Modern Stand Mixers: It’s All About the Attachments

Sarah Lifestyle

Everyone knows that stand mixers make it easy to stir eggs, flour and other ingredients together to create cake batter. What people might not know is that modern stand mixers can perform hundreds of other kitchen tasks, as long as they are equipped with the right kind of attachments.

KitchenAid countertop mixers are designed to readily accept specialized attachments for grinding meat, juicing fruits and veggies, kneading bread and cookie dough, and making pasta. There are ice cream attachments and balloon whisks for making light-as-air meringue. The remarkable range of KitchenAid attachments allows at-home and professional cooks to quickly create delectable dishes that might otherwise take hours to prepare.

Slow Juicer

Mastication is the way to go for nutrient-dense fruit and vegetable juices. Use the wide feed tube and steel blades of this attachment to juice leafy veggies and whole fruits for a healthful, eye-opening morning beverage. The slow juicer attachment comes with three screen filters that ensure the perfect amount of pulp.

Pasta Roller

Making fresh, flavorful pasta can be a messy, time-consuming task. A pasta roller attachment makes the process so much easier and neater. Customize thickness of fettuccine, linguine and other noodles with an adjustable knob. Ravioli attachments are available, as well.

Ice Cream Maker

Create fresh sundaes any day of the week. Use the two-quart freezer bowl, rotating dasher and drive assembly provided with this attachment to make ice cream, sorbet, frozen yogurt and other frosty desserts.

Grain Mill

Grind wheat, corn, oats, rice and other grains for the freshest from-scratch baking flour, ever. The all-metal attachment grinds low-moisture grains as coarse or as fine as desired. This attachment is a real workhorse, and is recommended for use with high-powered stand mixers.

Meat Grinder and Stuffing Tubes

Know exactly what goes into your sausages when you grind your own meat. Push pork, venison, beef, turkey and other meats through the grinder along with your choice of spices, herbs and seasonings. Attach a stuffing tube and fill casings to create fresh bratwurst, frankfurters and other sensational sausages.

These six attachments are not the only accessories that are available for KitchenAid and other modern stand mixers. KitchenAid artisan mixers and a range of useful attachments may be purchased at Bed Bath & Beyond  and other respected retailers.

A Very Brief History of Blending

According to the KitchenAid company, their first electric stand mixer rolled off the assembly line in 1919. Since that time, millions of the quality mixers have made their way to kitchens throughout the world. The time-saving appliances are such a part of American industrial history, the late chef Julia Child’s beloved and well used cobalt blue KitchenAid stand mixer is prominently featured in a display at the Smithsonian. The popular appliance was even featured on a U.S. postage stamp in 1998.

Cooks and chefs who wish to take every advantage of their modern stand mixer will want to avail themselves of the handy how-to guides and mixer recipes found at Food.com.

Jerry Dove likes to relax from his day job by producing some culinary creations. He likes to share his adventures in the kitchen with others online and is a regular writer for a few home and lifestyle websites.