[Sca-cooks] Stefan: Mixer/Egg Beater...

[Phlip]

Ene bichizh ogsen baina shuu...

> Oh! Okay. I had the impression that the hand mixers would still be in the
$90 to $150 range. In that case it becomes a question of whether I should
pay a bit more and get the bigger unit. Also looking at that site, I see a
number of different stand mixers, including the brand I remember my mother
using. From the way mixers were discussed here previously and from what I
see the local feast cooks using, exclusively Kitchenaid machines, I thought
they might be the only manufacturere left.
>

Think about it, Stefan. If all you're doing is driving to and from work,
with a weekly trip to the grocery store, you probably don't need a semi or a
bus- a small car will do you fine.

Similarly with kitchen quipment. Of course you hear us talking about
Kitchenaids and the like- the people talking are in the habit of cooking for
a couple hundred of their closest friends upon occasion ;-) Most of the ones
you're talking about are serious bakers, too, and things like dough hooks
come in pretty handy, making serious quantities of bread.

> So when do you want a stand mixer and when do you want a hand mixer? If
you already have a stand mixer, is one of the immersion mixers a better
companion unit than a hand held?

Depends on the quantity of food you're making, and what you're doing. A
stand mixture is particularly useful for doughs and batters and frostings
and such, but a hand mixture will do the job. An immersion blender is nice
for a quicky job, like breaking up the larger chunks in a soup. I've never
found a job where I particularly needed on, but if I had a choice, and the
storage, I'd likely have one of the big Kitchenaids, and a small hand-held
beater.

> I also see two types, those that tilt up and those that have the arms
which lock the bowl in place. When do you want each type? The heavier duty,
"commercial" models do seem to be the type that don't tilt up. Perhaps one
of the mid or low end models would do all I need. If I don't just do as
Phlip suggests and go get a simple hand held mixer.
>
> Stefan

Decide wjhat you want it for. If all you plan on using it for is small
batches of this-n-that, to experiment with Medieval recipes for you and your
wife and your family at holidays, go with the small one. If you intend to
take up serious feast prep, get a big one. Just remember, that if you get a
monster machine, intending to be prepared for any eventuality, you're going
to feel pretty silly if that's all you have available to beat a couple eggs
for scrambled eggs for breakfast ;-)

Saint Phlip,
CoDoLDS

"When in doubt, heat it up and hit it with a hammer."
 Blacksmith's credo.

 If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, it is probably not a
cat.

Never a horse that cain't be rode,
And never a rider who cain't be throwed....