5 Essential Accessories for Your Stand Mixer

Appliances

Stand mixers are incredibly helpful in the kitchen, but with the right attachments, they can become even more versatile. Whether you’re planning to bake a variety of homemade goodies for the holidays or just want to save time and energy, a few accessories can make all the difference.

If you’ve only used your mixer for cake batter and bread dough, you’re missing out on a world of culinary possibilities. By adding a few key accessories, you can save time, money, and space by using your mixer as an all-in-one kitchen tool.

Here are five must-have accessories for your stand mixer:

5: Pouring Shield

A pouring shield is one of the most important accessories you can add to your mixer. Not only does it keep your kitchen clean, but it also helps you add ingredients more easily.

The shield clips onto the bowl of your mixer, covering it almost completely while still allowing space for the beaters to move. There’s a spout that lets you add ingredients as the beater spins, which is especially useful for recipes that call for gradually adding flour. The shield catches any flour clouds or batter splatters that fly up under the spinning beaters, keeping everything inside the bowl. From a cleanup and time-saving perspective, a pour shield is an essential accessory.

4: Food Grinder

A food grinder attachment can save you money on your grocery bill and help you make fresh, homemade meals. With this accessory, you can break down large cuts of meat, like a whole turkey breast, and make ground beef, chicken, pork, or game meat for a fraction of the price of store-bought options. You can also use the leftover bones to make a flavorful stock for soups.

The food grinder can also be used for grinding bread, nuts, and cheese to your desired texture. Plus, it works with other attachments like the sausage stuffer and food strainer.

3: Slicer/Shredder

The slicer and shredder attachments make it easy to prepare fruits and vegetables for recipes or party platters. The slicer creates perfectly uniform slices without risking your fingers on sharp blades. Simply load your food from the top and let the spinning slicer do the work.

You can also switch out the slicer cylinder for the shredder to quickly grate cabbage, carrots, coconut, nuts, and hard cheese for slaws, toppings, and more.

If you love pasta, be sure to check out the next page for some great ideas!

Stand Mixer Origins

The first electric mixer was created in 1908 by Herbert Johnson for the Hobart Manufacturing Company. This 80-quart mixer was designed to make the process of mixing large batches of bread dough easier for commercial bakers. The stand mixer became popular with the U.S. Navy, who started using them in battleship galleys.

2: Pasta Accessories

Pasta lovers, rejoice! With pasta accessories, you can make fresh pasta of all types, from angel hair to lasagna. These accessories come with a variety of cutting blades that allow you to create different sizes of strand pasta and a few tube pastas, such as macaroni and rigatoni.

Some pasta accessories are designed to extrude noodles from a dough ball, while others work from sheets of dough that can be rolled out using the pasta roller accessory. There’s even a ravioli maker that feeds two sheets of dough through the press, allowing you to add your own custom blend of stuffing, before sending out the perforated sheets of fresh dough pillows. Making fresh pasta is as much fun as eating it!

Speaking of fun, be sure to check out the next page for another essential mixer accessory.

Going Postal

In 1998, the U.S. Postal Service released a series of stamps to “Celebrate the Century.” One of the iconic images chosen to represent the 1930s was a Sunbeam Mixmaster stand mixer.

1: Ice Cream Maker

Why should you have an ice cream maker as a mixer accessory? Because after you mix up the birthday cake batter, you can slide the insulated ice cream bowl onto your stand mixer and start freezing your favorite flavor. There’s no need to hunt down, lug out and clean up that bulky old ice cream maker.

The Water Jacket is a great companion to the ice cream freezer bowl. It fits under the bowl on the stand with lots of space around the sides. Fill it with ice to keep the ice cream freezer bowl extra-cold, or use it to keep whipped cream from softening or pie crust dough from getting warm. You can even fill it with hot water to keep potatoes warm while the mixer mashes them (if you haven’t used a mixer for mashing potatoes, it works great).

There are many accessories available to expand the usefulness of your bowl mixer. The ones we’ve listed are our favorites, but there are many more to choose from to get even more use out of your stand mixer.

