Avoid Hand Mixer Splatter With One Genius Hack

Stand mixers are nice to have in the kitchen, but not everyone's got the counter space, not to mention the budget, to accommodate one. They're also not the right tool for every mixing job. Hand mixers, on the other hand, cost hundreds of dollars less than the cheapest stand mixer, can be easily stored in a drawer or cabinet, and are super agile for even the smallest volume recipes. Hand mixers have one major drawback, however: They can make a big mess. The problem is that you have to have the top of the bowl open, of course, to get the mixer inside. But without a lid, there's nothing to stop the stuff from flying out all over the counter, your hands, and the mixer itself. Naturally, the internet has solved this problem though — all you need is a paper plate.

If you tend to avoid using a hand mixer for fear of messing up your countertops, try punching two holes into a paper plate and sticking the beaters through it. The plate will hover over the bowl as a temporary lid, so when you rev up the machine to upgrade a boxed cake mix or fluff up a batch of whipped cream, more of the sticky stuff will stay in the bowl, and you'll also keep your hands clean.

If you've ever used a hand mixer, you know that it's almost impossible to keep the ingredients in the bowl from splashing everywhere. Hand mixers have beaters that are cylindrical, which whip everything out and up the sides of the bowl. Not only that, hand mixers have a smaller range of speed than stand mixers, which means you have less control. To keep things contained, grab a paper plate and poke the attachment end of the beaters all the way through, as Lora McLaughlin demonstrates on TikTok.

Pro tip: It's a little bit easier to get the plate aligned if you measure the distance between the two holes for the attachments on the machine before punching the holes. If there's too little or too much space between the two beaters, when you turn the machine on the plate will wobble around and defeat the purpose of the hack.

When using the paper plate hand mixer hack, make sure the holes aren't too big. You want the plate to stay somewhere between the mixer base and the bowl of ingredients so you can see what's going on as you're mixing. It also helps if the plate is larger than the bowl. Now all you have to do is turn the machine on and mix away, making sure to turn the bowl rather than the mixer itself to save yourself from an aching wrist, and to get everything incorporated. 

When you're done, cleanup is as easy as tossing the paper plate in the trash, or, if it's uncoated (not shiny) you can rinse it off and add it to your compost or recycling — just be sure to check your local recycling guidelines. If you keep a pack of paper plates handy, you'll always have one ready for making your favorite sweet treats, mess-free.