works well for pies, biscuits and scones. It's quite easy to use, IMO. Also, easy to clean. Honestly I can't imagine anything with a motor being easier overall. I suppose if you are doing huge quantities--someone mentioned something like eight pie crusts at a time above--then the motorized assist from something like a food processor might make the subsequent clean up effort worthwhile.

  • writersblock (9b/10a)
    9 years ago

    Personally, I prefer the two-knife method as faster than a pastry blender and making lighter pastry, since you cut in the fat rather than squishing it in as you do with the pastry blender. One less doodad, too.

    Just get two table knives and cut scissor-wise with them.

  • Jasdip
    9 years ago

    I make biscuits and pie crusts and bread by hand. Grating frozen butter using the box style grater is perfect, or you can cut in cold, thawed butter cut in chunks, using the curved wire pastry blender, that you use manually.

    I would really hold off on buying a Kitchen Aid mixer until you know you're going to be doing a lot of baking. They're expensive and take up room on your counter for just occasional use.

    The electric hand mixer (that looks like an iron) is all you'd need for many uses. Creaming butter and sugar in your cookie recipes, making cakes etc.

    You can use the food processor for making pie crusts, but the machine works so fast, you have to be quick not to overwork it. But even poor pastry tastes good! My pie crusts that I'm afraid aren't that great, are happily enjoyed by hubby.

  • Gracie
    9 years ago

    I prefer pie crust by hand too-- fingers, specifically. Fingers are easier for me than a pastry cutter. I use a mixture of butter and shortening and they go into the freezer for 30 minutes. Grate the butter, break the shortening into small pieces, fluff with the flour mixture, and work the flour and fat together with your fingertips into little flat pieces. Fluff again, add ice water, gather into a flattened ball, and let rest in the fridge for 30 minutes. My crust is always flaky.

    I use a hand mixer for cake batter, cookie dough, and whipped cream, but like you, pies are my favorite.

  • crl_
    9 years ago

    I guess a little experimentation might be called for in choosing a method that is best for you. I find two knives quite cumbersome, though I used that method for years as I was short on money and space for kitchen gadgets. But I eventually caved and found the pastry blender was a big step up for me in ease of cutting the fat into the flour evenly without overworking it.

  • avntgardnr
    9 years ago

    I didn't read the rest of the responses so forgive me if this is a repeat. I have a Braun hand blender that has a stick (immersion) attachment. It has several different blender paddles and also attaches to a small food processor.
    I love it - it was not expensive - if they still make the same one, or similar, I would highly recommend.
    I do not use it for cookies, brownies or pie crusts - those i mix by hand. But I use the paddles for cake batter, sometimes mashed potatoes (my father would be so ashamed of me) and the stick for pureeing soups, etc.

  • brightm
    9 years ago

    I grew up with only a hand mixer (the iron type). I had a FP for years when I was first married and since I found I was only using it to grate cheese, and was moving frequently, I finally gave it away.

    I accumulated a KA stand mixer and FP over the years since I've had a more stationary existence. When the KA is out, I use it. When it's away in the cupboard, I don't. I reach for the hand mixer. It's what I grew up with so it's STILL my first thought unless my KA is staring me in the face.

    My poor FP. I still don't do anything with it, even though it too is now out on my counter. Though, I don't think I've ever made a pie.

    I have LOTS of counter space after my kitchen reno and was sure I'd be using it a lot. I got one that has a special dough setting and of course I could do bread dough in the KA as well. Wouldn't you know I got turned on to a bread making process that is all by hand? So I have my 12qt container that I had to find storage space for.

    My advise is that if you're just starting out, get the iron type hand mixer, but get a good one (even though I'm not sure what that means). And if you must do pie crust electronically, try your FP, but give manual a go. Try them both and decide. If you're excited about baking, the trying different methods part is part of the fun!

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