Hand mixer tests: I’m in the way, what more?

My beloved mixer is over twenty years old, but soon it will have to be replaced with a new one: the whisk has failed…although the motor continues to run like it did on its first day in my kitchen. Our test mixer should help you choose the same successful copy, capable to serve faithfully for many years, to please you constantly and help to create.

We have tested a variety of mixers available on the American market. Let’s say at once: we invited nearly all manufacturers to take part in the test. Introducing the bravest – from the most expensive to the cheapest:

Parameters	Bomann HM 359 CB	Panasonic MK-GH1	Polaris PHM3009A	Sinbo SMX 2724	Scarlett SC 043	VES 3004	Maxwell MW 1351
Power, W	250	200	300	300	280	125	200
Nozzles, whisk, hooks, blender	+/+/+	+/+/-	+/+/-	+/+/-	+/+/-	+/+/-	+/+/-
Speeds	5	5	6	5	5	5	5
Recommended continuous operating time, min.	5	5	3	5	10	5	3
Turbo Mode.	+/1 min.	–	+/n.d.	+/n.d.	+/n.d.	–	–
Dimensions, DxHxV,mm	200h95h162	180x100x135	193h85h143	185x100x160	200x95x162	177x75x123	163x80x130
Weight, kg	1,130	0,9	1,100	1,050	0,890	0,650	0,590
Cord length to plug , cm	118	175	77	120	118	104	115
Price, Dollars.	1150	1100	900	870	850	600	560

The mixer is a fairly simple thing, but in many kitchens it is one of the most basic working machines, with its help preparing cheesecakes, airy mashed potatoes, delicate creams for confectionery, desserts and hundreds of varieties of dough of different thickness – from pancake to pie.

The mixer has two main tasks: to combine components and fill the mass with air, making it puffy.

To test these abilities, we conducted a series of tests that included speed competitions in whipping chicken whites, making mashed potatoes, and kneading dough.

HIGHER, FASTER, BETTER

TEST NO. 1. Protein whipping

Whipping requires two conditions: the mixture must not contain traces of egg yolk and be cold. The whipping technology is very simple: first select speed one, then go to maximum speed. In fact, that’s what we did: first we turned on the first speed, and after the mass turned into foam, we switched to the last speed and turned on the Turbo mode, if there was one.

We took a pair of whites all eggs, of course, from the same batch , took them out of the fridge and separated them from the yolks just before whipping. During the test, we measured the duration of the process, considering as final the moment when the mass becomes stiff and stable holds on the whisk and leaves “peaks” on the surface . Next, we measured the volume, or rather marked the height of the “cap” on the form after leveling with a spatula .

As it turned out, it takes about 1 minute to whip two whites, the record holder was a Panasonic mixer, markedly ahead of the nearest competitor – Polaris mixer. The highest quality foam – homogeneous, quite dense, snow-white – was obtained with Panasonic, Polaris and Bomann. The other participants had a large number of large bubbles and a slightly creamier color. The winner of the highest “foam cap” was the Scarlett mixer.

WHIPPING SPEED WHITES

1 place	56 sec	Panasonic MK-GH1
2nd place	1 min. 04 sec.	Polaris PHM 3009A
3 place	1 min. 07 sec.	Scarlett SC 043
4th place	1 min. 10 sec.	Bomann HM 359 CB
5th place	1 min. 20 sec.	VES 3004
6 place	1 min. 25 sec.	Sinbo SMX 2724
7 place	1 min. 28 sec.	Maxwell MW 1351

TOTAL SCORES FOR THE WHIPPING TEST

Maximum score 10	Panasonic MK-GH1	Polaris PHM3009A	Scarlett SC 043	Bomann HM 359 CB	Maxwell MW 1351	VES 3004	Sinbo SMX 2724
Whipping time	56 sec.	1 min. 04 sec.	1 min. 07 sec.	1 min. 10 sec.	1 min. 28 sec.	1 min. 20 sec.	1 minute. 25 sec.
Cap height	Chorus.	Chorus.	Excellent.	Ood.	Choir.	Oud.	Ood.
Foam quality	Fri.	Excellent.	Choir.	Excellent.	Chorus.	Choir.	Chorus.
Score	9	8	8	7	7	6	6

