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Mixer vs Blender, what are their differences, and when to use each appliance? Do you really need both? Can you use them interchangeably? Let’s find out.
Mixer vs blender, is one more superior to the other?
Mixers and blenders seem to do the same job, but while there are instances when you can use either one, it’s important that you know their key differences.
I’m sure the last thing you want is a broken mixer, blender, or ruined food.
Let’s take a look at the difference between a blender and a mixer. Do you really need to have both common kitchen appliances, or can you make do with just one?
After all, we want the easiest and most efficient experience in the kitchen.
To give you a quick mixer vs blender comparison, a mixer will whip, beat, and knead, while a blender will chop, puree, and crush.
A blender, like this super popular Ninja countertop blender is best for, well, blending. We can put fruits, vegetables, and ice cubes in our blenders to make smoothies and shakes, but we can also use them to puree various ingredients to make soups and sauces.
The blender can turn solids items into liquids thanks to its powerful electric motor that turns sharp blades at high speeds.
However, anyone who owns a blender knows that moisture is the secret to getting the perfect blend. You need to add water, milk, or stock to the blender container.
We’ll discuss blender uses and functions in more detail later.
If you love baking, you probably already have a mixer at home. It can be a hand mixer or a stand mixer like this KitchenAid Artisan.
As the name implies, we use a mixer to mix or combine ingredients together. Unlike a blender that relies on high-speed sharp blades, a hand mixer rotates beaters to mix even dense ingredients effortlessly.
If it’s a stand mixer, it can also come with common attachments like a wire whip for whipping egg whites into perfect stiff peaks or a dough hook for kneading thick, dense dough effortlessly.
Depending on the brand, it’s even possible to use the stand mixer for making ice cream or pasta using different attachment options.
Now that we quickly answered the question, “What is the difference between blender and mixer?”, let’s find out the appropriate type of appliance for each specific task.
Is there a blending and mixing difference? What is a mixer used for in cooking?
So can I use a blender instead of a mixer? To some extent, yes, there are instances where you can use either appliance.
For example, a blender can possibly mix ingredients if the recipe uses dry and wet ingredients. However, remember to use the pulse function, not the blend setting.
Can you whip cream in a regular blender? Remember earlier when we mentioned you could make whipped cream in a blender?
The technique is to start at a low speed and blend for a few seconds until soft peaks form. Be careful not to over-blend, so I still suggest using a mixer for fluffy cream.
What about frosting? Well, the blender uses blades, so they’ll be too harsh in mixing frosting ingredients.
What’s also ironic is sometimes, the blender speed is too fast or too slow to be used in place of a mixer.
If you mix flour and cocoa powder, for example, the rotation of the blades will just cause a mess, but if you try to cream butter and sugar in a blender, the blades will underperform, and you won’t get the ideal light consistency.
Some recipes, especially baked goods, won’t work in the blender since adding liquid will change their moisture content and ruin their texture, taste, and structure. Remember that blenders rely on a liquid in the mixture to “blend” ingredients together!
And, of course, the blender has no paddle to mix the dough. It’s just too thick and sticky!
Is there a difference between mixer and food processor? Yes, because a food processor is not a mixer nor a blender.
The best way to describe a food processor is it’s right between a blender and a mixer. Like a blender, it can chop ingredients because of its blades.
The blades spin at a high speed, so they can mince and chop efficiently, turning solid food into smaller chunks.
And with the correct blade, some food processors can even knead the dough like a mixer!
It’s possible to use a mixer instead of a food processor. For example, the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer has a power hub, which you can use for different attachments that are capable of doing what a food processor can (e.g., slicing and shredding.)
Both food processors and blenders use a powerful motor that works the blades. However, you need a food processor if you want a chunky result, while a blender is better for achieving a silky smooth mixture, like when making a strawberry smoothie bowl.
On the other hand, a mixer does not use blades, so it can’t cut ingredients. It uses beaters to whip, knead, and beat delicate ingredients into the right consistency, like in this dalgona matcha latte.
Is blender and mixer the same? They’re not the same because they blend and mix ingredients differently. Here are the different kinds of blenders and mixers to further appreciate their differences:
Both types of blenders use blades to blend, chop, puree, and emulsify.
Both types of mixers can mix, whip, and beat ingredients.
It’s worth having a mixer since it can do some tasks that a blender and a food processor can’t.
Specifically, if you often make baked goods and other recipes that require you to work on delicate ingredients, incorporate air in the mixture, or mix to achieve a certain consistency, then a mixer is a must-have.
As mentioned earlier, some mixers are even compatible with attachments, so they can do more than just mixing.
