Hand Mixing vs Mixer: Is It Worth It?

[Angela]

I've never had a mixer. We're usually on a tight budget and I've just never picked one up. I always just blend by hand with a egg beater or a spoon.
They're on sale here this week and I wondered if it's worth it. Do they make a difference in the taste or is it just they are quicker? I've done a lot recipes by hand and never had a problem but it seems so common for most people who bake I was curious.

 

[Lady350]

I have owned hand mixers and have always wanted the really expensive kind seen on TV shows. I brought a cheap version of one and love it.

 

[loraanna]

I think it makes a big difference.Your batter's will be lighter and if your making pies with meringues they make all the
difference in the world.They are also good for frosting. So if you can get one for a good price I would recommend it. I paid $40.00
for mine a few years ago and it still works great.

 

[Tina Nord]

I have never owned a stand up mixer, and don't think I am missing out on much. I love my hand mixer and use it all of the time. I paid less than $50.00 for it and it has lasted me for years. I like being able to manipulate my food with a hand mixer that you just can't do with a stand up...not to mention you have to find a home for the stand up mixer in the kitchen!

 

[forextraspecialstuff]

I have a Kitchen Aid standing mixer and hand mixer. I would not recommend the standing mixer, I only pull it out when I am baking Christmas cookies. It is a bit too expensive to justify once a year use. I do recommend the Kitchen Aid hand mixer, it is about $90, but you can usually find it on sale for $60 or so. (I would like to add I have also purchased from Target a less expensive hand mixer and it worked well.) I think it's worth it because I can blend my ingredients better, when I would mix by hand I worried about over mixing and my ingredients did not always blend the way I would like.

 

[OhioTom76]

Hamilton Beach makes a stand mixer that retails for about $80 on Amazon that has been getting great reviews. It has a more box-y, rectangular compact design and I think the bowl on it is taller and narrower too. But all the reviews for it said it's a fantastic value for the money and performs as well as a Kitchen Aid mixer. One of the reviewers says he uses it daily in his restaurant, which speaks to the build quality of it. The body is mainly made of plastic, but it has suction cups on the bottom to keep the unit from shifting around. I've been meaning to get one myself sometime soon, but I would like to try and find one in the local stores first to get a better idea of it's build quality first.

 

[Jessi]

I've never had a mixer. We're usually on a tight budget and I've just never picked one up. I always just blend by hand with a egg beater or a spoon.
They're on sale here this week and I wondered if it's worth it. Do they make a difference in the taste or is it just they are quicker? I've done a lot recipes by hand and never had a problem but it seems so common for most people who bake I was curious.

A little bit of both. It really kinda depends on your frequency of use and what you make.

If you're just mixing up a quick batch of brownies, no, I don't think it makes a huge difference. It might save you a tiny bit of time, but that's about it.

If you're making several batches of bread a month, though? Uh, yeah, big difference! Not only does it save time, but you're much more likely to get the ingredients completely incorporated and the dough will get kneaded a more sufficient amount of time. I noticed an increase in quality when I started using my mixer for it.

I also notice a difference when I'm making larger batches of items, too. So like a double or triple batch of brownies turns out better when I use my stand mixer because it more evenly mixes everything. The same with muffins, too, because not only does it mix it more evenly, but it mixes the same amount in a faster/more efficient amount of time instead of risking over-mixing it by hand.

 

[Annabell]

Much like Jessi said, if you're just doing a quick batch, or a small project, you don't really need a mixer, although obviously you can use one.

But if you're doing big projects, or doing a lot of baking, then you really need to invest in one. Maybe just go for a cheapish one to start with so that you can test it out for yourself, and see if it suits your needs, and then once you have a little more money, upgrade to a better one?

 

[Porsche]

I think so, it does blend better than doing by hand, but its no big deal if what you are dealing with something small. I use it because it makes things easier for me, and even though I mostly bake for my household, I make a large amount, so a mixer helps. Hand mixers are easier on the wallet and kitchen space. Overall, it really depends on how often you bake and how much you plan to make, but you can almost always buy a mixer on sale somewhere.

 

[Trellum]

I've never had a mixer. We're usually on a tight budget and I've just never picked one up. I always just blend by hand with a egg beater or a spoon.
They're on sale here this week and I wondered if it's worth it. Do they make a difference in the taste or is it just they are quicker? I've done a lot recipes by hand and never had a problem but it seems so common for most people who bake I was curious.

Angela, some recipes do require you to have a mixer, others just don't require it. But believe me, I0ve tried recipes in which you obviously needed a mixer and I couldn't get the job done, if you have gifted hand and can actually beat eggs with your own hand til they get the meringue consistency, then you don't need one (specially because you say your budget is a bit low).

