Electric Mixers and Food Processors

Iprefer heavy-duty electric mixers with their 3 mixing attachments—the paddle or flat beater, the whisk and the dough hook—for many recipes. I use an electric hand mixer for whipping egg whites, whipping heavy cream or for mixing together small amounts of ingredients. When switching from a less powerful mixer to the heavy-duty type, you must reduce the machine’s speed almost in half to accomplish the same job.

The food processor is ideal for preparing many doughs because it doesn’t incorporate much air while accomplishing the task quickly. Some recipes blend together in the food processor perfectly, but for others, the speed is too fast and you lose control.