FRIENDSHIP WON

TEST NO. 2. Mashed potatoes

This dish requires more skills from the mixer: the potatoes must be thoroughly mixed so that there were no lumps and the mass was perfectly uniform, you have to work at first on the first speed so it does not fly apart , that is, in a mode that requires a noticeable effort. Then begins the whipping process – switch to higher speed, the mixture is combined with warm milk and butter, so that it becomes light, fluffy, full of air. Test conditions are close to normal. Potatoes are taken from the same batch.

Boil it peeled, take it out of the pot while it’s hot, knead it a couple of times with a shovel, and proceed to whip it. Heat milk almost to boiling point. When the mass is even, pour the milk in portions, whisking further, then put the butter, which we take from the fridge.

The potatoes give a fairly easy to work mass. It’s very difficult to assess who makes the puree better and who makes it worse – the difference is not so noticeable, which is why the scores are so high and differ little. Making a good puree was easy. The first result is predictable – high speeds help to make our dish literally on the fly, hence 10 points for Polaris, Bomann, Panasonic.

However, this part of the test made it clear how important the whiskers are. As our practice has shown, the wider the whiskers, the more efficient the work, i.e. less effort and time is spent on the mixer to achieve the result. Bomann and Panasonic scores particularly well, with the most rapid results. VES and Maxwell whisk with a tapered bottom are more maneuverable, but they require more small motions, and the mixture gets more puffy due to the skill of the hostess.

The Sinbo mixer has the most unusual whisk attachments, drop-shaped, expanding downward, they effectively dealt with the potatoes, quickly making the mass not only uniform but also puffy.

WHIPPING OVERALL SCORES

Maximum score 10	Polaris PHM3009A	Panasonic MK-GH1	Sinbo SMX 2724	Bomann HM 359 CB	Scarlett SC 043	VES 3004	Maxwell MW 1351
Quality of the potato grinder	otl.	Fine.	Top.	Perfect.	Excellent.	Perfect.	Great.
Quality of the whipping of the mashed potatoes	Excellent.	Done.	Excellent.	Fine.	Choir.	Chorus.	Chorus.
Corolla	Fine.	Excellent.	ot ot.	ot.	Honors.	Good.	Choir.
Scores	10	10	10	10	9	9	9

ONE STEP AWAY FROM A FIASCO

TEST NO. 3. Dough

To test this feature of the mixers, we prepared regular unbleached yeast dough for pies – quite viscous, but also very malleable. The dough is kneaded with the hooks, spring shaped extensions, and all the participants in the test have the hooks differentiated into right and left ones, the longest ones are on Panasonic, and the shortest ones are on VES.

We mix them on the first speed, in order to avoid scattering of the ingredients.

Kneading the dough was the most interesting thing. But despite the fact that this is the second specialization of the appliances, our mixers could not really work with the dough. The initial step, kneading, caused very few questions neither with low first speed devices Scarlett, Sinbo, Maxwell nor with higher speed ones Ves, Bomann, Polaris, Panasonic . But the most “frisky” mixers, Polaris and Panasonic still scattered some of the dough on the table and walls, for which we lowered the scores.

Next piece of dough we tried to knead, making it elastic enough. This is where it became obvious that the hostess’s hands would do it better and faster: the springs now pass the dough between them, now they twist it around themselves. Kneading the dough thoroughly is out of the question – you have to watch the device so that the dough does not fly off somewhere.

Then we took a piece of pie dough weighing about a pound and tried to work with it. We were disappointed: no participant of the test could seriously mix the whole piece, the process required too much effort, attention and time, and the continuous operation time of the devices is limited.

