Mixing

Mix it, mix it up!

Today we will take a good look at the tools that the average home cook might use to mix their foods in their home. I will not bore you with hours of text on the different types of the 20 different types of whisks that are available to a professional chef, because, quite frankly, no home chef who is in her or his right mind, will have that many. So, the tools we will explore are those you may find in your own kitchen. So lets get a look at the lineup:

1) A Spoon – The first and most basic of the mixing tool you are likely to have used. Its good for mixing together items that are similar in weight and when you don’t have to worry about creating too much gluten.

2) A Whisk – This is used when you want to a great deal of air to the mix. This is great for things you want to be light and fluffy, eggs and milk based sauces.

3) A Spatula – These can be used when you don’t want to add air to the mix. You can use it for a cutting or a scooping motion. It is also good for when you want to add in things like chips or nuts to a dish. I like this tool when you want to do something like cookies, when the end result should not be light and fluffy.

4) A Hand Mixer – These are great for quickly mixing things that you want speed. If used on an angle, you can also use the speed to mix in a lot of air for whipping cream, or mixing a cake.

5) A Stand Mixer – If you have one with attachments you can do just about anything with there, except for things that are delicate, like egg whites.

See, all of those tools have a valuable place in the world of mixing, and you can be sure that you will get the right texture in your foods.