Andrew James Professional Hand Mixer in Red, 300 Watts Electric Mixer, Includes Beaters, Dough Hooks and Balloon Whisk, 5 Speed with Turbo Button

17/11/14 I've done this great little mixer a disservice. In my last update I mentioned the sign of a little rust. On closer inspection it's not actually rust but simply the metal wearinging away ever so slightly from the friction between the beaters and my bowl. To be fair though my mixer is probably put through its paces more than the average. So all good.01/09/14 thought I'd add a little update since its almost a couple of years since I posted the original review. the motor is still as strong ever. The only notable downside is that the beaters seems to be going ever so slightly rusty. Not enough to prevent me from using but something I will have to keep an eye on.I have held off reviewing this product to give it time to break which is what has happened to the last two hand mixers I bought this year. After the beater on my 40 year old Kenwood hand mixer finally snapped on a particular tough batch of royal icing I urgently needed a replacement so bought a cheap one for £4.99 from Curries. Waste of time - the motor failed after one use so returned it and spent nearly £30 on a new Kenwood. Money well spent I thought but the beater snapped on a batch of victoria sponge mix after 3 or 4 uses.So this time I researched and read all the reviews. This was the only mixer that consistently had 4 star+ reviews. So I settled for this one and hoped for the best whilst fully expecting it to fall apart having resigned myself to the old adage "they don't make them like they used to".Well I've had it now for about 3 months and so far so good. But I am cautiously optimistic. So here goes on the plus pointsColour - love itShape - easy to hold and the controls are well placed for turning on and off (can't the same about the Kenwood)Power - Really powerful but the lowest setting is also really low (the kenwood was impossible to control and flour would go everywhere) so you have great control. It doesn't overheat when you use it for a long time.Size - the beaters are long so really good for doing large quantities - I regularly make batches of butter cream using more than 1 kg of icing sugar and its no problem at all.Efficacy - Very effective as a beater - does what you expect. I would describe myself as a heavy user making large quantities and frequentlyDough Hook and baloon whisk - haven't used them.Value for money - excellent and as good as I might expect of any mixer not just a cheap one.Negative PointsAs other reviewers have pointed out you must put the right beater in the right hole. Hardly a down side but definitely worth knowing.that,s itthe only thing I would add is that I feel disillusioned with the current quality of Kenwood and as i am now looking to replace my 25 year old Kenwood Cuisine Food processor because I cannot get a replacement grater blade shaft (annoying because its works perfectly) I am researching the Andrew James range so if their hand held mixer is anything to go by I am expecting good things.

After my previous hand mixer kicked the bucket (right in the middle of preparing 3 dozen cupcakes for a baby shower I was catering for), I bought a cheapy replacement as a quick fix, only to have that one die also after only a few uses! So, this time I decided to spend a little more than the usual £10-£15 on a hand mixer and see if it would be any better. I didn't want to break the bank but wanted something good and reliable as I use it a lot. After seeing the reviews on this one, I decided to give it a try. I cook and bake a LOT so I needed one that was going to last and could handle thick mixtures (as some are rubbish with thick, dense mixes). I also don't have a lot of room in my kitchen so I wanted something small enough to store in my kitchen cupboard. After using this hand mixer I can confirm that it is a lot more heavy duty than your usual lighter and flimsier mixers. It's sturdy and a bit heavier but can get the job done well and you know it will last longer. I think it's good value for money as you get the extra attachments (i.e. dough hooks and whisk). I also love the colour of it (nicer than your usual boring white or black). It arrived quickly and in excellent condition. I would definitely recommend this mixer and this seller.

Having had a Kenwood kmix for several years, when the beaters broke before the mixer itself, I wanted something of equal power but not price.This is almost perfect.Its not heavy. It doesn't whisk everything out of the bowl on a slow speed, like some reviews I have seen. Obviously if your last model was a cheap supermarket 100w version, its going to be faster than you expect. You will adapt. It starts off pretty slowly, but gets faster which is the whole point of having 5 speeds. It whisks cake mixes well which is what I have used it for so far.It doesn't come with a stand or a special box as someone pointed out. But it does come in the item box so its no hardship to keep it in there on a shelf.The only reasons I haven't loved it:The instruction booklet goes to great lengths to tell you to make sure you put the attachments in the correct holes and to see the mixer itself. Which shows a picture of the dough hooks next to each hole. Nowhere does it say where the whisk attachment goes. Which isn't a big thing as I likely won't use it.And finally, its not a heavy mixer by any means. But it could have been redesigned a little better. It stands perfectly on the back so doesn't wobble over. But with the position of the beaters, in certain mixing bowls you end up having to hold it up at a slightly different angle to what I am used to, to keep it out of the bowl and that can make your arm ache.It wouldn't be enough to not recommend it though :)

I have had this machine for about 4 weeks now. It's a long time since I had a hand held mixer, I have a Kenwood which I use for bread. However, due to the Great British Bake Off, I had a yen to get one again, and as all my small appliances are red, I sent for the red one. Delivery was delayed but this firm's customer service was onto it straight away, and they do a nice line in emails!The machine itself is excellent, much quieter than I expected, and the beaters make a meringue in no time at all. I noticed the difference in texture in my cakes from day 1. I would agree that the dough hooks are not really much cop. I did try a small brioche dough and gave up. I haven't used the whisk either, but then the beaters are so good I don't need to. I haven't had any trouble fitting or ejecting the beaters, it's easy to see which one goes where. Is there a drawback? Well only one, it's so easy to use, the supply of cakes has increased, and you have to eat them, don,t you?I have since used the whisk attatchment for a yorkshire pudding and it worked well.