Nigella Lawson's retro baking tool is a Great British Bake Off staple - and it's a space-saver too

It's a rare treat to see Nigella actually baking in the tent, so her latest Instagram appearance, where she whipped up her olive oil chocolate mousse on set, is a joy to watch. Of course, we took recipe notes, but it's the slightly retro and wonderfully clever baking tool she's using that really caught our eye.

We've been paying close attention to every episode of Bake Off to find out all the kit being used in the tent. So, seeing one of the tent's most-used treasures up close in Nigella's hands, only confirms what we suspected: it's surely one of the best hand mixers of all time.

This one from Dualit, with all its charming retro features bucks the cordless, app-connected trends, but that's actually why it is such a must-have. But what makes it the baker's choice in the tent and does it deserve a place in your kitchen over a stand mixer or a whisk?

Nigella Lawson's presence in the Great British Bake Off tent has been a joy this year. Her thoughtful comments and delicious suggestions (hello, bread and butter pudding) are very welcome. And her chocolate mousse Instagram video is yet more proof of why we love her.

Whilst I'd normally expect the Bake Off's famous pastel pink, blue, and yellow stand mixers to feature in any content, Nigella's video is all about showing off the hand mixer that's been getting a lot more air time this year.

The Dualit Chrome Hand Mixer has long been a quiet workhorse in the tent, but seeing the bakers reach for it more regularly and Nigella making use of it is a lovely reminder of why retro beauty is such a treasure.

When you’re whipping up a mousse or chasing a light, fluffy texture, you need two things: precision over exactly where you’re mixing, and enough power that your arms don’t tire. A stand mixer can manage it in batches, but for smaller quantities like this, it’s often overkill. Nigella has picked the perfect tool for the job. And because it tucks neatly into a drawer, it frees up precious worktop space too.

While many hand mixers have gone cordless for convenience, Dualit has stayed true to its roots. Being corded makes it more powerful, and it’s one of the most powerful, speedy hand mixers we’ve tested (and we’ve tried them all). That doesn’t mean it can’t be gentle: the 4 speed settings make it wonderfully versatile for delicate folding-in as well as serious whipping. But as the bakers show, that speed and power come into their own when the clock is ticking and Paul Hollywood is looming over your bench.

In line with the look and feel, the hand mixer is fully repairable, so you can buy it for life and make little tweaks (if you ever need to) rather than needing to worry about a battery losing power or the motor running itself ragged. Repairable features are becoming few and far between, but they're brilliant and extremely valuable.

More hand mixers that we love

If you're feeling inspired by the hand mixer, here are three more that we think are Star Baker-worthy:

This isn’t the first time Nigella has inspired our kitchen shopping list. Her iconic stand mixer is the same one Paul Hollywood uses, and the one you’ll spot in the tent. And if you keep scrolling past her chocolate mousse recipe, you'll see that her Instagram is just as tempting, with so many recipes that it’s hard to scroll without getting distracted. The sticky toffee pudding is firmly at the top of my list for this weekend.