Your Favorite Whisk

[Kerry Beal]

Photographing my collection of spatula's got me thinking about my other favourite kitchen tool/fetish - whisks. Nothing better than the perfect whisk for the job. My go to whisks are the 4 pictured in the middle here - very simple - elegant in their simplicity. Saw them first on one of Nigella Lawson's shows and picked up my first ones in France. A couple of years back I saw them for sale in my local dollar store - now I have one or two for every place I travel.

I don't use the balloon whisks much at all but the heavy sauce whisk on the right is just perfect when making gravy in a roasting pan.

Got any favourites yourself that you use for specific purposes?

[rotuts]

CuisiPro

http://cooking.cuisipro.com/en/Whisks-cat38.html

some are coated with silicone for non-stick pans and some not.

they make a lot of fine stuff: the best stainless steel measuring spoons and cups too!

[Norm Matthews]

I only have two whisks: a flat whisk very much like the one on the left in your picture and a balloon whisk similar to the next to last on the right. I find I use the flat whisk all the time, not just for whisking but also as a spatula. It is much better at whisking gravy or sauce in a square bottomed saucepan than the balloon whisk which is better designed to be used in a round bottomed skillet or saucier.

Edited June 6, 2011 by Norm Matthews (log)

[andiesenji]

Nice collecting Kerry.

I have a few favorites, some I use every day, some for specific purposes when appropriate.

As I bake almost every day, the Danish dough whisks get a lot of action. They blend quick bread doughs rapidly without working the dough too much - my scones and biscuits are very light and tender.

Some pictured here..

I've added a few since then.

A few years ago I posted about a unique use for an extremely large whisk -

I posted the following way back on 20-April-04, soon after I joined eG.

I have a huge heavy wire blending whisk that has a 3 foot long wood handle for use in deep bowls or tubs. I got it to mix the brine for brining large turkeys and pork legs which I mix in a 26 quart Cambro container.

I did use it to chase a snake out of the house one day. It was the closest thing to hand and the rattler actually got caught in the wires and I was able to beat it to death on the driveway before it got away. The Mojave green rattler we have here is smaller than most and can squeeze through very tiny openings. They also have very potent venom. I just thank God they are not on any endangered species list because I have killed quite a few.

Anyway, the big whisk turned out to be very handy that day, didn't even get a wire bent.

I no longer have that huge whisk. One of my neighbors started a home business that involved mixing dyes in large vessels and asked to buy it as she had not been able to find anything comparable.

I should haul out my whisk trove and take a current photo but I am just a bit too lazy at the moment. I had a busy weekend and I managed to tweak my right knee, not easy to get up from a chair or sit with my knee bent for long periods.

Edited June 6, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Lisa Shock]

I have two, one regular balloon and one silicone dipped.

[Darienne]

Oh dear, this is so humiliating. I have only two not very good balloon whisks and one of them has a broken handle. I'm just not a whisk kind of person.

[andiesenji]

I gathered up most of my whisk collection. I can't find some of the oldies and some of the middle-aged ones seem to have wandered off.

The oldest are on the left and they are arranged in order of age - except for the dough whisks that I managed to get out of order while trying to fit everything into the photos. (I tried a wide-angle view but there was too much distortion.)

The one across the top is a "pump whisk" - when you push down on the handle, the bottom spins.

I seem to be missing at least six balloon whisks because I used to have them in almost every size between 8 and 16 inches, in both the heavier "French" wire and the thinner "Piano" wire types.

The oldest is officially an "antique" as it is ca. 1900.

Edited June 8, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Kouign Aman]

Cheap balloon whisks in 3 sizes. Dont know why, as I didnt use them at all ever, until I started cooking with the toddler. At that time, whisks became very attractive for participation, where the previously favored electric mixer required protection.

Now I reach for the middle sized whisk just about every time I cook. hmmm.

But, the toddler isnt one any longer, and can use the e.m. for cooky dough and whipping cream. Hooray!

[natasha1270]

Kerry - I love my Magi-Whisk too!

I have about a dozen or so various whisks but these are the three I probably use the most:

[janeer]

\ My go to whisks are the 4 pictured in the middle here - very simple - elegant in their simplicity. \

My favorite is the same as yours. I love, love, love that whisk. I also like my little standard (3"?) sauce whisk. I've got maybe 10 whisks total, a couple of them are vintage-y things with flexible heads. I rarely use my big balloon whisk (that;s what the KA is for...)

[ChrisZ]

This tiny whisk sits perfectly in the palm of your hand and is perfect for mixing small quantities. It's my go-to whisk for things like cornflour, gelatine and anything else where the amount is so small that a full-size whisk would have trouble even getting wet!

[Mjx]

This tiny whisk sits perfectly in the palm of your hand and is perfect for mixing small quantities. It's my go-to whisk for things like cornflour, gelatine and anything else where the amount is so small that a full-size whisk would have trouble even getting wet!

How wide is the whisk, across the head, and where did you get it? I've been looking for a tiny whisk, but want one that won't fall to bits in no time; that one looks like the wires are fairly well-anchored.

[ChrisZ]

The 'egg' handle is about 3/4 the size of a real egg, so without finding a ruler and measuring it I'd guess that the head is just under an inch wide. It's comparable to a big teaspoon. Roughly.

My wife got it as a kris-kringle christmas gift many years ago, so unfortunately no idea where it's from. But it is pretty robust- it's supposed to be an 'omelette mixer' and the wires are definitely stiff and rigid, not like a balloon whisk. It's probably intended as a novelty gift and it's a fluke that I like using it...

