What is the difference between the spiral mixer and the planetary mixer?

The spiral mixer is often confused with the planetary mixer, in fact they are two similar tools but in reality they have different functions
The spiral mixer has a hook that rotates only on itself, it's great for bread and pizza dough, the planetary mixer instead has a hook that rotates aroung the entire bowl, allowing you to add different ingredients and enlarging the audience of preparations. It's also for this reason that the planetary has a higher cost than the mixer.
Planetary mixers are among the most used appliances in the kitchen, they replaced the hands that once kneaded saving time and effort. Today the planetary prices are accessible to everyone and have become the must of the kitchen both professional for the operators of the confectionery, catering, bakery industry and domestic. Discover the wide range of models of planetary mixers that you can find for sale online on our eshop, the professional orbital or planetary mixers simulate with the whip the movement of the planets (hence the name), in this way they can knead and mix evenly even along all the walls of the bowl in addition to the center.
The use of the planetary mixer has shifted more and more also in the home kitchens, where the time to devote to the preparation of meals is less and less and therefore a professional help does not hurt. The planetary helps to optimize production times and allows you to get a product impeccably amalgamated, browse the complete online catalogue planetary prices, each product is complete with descriptive card to accompany you to the best purchase while taking advantage of our special prices. There are different types of planetary mixers on the market simple to use that thanks to its particular rotation movement allows you to prepare and mix in an uniform manner each compound from every lateral and central angle.


What is the planetary mixer for

The planetary mixer or orbital mixer is a complete tool, among the additional features besides the various mixtures we find the preparation of meringues, ravioli filling, cakes and more. All these extra preparations are obtained thanks to the 3 tools supplied which are: the wire whisk, the leaf whisk and the hook whisk, respectively for liquid, soft and hard dough. The Sirman planetary mixer halves the preparation time in the kitchen, is useful both to professionals in the sector and to cooking lovers, not to mention those who have little time availableand do not want to give up eating with taste.
Thanks to planetary mixers you can prepare large quantities of food while soiling as little as possible, their use is very simple just choose the default program, set the timer and wait for the planetary mixer arms to do their job.


Spiral or Planetary mixer: which to choose?

Both are excellent, the choice depends on your needs.
The spirla mixer is less expensive, while the planetary mixer, used more often by small places and bars has a higher cost.


What's the best planetary mixer?

How to choose the best planetary mixer can be difficult, before examining the factors to evaluate at the time of purchase we believe it's useful to make an overview of the pros and consof this appliance, to help realize if it really is the tool you need, following the pros and cons of the planetary mixer.
The best mixers are the professional ones but in this section you can also find different planetary mixers for home.

Let's start with the main advantages of the planetary mixer:

  • Efficiency: the motor power and the rotary movement of the mechanical arm allow to work the ingredients much more quickly and efficiently than other kneading machines or handmade dough, and in higher quantities;
  • Versatility: in addition to working sweet and savory dough, the planetary mixer can also have cooking and food preparation functions (depending on the accessories provided);
  • Easy cleaning: the elements of the planetary mixer can be removed and washed in the dishwasher, and the planetary movement aloows the whisks to reach every corner of the bowl, thus preventing the dough from sticking to the walls. It also does not dirty the kitchen countertop;
  • Space: all the utensils needed to prepare a dough are contained inside the bowl,  so it's not necessary to have a very large worktop.

Among the most obvious disadvantages:

  • Footprint: we have just said that the planetary mixer helps to save space on the work surface, however it can be particularly bulky when you don't have much space available;
  • Cost: you need to invest several hundred euros to make sure you get a model with high performance, advanced features and many supplied accessories.
  • Usability, using the planetary mixer, especially for those who are at first attempts, may not be so immediate. You need a bit of practice before you can make the most of it.

Spiral mixer or Planetary mixer?

There are different types of mixers on the market but the most common also at home is the planetary mixer. The planetary mixer is usually larger in sizes than classic Fimar mixers, easy to use but with higher cost. It takes its name from the type of movement carried out by the mechanical arm: like a planet it performs a double rotation movement on itself and at the same time around a point (which, in case of the mixer, is the center of the bowl). This type of movement allows to mix in a uniform way all the dough, even in contact with the walls.
The versatility of this machine is due to the presence of one or more interchangeable pieces that are mounted at the end of the mechanical arm of the planetary mixer that, thanks to these, can make different types of dough. These components are called whips and hooks, there are four types and can already be supplied to the model, or can be separately purchased.