You can make pasta, mashed potatoes, ground meat, or even spiral vegetables like what we have here in this Asian cucumber salad.
Besides comparing stand mixers and countertop blenders, you might also wonder if there are differences between the handheld versions of blenders and mixers: the immersion blender and a hand mixer.
An immersion blender, also known as a hand blender or stick blender, uses blades for blending, chopping, and pureeing like a countertop blender, while a hand mixer uses a whisk or two beaters to mix ingredients or to incorporate air into the batter.
You can sometimes use a hand mixer in place of an immersion blender if the ingredients are wet and dry.
However, you can’t use a hand mixer to cut or chop since it doesn’t have blades like an immersion blender.
It really depends on the task at hand. A blender is better for jobs like chopping and liquefying, while a mixer is better for whipping and kneading.
You can use a blender for cake batter, but you won’t get the best results. The downsides? The blender’s blades will affect the consistency of the batter, you risk overmixing the ingredients, and the batter itself might be too thick for the blender.
If your stand mixer has the right attachment, you can use it as a blender. Some stand mixer accessories can slice and shred!
A hand mixer is perfect if you don’t have the space for a stand mixer and you often make small batches of recipes. They’re also easy to maneuver because they’re handheld, and you’re not limited with the capacity since you can use them on any container.
You can sometimes use a mixer or a blender instead of a food processor, but it depends on the ingredients and your end goal. If you need to break down the ingredients into a smooth consistency, use a blender or install an attachment to the mixer that can do the same job as a food processor (e.g., slicing.)
You can use a hand blender, food processor, or food chopper to blend ingredients if you don’t have a countertop blender.
Which one is better for you: mixer vs blender?
The key is to decide depending on what you often make in the kitchen.
A blender is the best choice if you often need to crush, chop, or puree. But for home cooks who love baking, you can easily achieve the perfect consistency on your batter and knead dough effortlessly with a mixer.
What about a food processor? Personally, I think you can get by with just having a mixer and a blender.
Blenders nowadays are equipped with smart settings for different tasks, and some modern mixers can be used with a range of accessories for various culinary functions.
Want to learn more about the differences between mixers and blenders? Here are more fantastic reads:
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Use and Purpose
Design
and Blades
Mixer Grinder
Blender
Texture and Consistency
Usage
Risks
Motor Power
Are you someone who is new to cooking and handling the kitchen, then some appliances and their uses may seem tricky at first, one such common appliance is a food processor or mixer grinder, which often comes with a separate jars for blending or grinding , but ‘what to use’ and ‘when to use’ is no less than a challenge. Here’s all you need to know about the difference between these grinder or blender.Read on to find out…GrinderA mixer grinder is mainly used for powdering and grinding dry ingredients such as whole spices, grains, nuts, lentils to name a few. The grinder jar has rigid and tough blades that help in making fine powder in just a few minutes.BlenderA blender is specifically designed for blending wet ingredients to create smoothies, shakes, soups, sauces, and purees. It's ideal for crushing ice, blending fruits, vegetables, and liquids into smoothtextures . Apart from that, the blades used in these jars are designed for soft and easily mashable foods.One of the major differences between the two jars revolves around their design, durability and sharpness, which helps in better powdering of the dry ingredients. A grinder jar is specifically designed for grinding hard ingredients like spices and grains.Interesting blender blades are specially designed to create a vortex that pulls ingredients towards the blades for efficient blending and crushing. They are often sturdy and capable of handling tough ingredients like ice and frozen fruits.Mixer GrinderGrinding in a grinder jar can create several types of textures depending on the duration of grinding. It can create textures from coarse to fine, which is perfect for tasks like making spice powders, batters, and pastes.BlenderBlender creates smooth and uniform textures depending on the ingredients used. It is ideal for making smoothies, purees, sauces, and creamy soups.Mixer GrinderGrinders are versatile and perfect for Indian cooking, where grinding spices, nuts, dry herbs and making pastes, chutneys and batters is a part and parcel of the daily chores.BlenderBlenders on the other hand are used for simple purposes like making purees, smoothies, shakes, soups, sauces and juices as it takes less time and needs minimum efforts.Blenders are specifically designed to handle liquid ingredients and help in creating a smooth base. In fact, the jars are made in such a way that the liquid does not seep out.However, in case of grinders the chances of seeping out of liquid are high and may cause electrical hazards, if not handled properly. This is because grinders are equipped to work with dry ingredients.Mixer GrinderMixer grinders usually have powerful motors to handle tough grinding tasks efficiently. They are capable of grinding hard ingredients like spices and grains with ease.BlenderBlenders also come with powerful motors, especially high-speed blenders, to crush ice and blend tough ingredients smoothly.