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3 Mixer Stand Features That Can Make Your Life Easier

by Sally Burke

Are you shopping for a new mixer? Although it might be tempting to save the money and beat those egg whites by hand, the fact of the matter is that stand mixers do more than whip meringues. Here are three common stand-mixer features that can make your time in the kitchen a lot more productive. 

1: Speed Control

Have you ever used one of those antiquated hand mixers? In addition to trying to figure out how to keep all of your ingredients inside of the bowl, you might also have the added joy of dealing with over-whipped cream because of a two-second delay in your shutoff time. Because some mixers don't allow the user to change the speed, it can be difficult to control the consistency of your creations.

However, newer mixers often feature variable speed controls, which might give you the option of choosing between as many as 16 different speeds. You can use the slower speeds to gently mix in powdery items, or switch to higher speeds when you need to whip that angel food cake batter.  

2: Locking Tilt Head

To handle a large bowlful of ingredients and to make difficult tasks like kneading dough a breeze, most stand mixers boast strong motors. However, if you have a stand mixer with a tilting head, your paddle or dough hook might bob up and down when it tries to push through heavy mixtures. As your system struggles to combine stiff batters, dry ingredients might be left behind on the bottom of the bowl.

Fortunately, some stand mixers have a locking mechanism that holds the head in place, so your paddle or dough hook will stay where it belongs. When you need that mixer head to stay down, you can engage the lock by pushing a button or moving a lever. After you are finished using your mixer, you can release the lock to remove the bowl.

With the help of a locking tilt head, you can take advantage of that powerful motor, and use your mixer to its maximum capacity.

3: Nifty Attachments

One of the best things about stand mixers is that they can do a lot more than stir stuff around. Some versions have attachments that can take the place of other kitchen tools, so that you can clean out those drawers. Here are a few attachments that you might be able to hook onto that stand or plug into your mixer hub. 

  • Pouring Shields: If you need to add flour, sugar, or cocoa to a mixture, nothing can be more frustrating than trying to keep it from flying all over your kitchen. However, pouring shield attachments can clip right onto the sides of your bowl, enclosing the space so that powder doesn't fill the air when it hits the moving blades of your mixer.
  • Cheese Grater: Believe it or not, you don't need a fancy food processor to take care of all of that cheese shredding. Some mixers have removable cheese grater attachments that plug into an external hub on the mixer. This hub engages connects the attachment to an internal socket, which moves the grater as the mixer runs.
  • Juicer: Instead of footing the bill for an expensive juicing system, you might be able to pick up a juicer attachment for your stand mixer. These units pulverize fruits and veggies, collect the seeds and pulp, and allow the juice to flow into a collection container.
  • Ice Cream Maker: Some mixers even have special bowls that can be used to make ice cream. These bowls usually have hollow, fluid-filled walls, which freeze solid when you leave the attachment in the freezer. By popping your ice cream ingredients into the bowl and running your mixer, you can have fresh, customized ice cream in no time.

Understanding the huge variety of attachments that can work with your stand mixer might help you to see how versatile these incredible devices really are.

With the help of your stand mixer, you can create culinary masterpieces that would spark the envy of professional chefs, while keeping your kitchen tidy.

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