Love shredded meat? Avoid the mess and go hands-free. When you slow-cook meats like pork or chicken to shred or pull for mouthwatering meals, you can do so in your mixer. Add the warm meat to the bowl in medium-sized chunks. Fit your paddle beater (flat beater) attachment. Start at a slow speed and then gradually increase until the meat is well torn.

The paddle is also called a flat beater simply because it’s flat. It works by pulling the ingredients around the bowl, while allowing some of it to travel through the holes and become thoroughly mixed. These paddles can vary in material, with some being stainless steel and others being anti-stick coated.

Don’t overbeat. It’s important for cakes to be light and fluffy. You need to thoroughly combine all ingredients and get air into your mixture too. But don’t overbeat or it will become thick and chewy. Why? Because you develop gluten into the mix which isn’t ideal for baked goods.