How to choose a quality stand mixer: tips for choosing, customer reviews. Choosing a good mixer for home

Good afternoon dear readers. Perhaps in the kitchen for cooking fluffy dough does not exist the best device than a mixer. It is he who allows you to beat the dough and make great pies. We will talk with you today about how to choose a mixer. There are currently many various options similar kitchen equipment. best mixer capable of whipping almost any product. It has wide functionality and excellent power.

To begin with, it is worth talking about the types of devices, they are divided into manual and stationary, as well as planetary. Each of which are good in their own way, let's look at each of the options in more detail.

Generally speaking, stationary version it costs a little more, as it involves minimal human participation in the process of beating products. The most popular mixers of this group allow you to start the process with one keystroke. Perfect solution for any home and by the way, the severity of the device can also be attributed to positive characteristics, because it does not have to be held in your hands, and large dimensions and weight make it more stable. In any case, a person will have to hold a manual and inexpensive model in his hands in the process of doing the work.

pros

1. You can turn on one of the modes and he will do everything
2. More qualitatively knocks down and mixes products
3. Better at mixing dough

Minuses

1. They are more expensive
2. Bulky, you will need to allocate space for it in the kitchen

Manual

In this type of mixer, the engine is located inside the device itself. This is where the mass can play a cruel joke. It is when choosing a manual unit that you should monitor the weight, because comfort at work will directly depend on this. Well, on the other hand, they are much more comfortable to use, because you can beat on weight at any angle convenient for you, and it is also easier to wash them. The only thing is that due to the low power, you have to make small rotational movements for better mixing.

pros

1. Small size, does not take up much space in the kitchen
2. You can beat them with products in almost any container

Minuses

1. Harder to cope with the test
2. The quality of churning and mixing is weaker than in stationary

Planetary

It is worth talking a little about such a variety of a stationary cool mixer as a planetary one. Here there is not only rotation of the working body around its axis, but also around the bowl. This model in physics is called planetary and hence the name of the device. It is these models that are considered the best today, but not every housewife can afford it due to the high cost.

pros

1. Highly high quality mixing of any products
2. More nozzles
3. They are more powerful than manual and conventional stationary

Minuses

1. Cost, they are the most expensive of all the options above
2. Large dimensions

Specifications

There are many mixers on the market. different forms and operating principles. However, they can still radically differ in technical characteristics, they are also worth paying attention to when buying.

Power

Now let's take a closer look at the topic. specifications modern popular mixers. The most important parameter is power and it is worth starting with it. All mixers that exist in the industry are divided into two large classes - domestic and professional. The former are mainly used in private households, while the latter are used in enterprises. Typically, the power of a household unit is approximately 150 - 300 watts. This is quite enough to beat the dough, prepare mashed potatoes and whip cream. After all, the more power, the more products we can put in the bowl. For example, a 250 watt model. can mix dough weighing up to 0.5-0.6 kg. Of course, you can buy a more powerful unit, but it will be a waste of space. Money. We were talking about manual models, which today are the most widespread. As for stationary inexpensive devices, they most often have higher capacities. Here, this parameter varies from 300 to 700 watts. This is enough even to beat a thick yeast dough.

Continuous work

Each device of this type has a certain operating interval during which it can work without stopping. Most modern models can run for approximately 5 minutes without stopping. This is not always enough, so be sure to read the mixer forum before buying to find out which particular model can beat the dough for at least 10 minutes. The cheapest mixers run continuously for only about 3 minutes. This is not always enough to complete the entire amount of work that is intended for them.

Rotational speed

One of the most important features this type of device is the rotation speed. It can be constant, or it can change and be regulated. The best mixer always has the ability to switch speeds in steps. Most often, the regulator is located on the handle of the device. It can be made in the form of buttons, or it can be adjusted by rotating a special variator. Some devices can have up to 16 speeds. People believe that the more, the better. Professionals recommend using models equipped with 5 speeds, as they believe that this is quite enough to fully meet the needs. Switching this parameter too often may cause it to break in the near future.

Smooth start

Such a gentle mode in the mixer, as smooth start, will allow long years keep the engine of the device safe and sound. Some people mistakenly first lower the working body into the dishes, and then only launch it and this wrong decision. At this point, the engine begins to experience excessive loads, which can cause it to fail very soon.

