I’ve heard people say a KitchenAid stand mixer is too heavy to lift or tilt. That is not true. When you work your way up to kneading bread with the dough hook attachment, the weight and size of this machine are very manageable. With proper technique, you can have a stand mixer at your side while you cook or bake anything from cakes to cookies.
Here’s how you do it:
1) Set one hand on top of the bowl and one hand on top of the dough hook (this will be in line with your shoulders). Lower these two hands together towards the countertop until both sets of fingers touch it (you may feel resistance before reaching this point). With your standing, bend down at the waist until your upper body is far enough below the counter to allow both sets of fingers to touch.
2) With both hands still on top of the mixer, tilt it towards you with one hand and lift with the other (keeping them low and steady). If you are right-handed, keep your left hand on top of the bowl and lower your right hand (which is holding the dough hook) until it reaches this point. Now lift that hand up onto your body while simultaneously lifting the dough hook (you may have to hold onto a nearby counter or cabinet, depending on its height).
3) Continue moving in this sequence.
4) Complete the previous steps with your other hand. A well-mixed batter will not be perfectly smooth (there are air bubbles) but it should be a consistent, thick batter.
Notes:
When operating the mixer, hold it low and steady. If your hands get tired or sweaty, you can rest them on the counter while they are higher up. You can also raise or lower them by bending at the waist or diagonally across your body. It may be helpful to put one hand underneath the mixer while another holds its base (or use both hands).
Mixing is one of the most common tasks in the kitchen, and it’s an activity that often involves standing in front of a countertop mixer. But have you ever wondered if there’s a more efficient way to mix?
The KitchenAid stand mixer is an asset to any kitchen, and while it can be used for many tasks including kneading bread doughs and whipping cream, it has one primary function: mixing. The standard technique for using a mixer usually entails lifting or tilting the mixing bowl against the attachment, depending on the desired result.
This concept has been around for years, but we were recently inspired by a video posted on the Food52 blog to revisit it. While tilting and lifting the bowl is fine in most situations, there are occasions when this can be more cumbersome and inefficient, such as when you want to whip cream or make a cake batter that is especially thick. The following method is more efficient because instead of having to continually tilt and lift the bowl against the attachment, you simply use your hands to move the mixer head while keeping the bowl stationary.
We wanted to know if there was any difference in mixing between using our standard technique and using this alternative method, so we set up four test batches using this same recipe . For the first test batch, we used our standard technique for making cake batter for an angel food cake.
Into the bowl we placed 1 cup of all-purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon baking powder and 3 egg whites. We then mixed it on low speed until all of the ingredients were moistened and combined. For the second test batch, we mixed the same recipe using this alternative method by placing our KitchenAid mixer head on top of a stand mixer (allowing us to use both hands), while keeping the bowl stationary on a countertop. For the third test batch, we made the same recipe using our standard technique of tilting and lifting the mixing bowl. And for the fourth test batch, we made a second angel food cake using the same recipe. Our photo above shows the results from all four test batches.
The first two cake samples were made with our standard technique for mixing. They were slightly lumpier than those which used our alternative method of keeping the mixer head on top. On average, our standard technique resulted in a light-colored batter with a little more definition to its height and texture, compared to those cakes which were made with this alternative method..
As for the whipped cream, it was an interesting result that we weren’t anticipating. While food editors have historically recommended this “churning” method for making whipped cream, we discovered that there was little difference between any of the four test batches. Even though all of them were mixed in the same manner — albeit with different equipment — the resulting whipped cream had nearly identical properties: a soft and creamy consistency with no evidence of over-mixing. (You can see our results in the photos above.)
Does this mean you should never tilt or lift your bowl again? Not necessarily. Tilt and lift is more efficient when you want to incorporate large amounts of air into a preparation, such as puff pastry or whipping cream. And when you want to incorporate smaller amounts of ingredients, such as egg yolks and other small ingredients, it may be more efficient to use your hands.
But if you’ve been using this standard mixing technique for years and years, give the alternative method a try. You may be surprised at how little effort it takes to mix up batters and whipped cream that are just as smooth as those that were made the traditional way.
