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Many are familiar with the whisk. The classic type has a bulbous shape and consists of curved stainless steel wires that bend into loops and then come together into a long handle. Also called a whip, a whisk is standard equipment in most kitchens. Despite how common and familiar the wire whisk is, however, most cooks do not realize that there are several different types of them. In this article, you can learn about all the different types of whisks and find out which whisks you need for your kitchen.
Uses: The wires of a whisk help beat air into liquid ingredients such as eggs or cream or are used to stir sauces or salad dressings. A whisk, like the one in the picture below, of course, has many uses as a general stirring tool.
You’ve probably seen whisks in slightly different shapes and simply thought that these were manufacturing varieties. In reality, however, the shapes do make a bit of a difference in the suitability of the different types of whisks for different tasks. The three basic types of whisks are the balloon whisk, the French whisk, and the flat whisk.
Avoid whisks that don’t have comfortable handles such as whisks with a wrapped-wire handles. Choose one with a heavy-duty plastic, stainless steel, or soft-grip handle.
Balloon Whisk
The balloon whisk has thin wires that form a wide rounded balloon or bulb shape on the business end. These whisks are best suited for beating a large amount of air into egg whites, heavy cream, or other thin liquids.
Recommendation: OXO Good Grips 11-Inch Balloon Whisk
Since the wires are flexible and the shape is bulbous, the balloon whisk is not well-suited for stirring sauces or heavy batters. The large bulbous end can be too large for small jobs. Most cooks have thinner versions of balloon whisks, or “skinny balloons”, in their kitchen.
French Whisk or “Whip”
The French whisk, also called a straight whisk, has thicker wires that form a much less bulbous shape than the balloon whisk. The wires are straighter and stiffer, and there may be less of them than a bulbous balloon whisk. This is the primary difference between the French whisk and a more familiar thin balloon whisk.
See the
- Stainless steel construction
- Measures 12 in length
- Ideal for mixing eggs; sauces and batter
- Heavy gauge wire loops
- Dishwasher-safe
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A French whisk is good for stirring and smoothing sauces. They can also be used for stirring heavy batters. They will not beat air into egg whites or cream as quickly as a balloon whisk, requiring more work. French whisks come in a variety of lengths.
Flat Whisk
The flat whisk, as the name implies, has wires that are arranged in a flat shape. Usually, the wires also have a slight lateral curve so that the arrangement is somewhat like a spoon shape. This whisk is also called a roux whisk.
Recommendation: OXO Good Grips Better Flat Wire Whisk
If you’ve ever made a simple bechamel with a rounded whisk, you will understand the usefulness of this flat shape. After the flour, or “roux”, is cooked to the proper degree, you must whisk in the liquid very quickly to form a smooth sauce.
If your pan has typical straight sides and only slightly rounded corners, you will have a hard time scraping any flour from the corners of the pan with a rounded whisk.
A flat whisk makes this job easier. At the same time, the flat shape can allow you to scrape the bottoms of the pan for deglazing or removing stuck-on mixtures.
Other Whisks
There are other types of whisks that fall in between the above designs. Sometimes called “standard whisks” are whisks that are similar to a traditional French whisk but with thinner wires.
There are also spring coil whisks, alongside various other iterations. There have been plastic whisks for many years now. Whisks made of silicone have also become common.
Ball whisks are whisks with straight wires that simply terminate and do not curve back into the handle. At the end of each wire is a little ball.
There are also balloon whisks with aerator balls inside them. These are similar to any balloon whisk, except trapped within the coiled wires is a wire ball with a solid ball inside it, which is supposed to help incorporate air faster.
Which Whisks Should I Buy?
With so many whisk varieties on the market, it can be difficult to choose which ones to buy. For most cooks, two basic whisks should suffice.
The main type of whisk that most cooks will want to own is a basic balloon whisk. Once again, I turn to OXO Good Grips because their products are consistently high quality and comfortable to use. The Oxo Good Grips 11-inch balloon whisk is a good choice for what most cooks need, which is something to beat small amounts of egg whites, cream or just eggs.
If you have a stand mixer, such as the ever-popular KitchenAid, it will likely have a whisk attachment for large-volume whipping jobs. Even so, you will probably want to have a balloon whisk for quickly whipping smaller amounts of egg whites or cream, or just for tasks like beating eggs.
A balloon whisk may also be useful for finishing the whipping job after using a mixer (it is often possible to take off the whip attachment and use it by hand to finish the job). In addition to the Oxo Good Grips, I use the KitchenAid balloon whisk, shown below, and I couldn’t be happier with the quality and comfort.
- THE ULTIMATE WHISK: great for beating eggs, whipping meringue, blending batters, or keeping the lumps out of your sauces and gravies
- STRONG AND DURABLE: head is constructed of stainless steel wires
- ERGONOMIC DESIGN: well-balanced handle ensures maximum comfort and smooth operation
- DISHWASHER SAFE: for easy cleanup
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
Choose the balloon whisk that is the right size and shape for you, but avoid models with too few wires. Look for whisks with at least ten wires.
Also, consider the shape and comfort of the handle. Some whisks have very thin handles made of wrapped wire. A beefier, round handle, made of metal or perhaps silicone, may be best.
- Four polished stainless steel wires and flat shape are great for deglazing pans
- Innovative handle shape and soft non-slip grip absorb pressure
- 10 inches for a long reach
- Dishwasher Safe
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.
For making emulsified pan sauces, gravies, béchamel, pastry creams, etc., a flat whisk will be best. Make sure your flat whisk does not have wires that are too thin and flexible. Again, the Oxo Good Grips Flat Whisk is a good choice. It has an insulated handle for the heat and a long enough reach to use while cooking
Since you will be using this whisk over heat, make sure it is nice and long to avoid burning your hand while whisking.