Additional Information

Related Articles

• Helpful Tips for Kitchen Appliances
• Improving Your Cooking with High-Quality Appliances
• Appliances for Small and Tricky Spaces
• Top 5 Essential Cooking Tools
• Test Your Cooking Knowledge with the Ultimate Quiz

Sources

• Ament, Phil. “Interesting facts about the invention of the Standing Mixer by Herbert Johnson in 1908.” The Great Idea Finder. Oct. 2005. (Sept. 17, 2011) http://www.ideafinder.com/history/inventions/mixers.htm
• Cancel Nations Stamp Company. “Celebrate the Century.” (Sept. 17, 2011) http://www.cancelnations.com/cnations/library/celebrate_the_century/
• KitchenAid. “The KitchenAid Stand Mixer: Ninety Years of Quality.” KitchenAid Best Loved Recipes. (Sept. 17, 2011) http://www.kitchenaid.com/assets/pdfs/press/1342500_KAtimeline.pdf
• Virtual Stamp Club. “Celebrate the Century — 1930’s.” (Sept. 17, 2011) http://www.virtualstampclub.com/century4.html
• Williamson, Samuel H. “Seven Methods for Calculating the Relative Value of U.S. Currency, 1774 to Present. Measuring Worth. 2011. (Sept. 17, 2011). http://www.measuringworth.com/uscompare/result.php?use%5B%5D=DOLLAR&use%5B%5D=GDPDEFLATION&use%5B%5D=VCB&use%5B%5D=UNSKILLED&use%5B%5D=MANCOMP&use%5B%5D=NOMGDPCP&use%5B%5D=NOMINALGDP&year_source=1919&amount=189.00&year_result=2011

FAQ

1. What are the must-have accessories for a bowl mixer?

There are several accessories that can enhance the functionality of your bowl mixer. Some of the must-have accessories include a wire whip, a dough hook, a flat paddle, a pouring shield, and a flex edge beater.

2. What is a wire whip?

A wire whip is a whisk-like attachment that is used for beating eggs, whipping cream, and making meringue. It is made of several thin wires that are attached to a central hub. This accessory is ideal for light and fluffy batters and mixtures.

3. What is a dough hook?

A dough hook is a specialized attachment that is designed for kneading bread dough. It has a unique shape that allows it to stretch and fold the dough, taking the place of hand-kneading. This accessory is ideal for making bread, pizza dough, and other yeast-based recipes.

4. What is a flat paddle?

A flat paddle is a versatile attachment that can be used for a variety of mixing tasks. It is ideal for creaming butter and sugar, mixing cake batters, and making frosting. The paddle has a flat surface with a beater blade that rotates around a central hub.

5. What is a pouring shield?

A pouring shield is a plastic cover that fits over the mixing bowl of a stand mixer. It has a small spout that allows you to add ingredients to the bowl while the mixer is running, without making a mess. This accessory is especially useful when making recipes that require slow and steady pouring, such as whipped cream or meringue.

6. What is a flex edge beater?

A flex edge beater is a specialized attachment that has a flexible edge made of silicone or rubber. It is designed to scrape the sides of the bowl as it mixes, ensuring that all ingredients are evenly incorporated. This accessory is ideal for making thick batters, such as cookie dough and cake mixes.

7. Can you use other attachments besides those that come with the mixer?

Yes, many bowl mixers have a variety of optional attachments that can be purchased separately. Some popular attachments include pasta rollers, meat grinders, and ice cream makers. Be sure to check with the manufacturer to ensure that any additional attachments are compatible with your mixer model.

8. How do you know which attachment to use for a specific recipe?

Generally, the recipe will specify which attachment to use. However, as a general rule, the wire whip is best for light and airy mixtures, such as whipped cream or meringue. The flat paddle is ideal for creaming butter and sugar, while the dough hook is designed for kneading bread dough. The flex edge beater is best for thicker batters, such as cookie dough.

9. How do you attach the accessories to the mixer?

Attaching the accessories to the mixer is a simple process. Each accessory has a unique attachment point that fits onto the mixer’s hub. Simply align the attachment point with the hub and twist it into place. Be sure to follow the manufacturer’s instructions for your specific mixer model.

10. How do you clean the accessories?

The accessories can be cleaned using warm, soapy water or by placing them in the dishwasher. Be sure to dry them thoroughly before storing them in a dry place. Some accessories may require hand-washing or special care, so be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions.

11. Do bowl mixer accessories come in different sizes?

Some accessories, such as the wire whip and flat paddle, may come in different sizes to fit different bowl sizes. Be sure to check the manufacturer’s instructions to ensure that the accessory you are purchasing is compatible with your specific mixer model.

12. Can you use a bowl mixer without any accessories?

Yes, a bowl mixer can be used without any accessories, but it will be limited in its functionality. The mixer’s default attachment is usually a flat paddle, which is ideal for creaming butter and sugar. However, for more specialized tasks, such as kneading bread dough or whipping cream, it is recommended to purchase the appropriate accessory.