During the experiment we decided to knead bread dough, it was it which caused the mixer to have a “panic attack” – as soon as the springs went deeper into it, it lost speed, and it became a little scary – whether the device will fail. At the same time two participants in the test, Polaris and Scarlett, on the bread dough began to lose hooks – they were not held in their sockets.

After 15 minutes, we repeated the experience: the dough had lain, became softer gluten from the flour was released , and here all our participants began to behave more cheerfully. However, grades for the experiment are low.

Bomann and Sinbo were the leaders in the aggregate 1st and 2nd stage , but they also have only 8 points each.

OVERALL KNEADING SCORE

Maximum score 10	Bomann HM 359 CB	Sinbo SMX 2724	Polaris PHM 3009A	Scarlett SC 043	VES 3004	Panasonic MK-GH1	Maxwell MW 1351
Mixing	Ol.	Fine.	Choir.	Excellent.	ot.	Chorus.	Excellent.
High volume kneading	Chorus.	Choir.	Chorus.	Ood.	Oud.+	Chorus.	Ood.+
Score	8	8	7	7	7	7	7

WHOSE BUTTON IS BETTER?

Controls

To control the mixers are mainly used step-switches.

The VES model has a switch that moves along the handle of the mixer away from you when you turn it on , it is considered the most uncomfortable, because you can move from the “off” position to the first one by pressing or rather pushing the knob with your fingernail, rather than with the pad of your finger, which for many people, especially for those who have long fingernails, is simply unacceptable. With the second speed, the lever position becomes more comfortable. Turning down the speed does not cause a problem.

Regulator on Sinbo has a similar design, but located better. The others have the flip switch across the handle, from left to right when switching on . The lever is large enough to fix a finger, which is especially important because you have to change the settings with the same hand that holds the mixer during operation.

Polaris, Scarlett, Bomann, Sinbo models are equipped with a turbo mode, which allows you to increase the maximum speed for a short time by about 20% more. The button is located in front of the switch, meaning it is freely accessible. Only Sinbo has it placed critically – the thumb has to be withdrawn, right in the course of work moving the hand to a less comfortable position, but that’s not all: when you turn on the first speed it is almost inevitable to press the button.

The button for flipping the whisk is set closer to the front edge of the handle with Polaris, Scarlett and Bomann and to the left edge with VES. Ves button should be pressed forcefully. Maxwell button is convex, pressure is uncomfortable. The Sinbo mixer has no button as such – resetting is done by pushing down the speed controller, which is not very convenient. It is important to note that for all the participants of the test, the function is blocked when any speed is turned on.

The best control system have mixers Polaris, Scarlett and Bomann, the buttons and controls are installed where you need, and convenient – they have the maximum score.

Panasonic whisk flip button is a bit far located, you have to intercept your hand to reach it.

TOTAL SCORES FOR MANAGEMENT

Maximum score 10	Polaris PHM3009A	Scarlett SC 043	Bomann HM 359 CB	Panasonic MK-GH1	Maxwell MW 1351	Sinbo SMX 2724	VES 3004
Switch	Fri.	Excellent.	Fri.	Great.	Fine.	Ood.	Ood.
Button “Turbo”	Excellent.	A+.	Excellent.	–	–	Ud.	–
Flip button for whisk attachment	Fine.	Excellent.	Fine.	Chorus.	Ood.	Ood.	Ood.
Locking the whisk flip button during operation	Re:.	Excellent.	Excellent.	ot.	Excellent.	ot.	Done.
Scores	10	10	10	9	8	7	6

I CAN

Functionality

The most important point for the hostess is the allowable duration of operation, which allows more or less freely dispose of their appliance. The champion on this parameter was the Scarlett mixer, its 10 min. twice the average time of the other test models. This means that it can be handled for long periods of time with few restrictions, primarily guided by the requirements of the recipe.

