Center Harmony

Some people prefer to mix dough by hand using old fashioned methods but most others prefer the job to be made as easy as it possibly can be. As a result, many have invested in electric food mixers to help them save time and effort.

Not only are electric food mixers highly affordable but they come with many benefits that, once people who mix food ingredients by hand, become aware of, will cause even they to invest in a good food mixer.

Be careful though. When I say “not expensive” I am not suggesting you indulge in the cheap end of the range. If you’re a serious cook (or at least want people to like what you produce) don’t fall into the trap of purchasing something flimsy which will not live up to your expectations.

Ever tried to prepare food mixes by hand? Well then you don’t need me to tell you just how much time it takes, and just how wearing the activity can be. What’s worse is, you are not then free to advance other aspects of your preparation, at the same time, as your hands are already occupied.

It’s also important to consider the results you are trying to achieve. The pressure has to be exactly right and the dough must be mixed uniformly so that the result will rise, or set, the way it should. This is where a good electric food mixer comes into its own.

Think about the ongoing pressure on your arms as you not only try to mix, but fold and stir, large batches of tough ingredients as well. There is the inevitable rest, to regain strength, with the result that an uneven pressure gets applied, and the mix is not uniform.

Unless you want to batter yourself constantly with the subsequent impact on your muscles and bones, then the mixed result is often of poorer consistency and quality. And this will show up in the final product, once baked.

As all who use them will readily testify, good electronic mixers do produce fantastic results. Of course they have an advantage. A motor which is capable of providing the same amount of pressure, and the right mixing/folding/turning action, continuously, whilst mixing is in progress.

What is more, an electronic food mixer does not just have one setting. Speeds can be adjusted easily and, once set, will continue without the need for a break. It means you can control dough/mix thickness with an exactness you will find hard to achieve by hand.

This is especially useful for complicated recipes where bakers need to concentrate more on what they are doing and where even the slightest error can result in disaster.

Turn a good mixer on and anyone using it, at the same setting, will obtain a similar result. But, if you replicate this process, by hand, then each individual will apply differing inputs, resulting in different outputs.

This can prove especially problematic in commercial settings such as bakeries where customers are expecting consistent quality and where different people may be involved in the baking process. It’s also disappointing in a domestic setting where a housewife, praised for her most recent creation, then finds it impossible to recreate the same result again.

Electric mixers are available in a wide variety of styles, including standing mixers and handheld mixers. This allows bakers to twist and turn the base (in the case of a hand-held mixer) or the bowl (in the case of a standing mixer) in order to get to all of the hard to reach parts of the mixing bowl, to make sure that no part of the mix is left out.

If you get a good electronic mixer you will find that they are designed to make the whole process very easy. You will need something that is strong enough when the task demands it. But you will also want something than can tread delicately as well. Most importantly, you will want a mixer that has stood the test of time and will last you for many years to come.

Equally important is the technology used to create a perfect mix. Good mixers use unique technology to catch every square millimetre of mix, thus leaving nothing out. And the best will do this in a fashion which ensures great aeration and a fluffy result (when that’s what you are trying to achieve of course).

Douglas Barker’s key fact sheets are brief and comprehensive, embracing a wide a range of topical make-life-easy topics. This includes his helpful advice at the Kitchenaid Artisan Mixer site, where good cooks can also discover all they require to know about the Artisan Stand Mixer.