Mixer (cooking)
A mixer is a kitchen appliance intended for mixing, folding, beating, and whipping food ingredients. Mixers come in two major variations, hand mixers and stand mixers.
A hand mixer, as the name implies, is a hand-held mixing device. The modern electrically powered type consists of a handle mounted over a large enclosure containing the motor, which drives one or two beaters. The beaters are immersed in the food to be mixed. A simpler manually-operated type, which preceded electric mixers and is still used today, consists of a handle with a hand-operated crank on the side, geared to two beaters. The handle is held with one hand and the crank is turned with the other, turning the beaters.
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[edit] Stand Mixers
A stand mixer is essentially the same as a hand mixer, but is mounted on a 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. Heavy duty commercial models can have bowl capacities well in excess of 100 quarts (95 L) and weigh thousands of pounds, but more typical home and light commercial models are equipped with bowls of around 4 quarts (4 L). A typical home stand mixer will include a wire whip 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 countertop or floor (also called bench) models. Whether a mixer is a countertop or floor model usually depends on its size. Mixers that are 20 Quarts in size or smaller tend to be countertop mixers, while larger mixers tend to be floor models due to their size and weight.[1] The two major types of stand mixers are planetary (vertical) and spiral, each of which is described below.
Spiral mixers are specialized for mixing dough, and are not ideal for functions like whipping or mixing other ingredients. They consist of a spiral-shaped agitator that remains stationary, while the bowl itself rotates. This leads to a more effective method of mixing dough, and often enables spiral mixers to mix the same size dough batch much quicker and with less undermixed dough than a similarly powered planetary counterpart. Because spiral mixers are able to mix dough with less agitator friction than planetary mixers, the dough is mixed without raising its temperature as much, which is desirable for ensuring the dough can rise properly.
Planetary mixers consist of a bowl which remains static, while an agitator is rapidly moved around the bowl to mix its contents. Planetary mixers are considered to be more versatile than their spiral counterparts, and can be used to mix a wide variety of ingredients. In addition, you can use a planetary mixer to whip and blend, which cannot be done with a spiral mixer.
[edit] History
In 1870, Turner Williams of Providence, R.I., invented the first hand egg beater. U.S. Patent 103,811 The first electric mixer was invented by Herbert Johnston in 1908 and sold by the KitchenAid division of the Hobart Manufacturing Company.[2][3]
Older models of mixers originally listed each speed by name of operation (ex: Beat-Whip would be high speed if it is a 3-speed mixer); they are now listed by number.
[edit] Difference Between Blenders and Mixers
Mixers should not be confused with blenders. Blenders contain sharp blades and typically operate at higher speeds that chop, liquefy, or otherwise break down larger food items. A mixer is a much slower device without sharpened blades.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
- ^ "Complete Guide To Buying Mixers". Kinnek.com. http://www.kinnek.com/how-to-buy-mixers. Retrieved 2012-01-06.
- ^ "Did you know?". http://www.bestbetblenders.com/page/page/5333438.htm.
- ^ "Fascinating facts about the invention of the Standing Mixer by Herbert Johnson in 1908". http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/mixers.htm.
