80 Methods Of Mixer Domination
Whether you're a regular fan of The Fantastic British Bake Off, a seasoned baking ninja, or just fancy flexing
Your baking muscles at home, then there's simply no two ways about it -- you need a stand mixer. The
Best stand mixers help you to be a better cook: they can take the hard work out of mixing cakes and
Batter, and even knead bread dough so you don't need to.
And while some kitchen appliances
After all, you were going to dirty a bowl and a beater anyway, and even if you are
feeling supremely lazy, the attachments and bowl are often dishwasher-safe. Some brands can also
Power accessories such as jug blenders and food processors, so one space-saving appliance can do the
job of multiple electricals.
How to choose the best stand mixer for you
The good news is that you can get a good stand mixer for less than #100.
features and accessories and/or more elegant styling.
Stand mixers typically come with three attachments: a beater, a whisk and a dough hook. A few models
Also include a soft beater that really scrapes the mix off the sides of the bowl like a spatula, saving
You a job and pretty much halving the time of mixing.
You will also want a splash guard to prevent icing sugar explosions and batter splatter.
What kind of accessories can you get?
Some stand mixers have power points on the top or over the bowl for attaching accessories. Some
Even come with accessories such as jug blender, food processor or meat grinder. This is a handy spacesaving
Option as it does away with the need for a second appliance.
If you'd like extra accessories, watch out for deals where the mixer comes bundled with them. More
Obscure optional accessories include sausage makers, ice cream manufacturer bowls and pasta makers.
What is "planetary action" and why do I need it?
All the best stand mixers use what's called planetary action.
Without the need for a great big spinning beater that's the size of the bowl.
Consider the smaller beater as a spinning world, the axis of which in turn spins round the centre of the
mixer. The result is efficient mixing, minimising how often you have to scrape ingredients down off the
Pretty much nothing goes unstirred, saving you a lot of time.
What kind of premium features should I look out for?
Pricier stand mixers sometimes trade on their good looks, sometimes on their build quality and
Sometimes on extra bells and whistles.
Very Best toaster: The best toasters you can buy
Very Best rice cookers: The best rice cookers from #50 to #300
Keen cooks may want to look out for electronic features like a countdown timer (this helps you keep
Track of time so that you don't over-whip your eggs, but it's also prudent to keep mixing times short and
Sweet to be sure the motor doesn't overheat).
Some mixers also have a pause button, so you can add ingredients and then return to the same speed
setting. And load sensing detects when you're
Mixing something that's especially tough or easygoing, and then adjusts power so the speed is
1.
But the other, the
And we're not convinced you need it,
because the Classic really does much the same job.
Our only concern is the mixer's power -- 275W doesn't sound like enough. Even if you get the Artisan
that's 300W.
In practice, both mixers are plenty powerful enough for home baking, but tough jobs like kneading
Dough are a struggle for the motor -- so if you're planning to use your stand mixer for your everyday bread, then go
for something more powerful. But if you're more of a Bake Off cook, the KitchenAid won't disappoint.
Our other, smaller quibble is that it doesn't come with a splash guard, so you'll have to pay extra for
one. This should really come as standard on a mixer at this price.
2. Swan Retro Stand Mixer: The best stand mixer under #100
This isn't just a reasonable stand mixer -- it's an affordable, gorgeous stand mixer. If you love colourful
retro styling and you're on a budget, then look no further.
Regardless of the price tag, the solidly constructed Swan Retro Mixer comes with all the basics you may need. It's
supplied with three attachments: an aluminium dough hook, stainless steel beater and whisk. Both the
Dough hook and beater are Teflon-coated for effortless cleaning.
Mechanically speaking it has eight speeds and a planetary action. The latter helps the attachments pick
Up all the food in the bowl, which is good because this is a strong mixer -- turn it up to eight and your
mixture really does fly out sideways. You'll be thankful for the see-through splash guard on top then. We
Love the fact you can store the cord when not in use too.
Key specs: 1,000W; 4.5 litres; 8 speeds; 3 attachments (dough hook, beater, whisk); 2yr warranty
3. Kenwood KM337 Classic Chef: The best stand mixer under #200
Surprisingly affordable for a Kenwood Chef -- a timeless design that has stood the test of time. Many of us
will have fond memories licking cake mix off a K-beater as children.
As well as the legendary K-beater, it comes with a balloon whisk for eggs and a dough hook for
breadmaking. A see-through splash guard on top improves on the original's design.
Thanks to planetary action, the beater picks up food from the bowl beautifully; nothing goes unstirred.
But if you're a keen baker, it's well worth reading the instructions and learning how to set up the
Accessories precisely (it's quick, you just adjust a lock nut). This gets the beater, whisk or hook perfectly
positioned to be very nearly touching the bowl.
Where some stand mixers have multiple speed settings, the KM337 is variable -- just turn the dial to
wherever feels right. It also has a pulse setting for quick bursts.
Optional accessories include food processor, blender and ice cream maker, all of which attach to the
top. The KM337 is also available using a blender attachment which sits on top for #60 more.
Key specs: 800W; 4.6 litres; varying rate; 3 non-stick attachments (K-beater, whisk, dough hook); 1yr
warranty
4. Sage by Heston Blumenthal Scraper Mixer Pro: The best stand mixer for foodies
Heston Blumenthal lends his name to this Aussie brand for good reason. Sage appliances are always
innovative and designed with foodies in mind: unusual features give them the edge over rival premium
appliances.
All four attachments are dishwasher-safe. Most notable is the scraper beater with flexible edges that
wipe the side of the bowl -- think of it like a windscreen wiper for your cake mix. This along with
planetary action means it keeps everything in the mix. Results are super-smooth, and mixing is much
Faster because you don't have to scrape ingredients down.
Its other main innovations are a countdown (or count-up) timer to help ensure you don't over-whip, and
load-sensing technology that detects when heavy batters are being mixed and automatically adjusts the
Power to keep the selected speed.
It comes with a splash guard, spatula and cord storage too.
Key specs: 1,000W; 4.7 litres; variable speed; 4 attachments (scraper beater, standard flat beater, dough
hook, wire whisk); 2yr warranty (5 years on the motor)
5. Kenwood kMix KMX050: A gorgeous-looking stand mixer
A classic yet contemporary design. The styling has fifties curves, but it wouldn't look out of place in a
modern kitchen. In fact, thanks to its range of bright colours and see-through mixing bowl, it would be a
centrepiece.
Its large five-litre capacity means you can whip up a dozen eggs at a time or make a hell of a lot of cake
Batter -- almost 3kg of it, enough for two or three cakes.
The kMix has eight-speed settings and an electronic sensor keeps them consistent, regardless of load.
This mixer will literally see you through thick and thin.
With stand mixers, it's often hard to keep an eye on the mix but the Kenwood's see-through mixing bowl
and splash guard make it a breeze.
Its other star turn is the fold setting -- a very gentle speed that combines ingredients without making
them fly everywhere. It works brilliantly with the creaming beater, a soft attachment designed to get all
The batter off the sides.
And, finally, there's a power outlet above the bowl for adding accessories like a grinder.
Nhận xét
Đăng nhận xét