Turbo mode

Some popular models are equipped with a turbo mode of operation. The main purpose of this option is to increase top speed rotation of the nozzle if the process of mixing thick dough is too difficult. Lumps can also be eliminated using this option. It is especially good for a hand mixer. The fact is that it can be sent almost anywhere in the dish to remove all lumps and other shortcomings of the dough. However, you should always remember that this mode adversely affects the operation of the equipment, so it should only be used for short periods of time.

Body and bowl materials

Basically, all mixers are made from food-safe plastic, and more expensive stainless steel alloys, which is definitely better. Of course, plastic models are less durable, but they manage to work out their entire resource. Although in cheap devices it is more often used for moving parts not metal but plastic, and it is clear that plastic gears deform much faster. So, if the case is made of plastic, this is not a problem, but the moving parts must definitely be made of metal. The same is the case with the bowl, it is better to give preference to models made of stainless steel, it is harmless, unlike plastic ones, and if you drop it, it will not break like glass.

Equipment

It is also worth paying attention to. All modern models mixers must be equipped with whisks and hooks. The former are used for whipping and mixing light products and mixtures, while the latter are used for whipping heavy yeast and shortcrust pastry. Always look at the body of the device. It must be made from quality materials. The metal in this series stands out very well, thanks to its excellent performance characteristics. When a person buys a stationary mixer, he should pay attention to the volume of the bowl. It must fully meet the needs of all family members.

A stationary mixer is good because it does all the work itself, it is more powerful than a manual one, it has higher productivity, speed and quality of the resulting mixture. Due to the high intensity of grinding, the mixture is more homogeneous. But it cannot change the consistency of the mixture and does not allow mixing only upper layer dough or tilt the bowl to collect lumps from its walls. In addition, the device is not so convenient to wash, because you also have to clean the bowl. Finally, a stand mixer takes up a lot of cabinet space.

The volume of ingredients for mixing in stationary mixers is limited by the volume of the bowl, and with a hand mixer you can mix a lot of dough at once or whip the cream for several cakes in one bowl.

Power

The speed of the mixer depends on its power. Conventional hand mixers are available in power ranges from 85 to 700 watts. For frequent home use 200 - 400 W models are recommended, more powerful modifications are intended for bakeries, cafes or for those who often work with dense dough, for example, bake homemade bread.

Stand mixers on the market have maximum power reaches 1200 watts. In this model, you can quickly mix almost any product without lumps.

Manufacturing materials

The most common material for making a stand mixer bowl is plastic. These bowls are light, cheap, and fairly durable, but can absorb and retain odors.

Worthy alternative- metal, bowls from which are easy to clean, disinfect, resistant to scratches and remain flawless for many years. But they are heavier and significantly increase the price of the mixer.

Glass bowls have all the basic advantages of metal bowls, but are quite fragile and can break, and replacements can sometimes be difficult or impossible to find.

Depending on which version of the kitchen mixer you chose (manual, stationary or planetary), the criteria for choosing a particular model are also determined. So, a hand mixer should not be too heavy, the gearshift lever should be pliable. Dimensions of stationary, and especially massive planetary mixer it is worth choosing a place for the place available in the kitchen - it is inconvenient to get it out of the closet every time.

Which mixer is better to choose?

When choosing a mixer, you need to pay attention to the manufacturer, materials, number of functions and attachments, check the quality of work.

• It's better to stop at brands with a good reputation. The mixer contains many rotating parts, gears, electric motor. Poor assembly and poor quality of components can lead to the fact that a device that normally works “idle” in a store refuses to knead tough dough (for which it was actually purchased) or “burns out” during operation.
• Worth to prefer attachments and mixer bowl of stainless steel (a cheaper option is a plastic bowl). They can be washed by any means, including dishwasher, they are durable and do not emit harmful substances into food.
• Additional functions help to save, for example, on the purchase of a blender.
• The device must be checked for marriage at idle. It is possible that the nozzles cling to the mixer bowl and to each other, the mode switch is stuck, or the bowl refuses to turn, although it should. All this can be established only empirically for a particular product.

And we will consider the most successful models of 2016 in our ranking of the best mixers.

Many believe that such a device is a relic of the past. Why think about how to choose a mixer when you can buy a blender or even food processor. Meanwhile, the mixer is a great helper in the kitchen, which is capable of whipping the dough for pancakes or waffles, and mashing fruits for the baby. Not everyone can afford to buy a harvester. And an inexpensive mixer is able to cope with some of the functions of an expensive unit. And if these features are just what you need, you can go to the store for a mixer.

