Cake 101: Lesson 4: Mixers

Mixers are one of those subjects that everyone has an opinion on, and here's mine.

The way I see it -- there's three ways to mix a cake: by hand, with a hand mixer, or with a stand mixer.

There are some things you just can't do by hand and/or shouldn't try to: frosting, whipping egg whites, divinity.

I used to think that a hand mixer was all I needed in life. I have a cuisinart 70 watt hand mixer, and it'll do a double batch of stiff frosting without even breaking a sweat.  I'd get annoyed at recipes that specified "use a stand mixer" (I'm talking to you, Alton Brown!).

Then I got a Viking stand mixer as a gift.  There's something to be said for the ease and simplicity of being able to add ingredients without stopping the mixer, scraping down, adding the ingredients, picking it back up, etc. I'm also getting a better consistency out of the frosting, and making bread is much easier. Plus, it's black and silver and shiny and sleek and bad-ass.

However, that doesn't mean you should run right out and buy a stand mixer. If you're not going to be making a lot of cakes on a regular basis, then a hand mixer is probably right for you.

The cake ninja's quick take is this:
Stand mixer pros: easier to use, handles stiffer frostings and larger batches, can be left to run on its own while you do other things.
Stand mixer cons: expensive, heavy, takes up more space in the kitchen.

Hand mixer pros: lightweight, takes less space, quick to assemble.
Hand mixer cons: not suited for large batches, gets tiring to hold for long whiles, cannot be run unattended.

I still use my hand mixer a lot (makes killer mashed potatoes) and I think both it and my stand mixer have their place in the kitchen.  If I'm just doing a quick box cupcake mix, there's no reason to pull out the stand mixer. On the other hand, if I'm doing a double or triple batch of frosting, I'd much rather take the effort.

As far as brands go, that is entirely up to you, your budget, and your preferences (the cost of an additional bowl for my mixer makes me cringe, but there is something to be said for the relationship between price and quality).  I'm fond of the ones I have, but you should do your research and decide on your own.

I hope that helps. Remember -- there is no one true way to mix. Comments, questions, suggestions on where to get flame decals for my mixer? The cake ninja is all ears.