Mixer attachment stops senseless spatula death

After a long break for the holidays, I returned to work Wednesday to an even longer list of things I'd intended to write about way back in 2007. In the spirit of living up to resolutions for at least the first week of the new year, I'll attempt to get some of those things published in the next few days.

SideSwipe Mixer Blade(Credit: SideSwipe)

The SideSwipe Mixer Blade is an accessory for stand mixers (which were being pushed hard by retailers over the gift-giving holidays and no doubt turned up under quite a few trees in December). It's a blade similar to the regular paddle that comes on a KitchenAid mixer, but it's got silicone "fins" that stick out from the main blade, so they can actually scrape the side of the mixing bowl while the mixer's in action.

Right now the $25 blades are available for just a handful of KitchenAid mixers, but the company plans to release versions for Kenwood, Cuisinart, and Viking mixers this year and next.

Given the flimsy nature of most of the silicone kitchen equipment I've seen, it's hard to imagine the SideSwipe Mixer Blade surviving anything thick like a cookie or bread dough. But for thinner, more liquid jobs, like brownie batter or icing, it seems a dream come true. When I think of all the spatulas that have been needlessly destroyed as I tried to scrape down a bowl with the mixer running, it seems such a pity that no one thought of this before.

(Via Apartment Therapy)