Hand Mixers vs Stand Mixers: Which Should You Get?
The best electric hand and stand mixers are designed with features to take the effort out of combining ingredients. Using them for your food preparation and baking needs can help provide a much smoother and more consistent result than doing so by hand. Plus, they are much faster and efficient as well, saving you time and effort.
As such, there is little reason not to have one of these machines, especially if you love baking. The question now is: which is better – an electric hand or a stand mixer? In this guide, we will take you through the pros and cons of hand mixers vs stand mixers to help you make a better purchase decision.
What is an electric hand mixer?
As the name suggests, a hand mixer is an electric handheld appliance that you hold directly above your mixing bowl as it mixes. This handheld mixer machine can be used for mixing, blending, or even emulsifying food. It often comes with a pair of metal beaters, but there are also some models that come with dough hooks and whisk attachments – making the appliance very versatile. These attachments rotate or pulse when the mixer is switched on, allowing you to blend or mix ingredients very quickly and easily.
Electric hand mixers are designed with your convenience in mind – the main idea is so that you can quickly grab a hand mixer whenever you need it during your baking process.
What is an electric stand mixer machine?
A stand mixer, on the other hand, is a much more sizable kitchen appliance. It ‘stands’ on your kitchen countertop, allowing you to add ingredients directly into the bowl as you mix. Electric stand mixer machines have larger motors compared to hand mixers and thus offer more power; they also come with additional attachments such as dough hooks or whisks.
Electric Handheld Mixers VS Stand Mixer Machines
Now that you have a little background information on what each type of mixer is, let dive deeper and take a closer look at the key differences between them:
Size and weight
One of the most obvious differences between an electric handheld mixer and a stand mixer machine is their sizes and weights. As mentioned above, handheld mixers are designed to be much smaller, more compact, and lighter than stand mixers. Hence, making them a convenient appliance that is easy to store. Thus, if you have limited countertop space in your kitchen, then we’d recommend you get a handheld mixer instead.
Since stand mixers are generally larger and heavier in size, it is no surprise that they take up quite a bit of space on your kitchen countertop. However, these qualities of the stand mixer machines make them generally more stable than the handheld mixers and are less likely to tip over or move while in use. Because of their bulky nature, you usually do not have many options when it comes to storing stand mixer machines.
It is either you take it apart after each use and store them in your cabinet space, or you keep the stand mixer machine in a different part of the house where there is more storage space. Otherwise, you can also always leave it on the counter. Hence, if you are looking for an electric mixer that is easy to store and does not take up as much space, then a handheld mixer is going to be your best bet. However, if you do not mind sacrificing a little bit of your counter space for stability, then a stand mixer will be the better choice for you.
Power
Power is also another important consideration when comparing between an electric handheld mixer and a stand mixer machine. As mentioned earlier, stand mixers tend to have more power than handheld mixers. Hence, the former is better suited for tasks like bread-making since that requires a lot of mixing or kneading. Handheld mixers, though less powerful than stand mixers, are better for lighter baking tasks such as mixing cake batter or whipping cream.
For instance, the Kenwood HandMix Lite comes equipped with a 450W engine that is already considered to be more powerful than other handheld mixers in the market, and the Kenwood Cooking Chef XL 6.7L boasts more than thrice the power at 1,500W.
Hence, if you are in the market for a mixer machine that can handle heavy-duty jobs, then a stand mixer is the one for you. However, an electric handheld mixer should suffice in meeting your needs if you only require it for lighter tasks.
Ease of use
When it comes to ease of use, both handheld and stand mixers come with their own set of pros and cons. For example, due to their compact size, handheld mixers are much easier to set up than stand mixer machines – simply plug the mixer into a power source, and you’ll be ready to go. However, stand mixer machines require some degree of assembly before you can start using them.
But it’s not all bad. Because stand mixers also have their own sets of advantages. Stand mixers often come with mixing bowls that are much larger than the ones used with handheld mixers. This means you can easily prepare larger batches of mixtures when you use a stand mixer machine. Furthermore, since the stand mixer is designed to have more hands-free features, they require a lot less arm work than their handheld counterparts. For instance, with handheld mixers, you need to move the beaters around the mixing bowl to ensure that you get to every part of your mixture. Depending on the thickness of the mixture, this can sometimes be tiring after a while. But, with a stand mixer, you can pour all your ingredients into the mixing bowl, set the speed, and leave it on your kitchen countertop. This also buys you more time and lets you focus on other baking tasks at hand.
Versatility
In terms of versatility, stand mixer machines emerge as the clear winner. This can be attributed to the fact that most stand mixers are compatible with various mixer attachments, and as such, can be used for many different tasks. These can include making pasta, juicing fruits, and even shredding meat. When compared against stand mixer machines, handheld mixers can only perform one specific task: mixing.
So, if you are looking for a baking appliance that can do more than just mixing and whisking ingredients, a stand mixer machine is the one to pick. But, if all you need is something to help you mix batters and achieve stiff peaks, then a handheld mixer can do a good enough job.
Costs
Last but not the least, another important factor that many buyers often consider when it comes to choosing between an electric handheld mixer and a stand mixer machine is the price. Since stand mixers come equipped with more features that allow you to do more, they are pricier than handheld mixers.
Take, for instance, the Kenwood HandMix Lite – this handheld mixer retails at just RM169, whereas the Cooking Chef XL 6.7L is priced at RM7,599. However, if you are looking for something that would fit into your budget, there are also less expensive stand mixer machines available, like the Kenwood Chefette 3L, at just RM429.
Which should you invest in?
Both the stand and hand mixers serve a similar purpose but with entirely different designs. Whether you opt for a handheld mixer or a stand mixer machine depends on the recipes you choose to make and how often you plan to use the mixer. For instance, if it’s only for the occasional batch of cooking dough for late-night stress baking sessions, then a handheld mixer will be more than sufficient. But, if you want to mix and knead your own dough for pizza or pasta making regularly, we recommend you save yourself the time as well as effort and opt for a stand mixer machine instead.
If you still aren’t sure of which you should be going for, then we have two solutions to help you come to a purchase decision:
- You can opt for the Chefette 3L 2-in-1 hand and stand mixer machine to enjoy the best of both worlds. Read our guide on how the Chefette HM680 compares to the Chefette HMP54 to find out which suits your nuanced baking needs the best.
- You can get in touch with our live baking experts at Kenwood Malaysia to ask for their professional opinion. These 1-on-1 consultations with our industry experts are free of charge, and we are sure that their curated advice can help you decide the mixer machine model that would best meet your baking needs and fit your kitchen countertop.
Shop Kenwood for the best next hand and stand mixers
Whether you choose an electric handheld mixer or a stand mixer machine, shopping from Kenwood Malaysia gives you the assurance that no matter your decision, your kitchen countertop will be furnished with a mixer machine that is capable of unparalleled performance and innovative features.
Browse some of the world’s best hand mixers and stand mixer machines at Kenwood Malaysia, or discover other baking essentials and kitchen appliances for your home.