It's terrible to imagine how kitchen faerie did without a mixer in the past. Okay, a couple of eggs for an omelette can be beaten with a hand mixer or even a fork. And the oil cake for the cake? A homemade mayonnaise? A protein mass on meringues? Same no hands can stand it. But with a good mixer, all these products are whipped quickly and easily. And the quality of the final product is better. You just need to know how to choose a mixer for your kitchen.

When you go into the hall of the store of home appliances, from an abundance of models the eyes run. How here not to be mistaken and choose a good kitchen unit for whipping and mixing better and more correctly? But in fact, most models differ for the most part in design.

Main parameters when selecting

Mixers are manual and stationary. The manual engine is located in the body of the device, in the stationary - in the frame. Hand-held devices can whip the food in anything, even in a large glass, even in a small bowl. Owners of a stationary unit are deprived of the opportunity to choose a vessel: they have to use only the bowl provided.

Hand mixers in the process of whipping should be constantly kept in the hand, on weight, and even to make careful rotational movements, so that the product is better and more uniformly whipped throughout the volume.

A stationary mixer can be turned on and engaged in other tasks while he is diligently whipping or mixing. No need to worry about the quality of whipping - in decent models, the movement of the whiskers along a special trajectory is provided for the most uniform mixing of the components.

And in the most advanced models, the bowl also moves, so that everything will be evenly mixed up or mixed.

But hand mixers are better in another respect: they are much more compact. And for a very large stationary device, you will have to find a place on the shelves of the kitchen. Many people prefer to choose a manual option because of these considerations.

Advantages of both types combine a combined type of mixer. The engine of such models is in the body, but the mixer can be reliably fixed to a stable base. You can use both the enclosed bowl and any other suitable whipping dishes. You can hold the device in your hands, or fix it on the base and turn it into a stationary kitchen unit. Many experts on kitchen appliances agree that combined instruments are in many respects better both manual and stationary.

Power

A lot depends on this indicator:

• volume and weight of products that you can mix;
• time of continuous operation of the device;
• universality of the mixer.

Not too powerful aggregates will be able to beat eggs on an omelet, liquid dough for preparation of pancakes. Typically, low power is distinguished by inexpensive models of hand mixers.

Manual models are produced with engines up to 300 watts. The combined mixer has a power of 250 to 400 watts, and some stationary mixers are equipped with engines with a power of 500 and even 700 watts. For home use, the optimum power is from 300 to 400 watts.

Deciding to choose such a device, you can manage with any tasks: from whipping the quality protein mass to cooking a steep dumpling or noodles.

The more the power of the mixer motor, the more products can be put into the whipping bowl. For example, a 250-watt mixer can cope with the preparation of a dough weighing up to, kg. A good stationary model with a large bowl without much difficulty knead for you and 3-4 kg of dough. Stationary mixers of high power are better to choose for a large family, and if there are 2-3 people in the house, there is enough hand-held unit, the power of which reaches 300-400 W.

Body and bowl materials

Usually everything except nozzles is made from special food plastics. For all the relative fragility of this material, the mixer with the plastic casing and the chalice has time to successfully develop its life, even with fairly intensive use. However, expensive premium models have a body made of metal, covered with strong enamel. Is it worth overpaying for the steel case, if the plastic will last more than one year?

Another thing is constructive elements. In inexpensive models sometimes not metal parts of moving parts are used, but plastic ones. Of course, plastic gears quickly deform and crack, especially with frequent whipping of fairly thick and heavy products. The body can be made of plastic, but for working elements, choose only metal.

The same is true with the bowl for whipping: it is better to choose models with a bowl of stainless steel. It's safe, harmless, and if you accidentally drop a metal container, it will not break, like glass. But the glass bowls have one indisputable advantage - you perfectly see everything that happens in the bowl.

The least durable, but the most inexpensive plastic bowl is included in a set of medium-priced models.

When calculating the necessary volume of the bowl, consider that it can not be filled whilst whipping completely, in order to avoid splashing products around the walls of the kitchen. Do not fill the bowl more than 3/4 of the volume.

Nozzles

The basic equipment of the mixer usually includes two types of nozzles: metal whiskers for whipping and hooks for mixing dough. Both those and the other nozzles are pair.

A hand-held model may also include a blender attachment. It is attached from the end of the mixer and is a complete analog of the blender with all its functions, only with a lower power.

Less common are the following tips:

• electric knife;
• a device for sifting flour;
• universal chopper.

Useful mixer functions

The speed selector can have several positions, from 2 to 20. In practice, few people use more than 6 positions.

Convenient function of the impulse speed controller. The speed increases or decreases depending on the strength of the button.

In decent models, the overheating protection function is provided, which will stop the current supply if the engine temperature reaches a critical value.

The average cost of a good mixer is from, to 5 thousand rubles. For this money you will be able to choose a reliable and functional unit for your kitchen.

Video: overview of several types of mixers