 |
Kenwood Chef KM020 1500W
by ginger321
If you are looking for a mixer that is a cut above the rest, you can't really go wrong with Kenwood.
You will pay more for this brand, but if you are serious about cooking then it is worth it.
This mixer has a lovely strong bowl and feels really robust to use. The variable speed setting allows you to get the speed ... just right to avoid over beating or covering yourself with mixture!
Mine came with a good variety of mixing attachments and a blender which is great for making coleslaw.
With Kenwood, all the accessories and attachments fit perfectly and easily - you never feel like they are going to come off as they all fit with a rigid "click".
Cleaning is easy and the mixer attachment has a rubber cover to stop food getting up into the mechanism which just pops on and off.
When making cake mix or bread, the oscillating mixing head makes sure that you get every part of the bowl - it's hard to describe but it seems to rotate separately from the main mixer heads so it sweeps around the bowl. This is especially good when using the dough hook as you don't end up with dry mix left at the bottom of the bowl. The bowl is also shaped so that the sweep of the mix heads leaves almost no area unmixed.
Slight gripe is the noise level when on anything over half power - however it is a powerful mixer so shouldn't complain really.
I'd buy another.
Read the complete review |
|
|
Sainsbury's Basics HM822-V Hand Mixer
by m_illie
I've powered through wisking as long as I can despite having very weak wrists in both arms when suddenly I decided enough was enough and if I was going to continue baking I needed a light-weight mixer that would prevent any more pain and difficulty.
I purchased this from the basics range because I don't have a huge budget and ... often less doesn't always mean less quality. This cost me from memory around £4.99 or maybe less which is excellent value. It is very small and lightweight, with everything you need in a very compact area. The box manages to easily slot every component in and I've kept it even though I've owned the mixer for well over a year as its so convenient for storing the main body of the mixer as well as the beaters. It is very simple and easy to use, although it did come with an instruction manual still of course. Its as simple as plugging it in, flicking the switch on and sliding the speed from 1-5 depending on what you require.
Before this however there is a little setting up that is required. You take the beaters out of their plastic and slot them into the holes where they very easily just click in. Its so convenient to just click them in and out for both storage and cleaning purposes. There is a button on the front of the machine which allows you to remove the beaters, however this doesn't work when it is in use which is good for safety. I was grateful there wasn't loads of wastage as I already have enough though I try my best to cut down (and of course recycle in addition), it was simply the box, the plastic wrapping and the instruction manual.
The mixer is very simple comprised of a plain white body and metal beaters. The wire is 1m long which is a little short for me if I am not on the counter nearest to the socket as I have quite old wiring in my house and the plugs are very inconveniently placed. This means I'm forced to stand in the same spot always and having little counter space enough this is a little annoying. However for most people the length should be adequate. The beaters are only very use which is good for my own personal use as I only tend to make very small quantities for myself and my boyfriend however if you wanted to produce a larger batch the size of the beaters may mean it will take much longer or just be very difficult altogether.
The sizer of the mixer means it is lightweight which eases use. When I have used bigger varieties (such as the one my Mum owns) it leads to my arm aching and having to switch them frequently. It is very easy to store because of its size which is great as I have a tiny kitchen as it is. Many of the positives of this mixer in fact are its convenience.
Overall I would recommend this mixer as it does everything a more expensive brand might but for a fraction of the price. I manage to bake with it with ease and cleaning is also a doddle because of how easy it is to click out the metal beaters. I would definitely recommend this and at under a fiver you can hardly go wrong.
Read the complete review |
 |
Wilko Everyday Value Hand Mixer
by MikeBorry
~*~*~ Wilko Everyday Value Hand Mixer ~*~*~
~ What is it? ~
This is a hand mixer from Wilko's Value range. It makes mixing and making cakes a doddle!
~ Why did I buy it? ~
My grandmother gave me her old hand mixer after she acquired a new one but as she was quick to point out, one ... of the whisking beaters was a little but broken. This didn't bother me at all at first but as time went on and the more I used it I noticed that the broken prong seemed to be moving further from the rest and I could no longer slot the prong back into the hole so I was on the look out for a new mixer. I wasn't in desperate need for one so I just thought that I'd hold out until I found one at a good price and I was really pleased when I found this one in Wilkinson's for under a fiver.
~ Price & Availability ~
I bought my mixer in store at my local Wilko's branch however it is also available to buy online where you can reserve it for store pick up (you will have to pay online) or for home delivery where they will charge you £3.50.
The price of the mixer is a very purse friendly £4.99.
~ Mixing made easy! ~
I bake cakes quite often, I love to make unique and quirky birthday cakes for my children as well as general baking. I tend to make some sort of cake every week so I do find having a mixer is a must for me as it cuts down my mixing time by quite some bit. I don't think you can get the cake batter as smooth with hand mixing either so I do like to use an electronic mixer for that too.
The mixer is very plain to look at with it's white and grey colouring, it's nothing special but I keep it in the cupboard anyway so it isn't out on show (which it would be if it were an amazing Kitchen Aid mixer, but I can't justify the price of those!).
In the box you get the mixer body and two mixing beaters. These need to be slotted into the allocated holes on the underside of the mixer before use. This is done very simply by simply slotting them into the holes until you hear a faint click sound, they can then be removed after use to wash them by pushing the button on top which releases them.
The mixer has five speeds as well as a turbo boost but I generally use it on the second setting as I find this is adequate enough for my needs, if there seem to be any lumps I will give it a quick blast with the turbo button.
Even though this is an electric whisk I do find that I still end up giving the mixture a good stir with the mixer even though it doesn't really need to be done, I seem to like to make things a little harder for myself!
I find that it gets the cake batter smooth in under two minutes which is something I really like.
The unit is small but quite heavy so the quicker it can mix the mixture the better really I find. It isn't a massive weight but you can certainly feel it in your arm after mixing seven different coloured mixes for a rainbow cake - See above, where I mentioned I like to make things harder for myself!
It is very easy to clean after use by simply pushing the top button and pulling the mixing beaters out, these can be washed with warm soapy water and the unit can be wiped over with a cloth to keep it clean and tidy.
~ Overall ~
This is a brilliant little mixer for the money paid and I certainly have no complaints.
Easy to use, easy to clean and cheap.
Fantastic!
Thanks for reading :o) x
Read the complete review |
