BeaterBlade Mixer Attachment from New Metro Designs

My mother claims that the KitchenAid stand mixer she had for 30 years (which met an untimely death during a move cross-country) never got unmixed ingredients built up in the little indentation on the bottom of the bowl. But with every mixer I've used, I've often discovered, while scooping out the last bits of batter, chunks of unmixed butter or bits of dry flour at the bottom of the bowl.

The BeaterBlade, a stand mixer attachment created by New Metro Designs, aims to eliminate not only this problem but also the issue of constantly having to stop the mixer to scrape down the sides of the bowl. The lightweight plastic attachment has flexible rubber wings that act as a built-in spatula, constantly sweeping against the sides of the bowl to pull ingredients back into the center.

It worked great on my own KitchenAid Stand Mixer while making oatmeal cookie dough and biscuit batter; I didn't have to stop the mixer once, and the ingredients seemed well blended. Plus, not having to stop the mixer sped up the process. You do have to make sure that butter is softened (which any good baker knows she should be doing anyway!), and the instructions stress that ingredients should be added to the left side of the bowl, in order for them to best get swept up by the blade.

The BeaterBlade is dishwasher-safe, which is a plus, but the first time I ran it through the dishwasher I took it out to discover that there was still residue in the crevice along the flexible blades. For future washings, I took a moment to scrape the corners clean with my finger.

The BeaterBlade ranges in price from $25 to $40, depending on the model, and comes in different models for most major stand mixer brands, including KitchenAid, Viking, DeLonghi and Cuisinart.