We’d also like to thank Food52 for inspiring this post. Check out the original video here.
Yield: 2 (8-inch) cake layers Prep Time: 10 minutes Cook Time: 30 minutes Ingredients 1 cup + 3 tablespoons all-purpose flour, sifted 1/2 teaspoon baking powder 3 egg whites, room temperature Zest of 1 lemon or orange 1/3 cup sugar Directions Sift together the flour and baking powder in a large bowl or on a sheet pan.
In a medium bowl, beat the egg whites with an electric mixer until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and continue beating until stiff peaks form. In a separate bowl, gently stir together the egg whites and lemon or orange zest. Fold it into the flour mixture with a spatula. Pour the batter into two 8-inch cake pans (you can use non-stick baking pans if you prefer).
Bake at 350F for about 30 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool cakes in pans for 10 minutes on wire racks before moving to wire racks to cool completely. Eat them just as is, or split open to reveal layers in the middle!
Which mixer is better tilt head or bowl-lift?
First, a note about terminology. The first question we usually get is whether the tilt head or bowl-lift is better. We’ve chosen to use the term “standard” because it encompasses both options. It’s usually the case that a mixer will come with one of these options, so there’s no need to replace it without trying both in different scenarios. The tilt head option (left) has been around for years and works well for heavy-duty tasks like kneading bread doughs and making stiff batters like cake batters and whipped cream. It’s also great for some more delicate tasks like mixing sugar into small amounts of ingredients (e.g., when you want to incorporate air into puddings or custards).
The bowl-lift option has only been around for a few years. It’s a little more labor-intensive, which is why with some recipes, you may find the standard method to be more efficient. But, like the tilt head, it’s preferable in heavy-duty situations like kneading bread doughs and making stiff batters such as cake batters and whipped cream. In addition to these tasks, the bowl lift is also great for mixing sugar into small amounts of ingredients when you want to incorporate air into puddings or custards. So which one do you use? It all depends on your needs and personal preference.
What is the difference between tilt head and bowl-lift?
The biggest visual difference between these two options is the placement of the bowl. In the case of a tilt head mixer (left) , you’ll have to tilt your bowl up and down as you mix. A bowl lift (right) will allow you to engage your hands for other tasks, like pouring ingredients into your mixing bowl.
Do I need to be efficient in my kitchen?
Mixing is an interesting task, because it’s something that can be done many different ways or with different tools or equipment. The way we mix our ingredients and how we incorporate air into them will have a direct effect on the end result. So we have to be sure that the ingredients are doing what we want them to do (e.g., incorporate air) and that the mixture is getting everything it needs to get the job done, without over-mixing.
The standard method of lifting up the bowl and tilting it towards you will allow you to see how much you’ve kneaded a dough or incorporated air into your ingredients. There’s also usually a sound associated with this motion — a light slapping sound — that lets us know when we’ve put in enough effort for the task at hand.
What does a tilt head mixer mean?
A tilt head mixer is one that can be tilted up and down. It allows you to engage your hands for other tasks, such as pouring ingredients into your mixing bowl. This can be useful in the kitchen, especially if you are making something like dough, but want to be able to measure out ingredients, hear the sound of your ingredients as you mix them, or add a little bit of flavor to your dough.
The tilt head is also ideal for mixing sugar into small amounts of ingredients when you want to incorporate air into puddings or custards. This is because it’s easier for us to see our progress as we mix, and we can also hear the air being incorporated.
Why do some food editors recommend standard method over the alternative?
Food editors have historically recommended this “churning” method for making whipped cream because it’s a very efficient way to incorporate large amounts of air into the mixture, which is great if you want to make whipped cream quickly and efficiently.
How does KitchenAid bowl-lift work?
CONCLUSION:
When you’re looking for a new mixer, it’s important to make sure that you’re getting one that will work for the type of recipes that you like to make. If you have a KitchenAid mixer already and use their mixers exclusively, then there’s no need to invest in something different. That said, if you don’t use the KitchenAid standard mixer and frequently find that your food doesn’t come out as light or airy as expected, then maybe it’s time to check out some alternative options.
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