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BREVILLE HeatSoft VFM021 Hand Mixer review
Published: September 15, 2020 at 12:52 PM
4.5
A star rating of 4.5 out of 5.
Looking to invest in a good hand mixer for baking? Read our review of this hand-held machine with HeatSoft function by Breville
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Pros
- Warm air for lighter baking
- Storage box included
Cons
- Beaters get hot when using HeatSoft
Breville electric whisk summary
The Breville electric whisk with HeatSoft technology, though large, is surprisingly light to hold with a comfortable handle. The motor is small compared to some, but is extremely efficient and stood up well to all the tests, only struggling a little with the bread dough. HeatSoft is a neat addition to this mixer – it's a small heater located in the front that blows out warm air as you use the whisk, which helps soften butter, meaning there’s no wait to bake. This function alone may make it worth buying this whisk, but it also comes with a clever storage box to hold the whisk, cord and all the attachments.
What were your first impressions of the Breville electric whisk?
There’s very little to not like with the new Breville whisk, from the stylish grey-and-white body with the occasional touch of soft bronze, to the surprisingly light weight and open, smooth, comfortable handle.
The motor is relatively small for the size of the whisk at 230W, but apart from when mixing bread dough, it flies through other tests easily, with great results. There are seven speed settings on top of the handle. The slider that adjusts these moves a little too easily – if you don't pay attention, you could quickly turn up the speed without realising.
The standout feature of this whisk is the HeatSoft Technology, which essentially is a heater located below the handle at the front of the whisk that blows out warm air as it mixes. Breville claims this can soften butter 12 times faster, so there’s no waiting to bake. That means no more getting the butter out the fridge ahead of time.
How does the HeatSoft function work?
The blower switches on with the push of a bronze button on the handle, and is a little noisy, which we confused with the sound of the motor initially – it was a little surprising when there was still a whirring noise after we switched the whisk off. A few uses on, this becomes less of a problem.
Indiscriminate use of the HeatSoft can result in over-softening of the butter, which will result in flattened cakes and buns. It's therefore important to follow the instructions included with the machine, which suggest using the blower for just 2½ minutes maximum for 200g butter.
The blower does make a difference when whisking buttercream. In our test, we used super-cold butter straight from the fridge, and beat it with icing sugar while using the HeatSoft technology. It was light, fluffy and delightfully soft within a minute, without any need of further whisking. One warning to note: when ejecting the beaters after using the warm air, the beaters can get very hot to the touch.
Our verdict
The HeatSoft function of the Breville may make it worth buying this mixer. We also love the clever storage box that holds the whisk, cord and all the attachments, and clips neatly together. It means no more rooting around in drawers for beaters, whisks or dough hooks.
Breville electric whisk VFM021 specifications:
Attachments: twin beaters, whisk, and two dough hooks
Eject button: yes
Speeds: seven speed settings, plus boost button
Weight: 1.2 kg
Size: 21.6 x 8.5 x 18cm
Wattage: 270W
Dishwasher safe parts: attachments only, excluding filter cover
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This review was last updated in September 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.
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