[AnythingButPlainChocolate]

I've seen those whisks a lot in the UK, here's a seller, at least it gives you the brand name to search for online now!

[andiesenji]

At Amazon you can get a silicone egghead

Or the regular wire whisk

And if you want to give them as "favor" gifts you can even order them in bulk.

[Mjx]

Hm... well, to be honest, I'd prefer something a bit more austere looking, although for a small (ideally, 0.75"/2cm or less), sturdy whisk, I'd be willing to put up with a lot (even, say, a pink Hello Kitty one).

I'd be thrilled by any suggestions, since I've scoured the internet, NYC, Florence, Parma, Copenhagen, and Århus, and come up with nothing.

[andiesenji]

Hm... well, to be honest, I'd prefer something a bit more austere looking, although for a small (ideally, 0.75"/2cm or less), sturdy whisk, I'd be willing to put up with a lot (even, say, a pink Hello Kitty one).

I'd be thrilled by any suggestions, since I've scoured the internet, NYC, Florence, Parma, Copenhagen, and Århus, and come up with nothing.

Are these too large?

Or perhaps this bar whisk?

For getting into really narrow jars and etc., I have used one of these

for many years.

I bought an extra, in case the firs one broke but the new one has been in its box in a drawer for ten years.

Edited June 10, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Mjx]

Hm... well, to be honest, I'd prefer something a bit more austere looking, although for a small (ideally, 0.75"/2cm or less), sturdy whisk, I'd be willing to put up with a lot (even, say, a pink Hello Kitty one).

I'd be thrilled by any suggestions, since I've scoured the internet, NYC, Florence, Parma, Copenhagen, and Århus, and come up with nothing.

Are these too large?

Thanks Andie, I think the sizes are good, but these look a lot like the last pair of small whisks that bit the dust on me. I should add, I don't have much trouble finding small whisks, just small whisks that are nice and solid. It's not that I'm particularly rough on things, but I really like things to last.

[andiesenji]

Hm... well, to be honest, I'd prefer something a bit more austere looking, although for a small (ideally, 0.75"/2cm or less), sturdy whisk, I'd be willing to put up with a lot (even, say, a pink Hello Kitty one).

I'd be thrilled by any suggestions, since I've scoured the internet, NYC, Florence, Parma, Copenhagen, and Århus, and come up with nothing.

Are these too large?

Thanks Andie, I think the sizes are good, but these look a lot like the last pair of small whisks that bit the dust on me. I should add, I don't have much trouble finding small whisks, just small whisks that are nice and solid. It's not that I'm particularly rough on things, but I really like things to last.

Perhaps you might find this little whisk tougher than the wire type. My larger ones have taken a beating and are still in near perfect condition.

I gave away one like this to someone who has very small hands and wanted a whisk that would fit in a measuring cup. Holding the handle between the palms and spinning it produces a lot of mixing action and it fits nicely in a very small sauce pan (2 cup).

To give you an idea of the size, the ball whisk in my photo (center bottom) is 14 inches long.

Edited June 10, 2011 by andiesenji (log)

[Mjx]

. . . .

Perhaps you might find this little whisk tougher than the wire type. My larger ones have taken a beating and are still in near perfect condition.

I gave away one like this to someone who has very small hands and wanted a whisk that would fit in a measuring cup. Holding the handle between the palms and spinning it produces a lot of mixing action and it fits nicely in a very small sauce pan (2 cup).

To give you an idea of the size, the ball whisk in my photo (center bottom) is 14 inches long.

That's an excellent idea; I've been locked into looking for wee versions of conventional whisks, so something like the ball whisk wouldn't have even made a blip on my radar, I would have completely overlooked them (but not anymore!). Thanks!

[Shel_B]

Thought I'd bump this up. I'd like to get a whisk for mixing lemon curd, mainly because someone told me I could get smoother results using a whisk rather than stirring with just a spoon. Any suggestions for so specific a task?

[andiesenji]

Thought I'd bump this up. I'd like to get a whisk for mixing lemon curd, mainly because someone told me I could get smoother results using a whisk rather than stirring with just a spoon. Any suggestions for so specific a task?

I use this one it breaks up the clumps and give a smooth result without introducing air - as happens with a regular wire whisk.

I've used it in a pan with a flat bottom (double boiler) a round glass bowl over simmering water in a pot for larger batches and it gets into the "corners" of a regular pan and follows the contours of any bowl.

[dcarch]

Most practical whisk I have.

A rechargeable pencil eraser married to a mini whisk.

Whip one egg, one serving of whipped cream, stir one tea spoon of starch for thickener, One cup of hot chocolate -------- or whatever.

dcarch

[teapot]

My most-used is a flat whisk -- in addition to the typical use for sauces, I used mine as a dough whisk. Mine is a Miele and has held up beautifully after probably 20 years of regular bread baking/sourdough feeding. I suppose I could get a Danish dough whisk but I like the versatility of my flat whisk.

[Kim Shook]

I have a few of the basic metal balloon whisks in a couple of sizes. Also a rigid plastic one shaped like the one all the way to the right in Kerry's original post. I have a tiny one that I use to stir hot chocolate. I have one useless silicone one (not silicone over metal) that flings sauces all over the kitchen when I try to use it.

My dad gave me this one for Christmas: http://www.kitchenandcompany.com/kitchen-tools/cooking-utensils/whisks/_/Mini-Saucinator-Whisk?tc=gfs13&utm_source=google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_content=Norpro%20Mini%20Saucinator%20Whisk&gclid=CIuNg8er1rwCFW1nOgoddGoAMg. I was planning to return it. Can anyone tell me why I should keep it?

Edited February 18, 2014 by Kim Shook (log)