The 10 Best Whisks for Everyday Whipping Tasks

If you make pan sauces, whip your cream by hand or just like to do eggs in the morning, then the whisk is the essential kitchen tool. Although there are a number of different types of whisks; between them, a balloon whisk, a flat whisk and a French whisk will do the majority of everyday whipping tasks.

Things to Consider Before Buying A Whisk

The whisk, or whip, is a key tool in most kitchens, able to undertake a variety of tasks. The whisk itself just has two main functions. The first is to blend wet and/or dry ingredients together and the second is to add air into a mix.

When choosing any type of whisk, look for one made from stainless steel to make it more resistant to rust. Whisk handles are often stainless steel, but some may be coated with silicone or other materials to make them non-slip and this can be a real benefit when whipping greasier liquids.

Unless they have been designed balanced, avoid whisks that have a longer or heavier handle as this can mean that the whisk will flip out of the bowl if you need to rest it against the side of the bowl or pan for a moment.

The design of some whisks means that food and liquid can easily enter into the handle, so look for designs that are more sealed where the wires actually enter the handle.

Dishwasher safe whisks can save cleaning up time, but any whisk, whether it has been in the dishwasher or washed by hand should always be allowed to dry out thoroughly before being put away. Some whisks are better hung up to dry as this allows any water that has managed to enter the handle to drain away properly.

If you need a whisk for pan sauces, gravies or custards and you have non-stick pans, you will need a whisk with a silicone or nylon coating on its wires to prevent it from damaging the non-stick surface of the pan. These types of whisks can also be used safely in ceramic coated pans without damaging the ceramic surface, or indeed on any other type of cookware that is coated.

For metal pans that are not coated, then stainless steel whisks are fine to use.

Although there are a number of distinctive whisks, some of these, such as dough whisks are more specialist. The three main types of whisk are the balloon whisk, the flat whisk and the French whisk. If you have two or even all three of these in your kitchen, then you should be able to do whatever you need to do with minimal effort.

The Balloon Whisk

This is probably the most common all-purpose whisk. Sometimes called a piano whisk, the balloon whisk is made with thin wires shaped like a balloon at the whisking end.

Balloon whisks are best suited to jobs such as beating cream or eggs, or for stirring salad dressings and sauces, as the springier wires of the whisk allow more air to enter the mix when whisking.

The design of the balloon whisk means it is not as good for whisking heavier mixes or batters and there can be a risk of damaging the whisk if the mix is too heavy. The larger sized whisk also means a balloon whisk is less suited for smaller and more delicate tasks, although you can sometimes find a ‘skinny’ balloon whisk which is slimmer and better for small whisking jobs.

Balloon whisks are available in different sizes, so you can either buy the size to best suit your main mixing bowl and quantity of ingredients you regularly whisk, or a set of different sized whisks can be a more versatile option.

Even if you use your stand mixer for larger tasks, you should still keep a balloon whisk on standby as it is handy to finish whipping after you have used the stand mixer – reducing the chance of overmixing.

When choosing a balloon whisk, look for one that contains ten or more wires as fewer wires will be flimsier. The wires should also be on the stiffer/thicker side, so the whisk does not struggle with pancake batters and similar liquids. Most balloon whisks have solid handles and you may want to avoid those with wrapped wire handles as these tend to lack the durability of those with solid handles.

Look for a balloon whisk which is dishwasher safe for easier cleaning. Unfortunately, the design of balloon whisks makes them one of the most difficult whisks to clean. If you have been using it for beating eggs or other stickier or fatty foods, then place it in a bowl of hot water with a little dishwashing soap in and then stir or whisk it to remove the excess debris. You can then place the whisk in the dishwasher, or if washing it by hand, leave it to soak overnight in the hot water before washing it the following morning and allowing it to dry.

Occasionally, you may see a double balloon whisk which contains a wire ball, sometimes called an aerator ball, inside the balloon. This type of whisk best suits whipping egg whites, thin batters and creams as the wire ball supposedly allows even more air to enter a mix. Like the standard balloon whisk though, the design of the double balloon whisk makes it difficult to clean.

The Flat Whisk

Also known as a roux whisk, the wires of the flat whisk are arranged in a flattened shape, often with a curve to resemble a wire spoon. The flat whisk is ideal for making pan sauces, roux, gravies and custards as its shape makes it easy to scrape the bottom of the pan when whisking. A flat whisk can also double as a fish spatula for removing fish from liquid.

A flat whisk is much easier to clean than a balloon whisk because of the layout of its wires.

Flat whisks are best used with shallow pans to give the best angle when mixing and when choosing a flat whisk, look for one that will allow you to place the handle as low to the pan as you can. The flatter the whisk can sit in the pan; the more surface area it will be able to cover when whisking.

Flat whisks are also better with slightly longer handles as if you are using it in the pan, the longer handle helps reduce the risk of you catching your hand on the hot pan.

The French Whisk

Also known as a French whip, the French whisk is similar in design to a balloon whisk, but the ‘balloon’ is slimmer, or more elliptical, than the balloon whisk. The French whisk is also made with thicker/stiffer wires that end in a narrower shape to make it easier to remove lumps from pan angles or even to whisk liquids in smaller containers.

A French whisk is ideal for heavier batters and mixes, as well as sauces, custards, mayo’s, vinaigrettes and foods such as polenta. A French whisk is not as good as a balloon whisk for whipping egg whites or cream. It will still whip them, but it will take longer and need much more effort from you.

Like balloon whisks, French whisks are available in different sizes, so consider what size pans you may want to use it in and pick the length of the French whisk to suit.

Other Types of Whisk

Although the three types of whisk listed above are the most common and will usually be able to carry out the major whisking tasks, there are a few other types of whisks that you may come across and are more valuable for specific jobs.

The head of a spiral whisk is composed of one thick wire with another wire looping around it in tight coils and it sits at an angle to the handle. Ideal for pan sauces and gravies, the head of a spiral whisk is designed to always be in contact with the bottom of the pan – helping prevent a pan sauce, gravy or roux from burning. As this is usually much smaller than other types of whisks, it is also ideal to use in smaller containers in which you will struggle with a larger whisk.

A ball whisk is made with stiff wires that are capped with metal or silicone balls and the addition of these balls allow the whisk to easily add air to a mixture as well as break up eggs and other ingredients. The design also makes it easy to reach into all angles of the bowl or pan. A ball whisk is also quite easy to clean compared with a balloon whisk as the wires are all separate, rather than intertwined.

The coil whisk or spring whisk is a long handled whisk with a small and springy coil mounted at the bottom. This type of whisk can also used for manual milk frothing. The coil whisk works in the same way as a flat whisk and when you apply pressure to this whisk, it flattens out a little which makes it ideal for scraping ingredients from the bottom of a bowl or even the sides of the bowl.

If you are a baker then you probably already own a dough whisk, but if you are new to baking bread, then a dough whisk is a handy tool to invest in. Also called Danish dough whisks, these are contemporary looking flat whisks with an outer wire circle and an inner oval wire circle with a small loop. Dough whisks are ideal for doughs, batters, muffin, waffle and pancake mixes, as they can easily cut through doughs without overworking the ingredients.

Some less common whisks include the tornado whisk which is good for using in larger pans or stock pots and the conical whisk, which consists of wires shaped as a diamond – ideal for using as a spatula and clearing ingredients from corners.

Conclusion

Although most of us tend to use a balloon whisk for everyday tasks, as we have seen, it is not always the most suitable for mixing heavier liquids. Having another type of whisk, such as a flat or French whisk to hand will help guarantee you are always able to make what you need to make with minimal fuss.