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See why.Mini Whisks
For the smallest mixing and emulsifying tasks, call on the mini whisk.
Published June 22, 2020.
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See Everything We TestedWhat You Need To Know
We love our favorite all-purpose whisk, but sometimes we want a smaller tool for beating a few eggs or emulsifying just enough salad dressing for one or two people. That’s where mini whisks come in. At about 5 to 7 inches in total length—half the size of the whisks we ordinarily use—they’re ideal for these smaller jobs, and their more petite profiles mean they’re easier to store as well. We’d never tested these tools before, and we wanted to know which model was the best for home cooks. We bought six mini whisks, priced from about $3 to about $17, using them for a number of tasks where we wouldn’t want to bother with a bigger whisk: combining dried herbs and spices for the spice mix za’atar, beating two eggs, emulsifying vinaigrette, mixing a honey-mustard dipping sauce, and whisking together a cornstarch slurry.
Head Design Is Key
We were surprised by how much we enjoyed using the better models. All the whisks worked well, capably blending and beating the ingredients to a uniform consistency, but some did so a bit more quickly and efficiently than others. Head design was critical in this regard. We preferred whisks with slightly broader, more bulbous heads measuring about 4.75 to 5 inches in circumference, as they were big enough to cover more ground more quickly but still small enough to reach into the edges of a measuring cup or small bowl. Broader heads also helped beat egg yolks into egg whites and emulsify vinaigrettes a tad faster than whisks with narrower heads; the broader the head, the more of its wire loops came into contact with the food, moving and incorporating more of the ingredients with each stroke. For similar reasons, the more wire loops the whisks had, the better and faster they generally were at integrating the ingredients. A whisk with just three loops seemed to glide through the food rather than mix it, especially when compared with those that had five, six, or even seven loops.
Handle Design Matters, Too
When it came to evaluating how comfortable the whisks were to hold, we learned that the dimensions and design of the handle were important. We liked whisks with handles measuring about 2.5 to 3 inches long. Any shorter and there wasn’t quite enough room for our hands to grasp the whisk comfortably; any longer and we had to choke up on the whisk a bit to muster control over the head. We also liked thicker handles, as they were easier to grasp for more extended periods than narrow, pencil-like handles, which made our hands cramp slightly. Also, these narrow handles were often a tad more flexible than we preferred, so we had to use more effort to keep them from bending and ...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
We loved using this diminutive whisk, which performed every task quickly and efficiently, thanks to the five sturdy wire loops in its relatively broad head. And with a thick, medium-length handle, it was easy to grip. The handle itself was made from smooth metal that was completely sealed off where the loops connected, so it was particularly easy to clean.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
Recommended
- Ease of Use: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Cleanup: 3 stars out of 3.
Recommended with reservations
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
This slender whisk actually performed fairly well, but because its head is especially narrow, it took a bit more time to emulsify vinaigrette and beat eggs to a uniform consistency. Unfortunately, it was one of the least comfortable models to grip, with a short, pencil-like handle that cramped even smaller hands and a large storage loop that dug into our palms as we whisked. Liquid and bits of food occasionally accumulated in the open space where the loops connected to the handle and in between the wire coils that formed the handle itself, making it a touch harder to clean.
Not Recommended
- Ease of Use: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Performance: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Cleanup: 2.5 stars out of 3.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
Miye Bromberg
Miye is a senior editor for ATK Reviews. She covers booze, blades, and gadgets of questionable value.