Dualit hand mixer | Full review
The best hand mixer with retractable cable
( Disclosure: I only recommend products I would use myself and all opinions expressed here are our own. This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission)
Summary
- Pros & Cons
- Specifics
- Design
- Features
- Performance
- Attachments
- Cleaning and Storage
- Price
- Warranty
- Social proof
- Alternatives
- Conclusions
As you may have noticed, most hand mixers are powerful enough to mix batters, whip cream, or beat eggs.
A small slice, however, can knead semi-dense mixtures such as cookie dough.
Even fewer than this slice, and they can be counted on the fingers of one hand, is the hand mixers that can go further, and handle very dense doughs such as bread or pizza dough.
Among them is the Dualit hand mixer, which stands out from the rest because of its incredible power and bombproof design, making it one of the best hand mixers in the field.
If until now you have always given up making bread or pizza at home because you didn’t have room for large, bulky units, the Dualit can come to your rescue and with some pleasant surprises.
PROS & CONS
What is good
Sturdy and elegant design: the design is durable and features chrome and polished finishes that give it a refined elegance
Powerful and ideal for heavy-duty use: its enormous power allows it to handle the most difficult tasks effectively
Equipped with extra advantageous features: the flat base allows it to stand on its own, and the retractable cord does not hinder movement
Quality attachments: the attachments are quality and boast excellent grip during movement
What is not good
A little too powerful at low speeds: the lower speed could be slower to ensure better mixing
Weight takes its toll: after a long time of use, it tends to fatigue the arm
The Dualit hand mixer can be found on Amazon
Specifics
Design
At first glance, it is immediately noticeable how Dualit wanted to differentiate itself from others by offering a hand mixer with an unusual design, attention to detail, and distinct elegance.
The brand is famous for the maniacal care of its products, and with the Dualit hand mixer, it has made no exceptions.
The aesthetics feature chrome finishes with gentle curves and bold lines, while the entire structure has a considerable weight, which gives the right balance with the power delivered.
It should be noted, however, that this is also a disadvantage, namely arm fatigue after a long period of using the device.
Fortunately, the solution is closer than you might expect: the Dualit hand mixer has a flat base, which offers the possibility of placing it vertically on the cream counter.
What’s more, once you have your hands free, you can add ingredients while mixing, without the hassle of having to hold the device with one hand.
The handle is also excellent, with a long, durable profile that makes it easy to grip and input the controls.
Features
Like all the hand mixers I have ranked as the best on the market, the Dualit hand mixer is easy to use.
There are two controls on the handle, with which you can select four speeds and unhook attachments.
Interestingly, this hand mixer has a few speeds: four speeds, which, combined with the power of the motor, are more than enough to do most tasks.
Again, it is noticeable that Dualit preferred quality over quantity.
An excellent idea was to include the retractable cord that rolls up and unravels as needed; this is a practical hybrid solution between a classic hand mixer with a fixed power cord and a cordless hand mixer.
In addition, there is an innovative integrated housing system, which allows the power cord to be joined with the part where attachments are attached, to ensure smart storage.
In short, the Dualit hand mixer boasts a veritable slew of extra features that I greatly appreciate, as they greatly enhance the user experience.
Performance
We have come to the real strength of the Dualit hand mixer: performance.
This machine is capable of developing 400 watts of power, far exceeding the average power of all hand mixers on the market.
This allows it to be decisive when mixing very dense doughs, such as those for bread and pizza.
During testing, the Dualit unleashed a tremendous amount of energy, demolishing everything in its path, and giving excellent results.
The only sore point was that it overheated quickly and could not be used for a long time in a row, but it was still able to finish the work in a reasonable time.
Whipped Cream
For this test, the Dualit hand mixer was used by inserting the single whisk and setting speed 3 (as recommended in the instructions).
Whipped cream requires a high speed to thicken and whip, and if the whipping is done with a balloon whisk, the result is almost guaranteed.
Once picked up and lifted, it was immediately apparent that the hand mixer had rather heavyweight; on the plus side, the controls were simple and intuitive to reach with one hand.
The slider to select the speed was very smooth, so just slide your thumb forward to activate it.
Once all the preparations were done, the Dualit whipped the cream as if it were air, taking just over a minute to get the job done.
Cake batter
The next test was the preparation of a cake batter.
The quick-release button was very quick to eject the whisk and make way for the flat beaters.
The beaters have two slightly different shaped shanks that allow them to be inserted into the appropriate holes, respectively; they are not interchangeable and each must be inserted into a specific hole.
That said, during the first stage of creaming butter with sugar, the Dualit was set to speed 2, being very effective in combining the two ingredients.
At a later stage, with the addition of eggs and flour, the hand mixer worked its way into the mixture and combined all the ingredients, making the mixture smooth and even.
Despite the excellent results, the weight of the unit was beginning to take its toll and tended to overheat slightly toward the end.
Bread dough
Bread dough was the decisive test of whether the Dualit manual mixer was that efficient with difficult doughs.
