I Feel the Need - the Need for Speed!

Background:
When my hubby and I moved in together we have no mixer at all. We now have two; the KitchenAid 325 Watts Artisan Stand Mixer and this one. The Power Pro was a Christmas gift in 2005; my mother has one and thought it would be perfect for my first mixer.

Finding the Power Pro 250:
This mixer is made by Black and Decker and can be found at: www.blackanddeckerappliances.com

About the Power Pro 250-Watt Mixer:
The Power Pro is a hand-held mixer with a 250-watt motor. It has the traditional 2 foot length cord. Also, it has the ability to stand up on countertop when not in use. It features a special design handle, buttons, and attachments.

This mixer comes in white with a dark-blue rubber coated non-slip handle. The comfort grip surrounds the top of the handle where the palm of the hand is usually placed and the top of the mixer where the other hand is occasional placed for additional support while mixing.

The mixer has 5 speeds on a round dial that clicks up and down to set the speed from 0-5. There is a power boost button that when held down adds a little more ‘oomph’ to the mixing process. There is also an eject button to safely remove attachments.

Attachments easily click into the front of the mixer and include wire beaters, which can be used for beating and whipping together mixes. A spatula attachment can be added by snapping it onto the right beater and is used to scrape the bowl while mixing.

Things I Like:
- I remember when I was young holding the mixing bowl while my mother used one hand to hold the mixer and the other to scrape the bowl with separate scraper. Since the Power Pro 250 came into our lives there is no need for two people while mixing. The spatula attachment easily scrapes the sides of the bowl on the side of the beaters where most needed; this leaves one hand free to hold the bowl.
- The mixer has a lot of ‘oomph.’ I usually only need to put it on speed 1 or 2 to get my cake mixes mixed well. The power boast adds a little more to break up brown sugar or to mix in places where flour seems to clot.
- Having a hand-held mixer in addition to a stand-up mixer is a must. When making cake, I often place all ingredients in my stand-up mixer and use the hand-held mixer to whip the egg whites. Egg whites peak and are fluffy within a few seconds (while whipping the egg whites, I usually only attach 1 beater and the mixer still runs).
- I also use the hand-held mixer for quick mixes that come out of a box; it is a lot easier than having to clean-up the stand-up mixer. Also, this little hand-held packs a big bunch; my stand-up is a 325-watt and this little hand-held comes with 250-watts, more than enough for any boxed bake treat.
- The comfort-grip is a lot nicer to hold than bare hard plastic. My hands do not hurt after mixing.

Not So Good:
- Any speed higher than 2 requires I place both hands on the mixer.
- The comfort-grip does not extend to the back-side of the handle where my fingers rest.

Cleaning:
Cleaning is a breeze. The mixer, itself, needs only an occasional wipe down. Attachments require a dunk in soapy water and a quick rinse.

Recommendation:
The Power Pro 250-Watt Mixer was a gift, but if I had to choose one on my own, I still would have picked this one. This hand-held mixer is not as strong as my stand-up, but it is not suppose to be and packing 250-watts into this little thing is pretty darn amazing. The Power Pro is easy to use whether mixing with one beater or two or adding the spatula attachment. Mixes take only minutes to be well-blended.

In regards to my criticism about this mixer; having to use two hands is true for any hand-held mixer when put at high speeds. Also, while I wish the comfort-grip extended around the handle, it still makes for a comfortable mixing experience.