It’s amazing how many kitchen appliances can be found today. These tools will make your life easier. In India, mixer grinders, wet grinds, juicers, and blenders are essential kitchen tools.
There is still confusion about which functions each one performs and how they differ. Are you unsure which one is best for you? You don’t have to be confused; each product has a detailed description that will help determine which one is right for you.
A mixer grinder and a shopper can be confused when looking for kitchen appliances. Mixer grinders are used to blend, mix and blend spices, while wet grinders are used to make batter or paste from grains and lentils. A wet grinder is a wonderful kitchen appliance that grinds food to make a paste.
The mixer grinder is, however, relatively new. The mixer grinder can serve as both a mixer and a grinder. This category-wise breakdown of these products will help you decide which one is right for you.
What is a Wet Grinder?
Wet grinders are an Indian appliance traditionally used to grind lentils and rice, knead the dough, and even make chutneys. These are used primarily for making vada, dosa batter, and idli.
This is a fast and efficient way to grind food items that need to be processed slower to preserve the original taste and nutrition.
It does all this with minimal effort and noise.
Modern wet grinders are compact and sleek. They are also available in tabletop versions that are easy to use and maintain.
These machines look similar to the mixer grinder but have a stone crusher instead of a blade.
Let’s look at the wet grinder in comparison to a mixer grinder.
Continue reading!
The Advantages of a Wet Grinder
There are a few benefits to using a wet grinder over a mixer grinder.
- Stone grinders produce less heat than mixer grinders, which preserve the original taste and flavor.
- The batter will retain more heat, encouraging good bacteria growth. This makes your idlis healthier. If idli is among your favorite dishes, an idli maker can help you make it in the most perfect and quickest way possible.
- A wet grinder makes batter fluffier, and it ferments better.
- The batter you get from a wet grinder is durable and can be kept fresh for up to five days.
- The stones are sharper than the metal blades for a longer time.
What is a Mixer Grinder?
- It is the most common and basic cooking appliance in Indian kitchens.
- A mixer grinder is a kitchen tool that can be used to grind and mix food.
- You can use it to make purees and batters.
- Mixer grinders are great to grind spices, nuts, grains, and lentils at home.
- With some models, you can even make your own juice in a matter of minutes.
- You can also use a mixer grinder to make smoothies and milkshakes from fruits such as bananas.
What is a Table Top Wet Grinder?
- A table top grinder is a small appliance used to grind wet ingredients. You can place it on your kitchen shelf and will work like a mixer grinder.
- It is easy to clean/use/store.
- The drum is powered by an electric motor and rotates in a circular motion. You can grind your food items with the stone roller in the drum, which provides a smooth grinding experience.
- These machines often have a transparent lid that allows you to see inside the machine while it is grinding the ingredients or to puree them.
- Non-slip feet are included on the tabletop wet grinder to ensure stability and a more enjoyable grinding experience.
Difference between Mixer Grinder and Wet Grinder
There are two main differences between a mixer grinder and a wet grinder:
Grinding Component
- The stone roller is included with the wet grinder. You can choose from one or more types of metal blades for your mixer grinder.
Use
- A wet grinder can be used for wet grinding, such as to grind soaked grains like rice and urad daal in the batter. You can also make masala pastes.
- A mixer grinder can perform many functions, such as mixing and grinding dry and wet foodstuffs.
Material
- The wet grinder comprises granite stones, which rotate within a metal drum using an electric motor.
- Mixer grinders are made up of different types of blades, which rotate within the jars. An electrical motor can also drive them.
Functionality
- A wet grinder can be handy at grinding food by adding water to make batter or paste.
- In comparison, a mixer grinder can be used to mix, grind, chop, and extract fresh juices. The functionality will vary depending on how many jars and attachments are included.
Grinding Methodology
- The food grains are crushed in a wet grinder between the drum and stone.
- The moving blades are responsible for grinding food in a mixer grinder.
Versatility
- The newer models of wet grinds have an Atta Kneader Attachment and a Coconut Scraper Attachment.
- Mixer grinders, on the other hand, are versatile appliances that can make dry and wet food items.
Suitability
- You can use a wet grinder to make batter for soft idlis, fluffy vadas, or crispy dosas. Low batter temperatures can be achieved by moderate grinding with stone rollers.
- Mixer grinders can be used for dry grinding spices such as turmeric, cumin seeds, coriander, making batters and preparations for tadkas with onions, tomatoes, and chilies, creating chutneys, extracting juices, blending smoothies, and many other tasks.
Maintenance
- You don’t need to clean wet grinders immediately, unlike mixers. Instead, you can place them in water and continue grinding later, with no damage.
- Mixies’ jars and blades need to be cleaned immediately after use in order to increase their durability.
Auto cut-off
- Some wet grinders do not have an automatic cut-off function. If it does not, the motor will not stop when overloaded.
- Nearly all mixer grinders have an auto-cut-off feature. It feature prevents the appliance’s motor from running if the jars become too full.
Qualitative
- Because a stone grinder generates less heat than a mixer, the quality of grinding food into semi-liquid or liquid in a wet mill is superior. This preserves the original flavor.
