Mixer or Processor or Both?

On Saturdays we share some of our favorite things – appliances, websites, kitchen gadgets & tools, cookbooks & books about food, and anything else that we think is cool.

Once upon a time, the Lady of the House had plenty of help in the kitchen, if she ever bothered to go there at all. Cook ruled the roost (and roast and roux) with servant girls and scullery maids at her beck and call. Once upon another time, nearly every home had a spinster aunt or not-yet-married daughter or two, so there was always someone available to stir the pot while Mama trussed the goose. There were even recipes for things called "Nun's Cake," because only a convent had women who could beat egg whites for hours without stopping.

We might not have servant girls but we have pretty handy substitutes in our appliances.

One appliance I would not give up is my heavy duty stand mixer. Mine is a discontinued green Kitchen Aid model with wire whip and dough hook as well as a standard beater. It seems mine was the last model of its size that does not have a tilting head, which is admittedly rather awkward. Doesn't matter, I love it. In addition to the countless ordinary tasks performed by a stand mixer, the 325 watts motor allows me to mix and knead bread dough effortlessly, and consequently I feel no need for a bread machine.  (No, KitchenAid does not sponsor this blog, although if anyone has connections, please send them my way.)

Like everyone else, I used to have hand-held electric mixers. They burned up one after another. When I wanted to make bread, they were no help at all. Would you try to clean all the carpet in the house with a Dust Buster? If you love to cook and want to enjoy the process, a quality stand mixer is a smart investment.

The other favorite appliance in constant use is my food processor. Also a Kitchen Aid, it has a plastic housing, and lacks the indestructible feel the mixer has. I replaced the work bowl cover when the locking mechanism broke and I wish additional blades were standard rather than separately priced accessories. That said, the thing is a work horse and takes an enormous load of work off my hands. The more I use it, the more I learn about its capabilities.

With a few exceptions, the food processor does most of the jobs that used to be done in the blender. The processor simply keeps the food in contact with the blade more effectively than the blender. Two notable exceptions are smoothies and salad dressings including mayonnaise. The blender's upright bowl is better designed for liquids while the processor makes quick work of everything else.

Finally, since we're considering electrical things with spinning blades, I keep a little whirligig coffee grinder for spices: anise, cardamom, cinnamon sticks, cloves, coriander, cumin, peppercorns. When you smell freshly ground spices for the first time, you won't want to go back to the pre-ground dead stuff in sad little bottles.

To sum up, don't do more work than you have to do. Let the right appliances do the heavy labor for you, and you'll find yourself cooking more joyfully.


copyright Starr Luteri 2009