10 Creative Ways to Use Your Stand Alone Mixer

Silver food electric mixer on a white background.

Most of us are familiar with the KitchenAid mixer and we should be, it’s been around since 1919.

The original version of this kitchen staple weighed in at around 65 pounds and had a price tag that was well out of most homeowners’ reach.

Fortunately, today’s versions of stand-up mixers are available in more practical dimensions.

The design remains relatively unchanged, but today’s chef has masterminded a host of new ways to bring creativity and time savings into the kitchen with a stand-alone mixer.

1. Mix Meatballs With Your Stand-Alone Mixer

Stand mixer uses extend far beyond baking and beating nowadays. With the right attachments, you can even grind meat and stuff sausages.

If you only have the usual beaters that came with your machine, you can still make meatballs, meatloaf, and burgers with your baking mixer. You won’t get your hands dirty either with this quick and easy hack.

Simply place your minced meat with all the seasonings and an egg into the bowl of your mixer and give it a whirl with the flat beater. After a few minutes, everything will be perfectly combined and ready to roll.

Remove the meaty mix using an ice-cream scoop or a cookie scoop before frying or baking your meatballs.

2. Shred Chicken Breasts and More

Similarly, you can shred chicken breasts, pork, or beef for sandwiches or tacos.

Cook your meat beforehand and place it in the mixer bowl while it is still warm. Attach the standard beater attachment and, let the machine run in short bursts until the meat meets your satisfaction.

3. Make Some Dough

While kneading bread does have its charms, it loses its appeal after a while. If you love baking bread but don’t enjoy the laborious process of kneading, your usual baking mixer comes to the rescue once again.

You can mix all the ingredients for your bread with the standard mixer, switching over to the dough hook when it comes to the dirty work.

Coupled with this attachment, the power of this kitchen tool makes short work of this job. You’ll have a ball of smooth, elastic dough in the time it takes to do the dishes and prepare your baking trays, about 10 minutes.

Pizza dough is a cinch too.

4. Whip Up Some Guacamole

Place 2 cups of cilantro leaves, a 1/4 of a chopped onion, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 clove of crushed garlic, a medium jalapeno chili, and a teaspoon of salt in the mixer bowl and blend for 2 minutes.

Next, add 2 large pitted and peeled avocados and pulse the mixer 8 to 9 times. Pause and run a spatula around the bowl about every 3 pulses to get the best texture.

Unfortunately, you’re on your own when it comes to stripping the leaves off the cilantro and peeling the avocado. On the upside, you’ll still save enough time to make yourself a celebratory margarita.

5. The Best Mashed Potatoes

Smooth, creamy mashed potato goes so well with many meals, but who looks forward to all the elbow-grease involved?

With your trusty KitchenAid mixer to hand, mashed potatoes are a breeze. Boil and chop your potatoes, and place them in your mixer bowl with seasoning, butter, and cream.

Let the standard attachment get to work.

In a few minutes, you’ll have silky smooth and delicious mashed potatoes without any effort at all.

6. Churn Your Own Butter

Whipping cream is a pretty obvious use for the whisk attachment of your kitchen mixer, but did you know if you go a step further you’ll end up with butter.

Unless you have a couple of dairy cows out back, this isn’t the most economical way to get your hands on a stick of butter but it’s quick and convenient.

The bragging rights are pretty great too.

To make butter, simply add your cream to the mixing bowl and keep whisking it until it goes beyond the whipped cream stage and starts to separate.

You’ll know when you’ve hit butter, you’ll be able to see it floating on top of the milk. Pour the contents of the bowl through a sieve into a bowl and allow the butter to drain for a while.

The liquid that remains in the bowl is buttermilk, which is awesome for making wafflestoo.

7. Meringues Are a Breeze

Egg whites can be so temperamental that it’s even a pain to whisk them with a hand beater.

With a stand mixer and whisk attachment, the whole process is hands-off and easy as pie.

Everyone has their own success stories — or otherwise — when it comes to making meringues. No matter how you like to do it, getting a machine to do the hard labor increases your chance of success and saves a lot of time.

8. Make Homemade Ice Cream

Homemade ice cream is easy to make. It’s also healthier, creamier and more delicious than the mass-produced variety.

You will need the ice-cream maker attachment to get this right, and you must freeze the special ice cream bowl for at least 24 hours beforehand.

Here’s a recipe for super easy ice-cream using your KitchenAid appliance.

9. Roll Perfect Pasta

Fresh pasta is the best pasta hands down. If you love Italian cooking, you’ll be wise to invest in a pasta attachment for your baking mixer.

This gadget attaches to the front of the machine and can roll pasta 8 different ways – with very little effort on your part.

Once you’ve mixed and rolled your pasta dough, all you need to do is slide it through the pasta maker.

A few seconds later, you’ve got perfect lasagne sheets, fettucini or spaghetti, just the way you like it.

10. Make Laundry Detergent

This is one of the more unusual stand-mixer uses that can save you money and a trip to the store in a pinch.

You know those annoying slips of bath soap that nobody can use? Collect them and let them dry out.

Once you’ve got a considerable pile, place them in your mixer bowl and attach the standard mixer attachment. In minutes you’ll have flakes of soap that work just as well as any other laundry detergent.

You can also use fresh bars of soap for this hack.

Learn More About Stand Mixers

Our blog has so many useful ideas, tips, and recipes for your stand-alone mixer. Keep reading to find out more and keep tabs on the latest attachments, reviews, and news.

You could also stand a chance to win one of our regular giveaways when you buy your next appliance or attachment via our reputable website.

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