Machines save hours, and each has habits you need to know. Used wrong, they ruin food or hurt people.
Key idea
Stand mixer: the paddle for batters, cookie dough and creaming butter; the whisk for whipping cream and egg whites; the dough hook for bread. Blenders make the smoothest purées; immersion (stick) blenders purée right in the pot; food processors chop, slice and make doughs fast. An immersion circulator heats and stirs a water bath to an exact temperature for sous vide.
| Job | Best machine |
|---|---|
| Whipped cream, meringue | Stand mixer with whisk |
| Bread dough | Stand mixer with dough hook |
| Silky soup or sauce | Blender (vented), then a chinois |
| Soup right in the pot | Immersion blender |
| Pie dough, chopping nuts, pesto | Food processor (pulse) |
| Exact low temperature for hours | Immersion circulator or combi oven |
Safety
- Blend hot liquids in small batches, no more than about half full, with the lid's center vent open and covered by a folded towel, as blender makers advise; steam can force a sealed lid off.
- Unplug machines before reaching into a blade or changing attachments, and keep hands out of a running mixer bowl.
- Food processor and blender blades are sharp: lift them out by the center hub.
Why it works
A food processor's blade spins fast and heats food; it can turn potato starch to glue and butter in pie dough to grease. Pulse, and stop early.
Worked example: Pick the attachment
You are creaming butter and sugar for cookies.
- Creaming beats air into fat with sugar crystals.
- That's the paddle's job; the whisk would clog.
Answer: The paddle.
Common mistake
Mashing potatoes in a food processor. The blade bursts starch cells and the potatoes turn gluey. Use a ricer, food mill or masher.
Practice at home
- Whip ½ cup of cold cream by hand with a whisk, then the same amount with a mixer. Time both. Stop at soft peaks (the tip flops over) and at stiff peaks (it stands up).
In Meal Prep
- Whipped cream: soft and stiff peaks
- Butter: what happens if you keep whipping