We Tested Whisks and Whipped Up a List of the Best Ones

Best Overall

OXO Good Grips Balloon Whisk

Orig. $12$11 at Amazon

$12 at Target

$13 at Wayfair

If you’re going to have one whisk in your kitchen, we recommend this 11-inch balloon whisk from Oxo. It gets rave reviews across the board…and for good reason. During testing, we found that the width of the balloon allows for maximum grabbing of ingredients, and the flexible tines of the balloon help when you are trying to get to the bottom of the bowl. Additionally, the metal wires are strong enough to hold up to thick batters while still maintaining enough flexibility for whipping and fluffing, the nonslip ergonomic handle makes big jobs a little more comfortable, and the flexible tines of the balloon help when you are trying to get to the bottom of the bowl.

While making a pumpkin pie batter, the wide body easily incorporated pumpkin, eggs, maple syrup, and spices. The lightweight design allowed for vigorous whisking without hand fatigue, and the mixture came out smooth. We love the nonslip handle, which provides stability during mixing. After finishing the pie, we washed the whisk in the dishwasher and it looked like it just came out of the package when the cycle was finished.

Don’t be fooled by that soft handle, though: It looks like heat-safe silicone, but it’s not—and will melt if you leave it resting on the edge of a hot pan too long.

Type: Balloon | Dimensions: 3 x 1 x 11 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Stainless Steel

Winco Piano Wire Whip

$7 at Amazon

$11 at Walmart

View on Katom.com

If you’re looking for a sturdy stainless steel whisk to handle big jobs, look no further than this 12-inch balloon whisk from Winco. It’s big but not too heavy, strong but still flexible enough to whip and fluff, and it feels much more expensive than it is. If you’re mostly whisking a single egg or salad dressings, this might be too much whisk for you, but because it’s made entirely of stainless steel, the handle will get hot quickly if you’re using it on the stove. But when it comes to heavy bowls and batters, this whisk is a clear winner.

We were impressed with the heft of this whisk when it came to the heavy ingredients for the pecan pie we made. The rigid piano wire easily blended dense brown sugar, corn syrup, chopped pecans, and other ingredients smoothly. The short handle helped us get closer to the bowl, making the whisking less strenuous. In another test, we made a vinaigrette and the heavy-duty design made emulsifying the oil and vinegar a breeze. There is not as much give with this whisk, though, so lighter mixes need more turns to aerate.

The only negative on this affordable, reliable whisk was that after washing in a dishwasher, the handle had a slightly cloudy appearance. We recommend hand washing to preserve the shine of the stainless steel.

Type: Balloon | Dimensions: 3 x 3 x 12 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Silicone

OXO Good Grips Silicone Balloon Whisk

$32 at Amazon

View on Webstaurantstore.com

$16 at Kohls.com

Oxo seems to have mastered the whisk—well, almost. This 11-inch whisk has the same structure as the balloon whisk, but the whisk wires are coated with silicone, making it safe for use in nonstick pots and pans. It’s also nicely weighted throughout and safe to put in the dishwasher. The handle is not made of heat-safe silicone, though it is heat-resistant up to 600 degrees Fahrenheit.

We adore the versatility of this Oxo model—it handles heavy batters and light salad dressings with ease. To test it out, we mixed a homemade caramel sauce on the stovetop and were impressed with the silicone coating—nothing adhered to it while whisking, and it didn’t scratch the ceramic-coated cast-iron saucepan we used. The handle was comfortable to grip while mixing the heavy ingredients in the pecan pie like brown sugar while still being lightweight enough to stave off hand fatigue. In an oregano vinaigrette test, it was easy to angle the whisk into the bowl because of its flexibility.

After all the tests, we put it in the dishwasher and ran it through a cycle. It came out pristine and looked like it had right out of the package. The nonslip, ergonomically-designed handle coupled with the wide balloon and silicone coating of the wires make this a great addition to a gadget drawer or utensil crock. Though our whisk held up under all the testing, some reviewers note that over time the silicone may break away from the wire.

Type: Balloon | Dimensions: 2.5 x 2.5 x 10.5 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Flat Whisk

Rösle Stainless Steel & Silicone Flat Whisk

Orig. $22$20 at Amazon

Orig. $24$21 at WalmartView on Katom.com

Beyond the classic balloon style, there are plenty of specialty whisks. If you make a lot of sauces, a flat whisk is a good place to start. The wires are arranged in a single layer that’s perfect for scraping brown bits from the bottom of a pan while stirring béchamel, gravy, and other sauces.

