This Breville hand mixer has a built

Aug 27, 2023

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Step away from the microwave.

Bake Off season is well underway and we’re feeling inspired to hone our own skills in the kitchen. If you want to make a Victoria sponge to rival Mary Berry’s or beat Paul Hollywood at his own game, though, you’ll know that the way you use the ingredients is just as important as your recipe and technique.

We earn a commission for products purchased through some links in this article.

Mixing chilled butter together with sugar and flour is something we’ve all done at some point – especially when you’re short on time – but it can have a disastrous effect on the outcome.

Softer butter is better able to form an emulsion that traps air, making for lighter, fluffier cakes. It also helps ingredients combine more easily, making smoother batters and therefore more evenly-textured cakes.

While you can use a microwave to bring butter up to the right temperature, the results can be hit and miss. Rather than a smooth and creamy result, it’s often left half-melted and half-still freezing, making for lumpy batters and denser cakes.

To help you avoid these buttery mishaps (and the rock-hard cookies and deflated cakes that result) Breville has released a new hand mixer with a built-in heater – and the GHI have given it an impressive score of 80/100.

Using the ‘HeatSoft’ function – which works essentially like a very gentle hair dryer that can be switched on and off with a button – testers creamed together fridge-cold butter and sugar to a very fluffy texture in just two and a half minutes.

A light and airy cake batter came together without any excess splashing and, when using the bread dough hooks, the dough was evenly mixed and came together in a ball nicely.

Testers did say it was a little heavy to use and it is also louder than some of the other models the GHI liked. Nonetheless, if you want a foolproof way to ensure a smooth and fluffy cake batter even if you’re short on time, this is a good mixer to have in your arsenal.

You can pick one up from Amazon, where you can currently get a £5 discount.

Score: 94/100

Score: 92/100

Score: 92/100

Score: 90/100

Score: 90/100

Like this article? Sign up to our newsletter to get more articles like this delivered straight to your inbox.

SIGN UP

13 best smoothie makers for 2023

11 best combination microwaves

The best mops for 2023

7 best flat mops 2023, tried and tested

The best spray mops for sparkling floors

The best steam cleaner deals for Black Friday 2023

The best pan sets for 2023

The best 2023 Black Friday vacuum cleaner deals

19 best reusable period pants and pads

Best car phone holders

The Ninja Creami is a summer must-buy

Brabantia clothes folding board review