How to Choose the Best Mixer Grinder for Home Use in India
A mixer grinder is an appliance used in the kitchen for cooking purpose. It uses a motor to rotate blades that mix or stir food in the container. It allows you to spend lesser time on manual tasks by automating the tasks of mixing, stirring, beating and whisking.
However, with the abundance of mixer grinder units available in the market today, it can get difficult for the average customer to make a wise decision. In this guide, you will find information about the different types of mixer grinders, their purpose, their advantages and disadvantages. These will help you make an informed purchase decision that will enhance your cooking experience.
The different models of mixer grinders are as follows:
1. Handheld electric mixer
This mixer is also called Eggbeater. It is used to beat, stir and mix the batter in a bowl. One needs to hold it in the hand to use it. It has a lever that is fixed at right angle on its side and has two beaters attached to its body. It has a motor that runs on electricity and rotates the beaters.
The must have features that you should keep in mind when choosing a handheld electric mixer are:
It should have a turbo feature to give that extra speed which is needed to make the batter extra smooth
It should have 5 speeds which can be changed while mixing the batter in the bowl. This is very important as certain batters require less beating and others need more. With more speed options, the user has more control on the preparation of the batter.
It should have cord clips which can be wrapped and tidily stored
It should have either stainless steel or chrome dough hooks and beaters included
Pros of using a handheld electric mixer:
- It is relatively cheaper
- It is portable
- It is very easy to use
- It takes very less storage space in the kitchen
- It is very handy and can be used for multiple tasks
Different bowls can be used to beat the batter as there is no fixed bowl attached to the handheld mixer
Cons of using the handheld electric mixer:
One cannot perform any other task in the kitchen while using handheld mixer as it has to be constantly held with hand
One has to physically stand while using it. Sometimes when the batter is thick, it gets difficult to mix or beat using the handheld mixer Sometimes there is a risk of batter splashing out of the bowl as the bowl is not fixed and can slip while beating
2. Stand Mixer
Stand mixers are mounted on a frame or stand. This stand has blades which are driven by a motor. Stand mixers are more powerful than handheld mixers. A jar gets locked on the stand and the food inside is mixed.
The must have features of a stand mixer are as follows:
- It should have an overload option to notify the user when the mixer is getting exerted, to prevent it from any kind of damage or accident
- It should be compact so that required storage space is less
- It should have a vacuum suction at the bottom to avoid slipping
- It should have a shock proof feature to ensure that the user doesn’t feel any electric shock
- It should have multiple speed control features. This helps the user to adjust the speed according to the need of mixing.
- It should have stainless steel, nickel plated blades for higher durability
- It should have an advanced air ventilator system
- Pros of using a Stand Mixer:
- One can do other tasks in the kitchen while the mixer is on.
- It creates less mess and is easy to cleanup
- It is super-fast and efficient
There are so many different kinds of mixer jar which can be fitted on the stand. All jars have different purposes. One can beat vegetables, masalas or any eatable. One can also prepare amazing shakes, smoothies or cold coffee. As the jars are of stainless steel, they are more durable
3. Juicer Grinder
This is also called a juice extractor or juicing machine. It is an appliance which is used to extract juice from fruits, vegetables, herbs and other green leaves. It crushes and extracts juice out of the pulp.
The nutrition center juicer from Omega is very good to extract a variety of juices and you can combine different fruits or vegetables to experiment on new flavors. This juicer is remarkable and multi-purpose. It can mince, chop and also work as pasta extruder with the only drawback that it takes time to extract.
The juicer from Breville is a total value for money. It is highly durable, stylish and efficient. It is one of the most popular juicers in the market right now with the only drawback that it doesn’t have an option for changing speeds.
The juicer by Cuisinart is a very powerful juicer and has 5 different speeds. However, the Breville juicer is preferred over this juicer. Its drawback is that it is very heavy and it is not portable.
The juicer from Hamilton Beach is quite expensive. It is supposed to be very easy to clean but taking out its blade is a little tricky and needs fiddling.
The juicer from Black & Decker is not very fancy looking but it does what it is meant to do well. Its drawback is that it lacks in features.
There are a lot of juicers available in the market today but it is suggested that you use juicers that don’t just squeeze fruits but also produce a wide variety of healthy and different drinks almost at the same price of ordinary juicer.
Points to consider when choosing a juicer mixer grinder:
There are several juicer mixer grinders available in the market. It has the features of both a mixer grinder and juicer. So, there is no point in spending money on two different things when a combo is available in the market.
It should have vacuum cups at the bottom. This ensures that the juicer doesn’t slip.
It should have a feature called “Automatic overload protection”. We tend to sometimes over load the machine. So, there should be an indicator for the same.
It should have double safety locks to make sure that the machine will not start till the jars are properly fitted in the stand.
It should have ABS technology
The jars should be 100% stainless steel
It should have an LED indicator which would indicate if the machine is on or off
It should be suitable for both dry and wet grinding
There should be a feature of auto cut off in case of voltage fluctuation
It should have well insulated power cord which ensures safety. It makes the machine shock proof
The handle of the jars should have a proper grip
The noise level should be within the acceptable range
It should operate at 400 watts or above. In case there is a requirement to prepare dal or rice batter then you would need a machine which operates at 750 watts or above.
It should have a speed control option. It should have at least 3 speed control buttons so that you can blend, mix and grind as per your requirement. Speed of the blades and motor quality is important
4. Food Processor
A food processor performs multiple tasks. It is used for chopping, slicing, grinding, shredding, grating, mixing, pureeing and kneading dough. A food processor is similar to a blender but the main difference is that its blades and disks can be changed rather than being fixed. Also, the bowls of a food processer are of more suitable sizes and shapes. Very little or no water is required when using a food processor.
One should select a food processor depending on their specific needs. Cuisinart food processors are famous for chopping all vegetables uniformly. DeLonghi food processor is known for their efficiency and can prepare large meals. Breville food processors are known for their high capacity.
There are mixer grinders available in market with dual feature of grinder and food processor. The only drawback is that there is one motor which is used for all purposes. These different tasks are best done by specialized blades and certain motor power. There are some food processors which claim to meet all purposes and it seems tempting to have an all-in-one appliance in your kitchen but one should read the details properly before buying. A mixer grinder is used for grinding purposes which is best done at 500 watts of power. The task of a food processor is slicing, cutting, blending and shredding which is best done at lower power.
The must have features food processors are as follows:
- It should have a powerful motor
- It should have a faster atta kneading feature
- It should have a multi speed control option
- It should have shock proof body
- It should have the feature of cutting, chopping, mixing, shredding, processing, juicing and slicing
- It should have a grinding jar with multipurpose blade
- Blending jar and chutney jar should be included
- It should have a proper twist and lock mechanism which ensures user’s safety. The machine shouldn’t start before the bowl is properly fitted
Food processor makes the task of cooking really fast. All the cutting and chopping of vegetables is done by a food processor. While the food processor is doing the job of cutting and chopping, you can finish other tasks.
The drawbacks of a food processor are that it leaves chunks of fruits and vegetables at the end which need to be reprocessed or cut manually. A food processor cannot handle liquid well. It also takes a lot of storage space in the kitchen.
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