The beaters were replaced by dough hooks, using speed 1 to get the job done.
If it seems strange to you that with such a low speed the Dualit was able to accomplish the feat, I guarantee that this was indeed the case.
The dough hooks, together with the power of the motor, easily withstood the pressure of the mixture of water, flour, and yeast, making the dough more fluid.
Again, the motor overheated fairly quickly during execution, and although it is nothing to worry about, the unit was turned off a couple of times to allow cooling.
Aside from this drawback, the Dualit hand mixer was able to produce an elastic, lump-free dough that was in line with initial expectations.
Attachments
With the Dualit hand mixer, you have everything you need to prepare a variety of batters and doughs.
The unit includes a pair of flat beaters, a single whisk, and two dough hooks.
All three attachments have been used in tests and have proven to be of excellent quality, effectively withstanding even the most complicated mixing compounds.
Cleaning and Storage
General cleaning is divided into two parts: the body should be cleaned with a damp cloth, while the attachments can be washed by hand or in the dishwasher.
The Dualit hand mixer has a different type of storage than other hand mixers: instead of having a snap-on or canvas case, it has a compact housing system that involves connecting the socket with the compartment into which the attachments are inserted.
This is made possible by the retractable cord that coils inside the base of the unit.
It is a type of storage that goes outside the classical standards, but at the same time has its effectiveness.
Honestly, I would have preferred that at least a canvas case be included to store the attachments, but this is not a big deal, considering that for a few dollars you can find all kinds on the market.
Price
The Dualit hand mixer is priced at $90, which identifies it as a mid-range hand mixer.
The quality and care with which it is built, combined with the performance it demonstrates, make the price more than reasonable.
Many handheld mixers of the same price do not possess some of the inherent features of the Dualit, so better to opt for a handheld mixer that demonstrates quality and durability than for a unit designed to be damaged after a short time.
Warranty
The manufacturer offers a 1-year warranty for the Dualit hand mixer.
On average, this is a product that enjoys a very long service life, just be sure to carefully follow the instruction manual for both use and general cleaning.
Social proof
The Dualit hand mixer received a total rating of 436 reviews with a score of 4.3 out of 5 stars.
People who purchased it were impressed with the ease of use and cleaning.
Durability and power are other popular features; without these two features, tackling demanding tasks would be a guaranteed failure.
The weight and overheating of the unit brought the average down a bit, but with some adjustments, they are not a big problem.
For example, it is possible to hold the unit upright on the workbench for a few moments and let the armrest; this action would also solve motor overheating by letting it cool down.
ALTERNATIVES
Breville handy mix scraper hand mixer
If you want to get the best while paying the most, the Breville hand mixer is the right choice.
Less powerful but lighter than the Dualit hand mixer, Breville offers an exceptional user experience with 9 available speeds and sophisticated controls such as a pause button and countdown timer.
It also features a large LCD to show all basic information and a built-in light under the base to distribute greater visibility during mixing.
Both hand mixers do an excellent job of creaming all three types of mixtures: liquid, semi-dense and thick, although the Breville does not overheat after use and the transition from one speed to another is smooth.
Although the Dualit has an effective attachment storage system, the Breville has a snap-on case available, which is much more useful for reducing clutter.
Dash hand mixer
The Dash hand mixer is a cheap alternative that you can consider if you do not feel ready to spend too much on a hand mixer.
Unlike the Dualit hand mixer, the Dash is a very small and lightweight unit to hold in your hand, easy to store if you have a small apartment or if you do not have a large enough space to have bulkier appliances.
It has all the functions needed to beat basic mixtures such as pancake batters or crepes, and it also does well with whipped cream.
For obvious reasons, it does not have the structure and power of the Dualit to deal with thick consistency doughs, and this is also evident from the fact that it includes only two classic beaters.
Kitchenaid 9-speed hand mixer
The Kitchenaid 9-speed hand mixer is an excellent mid-range appliance with a similar price tag to the Dualit hand mixer.
The main differences between the two are that Kitchenaid has more speeds available which highlights its versatility in preparing a considerable number of recipes.
In addition, KitchenAid is particularly efficient in preparing a semi-dense dough, such as cookie dough, cheesecakes, and more.
It does not have the disruptive power of the Dualit, despite having dough hooks, making it unreliable with dense doughs such as bread dough.
Both hand mixers have their strengths in preparing specific recipes and give good results with light batters; therefore, depending on your needs, you can choose one over the other.
Speaking of attachments, the Kitchenaid has a canvas case, something I would have preferred the Dualit hand mixer to have as well, and it also has a blending rod, which is useful if you want to make a quick smoothie for a snack.
Conclusions
The Dualit hand mixer is undoubtedly one of the most powerful and best-designed in terms of construction.
Like all manual mixers, it is not without flaws, but it is one of the few that can overcome the most difficult challenge: kneading bread or pizza.
If your needs involve mixing thick dough and you do not have a lot of capital or space for a stand mixer, the Dualit is the best substitute for making a few loaves of bread or homemade pizza to share with your loved ones.
