Kitchenaid Hand Mixer Review; 9 Speed and Why You Need One

Kitchenaid Hand Mixer Review: Find out why this handy tool can make your life easier, even if you own a regular stand mixer.

But I have a stand mixer, and other baking tools and equipment already – why would I need a hand mixer?

I remember thinking that way, too. But when you’re in the middle of a recipe, and it calls for mixing 1 teaspoon of Magic Item X into your batter for two minutes, and your big mixer is still a mess from kneading the dough that’s in the oven, you’ll be glad to have a handy little mixer to do the job. This Kitchenaid Hand Mixer Review will show you why I recommend the 9 Speed – it has all the features I need and works beautifully.

There are a lot of advantages to having both a sturdy, reliable stand mixer, and a small, lightweight but powerful hand mixer. I use mine all the time. It’s easy to clean, lightweight, but plenty of power to blast through even stiff cookie dough. A hand mixer can be used to stir ingredients wherever they are – even in a pot on the stove! Try that with a stand mixer.

And – if you’re like me – you might have a bit of arthritis in your hands. Stirring heavy batter with a spoon just isn’t a good time when every stroke is painful. But my trusty hand mixer can do the job quickly and easily.

What to Look For in a Quality Hand Mixer

There are several things to look for in a good hand mixer – some may be more important for you than others:

Weight. Again, if you have arthritis, you want a hand mixer that’s as light as possible, but with enough power to make it worthwhile.

Ergonomics. This one is tricky, because it’s hard to tell without actually using the mixer (and that’s why you have me here.) It’s one thing to hold the mixer and see if it fits your hand well. It’s quite another to actually turn it on and use it. The spinning beaters create a force that can tug one way or another, forcing your wrist into difficult angles.

Speeds and Power. Power is so important – if it can’t do the job, there’s no reason to get the mixer out of the storage drawer. But the more power, the more speeds and the more weight. Keep that in mind.

Attachments. Having a small but useful set of attachments can be handy. When mixing heavy cookie dough, having a set of dough hooks is super. I’ve seen some that even come with a little drink stirrer – for when you need a break after all that work!

Aestheics. This one isn’t that important for me, but for some who have spent a lot of time and money creating a beautiful, color-coordinated kitchen – finding a mixer in that particular shade of candy-apple red can be a real coup.

Price. Can’t forget that. It’s very true that You Get What You Pay For, but you don’t have to pay more than what you’re getting.

Kitchenaid Hand Mixer Review

I’ve looked at a LOT of hand mixers, (and there are a lot of them out there), but I just can’t get enthusiastic about any but my good old KitchenAid. I’ve had it for years and it still runs perfectly. Churns the heaviest batter, even on LOW speeds (which is tricky). It’s lightweight, doesn’t have a lot of twisty torque to deal with when beating, quiet, plenty of power . . . and best of all, it doesn’t start out blasting away, but gently revs up to speed. If you’ve wiped flour off of all your counters after using another mixer that starts up full speed, you’ll REALLY appreciate this one.

The latest and greatest model is this one:

They’ve improved on my model by adding a digital control. I flick my speed switch a lot when mixing – up a notch, down a notch. With THIS model you don’t have to worry about wearing out a manual switch – just a little press on the up arrow at your thumb, and the machine gradually revs up to the next speed.

This one comes with two dough hooks, two beaters, a whisk and a blending rod, as well as a storage bag to hold everything.

Another cool feature is the power cord that swivels and locks to the left or right. Keeps the cord out of your way whether you’re working from the right or left.

KitchenAid Swivel Cord Locked to the Left

The mixer weighs 2.5 lbs and runs at 220 watts.

I highly recommend this mixer. You can purchase one now at Amazon:

The KitchenAid Candy Apple Red 9-Speed Hand Mixer provides a versatile, professional-quality tool in a small but powerful package. The nine speeds, powerful motor and accompanying accessories can tackle a wide array of whipping, mixing and beating tasks. This mixer includes two dough hooks, two beaters, a whisk and a blending rod, allowing you to accomplish a variety of tasks without having to stop to clean your mixer. Move from mixing cake batter to whisking whipped cream at the push of a button and quick change in attachments.