A Stand Mixer That Prizes Good Design

Smeg Mixer
PHOTO: SMEG

Product Reviewed:
SMEG Stand Mixer

As a chef, I put a lot of value in the efficiency of the performance in any kitchen tool. Knives should be sharp and have a good grip, food processors should assemble and detach with ease, and pots and pans should heat with an even distribution.

That’s why the SMEG Stand Mixer gets high marks from me. Not only does it work beautifully, but its sleek design makes you want to display it on your counter for all to see.To test it out, I decided to do something I don’t normally do: bake! Typically, I have no patience for creaming butter and whipping eggs, but this mixer made it a very stress-free experience. The mixture in the Lemon-Ricotta Biscuits came together very quickly, despite several steps of add-ins to develop the dough. And, since I was on a roll, I figured I would make homemade lemon curd too!

Each part of the SMEG mixer washed quickly. There were no grooves or crevices that hid food particles. (The parts are also dishwasher-safe, which is just another way SMEG designed it with the busy cook in mind.)

If you are used to a mixer with a side-lever for lifting the motor head, you may have to retrain yourself to get used to the back-button release. I feel like this mechanism actually makes more sense, since the only lever on the motor head is the one that controls speed. Instead of using the lock-lever mechanism to hold the motor head in place, this SMEG mixer automatically locks into place until the release is pushed again.

The only real design flaw I noted was with the pouring shield. If you are using any attachment (especially the whip) with the pouring shield, you must remove the shield in order to remove the attachment. This might seem like an obvious step, but if you are switching attachments (say from a whip to a beater), this just adds an extra step. But after getting used to these minor changes, the SMEG Stand Mixer has more positives than negatives.

Ricotta Lemon Biscuits with Almonds

Recipe by Zachari Breeding, RDN, LDN

Ingredients

  • 2 cups flour (I used oat flour and all-purpose)
  • ½ teaspoon baking powder
  • ½ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon salt
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • ½ cup unsalted butter, room temperature
  • 2 tablespoons lemon zest, minced or grated
  • 1 cup whole-milk ricotta cheese
  • 1 egg, large
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • ½ teaspoon almond extract
  • ⅓ cup sliced almonds

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. Grease muffin tin with olive oil using a paper towel.
  3. Whisk flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a medium bowl to blend.
  4. Using an electric mixer (such as the SMEG Stand Mixer), beat sugar, butter and lemon zest in a large bowl until creamed and completely combined. Beat in the ricotta, followed by the egg, lemon juice and almond extract.
  5. Using the pouring shield, add dry ingredients and most of the almonds, mixing just until blended (the batter will be thick and fluffy).
  6. Divide batter among the prepared muffin cups. Sprinkle a few remaining almonds over top.
  7. Bake until pale golden on top, about 20 minutes. Cool slightly. Serve warm or at room temperature.
Zachari Breeding on FacebookZachari Breeding on InstagramZachari Breeding on LinkedinZachari Breeding on Twitter
Zachari Breeding
Zach Breeding, MS, RDN, LDN, FAND, is a Philadelphia-based registered dietitian nutritionist, professional chef and Clinical Nutrition Manager for The Sage: Nutritious Solutions. He is the author of The Slice Plan: An Integrative Approach to a Healthy Lifestyle and a Better You. Connect with Zach on his website, Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.