 

[dandeliion]

It is absolutely worth it and this is coming from someone who doesn't even own one lol. I have a hand mixer but my mom has had her kitchen aid mixer for over 20 years and it just recently stopped working. They're amazing and make things so much easier!

 

[Winterybella]

I think is mixer is good thing to have on hand if you are going to be baking. Like some said some recipes call for a mixer and knowing the science involved in baking I would not want to be without a mixer. I don't know I want the really fancy one just yet but my smaller mixer is my baking buddy for now.

 

[tangela]

I primarily use a hand-mixer because that's the one we have, but my mother-in-law has a kitchenaid mixer and it is wonderful I think the biggest difference is that with the kitchenaid mixer there will always be consistency no matter what (because with hand mixers or mixing literally by hand you will get tired and it won't be consistent), plus with the kitchenaid mixer you can just leave it for a minute or two to let it mix while you prep other stuff.

A kitchenaid mixer is expensive but apparently it lasts forever, so I think it's a worthwhile investment (especially if you bake a lot).

 

[Winterybella]

I primarily use a hand-mixer because that's the one we have, but my mother-in-law has a kitchenaid mixer and it is wonderful I think the biggest difference is that with the kitchenaid mixer there will always be consistency no matter what (because with hand mixers or mixing literally by hand you will get tired and it won't be consistent), plus with the kitchenaid mixer you can just leave it for a minute or two to let it mix while you prep other stuff.

A kitchenaid mixer is expensive but apparently it lasts forever, so I think it's a worthwhile investment (especially if you bake a lot).

Well because I never considered baking in any meaningful way I was happy with my hand held mixer and generally I don't like equipment with too many parts to clean or equipment that is bulky. You make it sound so exciting though. You call it "wonderful". Maybe I will have to look into it further as my skill improve.

 

[Tina Nord]

I would be lost without my hand mixer. I can say that you can do without a stand up mixer because I still do not have one to this day, but you at least need a hand mixer. This also puts less stress on your wrists

 

[Zyni]

I've used a stand mixer when I worked in a restaurant, and it is certainly nice for making large batches of stuff. For home? I never even had a hand mixer for years. I have one now, and I do like it, but I also managed fine without it for a long time. I prefer having one to not having one, yes. Keep in mind that there is such a thing as over mixing as well, especially with things like muffins. Many muffins only need to be mixed enough to ensure that all the ingredients are moistened. Over mixing makes them a different consistency and less fluffy.

 

[connie]

I used to do it all by hand and much preferred it right up until I got a Kenwood chef mixer second hand from the local paper. After about 6 months, I knew I could never go back to creaming butter and sugar together by hand, or bread crumbing flour and butter. It was so much easy by the mixer and a butter/sugar cream is so much lighter when done by the mixer.

I had that particular mixer for about 15 years before it finally gave up the ghost and I promptly replaced it with another 2nd hand one. Almost identical but not quite.

That one died after I turned my back on it whilst it was kneading some chapatti I was making and it worked its way off the kitchen work surface and found the floor for the 2nd time! It was replaced the next day. I had 'orders' on for my grandfather and there was no way I could do what was needed by hand now I have a bad left wrist, so we scoured the internet and found someone selling one on eBay who was reasonably local... We have had that one for about 2 years now. Assuming I can ensure it does not find the floor again eek it should last me the rest of my life. They are known to last rather well.

 

[Lillys]

The value of such a mixer depends on the quantity you're mixing and the frequency. I got hooked on stand mixers when using the floor mounted Hobarts in commercial kitchens. So I went and bought a KitchenAid for home. They're a bit of an investment, but they're made to last forever. Also, there are so many attachments you can buy to expand on the different functions you can perform. You're basically buying a mixer that doubles as a food processor. The KitchenAid can grate stuff that would break any of my domestic food processors.

If you have the counter space, by all means get one. But if you're limited in space and will have to store it in a cupboard, it becomes a hassle to pull it out since they're so heavy. Then you only use it a couple of times a year.

 

[ReadmeByAmy]

I had a mixer at home but I use it only when a baking recipe needs the aid or use of this kitchen device. Most of the time I do it manually when it comes to mixing ingredients in my baking. But a mixer is very useful both in our cooking and baking needs.

 

[connie]

If you have the counter space, by all means get one. But if you're limited in space and will have to store it in a cupboard, it becomes a hassle to pull it out since they're so heavy. Then you only use it a couple of times a year

I don't see why it is a hassle, that's the only way I have ever done it. If everything lived on the work surface, I would have no space left to put anything down. Everything lives in cupboards and is fetched out of them when needed and my mixer (a heavy Kenwood chef) is got out of the cupboard at least twice a week!