Here are the four types of hooks and whips existing:

  • K Whip, also known as leaf whip, is the basic component for kneading and is the corresponding mechanic of the manual dough or wooden spoon, since its task is to perfectly mix the ingredients. It's suitable for the processing of soft doug, such as cakes, light and soft preparations and, more generally, for the emulsion of more consistent and full-bodied ingredients, such as eggs and flour.
  • Gummed whisk, rarer to find in the basic kit of planetary mixers, this accessory is necessary to amalgamate delicate compunds and can then be used to incorporate egg whites or whipped cream into a cake dough.
  • Wire whip, takes its name from the steel wires that make it up and is ideal for whipping, or rather inflate air, a compound. It's in fact suitable for light, liquid or foamy dough such as eggs beaten with sugar, whipped cream, meringue and for all those mixtures where the processing effort is not high, but at the same time is very long.
  • Kneader hook, also called hook whip. It's used to work leavened, hard dough and, more generally, all those compounds that require a certain energy to be processed. Thanks to its special shape and the rotary movement of the mixer, this whisk can knead with strength and continuously, making it perfect for working the dough of bread, egg pasta dough or pizza dough..

What to know before buying a professional planetary mixer?

Are you thinking of buying a professional planetary mixer but do not know where to start?
Do you have doubts about which planetary machine to choose and what features to dwell on?
The first thing to do is ask yourself a few simple questions: what do you cook the most? What would you like to try to make with the planetary mixer? How many people do you usually cook for? Answering all those questions will make it easier to understand what you actually need.


What characteristics must the best planetary mixer have?

Here are the main features you need to take into account to make sure you buy the best planetary mixer according to your needs.

  • Planetary watt; the best planetary mixers have a power in watts that starts from 500w up to 1700w of the most advanced models. The power must be such as to ensure energetic work, so the advice is to choose models of at least 300w.
  • Best planetary mixer capacity; for everyday work, about 2 liters of capacity should be sufficient, even if the standard of a planetary mixer is 4 or even 6 liters.
  • Dimensions and weight; the sizes of the planetary mixers are many and all different. In general, it's important to take into account the free space around the machine, which is essential to be able to comfortably work and to support the necessary ingredients and a possible recipe book. The weight is between 4 and 6 kg, the planetary mixer must be stable to avoid tremors or accidental falls while working.
  • Speed; the best planetary mixers offer different speeds (usually from 3 to 12 different options), however you need mainly three (slow, medium and fast).
  • Accessories; among the main accessories to be evaluated when choosing there are definitely the whips, the best planetary mixers are equipped with three to four different whisks, including the hook for kneading; also fundamental is the anti-splash lid to avoid spreading dough everywhere and to put your hands when in action.
  • Easy cleaning; the best planetary mixer always has a steel bowl, easier to clean and more suitable for processing ingredients at different temperatures. Always look for planetary mixers with dishwashers compatible accessories for added convenience.

What can be done with the planetary mixer?

The planetary mixer is versatile, robust and powerful. Thanks to the different accessories supplied you can blend, whip, mix and knead any ingredient.
There are different types of kneaders, ideal for making dough for pizzas, stuffed buns, pies and sweet cakes.
But how to use the planetary mixer? Quick and easy: choose your sweet or salty recipe, mix the ingredients in the appropriate container and let it work.


How much does a planetary mixer consume?

Contrary to what it may seem, the energy consumption of a mixer and its power are not necessarily correlated, although they are both expressed in Watts.
In fact, the actual consumption (ie the electricity absorbed) should be indicated in Watt/hour in connection with the frequency and duration of use. In short, unless you bake large leavened products that notoriously require very long processing times like panettone, the actual consumption will be very low. The powerful motor is not measured in terms of speed but of strength, in a nutshell if you are looking for a planetary mixer of medium quality will suffice 600-700W, but if you are looking for a better one you must climb above 1000W, better if around 1500W.
The bowl capacity varies from model to model. If yours is a small family and you are not used to having guests around the house, a bowl of 2-2.5 lt will be enough,  if you have a large family you will need a larger bowl of at least 4-5 lt.


Why buy a planetary mixer?

Ristosubito planetary mixers for sale are at the best quality/price ratio, all equipped with CE mark. The advantages of buying a planetary mixer are related above all to the reduction of the fatigue of the dough by hand, you will no longer need a mixer or whisk by hand, you will not have to take the spoon to mix.
Professional planetary mixers help in the preparation of different recipes by facilitating processing and reducing the time. In short, professional planetary mixers guarantee less effort and time, more recipes, more functions.
They also decrease the timing of preparations, the planetary works independetly, so while it's mixing you can dedicate your time to other tasks.


Planetary mixer for desserts: which is the best?

The use of planetary mixers is often compared to the world of pastry.
It's in fact ideal for whipping cream, kneading shortcrust pastry and allows you to get a perfect sponge cake.
The planetary mixer for desserts is very popular among all cooking enthusiasts, especially among desserts lovers. Are you looking for a planetary mixer for pastry?
Ristosubito has what you're looking for, browse the complete catalogue online and choose from the comfort of your home.


How much does a professional planetary mixer cost?

Do you often wonder how much a good planetary mixer should cost?
Of course planetary mixers prices vary depending on the model, but let's say that  for a good planetary mixer on average the expense is aroud 500 euros up to even more than 1000 euro for more professional and performing models.
On Ristosubito the planetary mixer prices start from € 277,00 + VAT.
The costs for a planetary mixer are quite high but compared with the potential are nothing, to consider that the planetary mixer price for domestic use is more accesible than industrial models.