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If you aren’t quite ready or just can’t seem to find the room for a stand mixer, you’re going to need something to give you extra mixing power if you spend any time in the kitchen.
KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Display Hand Mixer in Candy Apple Red available at Amazon
Yes, you can whip butter or beat egg whites by hand, but it’s tough and you won’t get the same results that you can with a machine. A hand mixer is a much more affordable alternative to a standing mixer and will help you accomplish the necessities.
When looking for hand mixers, I wanted something that would be durable, powerful, versatile, and easy to use. When it comes to standing mixers, KitchenAid is the first brand that comes to mind.
Their mixers last decades and they offer a wide variety of attachments. KitchenAid also has a line of hand mixers that are nearly as universally well-reviewed as their standing counterparts.
The KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Display Hand Mixer is the perfect hand-mixing tool.
Constructed for Comfort
The KitchenAid 9-Speed Hand Mixer is designed to be comfortable and easy to use. The handle has a heel rest and is made with soft grip material.
It’s a lightweight small appliance so you won’t find yourself attempting to prop up your arm up three minutes into a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough.
KitchenAid even considered the needs of lefties when designing this mixer: the power cord can be locked to hang in place to the left or right. Some users have complained that the mixer is more difficult to store because the cord doesn’t retract like many other hand mixer models.
KitchenAid KHM920A 9-Speed Hand Mixer in Black available at Amazon
All of the attachments are constructed from stainless steel, a metal known for its durability. Reviewers all rave about these attachments powering through very thick dough with no fear that they’ll break apart.
This hand mixer has a sleek design and I love the candy apple red color, but you can get it in white or black if you want something a little subtler. The front of the mixer is vented to keep the motor nice and cool for those jobs that really make the mixer work hard.
Speed & Motor
One of the greatest things about this mixer is that it doesn’t start right out at full speed. Instead, it slowly works it’s way up to the speed you’ve selected. This may sound like a relatively insignificant feature, but this is going to be a game changer for me.
My current hand mixer has two speeds and if I dare to use it to make frosting, I find myself covered in milk and powdered sugar if I forget to cover the bowl.
White on White Color Scheme available at Amazon
KitchenAid has 5, 7, and 9 speed mixers. Since I frequently use my mixer and want something multipurpose that can handle tougher jobs, I knew that the 9-speed was the best option for me.
I can slowly add dry ingredients without the flour-spray at the lowest speeds, thoroughly mix batters at the mid-speeds, and whip egg whites at the high speeds. Keep in mind that more speeds doesn’t necessarily mean high speeds; rather, it means that you have several more speed options to more precisely mix.
KitchenAid standing mixers have ten speeds, so you’re getting a similar product with this hand mixer. It’s very easy to switch between speeds with digital finger controls on the top of the mixer.
It even has an electronic sensor that will detect the best speed for whatever you’re mixing, doing some of the speed switching for you. Even with the powerful motor, this machine runs quietly, making it much more pleasant to use.
Attachments
This hand mixer comes with several attachments: turbo beaters, liquid blender rod, dough hooks, whisk, and a bag to hold all the attachments. The beaters are perfect for light egg whites or fluffy cream cheese.
The liquid blender rod is a really fun attachment! It’s designed for milkshakes and can also you give you frothy chocolate milk or perfectly blended breakfast smoothies.
The dough hooks do a great job of handling yeast dough and will save you a lot of time and hard work when making bread. The attachments are easy to use and you should have no trouble quickly assembling the mixer before use.
There’s a quick eject button that you can press with one hand to easily remove any of the attachments.
Silver color scheme model with all attachments available at Amazon
Cleanup
All of the attachments except the liquid blender rod are dishwasher safe, making cleanup a breeze. Even if you aren’t able to use a dishwasher, the attachments wipe up easily.
The base, of course, is not dishwasher safe, so if you need to wash it, just get a cloth wet and wipe it down with warm, soapy water. Never fully submerge it or the power cord in water.
