

This means that hand mixers can be much more versatile products, being used for a number of different uses. While they aren’t interchangeable across different brands, the whisk-like beaters of some hand mixers can be replaced with dough hooks, for example. Something often not considered about the difference between hand mixers and hand blenders is the fact that the beaters on a hand mixer are often interchangeable.

This means that they may need to be moved around more, or have to spin more rapidly in order to get an equal or greater amount of work done. This means that the overall speed of the beaters may not need to be set very high, as the sheer amount of beating happening will increase due to the higher surface area of beater in the mixture.Ĭonversely, hand blenders typically only have an inch or two of blade length in their construction.

As I said above, a hand mixer pairs two beaters together. Secondly, we need to quickly talk about how they work. Therefore, a hand blender is much more suited to chopping and liquefying than it is for mixing. This is a big difference, as it means that the metal components of a hand blender are typically sharp, which the beaters of a hand mixer are typically dull. On the other hand, hand blenders are used to blend things. This means that hand mixers are exceptionally good for, you guessed it, mixing. A hand mixer works by pairing two whisks together such that their movement complements the other – you get no dead zones in the bowl because the other whisk is picking up the slack. There are a number of key differences between hand blenders and hand mixers, so let’s break them down and get through them one by one.įirstly, we need to discuss what they do. What Is The Difference Between A Hand Mixer & A Hand Blender? This is the most convenient use for them, as it means that you no longer have to blend a large pot of soup by hand, instead simply immersing the business end of a stick blender will allow you to have perfectly creamy soup in no time. Hand blenders are great for a number of different uses, but they’re most commonly used to liquify soups, stews, and smoothies right there in the pot. When chunks get too close, they get liquidized. Instead, the blades are at the end of a short stick, with the stick being designed to be immersed in a thick liquid, and draw chunks down to the blending area. Hand blenders take the business portion of a countertop blender (the spinning blades) and remove them from a large jug. What Is A Hand Blender?Ī hand blender, also known as an immersion blender or stick blender, is a solution to the problem that faces a lot of households who might want to buy a blender: countertop blenders take up a lot of room and are typically very expensive. Rotary beaters, as this style of appliance is sometimes known, are quite popular for campers or in areas where there is no electricity. With that definition in mind, as it is the one we’re going to be talking about in this article, there are other, more traditional types of hand mixer which typically are no longer made.ĭecades ago, hand mixers used to be hand-cranked, with a small handle needing to be turned, and your motion passing through gears to amplify it to the beaters. On top of the handle, you’ll typically find a button that ejects the beaters. The switch of a hand mixer typically has some kind of speed control which allows you to fine-tune the speed of the beaters. Hand mixers generally have two holes on the base, into which two beaters will fit, clicking into the mechanism ready to mix whatever they are submerged into. The inbuilt handle typically has a trigger or some other form of a switch to activate the internal mechanism designed to turn the beaters. The basic design of a hand mixer comprises a rounded handle which is typically ergonomically designed to be comfortable in your hand. In a one-sentence definition, we sweep away whisks and stand mixers – how impressive! Generally speaking, a hand mixer is any mixing device that is handheld but still requires to be plugged into a wall outlet. What Is The Difference Between A Hand Mixer & A Hand Blender?Ī hand mixer is one of the staples of a modern kitchen, or at least it is often considered to be.
