Now, there are two ways to cut butter into a flour mixture: You can do it bit by bit with two knives, or you can do it efficiently with a pastry blender.
I can say from experience that cutting butter into flour using two knives is a pain. It's a slow and painstaking process, and it was always my least favorite part of making biscuits. The pastry blender cuts my work down quite a bit! It's one kitchen tool I use all the time.
What Does it Mean to "Cut" Butter Into a Flour Mixture, and What's the Point?
Let's talk about butter for a minute. Until it melts, it's a solid. Now let's say you need to mix it up with some flour or sugar. But how do you mix a solid stick of butter into a flour mixture?You could melt the butter, but unless the recipe tells you to do that, it's a bad idea. Little crumbs of butter or fat are what help give pastries a delicate, flaky texture. The only way to achieve this is by cutting up the fat into little pieces. You can do this with two knives, or you can make short work of it by using a pastry blender.
A pastry blender is a device that has a handle-grip and parallel prongs or blades to help cut up the butter. Just dump the stick of butter into the flour mixture and start mashing it with the pastry blender.
What to Look For in a Pastry Blender
A pastry blender should feel good in your hand, and it should also feel solid. As simple as this tool is, some manufacturers have managed to botch up the design. Maybe the handle falls apart, or the screws keep coming loose while you're using it. Maybe the metal bars get all bent out of shape after you mash one stick of butter. A cheap but defective kitchen tool will cost more in the long run, since you'll end up replacing it.If you buy a pastry blender online, it's a good idea to see if anyone has left reviews. If you see a lot of good reviews, chances are you'll be pleased with it.
Although price isn't the only indicator of quality, it's generally true that you get what you pay for. You can expect to pay anywhere between 8 to 12 bucks for a decent pastry blender. Some of the really high end ones can cost nearly $20!
Best Manufacturers Pastry Pro Dough Blender 6-inch with Blue Handle
Best Manufacturers Pastry Pro Dough Blender 6-inch with Blue Handle
Amazon Price: $21.95 (as of 01/07/2010)
This ergonomic pastry dough blender is pricey at $17.95, but it's sturdy and effective. Two people left glowing reviews. Here's an example:
The name fits, this is the Best Pastry Blender. It's like a small potato masher, with the strength that suggests. We had two previous pastry blenders that tended to bend and twist. One use of this little brute and the others went to Goodwill, and good riddance.
Blades or Wires?
The blades tend to be more solid and cut through cold butter more easily. Many people find the wire pastry blenders too flexible and difficult to use. The one possible advantage that the wire cutters have is that they are slightly easier to clean.
Go for the blade pastry cutter. It makes life easier.
Do you use a pastry blender?
OXO Good Grips Dough Blender with Blades
Oxo Good Grips Dough Blender with Blades
Amazon Price: $11.95 (as of 01/07/2010)
OXO is one of those kitchen brands that tends to be commonplace in stores like Target. However, most of the tools seem pretty decent. Here's a positive review from someone who bought this pastry blender:
This product works exactly as advertised. After using knives/forks to cut in butter, I finally got frustrated and bought this -- what a difference. It cuts my work time in half and does a much better job than how I used to do it. Highly recommended!
- Stu
Homemade Biscuits
How to Make Homemade Biscuits
Visit my blog at http://www.overthekitchencounter.com for more tips and videos on cooking and crafts! You don't need to eat biscuits that burst out of a can! Try my simple and quick recipe for delicious homemade biscuits!
Runtime: 314
31867 views
58 Comments:
curated content from YouTube
OXO Good Grips Dough Blender
Oxo Good Grips Dough Blender
Amazon Price: $7.99 (as of 01/07/2010)
This OXO pastry blender is like the one above, except it has wires instead of blades. Although most people who bought this blender left positive reviews, one reviewer mentioned this:
There are a couple of down-sides, however. First, the wire blades are flexible enough that sometimes large chunks of butter push them aside instead of getting sliced up by them. Second, the handle on ours actually cracked through, and the wire blades have gotten deformed slightly so they're no longer evenly-spaced.
Sign the Guestbook
Do much baking or cooking yourself? What kitchen tool do you love the most?
