Doing "Hand/Stands" over this New Mixer
Dec 04, 2009 | From the kitchen of Rose
The Cuisinart Power Advantage Hand/Stand Mixer (love the name hand/stand!) A Long-time Baking Need Finally Filled!
Although I use my large stand mixers for 99% of cake baking, there are certain applications where a handheld electric mixer does a better job. In those instances, when writing recipes, I recommend a handheld mixer. One instance is when whipping cream that I usually do in small amounts of around 1 cup. Another is beating one or two egg whites. Still another is adding syrup to buttercream or to egg whites. If the syrup lands on the beaters it spins it onto the sides of the bowl instead of into the mixture but with a handheld mixer it is easy to avoid the beaters when pouring in the syrup.
To my utter delight, Cuisinart has recently come out with a handheld mixer that can be attached to or detached from it's accompanying stand. The size of the stainless steel mixing bowl is only 3.5 quarts which makes it ideal for these smaller mixtures. But the best part is that after beating in all the syrup, for example, you can attach it easily and quickly to the stand and let it continue to beat, leaving your hands free for other activities. (Note: The whisk attachment goes right up against the side of the bowl making scraping the sides unnecessary but you do need to stop the mixer occasionally to stir in the mixture from the center.)
The mixer comes with two standard beaters plus one whisk beater and even dough hooks should you decide to make small quantities of bread dough which, at 220 watts, it can handle. I doubt if I will be using it for bread but for whipped cream and buttercream alone it deserves a permanent place on my kitchen counter.
It retails for under $200 but I've seen in on Amazon for $79.
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Tina
12/08/2009 04:20 PM
I got one similar to this from HSN...it was by wolfgang puck.
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Bill
12/08/2009 08:32 AM
This mixer looks great. If only I had the counter space!
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Zach Townsend
12/07/2009 10:11 AM
Hector,
The bowls on the sunbeam I still have, too. There were two, a smaller and a larger one, that sit on the rotating turntable. The bowls are of the "milk glass" style and very heavy. If I dropped one, I'd be more worried about it breaking my foot than the bowl itself breaking. It's fun to use though, although I haven't used it in a long time.
I've haven't had a moment to get the one above that Rose recommends but no doubt will soon. I need to replace my hand-held anyway and this is the perfect substitute.
Zach
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Rose
12/06/2009 11:53 AM
gaela, with hand-held mixers i've always used high speed but with this one, it is so powerful, probably not, use your judgement. always start low and bring it up higher gradually so nothing jumps out of the bowl.
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hector
12/06/2009 12:08 AM
aloha Zach, i wish i kept the Sunbeam, that is how i trained when i was 13 y.o.! for one, the new cuisinart, been mostly plastic, it is much more ergonomic and easier to handle than the all metal Sunbeam from back then!
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ButterYum
12/05/2009 06:07 PM
Reminds me of the old Mixmasters.
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gaela
12/05/2009 08:49 AM
I bought one of these a few months ago on sale w/ no box or instruction booklet and use it for all my baking. I don't yet have any other mixer. Rose, can you tell me what speeds coincide with low medium and high in relation to your recipes? It seems that since it is such a small mixer, the mixing times might need to be longer for your cake recipes. Am I right? I'm known as the dessert person in my friend/family community, and it's all because of you and TCB, RHC, and the Xmas Cookie book. Thanks for your time. Happy holidays, Gaela
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Zach Townsend
12/04/2009 11:40 PM
Fantastic to hear and thanks so much for reporting. I've sometimes used my great aunt's Sunbeam beater mixer from the 50's (the original) but hate to use it for many reasons, though it does a great job. This is a perfect new replacement.
Your points about small amounts of whipped cream and egg whites are exactly what I'd use it for. Usually for 3 eggs or less, I end up beating by hand (or at least getting them started by hand), which I prefer not to do and for small amounts of whipped cream, I still use my Ronco Whipper with planetary action! (it actually says that on the top), but again there are many reasons I prefer not to use that product, one being it's hand cranked....
Christmas time I always try to think about what I want and everyone knows it's going to be kitchen related - this post has come just in time. ;)
Zach
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