Unpopular opinion: I don't think a stand mixer is worth the hype for most home bakers

My hand mixer died two weeks ago while I was making a double batch of cookie dough. I grabbed my grandma's old wooden spoon and a bowl instead of rushing out to buy a KitchenAid. Honestly, the arm workout was fine and the cookies turned out the same as always. Does anyone else just prefer mixing by hand for most recipes?

2 comments

2 Comments

taylor.paige19d ago

5 minutes of hand mixing is fine for a single batch of sugar cookies, but try making a double batch of stiff bread dough or a heavy fruitcake with that wooden spoon. Your arm will give out long before the batter is smooth. I have a 5-quart KitchenAid that I got on sale six years ago and it handles the tough stuff without burning out the motor or making me sweat. Plus it kneads dough way more evenly than I ever could by hand, which actually matters for yeast breads. For cookies and cakes you can absolutely skip it, but that machine earns its spot on my counter every time I do a big batch of something heavy.

adam_robinson19d agoTop Commenter

My buddy Mike tried to make a double batch of sourdough for a party last Thanksgiving. He used a hand mixer and the motor literally started smoking after about 4 minutes, and @taylor.paige he still had lumps of flour in the middle. He ended up borrowing his neighbor's KitchenAid at 10pm to finish the dough, said it was like night and day compared to his struggle.