- A mixer grinder produces food that is of excellent quality. The mixer grinder works at a high rate for wet grinding. Hence, the batter quality may be less than that of the wet grinder.
Prevalence
- Wet grinders are most commonly used in southern India because they are ideal for preparing ingredients in South Indian delicacies such as dosa, vada, and uttapam.
- Mixer grinders are common nearly throughout the country.
Comparative Analysis with Similar Appliances
Here’s the comparison between Juicers Vs. Food Processors Vs. Blenders:
Juicer
The juicer is a simple kitchen appliance that can be used to extract delicious juices from fruits and vegetables. It’s used to extract healthy and delicious juices from fruits or vegetables.
Juicers can extract all the juice from fruits and vegetables, giving you all the fiber, vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need without eating the entire fruit. A good juicer will remove the pulp from the fruit and still give you the full benefits.
There are many juicers on the market.
The centrifugal juicer spins products at high speed while simultaneously having flat cutting blades. It extracts the pulp from the juice, giving you a chunky juice. The centrifugal juicer can be stored easily and is very affordable. They are quiet, efficient, and easy to use.
The masticating juicer, which is more modern than the traditional juicer, is a modern alternative to it. It is faster than the centrifugal juicer because it has one gear and a mesh. It uses metal blades to crush the produce and extract strong enzymes.
Also, it juices twice as many times to ensure that the juice is full of essential nutrients.
Masticating juicers can be a good choice for those looking for a high yield and high nutritional value. Twin gear juicers are also known as dual-gear juicers. They have two augers that crush and grind the vegetable or fruit juice.
Although they are more costly than other juicers because they prevent the juice from oxidizing and preserve enzymes, they are still very affordable.
Blender
Blenders are kitchen appliances that can be used to blend, smash, purée, or emulsify vegetables, fruit, and other ingredients. Blenders can also mix ingredients to make a smooth and palatable liquid.
They are great for mixing liquids due to their conical shape that directs everything towards the blades at the bottom. Also, the blenders’ blades and shape ensure food is well-processed and has a silky texture.
Blenders have various features that can be customized, such as a liquid container and a reservoir to allow for a smooth texture. Blenders are commonly used for making liquid-based recipes like smoothies and soups.
A blender is an excellent investment if you regularly consume liquids, and such items are a regular part of your diet.
Food Processor
A food processor can be used to cook almost any meal. Many attachments and blades can be used to customize the food processor according to your needs. It can cut, shred, and grind fruits and vegetables. It can blend ingredients, make the batter, and create dough.
Three types of chopping discs are available that can be used to cut produce into small, med-size, and large pieces. It can also shred vegetables and fruits.
Standard attachments come with a food processor, but you can purchase additional attachments for additional tasks.
One can purchase a variable egg whisk to whip, beat, and mix egg whites. You can also purchase a juicer and a dough blade. There are many other shredding and cutting disks. There are three sizes available: small, compact, and full. It’s a motorized multitasking application that can do multiple tasks.
FAQ
1. What is better: a mixer grinder or a wet grinder?
Mixer grinders are multifunctional kitchen appliances you can use in many ways, including mixing, grinding (both wet and dry), chopping, and juicing. It all depends on the type and number of jars and attachments it comes with.
On the other hand, a wet grinder is used to wet grind food grains such as rice, urad dal, etc. in the batter.
Wet grinders can be used to make batter for soft idlis, fluffy vadas, crispy dosas, and other items that require slow grinding speeds. Low batter temperatures can be achieved by using stone rollers for moderate grinding.
2. Is it worth purchasing a wet grinder or not?
Suppose you make South Indian dishes like idli, dosa, vada, etc. The wet grinder is worth investing in. Because batter made in a wet mill is fluffier, and it ferments better.
The stone grinder produces less heat than a mixer, allowing the food to retain its original flavor and taste.
Also, heat in the batter encourages good bacteria growth; this makes your idlis healthier.
3. What’s a wet grinder used for, and how do they work?
Wet grinding is a special use of a wet grinder. This can be used to grind wet food grains such as rice, urad dal, etc. The batter can be incorporated into it. You can also make masala pastes.
4. Can we make chutney in a wet grinder?
Yes, you can make delicious chutneys with a wet grinder.
5. Which dosa batter grinder is the best?
For making dosa batter, a wet grinder is better because the batter made in a wet grinder is fluffier and ferments better.
6. What’s the difference between a wet grinder and a mixer?
Wet grinding is a special use of a wet grinder. This can be used to grind wet food grains, such as rice, urad dal, etc., in the batter.
Also, you can use mixers to combine different foods.
Which one to choose?
Now that you better understand the differences between wet and mixer grinders, it is time to choose which one for your kitchen. If you’re still unsure, you can decide if your grinder will perform different functions or create a smooth batter.
A mixer grinder can also make a smooth batter. If you have a large family or you need it for commercial purposes, you can choose the wet grinder. A mixer grinder is suitable for smaller families. A mixer grinder is also easy to use and maintain.
