Start low to build small bubbles, then raise it. A stepless control makes that a choice; a five-step dial makes it two settings, and both are on this site.
The principle
Slow first. Small bubbles beaten early make a stable foam. Starting fast makes large bubbles that collapse.
Faster to finish, once the whites have gone opaque.
What each machine gives you
Krups 3Mix 9000 — stepless, plus turbo and pulse. The finest control in the hand mixer family.
Emerio — six speeds plus turbo, on 250 W.
Philips, Clatronic — five speeds plus turbo, at 450 and 400 W.
Kenwood — stepless, on a stand mixer.
Why watts barely matter
Air is not a load. Emerio at 250 W whisks whites as well as Krups at 750 W does; the difference between those two machines shows up in stiff dough, not in a foam.
That is worth knowing before paying for power you will not use.
The bowl
Deep rather than wide, so the whisks stay in the mixture. Emerio publishes extra-long stainless beaters stated to reach the bottom of deep bowls — the only length claim in the family.
The whisk on a stick blender
Three of the four here supply one — WMF, NWOUIIAY and Philips — as an attachment on the motor unit. It works, in a beaker, for small quantities.
What this page does not settle
How stiff is stiff, and what to do next. That belongs to the recipe.
What readers want to know
Does wattage matter here?
Very little. Whisking is a low-load job — the 250 W Emerio and the 750 W Krups both do it. Wattage matters for dough, not for air.
Last reviewed 23 August 2026