how to choose a hand mixer

laughingtoaster

hi,

i'm hoping the more experienced cooks here can give some advice on what to look for in a handmixer

the deluxe kenwood mixers look lovely but i couldn't justify getting something that expensive and that big. at the moment i use a bowl, wooden spoon and elbow power or else the whisk attatchments on my handheld blender. i plan to use it for sponge cakes / madeira type cakes / fairy cakes. nothing too heavy and only occasional use, probably a max of once a week (if that).

power: what wattage? looking at the argos catalogue, the mixers range from 150watt to 380watt. is it a case of bigger is better?

speed options: are 3 speeds enough or is it better to look for more?

dough hooks: are these worth getting? does it make it easy to kneed dough for bread?

stand: is this actually useful or will it end up in the back of the cupboard. if you use a stand will the cake mix end up stuck to the bowl, meaning i'll spend my time stopping the mixer to manually mix in the bits the beaters can't reach

any other advise/comments appreciated
thanks

Acoshla

If you're only using it that little don't worry so much about it, and definitely don't even look at a Kenwood, no point at all.

I do loads of baking, including all sorts of heavy and thick mixes, and up until recently I used a handheld mixer I got in Lidl for €14.99, you don't need to spend a fortune on one: http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4227322/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CKitchen+and+laundry%7C14418476/Trail/searchtext%3EMIXER.htm

Get one that has a stand because they can be useful when you need something to mix for a while or or you need to add things in gradually as it mixes, most of the time I use mine without the stand if I'm only doing something quick but it is handy to have. Some mixes will have to be removed from the sides with a spatula and add it back in but it doesn't stick to it and will reach all the mix. I just run a spatula along the side while it's turning and that re-adds it. http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4233749/c_1/1%7Ccategory_root%7CKitchen+and+laundry%7C14418476/Trail/searchtext%3EMIXER.htm

I never use the dough hooks that came with mine so can't help, the only kneading I ever do is by hand. The one above comes with dough hooks anyway.

It's handy to have a good few settings, mine has 7 or 9 I think, but I mainly use the lowest and second lowest and the top 2 highest so again it's not that big a deal, I find the turbo boost button handy though.

fifib

I got one of these a few months back Breville hand and stand mixer
its great! you can just use the hand mixer or you can attach it to the stand and use as a proper food mixer. have used it a fair few times...mainly for making Pavlovas but my friend had recommended it to me and she uses hers all the time for making cakes and the like and had no problems
its cheaper to buy from amazon than in the shops..if your not in any hurry to wait for delivery

Magic Monkey

There are a few hand mixers on electricshopping to choose from. Seeing as you're only using it for creaming, I'd go for the Kenwood HM310-320 Mixer.

If you get a large mixing bowl with a rubber base you can use the mixer in one hand while adding remaining ingredients with the other, and the bowl won't spin around. For foam mixtures, i.e. sponges, your blender whisk attachment will work best.

laughingtoaster

thanks folks, knew i could count on boards.ie for advice

laughingtoaster

Magic Monkey wrote: »

There are a few hand mixers on electricshopping to choose from. Seeing as you're only using it for creaming, I'd go for the Kenwood HM310-320 Mixer.

If you get a large mixing bowl with a rubber base you can use the mixer in one hand while adding remaining ingredients with the other, and the bowl won't spin around. For foam mixtures, i.e. sponges, your blender whisk attachment will work best.

I hadn't heard of this website before, have you used them yourself? are they reliable? ok for handling returns if there is a problem?

smallgarden

if i were you id pick up basic kenwood hand mixer.itl set you back less than 20euros.youll find one in powercity for around 18,dunnes,maybe tesco.theyre in debenhams but more expensive.in general look for solid whisks.some are flimsy and useless.ive used both kenwood and wahl james martin one and id recommend both

ul find above mixer cheaper in shops

Magic Monkey

laughingtoaster wrote: »

I hadn't heard of this website before, have you used them yourself? are they reliable? ok for handling returns if there is a problem?

I've used them a few times before, they're quite reliable, fast shipping, cheap delivery. Haven't had to return anything so don't know how they are on that front.

Actually smallgarden makes a better suggestion, you can get a very good Kenwood mixer in Powercity. It doesn't have the dough hooks, but dough can always be kneaded by hand, or by the wait-and-fold "autolyse" method.

smallgarden

hey just back from powercity they have 150w kenwood without dough hooks for18,black one 250w with dough hooks for 20 and same one in white for 22,think black one was display model

DreamC

Just a little remark re Kenwood - My cool and expensive Kenwood Chef broke down after a couple of uses. The beaters just fell into the bowl together with the sockets they were supposed to be fixed into. Thanks God it was not mixing at the time. So now no more Kenwoods for me. Just fed up with their products and their so called "Customer Care". Now I know for sure that you are better of with something cheap and simple - once it is broken, you just stick it in the bin and then go and buy something similar. Rather than wasting a lot of money on the expensive toy that costs you a fortune and then you have to fight for replacement or repairs.

Sigma Force

I find the dough hook very handy and use it a lot, the whisk and paddle thingy are great too that's all the attachements I have and so far all I've needed. It was around 200 and something quid.

I have a Kenwood and although I wouldn't go putting super heavy mixtures in it I do find halving the mixture if it's a lot can help but all in all I've mixed bread dough and all sorts in it with no problems it's still working grand.

It's a middle of the range one I might look for a tougher one eventually but it does look nice so if you have counter space I think mixers look nice on the counter even when not in use.

kerash

I bought this http://www.argos.ie/static/Product/partNumber/4233251/Trail/searchtext%3ECOOKWORKS.htm in argos @€;75 because I couldnt afford a proper kitchenaid - it's useless I have to bring it back it wont beat eggs and sugar - it leaves the sugar at the bottom, it wont beat egg whites or cream (it sounds and smells as though it's trying to mix cement) Tried to beat my cheescake and I had to finish it with the hand mixer, very very disappointing I think I'll just update my old hand mixer...