I'm pretty new to this and I havent had the money to get a KA mixer. So, I've been using my hand mixer (the awesome $10 walmart model! LOL) I tried to make a buttercream icing and it was too thick, my mixer broke. Smart me, two weeks later I decide to try to make some RI, I havent purchased a new hand mixer yet, so I borrowed my mom's. Guess what?!? I broke it too! I am following recipes that state how long and at what speed to mix with a hand mixer and I keep breaking these things!! I dont understand. any ideas on what I might be doing wrong? I dont have the funds to drop on a good table-top mixer and might be able to go get another $10 hand mixer, but if I have to get a new one everytime I try to make icing I wont be able to afford this hobby!! Thanks in advance for any advice you can offer!!
I can't really say much on this except that way back in the day when my mother was making buttercream icing, she used to cream the shortening/butter/flavor and add one cup of icing sugar, and then basically after that bring out the good ol' wooden spoon (thick handled so they won't break...). Think of it this way...you definitely won't need to work your upper arms at the gym making icing this way!
(I'm not too sure what to tell you about royal icing tho...sorry)
I use a handmixer too, I havent broken my yet, which buttercream are you making? I make indydebis BC, and its great
Those $10 mixers are great for thin batters and cake mixes but they just can't handle frosting. You may be able to get a nice thin consistency frosting if you add the sugar in very small increments but I've never found one of those mixers that can handle the consistency you'll need for roses and any stand up petal. There are a lot of good mixers that are not as expensive as the KA. Shop around, look on Craig's list and e-bay. I am a Wilton instructor and I always carry my Sunbeam hand mixer in the car for class. I think it cost somewhere around $75 and as long as I put the sugar in a cup or so at a time it works great. Good luck!
Kit 
I'm not sure which buttercream recipe I used, it was a couple of weeks ago. I'll make sure to check the watts on the next one I get. I hope to have a garage sale in the next couple weeks so I'll have some money to blow on some good cake stuff!
anyone have any ideas on trying to save this RI? it was only mixed for probably 3 or 4 minutes and this is my first time working with it so I'm not sure if its the right consistency or not. Right now it's sitting on the counter in an air tight dish.
Those $10 mixers are great for thin batters and cake mixes but they just can't handle frosting. You may be able to get a nice thin consistency frosting if you add the sugar in very small increments but I've never found one of those mixers that can handle the consistency you'll need for roses and any stand up petal. There are a lot of good mixers that are not as expensive as the KA. Shop around, look on Craig's list and e-bay. I am a Wilton instructor and I always carry my Sunbeam hand mixer in the car for class. I think it cost somewhere around $75 and as long as I put the sugar in a cup or so at a time it works great. Good luck!
Kit
Those $10 mixers are great for thin batters and cake mixes but they just can't handle frosting. You may be able to get a nice thin consistency frosting if you add the sugar in very small increments but I've never found one of those mixers that can handle the consistency you'll need for roses and any stand up petal. There are a lot of good mixers that are not as expensive as the KA. Shop around, look on Craig's list and e-bay. I am a Wilton instructor and I always carry my Sunbeam hand mixer in the car for class. I think it cost somewhere around $75 and as long as I put the sugar in a cup or so at a time it works great. Good luck!
Kit
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