The Benefits of a Pastry Blender

There are many different things that a pastry blender can do. It really is an indispensible tool for those who spend a lot of time working in the kitchen

It is commonly used to quickly and easily blend ingredients such as butter, shortening, and other soft solids into dry goods. But as you will see, there are so many other things you can do with this blender.

You can find many different styles of this tool, but we recommend the Oxo Good Grips Dough Blender with Blades Most pastry blenders share a common design, and the vast majority have a handle and "blades" which are used to do the mixing.

Features

Most of the modern styles have stainless steel blades and a handle wrapped in rubber. You can find ones that are made completely of plastic, but these aren't going to last as long as metal. They also can't be used in anything hot. If you prefer, you can also find ones that have a stainless steel or wooden handle.

The blades of the blender can be thin like wires, or thicker for more mashing power. Which you choose will depend on what you are planning on blending with it.

If you want more control over your dough blender, you should look for one that has a place sticking off the handle where your thumb can rest. This generally makes using it much easier on your hands and wrists. Less exertion can give you better results.

There are some people who wonder why a hand held blender is a good idea when they have a mixer. There are plenty of reasons for having one!

A Pastry Blender is Inexpensive
One of the big reasons is that many people don't have a mixer, and can't afford to get one. One of these little tools only costs a few dollars, even for a really nice one.

They Are Small
Another reason these tools are so well loved is that they take up very little space. A lot of people don't have big kitchens. Since they don't have a place to keep a large automated blender, they need save as much space as possible. One of these hand-held blenders can be tossed into a drawer when it isn't being used, so it is a practical choice for a small kitchen.

A Pastry Blender Won't Ruin Your Recipe
Something that many people don't think about is that over-mixing some ingredients can ruin your recipe. If you are looking to leave chunks in your mix, a mixer may destroy them, leaving your dish smoother than you want it. Mixers can also cause baked goods to be tough if they are allowed to beat the ingredients too long.

Consistency
With a hand-held blender, you can control the consistency of your mixture, as well as how thoroughly is it "beaten."

Messy Alternatives

You can mix ingredients without a pastry blender, but it is much more difficult. One of the most common alternate methods is to use your fingers to mash the ingredients together. This is messy, doesn't feel very nice, and certainly isn't as sanitary as using a tool to do the job. Another reason this isn't a good option is that your hands can heat up the mix, which is bad when it comes to ingredients that can melt, such as shortening.

Another way is to use a couple of butter knives, one in each hand, and make X-shaped slicing motions through the mixture. This can easily lead to ingredients being tossed out of the bowl.

So, you can see why having a small tool made just for this purpose is very useful.

Your Pastry Blender is a Multi-Tasker

If you like having tools that do a lot of different things, adding one of these pastry blenders to your kitchen is a good idea. This is because blending shortening and flour isn't the only thing you can do with this tool!

Basically, anything that needs to be squished together can be mixed with a hand blender. Many people make things like salsa, guacamole, and other dips with their blender. These little tools can also make quick work of mashed potatoes, turning chunks of cooked squash into mushy goodness, and squishing fruit for recipes.

As you can see, there are many different things that a pastry blender can do in your kitchen. These tools give you a lot of diversity wrapped up in a small package that doesn't cost very much at all. You can find these at your grocery store, a local kitchen supply store, or online depending on what kind you are looking for. Once you have one of these, use your imagination and you will be amazed at the things you can use it for.