Monday, September 29, 2008

Hand held Mixer or Stand Mixer, Which One Do You Need

By Gene Logan

Do you absolutely love being in the kitchen and cooking food from scratch? If so, then you might want to invest in either a hand held or stand mixers to add to your appliances. The decision in which you would like to purchase can be tedious if you do not know what to look for. You do however need to know the difference between a the two since they are not the same at all. Learning the difference only takes a few short minutes.

Some might also confuse a blender and a mixer as two in the same. They are not, this is as well a completely different kitchen appliance. A blender has three to four sharp blades inside of a glass or heavy plastic pitcher. This allows the food to be chopped, pureed, liquefied or even blended. A mixer on the other hand has no blades and using only mixing tools to mix food and drinks

Hand held mixers are used more in kitchens that are small and have little counter space. They are also much cheaper than the stand mixers, which makes that a definite plus for those who are on a budget. Uses usually have to do with beating cake mixes, eggs or even mixing mash potatoes. Although they can perform many tasks, stand mixers perform much more.

Hand held mixers are also available at most available retail store in the appliance section. They come in many different colors and can either be battery operated or electric. They also usually have three set speeds, low, medium and high with no confusion for use in the kitchen. They also either come with one or two mixing tools that are always detachable and easy to clean.

Hand held mixers do however have limited use compared to stand mixers. If you are one who just wants to get in and out of the kitchen, a hand held is for you. There is really no mess when it comes to using a hand held either. All you do is pop off the mixing tools and put the rest away. You can also choose from using any size bowl from just your average cereal bowl to a huge mixing bowl when using hand held mixer. This gives the user more control and a lot less mess.

Stand up mixers on the other hand are for those who have a lot of counter space to part with. They are also much more expensive and could set you back a few hundred dollars. However those who do choose to go with this mixer use it as if it were part of the family. Most do come with two mixing bowls as well as two mixing tools one of which is usually a dough hook for preparing dough.

They also have many different speeds from 1 to 15 to use with many different variations of mixing. Older ones either have a push button or a dial to control the speed, however the newer ones such as Kitchen Aid come with a digital pad for mush easier use as well as control. You can even set a specific time on the newer ones so you do not have to stay in the kitchen the entire time waiting for the mix to be finished.

The Kitchen Aaid brand comes with a 5 quart bowl or 3 quart depending on which you choose. It also comes with a mix tool and a dough hook. Other accessories that are available for the stand up are for making sausages, pasta and even juice. No more white only either, a colorful array of many beautiful colors are yours for the choosing when purchasing. You can even go with the 60's style stainless steel look if that is your kitchen decor.

Large department stores as well as online stores are the best place to find stand mixers, you will not find them in every retail store. Buying a new appliance should be like buying a new car. You should always do your research on exactly what kind of hand held or stand mixer you want to purchase. You should always compare prices as well as brands to get the one that will benefit you in your kitchen while you cook. They are an investment for avid cookers, be selective in the one you choose.

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