Handheld Electric Mixer

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Which one should you buy?

For most home bakers, a corded hand mixer with a properly slow first speed and simple wire beaters is all you need. Here's where I'd put my money:

If you bake now and then, a hand mixer is all you need. It whips cream and egg whites, creams butter and sugar for cookies and beats a cake batter smooth, then tucks away in a drawer. No wrestling a heavy machine out of the cupboard, no big bowl to wash.

It's also the friendliest way into baking. You stay in control, you can see and feel the mixture changing, and you learn what "light and fluffy" really looks like. That's worth more than any recipe card.

What really matters in a hand mixer

The number on the box that people look at is the speed count. Nine speeds sounds better than five. In truth, the speed that matters most is the slowest one. If the first setting is already fast, the moment you lower the beaters into flour or icing sugar you get a cloud of it over you, the counter and the cat.

The second thing is the beaters. Old-style beaters have a post running down the middle, and thick batter and cookie dough wedge themselves round it. You stop every minute to scrape them clean. Simple wire beaters with no centre post keep turning and stay clear.

Weight is a funny one. You'd think lighter is better, and for your wrist it is, but a little heft usually means a sturdier motor that doesn't bog down in stiff cookie dough. Somewhere in the middle is the sweet spot.

Cuisinart HM-90S at a glance

One small thing: the Amazon listing calls it a "hand blender electric mixer". It's a hand mixer with beaters, not a stick blender for soup. If that's what you're after, see my immersion blender page.

What to look for in a hand mixer

• A really slow first speed. This matters more than how many speeds there are. It keeps flour and sugar in the bowl.

• Beaters with no centre post. They don't clog with thick batter or cookie dough.

• A cord, not a battery. Cordless mixers tend to lack puff when the dough gets stiff.

• Easy eject and easy storage. A button or lever to release the beaters, and a case or clip so the attachments don't vanish into the drawer of doom.

• Comfortable weight. Pick it up if you can. You'll be holding it for a few minutes at a time.

The Cuisinart ticks every one of those boxes, and it does it for a fair price.

Who it suits, and who should skip it

Good for you if

• You bake cookies, cakes and the odd pavlova, and want something that lives in a drawer

• You have a small kitchen with no room for a stand mixer

• You want whipped cream in two minutes, not ten with a whisk

Skip it if

• You make bread or pizza dough every week: a stand mixer will save your arms and the mixer's motor

• You want to spend as little as possible: the KitchenAid 5-speed does the basics for less

• You want something cordless

How to get the best from it

Start low, finish high

Lower the beaters into the bowl before you switch on, start on the lowest speed until the dry ingredients are mixed in, then turn it up. Switch off before you lift the beaters out, or you'll decorate the kitchen.

Creaming butter and sugar

Use soft butter, not melted and not fridge-hard. It should dent easily when you press it. Beat with the sugar on medium for a few minutes until it's pale and fluffy. This is where the air in your cake comes from, so don't rush it.

Whipped cream and meringue

Cold cream, cold bowl. Start slow, then go faster as it thickens, and stop at soft peaks for topping a pudding. For meringue, make sure the bowl is spotless and dry; a speck of yolk or grease and the whites won't rise.

Mashed potatoes

A hand mixer makes lovely fluffy mash. Mix on low and stop as soon as it's smooth. Keep going and the potato turns gluey.

Go easy with the dough hooks

The dough hooks are fine for a small, soft dough. A long knead of stiff bread dough is too much for most hand mixers; they can get hot and start to smell of burning plastic after ten minutes or so. For bread, use your hands or a stand mixer.

Looking after it

• Unplug it before you put in or eject the beaters.

• Beaters, whisk and hooks can go in the dishwasher.

• Wipe the body with a damp cloth. Never put it in water.

• Keep hair, sleeves and the cord well clear of the beaters while it's running.

• Give it a rest if the body feels hot. Let it cool before carrying on.

The one rule

Beaters in, then on. Off, then out. Your kitchen walls will thank you.

Questions people ask

Hand mixer or stand mixer?

For cookies, cakes, cream and meringue, a hand mixer is perfect. If you bake bread or pizza dough every week, a stand mixer earns its counter space.

How many speeds does a hand mixer need?

Fewer than you'd think. What matters is a genuinely slow first speed and a good fast top speed. Everything in between is a bonus.

Are cordless hand mixers any good?

They're handy, but they tend to struggle with thick doughs and run out of puff. I'd stick with a cord for now.

Can I knead bread with a hand mixer?

Only small, soft doughs, and only for a few minutes. Long kneading can overheat the motor.

Why do my beaters keep clogging?

Beaters with a post down the middle trap thick batter. Wire beaters without a centre post, like the Cuisinart's, stay clear.

Bake with it first

Anything from my Dessert recipes.

Updated October 2026. Prices change often, so check before you buy.