Indian Mixie - Mixer Grinder


Indian 'Mixie' Mixer Grinder This type of machine is very popular in India and Sri Lanka. It is similar to an American blender, but better adapted to mixing and grinding rather than making smoothies. It can handle both dry and wet grinding. A number of models are available in North America priced from about 2020 US $120 to $180. The same model will vary in price depending on how many jars it comes with and if one is an extractor or juicer. The photo specimen cost 2020 US $139.99 from Amazon.

The unit it the photo is a 750 Watt model. Most Mixies are 500 or 550 Watt. I don't know how they compare, but I'd go for the 750. The one in the photo seems not available on-line right now (2023) but there is an EconoHome 750 Watt available at $159.

Some blenders have much more powerful motors, but they cannot do many jobs a Mixie can do. The difference is in the geometry. A blender jar narrows down to a very small blade. This works fine for very liquid recipes, like smoothies, but with more solid recipes, it just spins. The Mixie jars are wide at the bottom with blades the width of the jar, so the tip velocity is very high.

The Mixie in the photo, using the large jar, was able to grind 6 cups of soaked rice into a very fine Idli batter in two batches, and just a couple minutes each. The same job with a blender took more batches, and more than 20 minutes, with lots of stopping to scrape down the rice. The finished batter wasn't anywhere near as smooth.

More on Kitchen Gear.

A Mixie is the machine most households in South Asia use to grind batter for Idlis and Dosas. The Wet Grinder is used in situations where more volume is needed, or for people very fussy about their batter.

The small jar is fantastic for grinding Masalas, Spices, and Chutneys. It can handle spice mixes that include some oil, something a spice grinder can't do, and nor can a blender. This machine is superb for many of the ethnic cuisines I work with, including cultures that don't have Mixies. It is fabulous for making Thai Curry Pastes - but some things will still need the big Granite Mortar.

Hint:

  when working with something that will end up with a lot of liquid, first grind the solids with the minimum amount of the liquid. When it's smooth, add the rest of the liquid and give it a second or two.

Can a Mixie compete with a Blender for making smoothies? I don't usually make smoothies, but for testing I made a few in the Mixie, and it worked fine. Real smoothie junkies say the only blender worth bothering with is the Vitamix, which starts at about 2021 US $350 for the "entry level" unit. I can't compare in detail because I don't, and won't, own a Vitamix. In any case, my blender (Osterizer) has been assigned to storage and will probably be given to charity.
ke_mixiez 201104   -   www.clovegarden.com ©Andrew Grygus - agryg@clovegaden.com
Photos on this page not otherwise credited are © cg1 - Linking to and non-commercial use of this page permitted