With the slow startup speeds, you’ll also have less to wipe up on the countertops and yourself!
Other Considerations
Although some users have said that it’s slower to switch between the digital speeds than it is on the manual versions, the digital display is incredibly easy to use and gives you a quick and accurate read of what your mixer is doing.
As mentioned earlier in this review, I love that it will detect the best speeds for me!
This KitchenAid 9-Speed Hand Mixer comes with a 1-year warranty. Included in the manual are plenty of recipes to get you started on using this mixer.
There are several companies out there when it comes to choosing a hand mixer. Although many of them, like Cuisinart, are trusted brands that I recommend other products from, like their 7 Cup Food Processor, no one does mixers like KitchenAid does.
They are the go to company for stand and hand mixers because they’ve totally perfected their product and really understand what consumers are looking for in this small appliance.
| Color | Where to Buy | |
 | Black |  |
 | White on White | |
 | Silver | |
 | Candy Apple Red | |
 | Empire Red | |
Summary
When writing out a pros and cons list, there are very few items on the latter’s side. This is a dependable, well-reviewed small appliance that can handle anything from delicate angel food cakes to heavy bread dough. The attachments are as sturdy as the machine itself.
Although the price is definitely at the high end for a hand mixer, investing early in a solid piece of equipment means you won’t inevitably be buying a new one just a year or two down the road.
I love how light and compact the hand mixer is and it’s a great option for smaller jobs that I don’t want to pull my standing mixer out for. KitchenAid is a brand that I will always trust when making small appliance purchases and this helped ease any worries I had before buying.
Check prices and read customer reviews on Amazon now!
Hopefully this review instilled some confidence in you when making your hand mixer choice!
About Chelsea Miller
Chelsea Miller, born and raised in Portland, Oregon, graduated from the University of Oregon where she discovered both her love of football and cooking great food. She's the founder of the food blog "A Duck's Oven" and began writing for Foodal in 2014.
Thanks for sharing!
My biggest gripe with hand mixers over normal mixers is that I have to hold it steady for several minutes while mixing. If the hand mixer is too heavy or if it vibrates violently during mixing, my hands get tired and numb quickly.
While I don’t own this mixer, judging from its compact look and sleek grip, as well as its low weight, I think that it would not suffer from the aforementioned problems. This would be a welcome addition to my kitchen.
I’m really old school and prefer hand mixing, and my hands don’t like me for it! I like having full control over the texture with no room for error. Having 9 speeds might give me just enough control to be comfortable, though. My hands thank you.
I still mix by hand as well, but I do love a hand mixer for some things. I recently bought a hand mixer a few months ago and the difference it has made to my hands is amazing. I try to stay away from the higher speeds as I like to mix things slowly.
I’ve always used hand mixers because, when I was a kid, we just didn’t have to counter space for a standing mixer. Now, I have the counter, but I still prefer my old little hand mixer. In all my years, I’ve never owned a single KitchenAid appliance. This hand mixer is really tempting me into making my first purchase.
I used to use these types of hand mixers when I was kid. That’s how my mom mixed back in the days. She also had the manual one that you had to rotate yourself. I had quite a few funny mishaps with these contraptions — food flying everywhere. Yes, those were good days. 😀
Yes, i need a hand mixer urgently, my pancake batter mix usually comes out wrong and inconsistent at times, am glad i came across this article, i just need to budget now and that silver hand mixer is mine, all mine 😉
I remember one time when we had to make a batter from an all-purpose cream, but since we had no mixer, we had to mix it up using a whisk and it took hours (3, I think?)! I really need to consider buying a mixer this time :3 I guess I’ll choose from one of these ^_^
I have employed hand mixers and stand mixers and while both work great, I like the hand tool the best. It gets the whole job done without requiring a spoon to mix in the extra ingredients left on the side of the bowl. I hate having to mix heavy ingredients by hand, it’s so slow and painful, so having a mixing tool is the best kitchen invention ever.