Mixer (cooking)

A mixer is a kitchen utensil which uses a gear-driven mechanism to rotate a set of beaters in a bowl containing the food to be prepared. It automates the repetitive tasks of stirring, whisking or beating. When the beaters are replaced by a dough hook, a mixer may also be used to knead.

A mixer may be a handheld mechanism known as an eggbeater, a handheld motorized beater, or a stand mixer. Stand mixers vary in size from small counter top models for home use to large capacity commercial machines. Stand mixers create the mixing action by rotating the mixing device vertically: planetary mixers, or by rotating the mixing container: spiral mixers.

Mixers for the kitchen first came into use midway through the nineteenth century; the earliest were mechanical devices. The demand from commercial bakers for large-scale uniform mixing resulted in the development of the electric stand mixer. Smaller counter-top stand mixers for home kitchen use soon followed.

When selecting a mixer, the purchaser should consider how the mixer will be used. Electric mixers with more speed options give the user more control over the development of the mixture.

An eggbeater is a handheld device with a crank on the side geared to one or more beaters. The user grips the handle with one hand and operates the crank with the other, creating the rotary action.

Stand mixers mount the motor driving the rotary action in a frame or stand which bears the weight of the device. Stand mixers are larger and have more powerful motors than their hand-held counterparts. They generally have a special bowl that is locked in place while the mixer is operating. A typical home stand mixer will include a wire whisk for whipping creams and egg whites; a flat beater for mixing batters; and a dough hook for kneading.

Stand mixers are generally available in either counter top (also called bench) or floor models. Heavy duty commercial models can have bowl capacities well in excess of 25 gallons (95 l) and weigh thousands of pounds (kilograms) but more typical home and light commercial models are equipped with bowls of around 1 gallon (4 l). Whether a mixer is a counter top or floor model depends on its size. Mixers that are 5 gallons (20 l) in size or smaller tend to be counter top mixers, while larger mixers tend to be floor models due to their size and weight.

Spiral mixers are specialist tools for mixing dough. A spiral-shaped agitator remains stationary while the bowl rotates. This method enables spiral mixers to mix the same size dough batch much quicker and with less under-mixed dough than a similarly powered planetary mixer. Spiral mixers can mix dough with less agitator friction than planetary mixers. This allows the dough to be mixed without increasing its temperature, ensuring the dough can rise properly.

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Wikipedia