Smeg HMF01 hand mixer review

What were our first impressions of the Smeg HMF01 hand mixer?

This retro-styled hand mixer has a pleasingly curvy design and comes in six colours from muted white or cream, to pastel green, pastel blue or striking black or red for a bolder look. Our first impressions are that the attachments are very sturdy and we were pleased to see fully recyclable cardboard packaging. It even comes with a cotton bag to neatly store the attachments so they don’t get lost in your cupboards.

The handle features a comfortable rubber grip on the underside, and we love the easy-to-use trigger switch to eject the attachments. The three buttons on the handle include an on/off button as well as buttons to decrease and increase the speed, but we’re concerned that dirt and grime could build up around the edges of these buttons over time.

When it’s switched on, a backlit display magically appears in the silver handle to show the current speed level. Furthermore, there’s a timer that displays the amount of time you’ve been mixing for, perfect for meticulous bakers who want to mix for a precise length of time.

How is the Smeg HMF01 hand mixer to use?

Despite its bulky size, the Smeg hand mixer feels light in use and comfortable to hold. The nine speed levels offer a great degree of control, no matter what you’re mixing. The trigger switch is such a great way of ejecting the attachments that we wish more mixers would ditch the standard button and opt for a trigger. All removable parts can go in the dishwasher for easy cleaning.

The sturdy dough hooks bring the heavy bread dough together with ease. We enjoyed having the choice between the wire whisks and what Smeg calls Optimus whisks, which are a more heavy-duty beater. The wire whisks are excellent for egg whites and were very fast to whip cream. We used the Optimus whisks for buttercream which worked well.

Our verdict

The Smeg is very expensive, but the comfort in use, coupled with the sturdy design and excellent performance mean that if you’ve got the budget for it, you’ll be rewarded with a great mixer.

Available from: Currys (£149)

Smeg HMF01 hand mixer specifications

Attachments: two wire whisks, two Optimus whisks and two dough hooks
Eject button: trigger
Speeds: nine, plus turbo
Weight: 960g
Size: 22 x 8 x 18cm
Wattage: 250W
Dishwasher-safe parts: yes

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