Why stand mixer

To me, it was a status symbol that had pride of place on kitchen countertops: a sign to others that you took baking seriously. The design profile of the KitchenAid stand mixer has remained virtually unchanged since —a rare kitchen item that has withstood the test of time and obsolescence—and it continues to captivate home bakers today. Combine this timeless design with extreme durability, and you have a hardworking kitchen assistant that may last a lifetime if it is well taken care of.

A basic stand mixer comes with three blade attachments: a flat paddle, a wire whisk and a dough hook. This is generally used for generic baking tasks like mixing cake batters, frostings or cookie dough. But it can also be used to shred cooked meats like chicken breasts or pulled pork.

This whisk powered by the stand mixer is much stronger than any hand mixer. It can whisk egg whites and 35 percent cream in seconds. Using a stand mixer for our homemade marshmallows also only takes 4 to 5 min to whip—unlike a hand mixer that takes double the time. This is where I think the stand mixer really shines. Keep that in mind. As the name would suggest, the dough hook is for dough — specifically stiff dough that needs to be kneaded or needs air for rising, like bread, pizza dough, or baegels.

The flat beater is for stirring without whipping and aerating batter. This will be used for beating cold butter, cream cheese for cheesecakes, cookie dough , or goodies of that nature. Only mix until the ingredients are just incorporated. As opposed to the flat beater, the whip is actually supposed to aerate your batter. Best used for cake batter , meringue , frosting, and whipped cream, the whip is used to make things fluffier. But never ever use the whisk on cookie dough.

Longer answer: You can if you wanna. A stand mixer also has many attachments like a paddle for creaming and a whisk for whipping egg whites. Yet, you are definitely paying for the benefits of a stand mixer, both in price and the room needed in your kitchen to store it.

Plus — they can be really heavy. So can you use a hand mixer when the recipe calls for a stand mixer? The answer is yes — for many recipes it can. Most cake and cookie dough batters as well as frosting or cream can be done with either a hand mixer or stand mixer like the recipes below.

If you buy something from an Eater link, Vox Media may earn a commission. See our ethics policy. But, when it comes to home baking, a good, old fashioned hand mixer like the one my grandma used to use is my tool of choice.

Unlike stand mixers, hand mixers are generally lightweight so that they can be easily maneuvered around mixing bowls by hand. Hand mixers are considerably less expensive than their stationary cousins, yet they can accomplish almost as many tasks. I use mine for everything from mixing cake batter and cookie dough, to whipping cream and beating egg whites for meringues. I often do a lot of prep on my dining table, and the idea of schlepping a heavy stand mixer over from my kitchen is enough to get me to abandon my baking plans altogether, but you can use hand mixers practically anywhere.