Whether you bake on a grand scale or a small scale, every baker needs a hand mixer in the arsenal. You may also own a stand-up mixer and an immersion blender, but the hand mixer is your everyday go-to piece. That said, how does one choose from the many that are on the market?
Let’s look here within San Mateo for this shopping expedition. When you think of a cook’s tools, what stores come to mind? Is it Williams-Sonoma, Crate & Barrel, or even Target? Let’s take a walk through their virtual aisles.
Williams-Sonoma, located at the Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo, is our first stop.
There, the Cuisinart 7-Speed Hand Mixer with a 220-watt motor waits for you. With an easy-to-read LED count-up timer that tracks your mixing time, a smooth-start feature that eliminates splattering and wafting flour, and extra attachments to enhance your mixing experience, this is a steal at $49.95. Also, Williams-Sonoma is offering free shipping on this item until Thursday, July 21st at 11:59 pm PT.
Our second stop is Crate and Barrel, also located at the Hillsdale Shopping Center in San Mateo.
They have a sexy-looking Dualit 5-Speed Chrome Hand Mixer that boasts five speed settings, two flat beaters, dough hooks, and a balloon whisk. The flat base allows you to rest this upright on a countertop or in the cabinet when not in use. With a 240-watt motor, this is a powerhouse, listed at just $79.95.
These two alone are drool-worthy items, but maybe not in your budget right now? Consider San Mateo Fashion Island Target, located at 2220 Bridgepointe Parkway, which carries a KitchenAid hand mixer for $47.19 and an Oster Hand Mixer for $26.59.
The KitchenAid is a 5-Speed Hand Mixer, and the Empire Red is on sale at this great price, not to mention they’re offering free shipping! The motor is light, small, and quiet, yet still delivers plenty of power to the beaters. Also included are dough hooks (whipping up some pizza dough?) and a blender rod (mixed drinks, anyone?), which makes this super versatile.
Oster is the most powerful of them all with a 250-watt motor, hosting 6-speed controls, and a burst-of-power feature. Chrome beaters, dough hooks, a balloon whisk, and a drink rod round out your package, not to mention the cord is retractable. The bonus feature here is the rubberized heal rest that can sit on the edge of your mixing bowl. Did you need an extra hand to pour more chocolate chips in? This Oster hand mixer allows you that freedom.
What’s important to you in a hand mixer? Does it need to be a workhorse? Does it need to be cute and match your kitchen décor? Does it need to be versatile? No matter where you go in San Mateo, there is a store that can fulfill your baking needs. Subscribe to this column to find the hottest baking news in town!