This silicone-coated flat whisk from Rösle is good for batters, but it shines for sauces. It performed excellently while we made a stovetop caramel sauce. The silicone coating protected the saucepan while the flat shape made getting the bits on the bottom incorporated easy. The handle is slimmer than others making it not quite as comfortable while whisking, but the sturdy construction helped when we whisked a roux together for gravy. We appreciated the flat shape again as we were able to get all the browned bits on the roasting pan incorporated with the butter and flour. The handle, even though stainless steel, did not get hot while pouring hot stock into the roux.

Our one complaint is that the handle isn’t the most comfortable to hold, which may be challenging if you’re whisking for a long time.

Type: Flat | Dimensions: 2.5 x 0.5 x 10.6 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Compact

RSVP Endurance Stainless Steel Mini Whisk

$6 at Amazon

$18 at Walmart

$7 at Ace Hardware

At 9 inches long and less than an inch in diameter, this stainless steel mini whisk is super handy for whisking the small stuff—and it fits more easily in a utensils drawer. You can use it to mix up salad dressings, stir hot cocoa, dissolve sugar or powdered creamer in coffee, scramble a single egg, and so much more. Some people even use it to mix baby formula. It’s not meant to be your main whisk, but it’s so nice to have on hand.

During testing, we found the RSVP Endurance easily whisked two eggs for an omelet, and the petite size allowed good control over whisk speed. The stiff wire of the whisk pierced the eggs readily, which made the whisking even easier. We also made a shallot vinaigrette but found it took a lot of vigorous whisking to get the oil and vinegar emulsified.

The only drawback is that since it’s so small, it’s fairly easy to lose in a crowded carafe or drawer. This is an affordable option that is fantastic with small-batch whisking, but a larger model would be needed for bigger or heavier batters. This little whisk is dishwasher-safe. (Bonus: The tiny hoop on the handle is perfect for pitting cherries.)

Type: Mini | Dimensions: 0.75 x 0.75 x 9 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best for Matcha

Rattleware Triangular 10.5-Inch Flat Bottom Whisk

$9 at Amazon

There are bamboo whisks made especially for mixing matcha, but they often come as part of a set, and they’re really more of a specialty tool than a whisk. If you’re looking for a more standard-style metal whisk with which to mix your matcha, this long-handled, flat-bottom version is the way to go.

A favorite among baristas, its compact size and unique shape make it perfect for getting every last morsel of powder from the bottom and edges of the cup. Across five trials, we found this whisk easily grabbed every bit of matcha powder in the corners of the brewing pitcher. Its slim profile made it easy to grip between fingers for maximum control while mixing. In another test, we used this whisk to mix instant espresso powder before adding to a chocolate torte and found the flat shape and stiff wires adept at blending the coffee powder and boiling water.

It washed easily in the dishwasher when finished, but hand washing would be better to maintain its shiny finish as some water spots remained after the dishwasher cycle.

Type: Triangle | Length: 10.5 inches | Dishwasher Safe: Yes

Best Electric

FoodVille USB Rechargeable Milk Frother

PHOTO: Amazon

$20 at Amazon

Most immersion blenders come with a whisk attachment for bigger jobs, but if you’re looking for a single tool without extra parts, the FoodVille 3-speed milk frother is a great option. “Milk frother” is just a trendy name for a small whisk with power, and it’s especially appealing to those who want to make a coffee shop-style cappuccino at home.

A full pitcher of frothed milk for morning lattes was easy for us to prepare. The frothing head was constructed with tight wires that quickly aerated a pitcher of warm milk. But this handy little gadget with two whisk heads and three speeds can also handle jobs like eggs, sauces, and salad dressings. (You probably want more power if you’re mixing batter.) The attaching and detaching of the heads is simple—it is an easy snap-in and snap-out procedure that is clearly illustrated in the instructions. Unfortunately, the whisk attachment was very small and only successfully blended a single egg, even at high speed.

This must be hand-washed, but the two heads easily came off and washed up nicely in warm, soapy water. Unlike similar items that drain disposable batteries, the battery is rechargeable using the included USB-C cord. For the affordable price tag, and small size that’s easy to store, this is a great buy.

Type: Handheld | Length: 9.1 inches | Dishwasher Safe: No