The mixer grinder
Our basic need is to mix various cooking ingredients, usually in a semi-liquid state. The examples are purees, vegetable pastes for making curry, and batters for cooking. Mixer grinder is a broad of two types.
Hand blenders
This is a hand-held appliance used to blend and mix cooking ingredients in a semi-liquid state. It has a motor and can be used with any type of bowl. You have the examples of the egg beaters and buttermilk churners that fall in this category.
Stand Mixer
Stand mixer is a powerful machine used to mix hard any of the foods. You use the mixers for whipping up creams, kneading the dough, and preparing the batter.
The Grinder
The grinder is a comparatively stronger machine used to grind substances into a powdery form. You can use it to grind both wet and dry foods and ingredients. The common usage is for grinding cereals, lentils, and spices. Here are two types of grinders that have specific uses.
Coffee grinder
One uses this grinder for grinding roasted coffee seeds.
Meat grinder
This is a powerful appliance because of the heavier load it has to cater. This grinder has used for grinding different types of meat, poultry, mutton, and other non-vegetarian food.
How do you choose a mixie / JMG?
There are many factors to consider while choosing the right appliance for your kitchen.
Technical Specifications
Here are some features that every household should know. You will find these specifications listed in every mixie you see. Having knowledge about the same enables you to make the right choice.
Wattage
In simple words, wattage defines the power of the motor. Higher the wattage, the heavier the load it can sustain. A normal Indian kitchen mixie can work with a 550 to the 600-watt motor. Anything above this figure can become noisy.
However, you can go for higher wattages if you have to grind larger quantities. In order to grind 2 kg of Urad dal batter in one go, you need a motor with a minimum wattage of 750 watts.
RPM
RPM is the abbreviated form of ‘Rotations per minute’. Higher the RPM, the more powerful is the motor. This reduces the time required for processing the ingredients. There is a disadvantage to having a higher RPM.
Your appliance can heat up and become noisy. Usually, you have blades rotating at a speed of 15000 rpm.
Rating in minutes
In case you run the appliance continuously for more time, it can heat up the motor and cause internal damage.
Brand / Service provided
Why do you think Sumeet ruled the Indian market for a long time?
This is because of the brand reputation and the service they provided to the consumers. You have many brands available in the market.
It is better to do your own local research before buying your product. We use the word ‘local research’ because the service provided in Delhi might differ from that provided in Mumbai or for that matter, any of the smaller towns in India.
The availability of spare parts and prompt servicing by the service engineers are some aspects to consider.
The rubber gaskets are the one that wears out frequently. The availability of replacement blades is also important.
Product Design
Power is important while choosing a mixie for your kitchen. At the same time, a slim/sleek design should also be foremost on your mind.
You have the tower design or the L-shaped design that is popular today. The tower design has its merits in the fact that it is easy to clean.
Safety aspects
This appliance comes in touch with water on a frequent basis. Therefore, safety is a matter of concern. Check out for aspects like earthing, power cables, and so on.
Ensure that the mixie has a strong and balanced base to avoid unnecessary accidents.
The mixie should have a locking system whereby the machine will not start unless you fit the jar properly. The modern mixies have them. Indian mixies have rotary switches whereas piano switches are the international preference.
Overloading protection feature
It is possible that you might misjudge the capacity of the mixie. This can result in overloading. The ideal mixie should be one that has an overloading protection feature like a circuit breaker to stop the appliance immediately.
You can remove some of the load and reset the switch. The absence of such a safety factor can cause early burnout of the motor.
Check out the quality of accessories
You have a lot of accessories that come with a mixie like jars, blades, lids, and so on. The quality of the accessories is important. Opting for a reputed brand is advisable as they do not compromise on the quality aspect.
Final thoughts
You have just seen the features of the best mixie brands available in India. Let us now end the article with some tips on how to use the mixie efficiently.
- Avoid using hot ingredients as you can damage the jar walls
- Ensure to add sufficient water while making Idly, Dosa Batters and purees
- It is important to have proper earthing systems in place to avoid unnecessary accidents
- Allow air inside the jar to escape before operating the mixie
This guide should prove useful to you when you wish to purchase the Best Mixer Grinder for your home. Husbands should note that without the mixie, they might not get their food. Hence, you see many houses having a spare mixie in place in case one develops an issue.