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Stand Mixers v. Hand Mixers
Hand mixers for kitchens are an easy and inexpensive way to cook. However, if you’re cooking or baking frequently, you’ll want to invest in a stand mixer. Another great alternative to a hand mixer is an electric hand mixer. Some of the best hand mixers in the UK are electric. They’re a fine option for those that hate using a manual mixer or a whisk, but don’t want to purchase an all-singing-all-dancing machine.
Personal preference, budget, and how often you cook or bake, will factor into whether you opt for a manual mixer or a stand mixer. We must say though, the majority of people who purchase a hand mixer soon grow out of it and purchase a stand mixer when they’ve got the extra budget for one.
In this article, we’re going to take a look at the differences between hand mixers and stand mixers, in order to help you decide which kitchen appliance is best for you and your way of life.
Hand Mixers
Hand mixers are electric. And, they have the same gear mechanism as a stand mixer. This mechanism allows the components – usually beaters – to spin and mix up your ingredients.
Hand mixers are a great step up from a manual whisk and are a game-changer when it comes to efficiency, durability and, let’s not forget, very little effort is required to use them.
Hand mixers are pretty inexpensive. They have a price range between £5 – £100. You can usually grab a decent one for around £30.
A hand mixer has speed settings between 5 and 6, and they’re very compact in design. If you have limited cupboard space, but want to upgrade your manual whisk, a hand mixer is easy to store. On all hand mixers, with a slight twist and a pull, you can remove the mixers from the main body of the appliance. This makes for exceptionally easy cleaning and allows you to store the appliance in any cupboard or drawer.
For whisking up ingredients, hand whisks are great with small loads. However, if you’re planning on mixing a lot of ingredients together at one time, or you know you’ll need the mixer switched on for a while, you may struggle. The durability of a hand mixer is incredible when compared to manual whisks, however, they don’t do so well with large quantities – they’ll overheat if used for a long time, too.
Hand mixers come with a handful of attachments so you aren’t limited to what you can use it for. Usually, you’ll find hand mixers with a paddle attachment, balloon whisk, and dough hooks.
Stand Mixers
Stand mixers are a kitchen appliance, and here at Appliance City, we’re able to offer you the best affordable stand mixers on the market.
Stand mixers in the UK are becoming increasingly popular. Many homeowners purchase a stand mixer after delving into the world of hand mixers and realising just how simple life can be with one. Once you’ve tried a hand mixer, you’ll want to upgrade to a stand mixer when it comes time to replace your old one.
Stand mixers are incredibly versatile; they come with many attachments, meaning you can make a variety of different foods with them. Stand mixer attachments typically consist of a balloon whisk, flat and/or flexi beaters, and dough hooks. But what sets them apart from the rest is that you’ll find that your stand mixer also has other settings:
- Food processor
- Blending
- Meat mincer
For example, a stand mixer with a food processor is a food processor attachment that fits onto your mixer. The mechanism that drives the mixer, operates the food processor. By switching on the stand mixer, the blades of the food processor will spin and the food within the processor will blend.
A stand mixer starts from around £80 and can go up as high as £500. The cost for this appliance is affected by the added extras that you want from it – not forgetting the brand name and how much the appliance costs to manufacture.
Stand mixers usually have double the number of settings to that of a hand mixer, but they are a lot larger. Even a small stand mixer is much larger than a hand mixer. Stand mixers can be difficult to store. They won’t fit in standard cupboard drawers. To store a stand mixer you’ll need to have a cupboard with large distances between each shelf, or you’ll need to keep it out on your kitchen counter.
Do stand mixers make better cakes?
A poor outcome from making a cake usually comes down to human error. Now, we’re not saying that you’re doing it wrong or using the incorrect ingredients. You could have followed the recipe exactly, but somehow it’s not come out of the oven quite right. This is largely to do with the method of your stirring or the utensil that you use to mix the mixture together.
When making a cake, you need to be extremely careful with how fast you stir the ingredients together. A stand mixer takes all the pressure off you. You can set your stand mixer to the exact speed specified in the recipe. A stand mixer will also come with a flat beater which is the perfect attachment for mixing cake batter.
What’s more, with a stand mixer, you can switch the mixer on and get on with prepping your other ingredients or tidying your work surface for the next part of the recipe.
Can a hand mixer be used instead of a stand mixer?
You can use a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer for a lot of food preparation however, as mentioned above, you won’t get the same outcome. Hand mixers have limited ability for changing the speed and come with fewer attachments. You also need to hold and move the hand mixer while it’s on, meaning you can’t do anything else until you’ve finished with it – not to mention the arm ache!
Which is better, stand mixer or hand mixer?
Both appliances have their pros and cons. Do you go for a cheaper price or a machine that can do it all? If you’re an avid baker, chef, or just like to make up yummy concoctions every evening, a stand mixer is definitely the better option.
If you only need a mixer to bake a cake for your aunt’s uncle’s cousin, a hand mixer is the better option. It’s simple and inexpensive.
That being said, the majority of people who use a hand mixer eventually move on to a stand mixer due to its versatility – need we say more?
