Whisk Styles

Clever kitchen companion

Some days it seems like you're forever chopping, cleaning, whipping and mixing. You'd do anything to make those tedious kitchen jobs a little faster and easier. Cooks agree that one of their favorite time saving tools is the kitchen whisk!

Match size with task

A whisk will get lumps out of sauces and is perfect for adding life to a vinaigrette dressing or whisking egg whites into meringue. But which size and shape whisk is best for which job? The trick is to match the size and shape of your whisk to the task:

• For foods in large pots use big rigid whisks

• To make soups, sauces, creams and custards use a medium whisk

• To make salad dressings and sauces and for folding flour into batter use a small whisk

The shape's the thing

The shape of the whisk makes a difference too. Some whisks are long and narrow and others are shaped like balloons. Here is a run down of various styles of whisks and what they are best used for:

• Balloon whisk. Use a balloon whisk when you want to beat a lot of air into a mix. It's perfect for making things like whipped cream or meringue.

• Wire whisks. Choose whisks with thin, flexible wires for beating eggs, cake mixes and sauces. Use a whisk with thicker, more rigid wires for thicker mixtures like brownies.

• Mini whisk. The mini whisk has a multitude of uses from folding in eggs to ensuring smooth sauces. The flatter than usual shape makes this whisk good for using in shallow sauce pans, or for when you are working with small quantities.

• Nylon whisk. The nylon head on this whisk is heat resistant to 200 degrees and is perfect to use on all non-stick surfaces.

• Cappuccino whisk. Cappuccino whisks can be manual or battery operated. The cappuccino whisk makes fantastic frothy coffee in a short amount of time.

Design matters

When choosing a whisk, make sure the wires don't cross at the tips. This design makes it easier to combine wet and dry ingredients and reduces the amount of clogging in the wires while whisking. It is also a good idea to make sure the whisk is dishwasher safe to save cleaning time and to make sure it gets safely and thoroughly washed.

More information on whisks