Beater, Whip, or Hook? Selecting the Correct Attachment for Your Hobart Mixer

There are four basic agitator types available for your Hobart mixer.

 Beaters                                                              

Beaters are all-purpose mixing tools. The standard Hobart beater is the B Flat Beater. Use your beater for jobs like mashing potatoes, mixing batters, and any task that requires reliable, uniform mixing. 

When you use your beater, start the job on the lowest speed. Then, finish up on medium speed to ensure a smooth final product.

 Whips

Hobart makes several difference whips. Whips are designed to add air to your food, making it light and fluffy.   Use the D Wire Whip on the two highest speeds for whipping egg whites, and meringues. 

The C Wire Whip is for heavier foods. Use it to create whipped butter, whipped mashed potatoes, mayonnaise, and icing.  Use the two lowest speeds when you’re whipping butter and mashed potatoes, and the two highest speeds for mayonnaise and icings.

Use the I Wire Whip to make sponge cakes and marshmallow.

 Hooks (Dough Arms)                                                                               

Both the E Dough Arm and the ED Dough Arm are designed for mixing yeast doughs for rolls, bread, and pizza.  They knead the dough to create a perfect texture in the finished product. The ED Dough Arm is specially designed to provide maximum efficiency in large bowls. On two and three-speed mixers, use the dough arms on the first and second speeds. On a four-speed mixer you may use any of the first 3 speeds to mix dough.

 Pastry Knives

Hobart produces the P Pastry Knife to cut butter into flour. It’s perfect for applications like biscuit-making, shortbreads, and pie crusts – anywhere you’d use a pastry blender in a home kitchen. 

Always use the pastry blender on slow or medium speed. High speeds will make your finished product tough and dense instead of light and flaky.

 General Care and Tips

Remember, every time you change a dough hook or bowl, you must readjust your clearance.

 Going Beyond the Basics with Your Hobart Agitators

Once you’ve selected the correct agitator for your recipe, you need to master using that agitator. Hobart recommends making practice batches of batters and doughs.  Adjust your mixer time and speed to achieve the texture and consistency you prefer.  Remember, Hobart mixers are highly efficient. You’ll want to start with a shorter-than-normal mixing time and adjust upward. Otherwise, you’ll over mix and ruin the texture of your finished product.

Stay tuned for our next blog post, in which explore specific applications of these agitators starting with the B Flat Beater and how to use it to create the tastiest of cake batters!