Most often, the choice of a mixer depends on personal preferences.

What is the difference between a mixer and a blender

They call it a mixer kitchen appliance, designed for mixing and whipping the ingredients of the dish. It works much slower than blender, and unlike blender, it does not contain sharp knives. Working for high speeds, the blender grinds the components of the dish, bringing it to a state of homogeneous mass.

Which mixer to choose for the home: varieties of the device

The hand mixer is convenient, practical and compact, but you should not leave children unattended with it

On sale there are stationary and manual mixers. They differ in the way they work. Hand mixers can work for several minutes and must be held in hand during the entire process. The stationary mixer is equipped with a bowl that stands on a special stand. It holds the mixer, so you do not need to hold it with your hands during operation.

Which mixer is better to choose? It all depends on your personal preferences. If with a hand mixer you only have to wash the beaters, then in a stationary mixer you will also have to wash the bowl. Hand mixers are smaller than stationary mixers, they have less power. But mixers with a bowl have an advantage. While something is being whipped in a stationary mixer, you can do other things - your hands are free.

• bowl capacity

If you opted for a stand mixer, the volume of the bowl will be important for you. The total capacity is quite large - up to 2.5 liters. But the amount of food that can be whipped in this bowl is much less. The bowl is made large to prevent splashing of products. Release different models bowl mixers. There are those in which both the bowl and whisks rotate. This allows you to better whip the products or mix them.

• Mixer power

This parameter is decisive. The greater the power of the mixer, the faster the products will be whipped or mixed. Power determines the speed of rotation of the nozzles of the device. Hand mixers have a power of 150 to 350 watts, but there are also mixers with 400 watts. Standard Features the power of mixers with a bowl is from 200 to 350 W, but there are models for 400 W, for 700 W.

• Mixer set

The Bosch mixer is equipped with a variety of attachments designed to work with different substances.

Typically, a set of nozzles includes whisks (special nozzles designed for whipping) and nozzles for kneading dough. The shape of the nozzles for most mixers is the same, the principle of operation is also standard. Nozzles differ only in the quality of fasteners, the material from which they are made. Often models of hand mixers are supplemented with a special nozzle for puree. This attachment is used to make mashed potatoes.

Of the additional nozzles, a sieve and a blender nozzle are very convenient. They are designed for preparing various purees from fresh fruits and vegetables. For example, you can chop tomatoes to make a homemade sauce or make a fruit and berry puree for your child.

Some manufacturers include a universal chopper in the set of nozzles. It is suitable for grinding products - a small amount of meat, nuts, greens. Another attachment for a hand blender is an electric knife, which is convenient for cutting sausage, bread, and cheese.

Choosing the right mixer: additional functions of the device

• Turbo

Some models have a special mode that increases the speed of rotation of the nozzles. Turbo mode can be turned on for a matter of seconds, since there is a risk of overheating of the motor during prolonged operation. Thanks to the "turbo" mode, you can quickly get rid of lumps in the cooked dough.

• Speeds

As a rule, mixers operate at 3-5 speeds, but there are models with 12 speeds. Many manufacturers place pictures next to the gearshift knob, by which you can understand for which products given speed used.

• Pulse

A stationary mixer is preferable from a safety point of view, but it takes more space and consumes more electricity

Pulse mode is offered by almost all mixer manufacturers. The "pulse" button allows you to increase the speed of rotation of the nozzles. The more you press this button, the faster the rotation speed will be.

• Protection

It is great if the mixer you choose has protection against overheating or clogging. When overloaded, the protection system turns off the motor.

• Additional sets

Measuring cups, mixing paddles, various mixer cleaning tools will facilitate your work with the device. But they should only be used for their intended purpose. Whisk attachments are used for kneading liquid dough, and dough mixers are used for dough medium density. Please note that they cannot be used for tough dough, the mixer may fail. The mash knife should not be used to grind hard vegetables (such as a raw potato or apple), but is great for making creamy, curd or tomato sauces.

Mixers make almost everything well-known firms that supply the market household appliances. Avoid fakes and products from Chinese manufacturers. Bosch, Moulinex, Vitek mixers showed themselves well.