I don't own an electric mixer. This has become a point of interest for people. Which is my fault, I know. I shared a story involving someone coming to my apartment to make a pie and assuming that I had an electric mixer he could use for the meringue topping. I offered a whisk. Said person did not - on that night at least - have the skills to whisk the egg whites into the appropriate fluffiness which led to a less than expected meringue topping. Which still tasted awesome, by the way. But, I shared this story as more of a why do people assume you have stuff (like eggs, which I did have and did provide) and then it becomes a whole thing even though they didn't do anything to make sure they would have equipment that they need, etc. But instead people are fascinated by the fact that I don't have an electric mixer.
I know this is in part because I cook. Not to excess and not with any spectacular, you should open a restaurant type of skill. But I am able to follow a recipe well. And I do love kitchen tools - so it amazes people that this one has escaped my shopping list.
But really - what do you use a mixer for? (This is not to say that I don't own things I don't use frequently or that I judge others who do, because I don't). Egg whites for meringue. Well, I actually have made meringue - and I cheated and didn't use egg whites. What I'm trying to say here, is the lack of mixer has not impeded my cooking in any way - or I would have gotten one. But for my cooking purposes I don't need one. And sure, after I win the lottery and move into my house with a kitchen that doesn't also contain my washer and dryer, I will probably buy a Kitchenaid Mixer - or equivalent. But for something that will take up that much counter space (and with the microwave, the toaster oven, and the pod drink machine, there's not a lot of that) is not useful to me right now.
And people do seem to get that, when I explain it. I guess I don't understand why that's the part of the story that grabs people.