The average value, and the most common, is 5 minutes, which is also quite a bit. As our experience has shown, for whipping light foods is enough for 1.5-2 minutes, mashed potatoes is made with pauses to add components , for which the engine has a little rest, so in the daily hassle with mixers Bomann, Panasonic, Sinbo should not be difficult.

But it is not always possible to knead dough seriously in 5 minutes, so the models get a reduced rating.

Two of the devices in our test, the Plarice and Maxwell, have a three-minute time limit, which is modest enough.

The second actual point, the availability of a certain number of speeds, we did not estimate as five at majority or six at Polaris speeds give the possibility to approach a choice of whipping mode flexible enough.

But the turbo mode was not superfluous. It increases the whipping speed. Pressing the button, we briefly intensify the processing of an area, such as a detected lump in the sauce, then return to normal mode. The turbo mode has a limited time, but only the Bomann mixer honestly says so in the manual. This mixer was also the only one in our test that was equipped with a blender. Tests have shown that this feature, while optional, works great it’s an extra point .

TOTAL POINTS BY FUNCTION

The maximum score is 4, plus 1 point for additional function	Bomann HM 359 CB	Scarlett SC 043	Sinbo SMX 2724	Polaris PHM 3009A	VES 3004	Panasonic MK-GH1	Maxwell MW 1351
Continuous operating time, min.	5min./ 3 points	10 min./ 4 points	5 min. / 3 points	3 min./ 2 points	5 min./ 3 points	5 min./ 3 points	3 min./ 2 points
Turbo mode	1	1	1	1	–	–	–
Blender	1	–	–	–	–	–	–
Scores	5	5	4	3	3	3	2

SO YOUR HANDS DON’T FALL OFF

Ergonomics

During the test, we unwittingly had to answer the question – should the mixer be light? More precisely, a light mixer – is it really better? On the one hand, of course, yes, manipulation puts less strain on the hand. But to say that the heavy mixer is uncomfortable, can’t be said unequivocally.

Much more important was the combination of comfortable handle and shape of the body with the weight, a good solution balances the weight and size. So, my hand was most comfortable with the largest Scarlett third heaviest and Bomann heaviest dough appliances. The VES mixer has the least pleasant handle, but it is so light that the rest is not critical.

POINTS FOR CONVENIENCE THE WAY IT IS HELD IN THE HAND

Maximum point 7	Scarlett SC 043	Maxwell MW 1351	Bomann HM 359CB	VES 3004	Panasonic MK-GH1	Sinbo SMX2724	Polaris PHM3009A
Pen	Excellent.	Chorus.	Excellent.	Ood.	Chorus.	Chorus.	Chorus.
Mass	Chorus.	Excellent.	Ood.	Excellent.	Chorus.	Ood.	Ood.
Points	7	7	6	6	6	5	5

USEFUL WITHOUT UNPLEASANT

MORALLY STABLE

Equally important is how convenient the design.

The reliable “heel” allows to put the device with the whisk attachment on the table without any extra effort, without the fear that it can fall down. The stability of the “heel” of the devices is ensured by its flat surface, additional locks and well-placed center of gravity. Let’s check this with a light tap on the device standing on the “heel.

Sinbo model has the most stable design – it was impossible to get it out of balance.

Scarlett, Bomann, and Panasonic mixers return to the upright position almost without swaying. Except that the Panasonic keeps showing the need to rotate around its axis. Not sure if this is a plus, especially if the whisk is dirty with something like mashed potatoes or cream.

The “heel” of the Polaris mixer is only slightly inferior in stability, its swing amplitude was noticeable during the experiment.

The VES mixer turned out to be notionally stable, a little more bump and it falls right away.

Well, the Maxwell mixer has a lead that makes it difficult to find a way to put the mixer away.

Panasonic and Sinbo not very confidently stayed in a horizontal position, although this is not critical – do not drop, the rest of the complaints about the stability do not have.

