Egg Beaters

Egg beaters are of three varieties:

Simple wire whisks: spoon, balloon, or spiral-shaped; Dover beaters; Those having glass containers.

Whites of eggs may be beaten to a froth because of the texture of the white, which stretches and encloses air. Each style of beater produces a different texture.

The simple wire whisks make the airiest texture because they enclose the largest amount of air. They are therefore especially desirable for making meringues and angel or sponge cakes.

The Dover egg beater, which may also be used for whipping cream, and making mayonnaise dressing, is composed of wire blades attached to two small, cogged wheels. These cogs fit the cogs of a larger wheel turned by a handle. One revolution of the large wheel gives five revolutions of the small, and consequently five revolutions of the blades. This is known as the "wheel and axle" construction.

The Dover beater is especially good for all-round use, as it works very quickly, It gives a fine close texture because it is not lifted from the mixture while it is operating and therefore beats in less air than the other type.

The beaters provided with glass containers are of two varieties. One kind is very like the Dover beater, except that the whips are balloon-shaped wire ones; the other style, which is used for whipping cream, has a dasher which works up and down. The advantage of having a covered container is that the eggs or cream do not spatter; the receptacle also serves as a measuring glass.

The cogs of an egg beater should never be wet as wetting washes out the oil and makes the beater hard to work.