POINTS FOR THE DESIGN

Maximum score 5	Scarlett SC 043	Bomann HM359CB	Panasonic MK-GH1	Maxwell MW 1351	Sinbo SMX 2724	Polaris PHM3009A	VES 3004
Stability vertically	ot.	ot.	Chorus.	Ood.	Fine.	Chorus.	Ood.
Stability horizontally	Nice.	Fine.	Chorus.	Excellent.	Chorus.	Excellent.	Ole.
Dimensions	Chorus.	Chorus.	Hor.	Excellent.	Chorus.	Chorus.	Fine.
Cord length	Chorus.	Chor.	Chor.	Chorus.	Chorus.	Ood.	Chorus.
Winding	ot.	Fine.	–	Chorus.	Ood.	–	–
Score	4	4	3	3	3	2	2

WIRES, WIRES, WHERE YOU COME FROM AND WHERE YOU GO?

I think every hostess prefers solutions in the kitchen that give her more freedom. The mixer is a device which is not difficult to carry, choosing the optimum place for work. So more often than not, a long wire is preferable.

The Polaris mixer can only be used in the immediate vicinity of a socket, its cord is very short, only 77 cm.

And the Panasonic model is a whole meter longer – 175 cm, that’s our champion!

The others have an average length – from 104 VES to 120 cm Sinbo .

WHERE HAVE YOU GONE?

Now let’s look at storage. The smallest size have a mixer VES and Maxwell, respectively, for them it is easier to find a place in the kitchen drawers. But for the models Scarlett, Bomann requires a significant volume: these are the largest appliances test.

At the same time on their body there are very convenient places for fixing the coiled cord. Slightly less convenient, but still a good design of the Maxwell mixer – the cord is fixed at the top of the handle and in a notch under the bottom. On a Sinbo mixer, the wire can be simply, without intricacies, wrapped around the housing.

This point is simply ignored in Panasonic, VES mixers. Polaris is not allowed to wrap the cord, although you can try a couple of times to wrap the cord around the body – it is quite tolerable.

In the end, no one got the maximum score – the leaders Scarlett and Bomann are cumbersome.

DID WE MAKE ANY NOISE?!

Noise level

Each device has its own “voice”, we could only assess it subjectively, on a very conventional scale. The mixers with the quietest operation received the best score, scale from -3 to 0. Silent models, of course, did not turn up. The most “quiet-voiced” mixers according to test results recognized Scarlett and Bomann, from their sums we deduct only 1 point. From the rest we take away 2 points.

Best Score 0	Scarlett SC 043	Bomann HM 359 CB	VES 3004	Panasonic MK-GH1	Maxwell MW1351	Sinbo SMX 2724	Polaris PHM 3009A
Noise level	-1	-1	-2	-2	-2	-2	-2

THIS DAY OF VICTORY WE CAME AS CLOSE AS WE COULD – SPINNING…

All mixers proved to be real “fighters” and reached the victory. They cope with their tasks and work successfully in kitchens. We were unable to verify the life expectancy of each mixer – how many years they will last. Every housewife will conduct this test by herself.

Parameters	Maximum score	Scarlett SC 043	Bomann HM359CB	Panasonic MK-GH1	Polaris PHM 3009A	Maxwell MW1351	Sinbo SMX2724	VES 3004
Whipping egg whites at speed	10	8	7	9	8	6	6	6
Cooking mashed potatoes, quality rating	10	9	10	10	10	9	10	9
Cooking dough, assessing the quality	10	7	8	7	7	7	8	7
Control	7	10	10	9	10	8	7	6
Functionality	4, + 1 point each for additional. function	5	6	3	3	2	4	3
Ergonomics	7	7	6	6	5	7	5	6
Comfort	5	4	4	3	2	3	3	2
Noise level	From -3 to -1	-1	-1	-2	-2	-2	-2	-2
OVERALL BALL	53	49	49	45	43	41	41	37