The Best Whisks of 2021

Not too different from the GIR whisk, this stylish Williams Sonoma number checks a lot of the same boxes. It has a satisfying silicone grip in a lovely shade of gray—but it's worth noting that this is the one and only color option. It's relatively lightweight, which allowed me to whip both cream and coconut cream into pillowy peaks in about two minutes.

This whisk also aced our omelette, chocolate cake, and key lime pie tests and would look nice in most kitchens.

I love this KitchenAid balloon-style whisk because it's the perfect size and has a sleek and shiny black handle. It’s lightweight and was so easy to use during testing. Just a touch smaller than the GIR and Williams Sonoma balloon whisks—and a fraction lighter—it's super versatile, easy to handle, and convenient to store in any drawer or hang from a tool rack.

It feels sturdy and at $10 it’s a fantastic value. From egg dishes to cake batters, this whisk would be an excellent choice for any budding pastry chef.

This whisk from the ever-reliable OXO performed almost just as well as the GIR whisk, with an almost identical size, weight, and silicone grip. While it seemed to struggle just a little bit with the non-dairy whipped cream, I otherwise found this whisk to be a very strong high-quality contender, as well as a budget-friendly option.

This looker is the whisk for the cook who has everything. A flat whisk is useful in some cases, but niche and not nearly as versatile as a balloon whisk. In fact, it will fail miserably at any task that requires incorporating air, such as whipped cream. I got nowhere.

So what does a flat whisk actually do? It doubles as a spatula, which makes it awesome for things like omelettes because it can beat the eggs well and then gently pushing them in the pan. Flat whisks are also great for sauces like béchamel because they glides along the bottom and sides of a saucepan with ease. Still, this whisk can't replace a standard balloon whisk like our top pick in terms of functionality.

This whisk testing experience has taught me that silicone-coated wire whisks will never be as efficient as their stainless steel counterparts—they simply don’t have that light, easy bounce in a bowl. And while the coating technically “non-stick” with many foods, both types of whipped cream left an unappetizing fatty film on the wires which took more dish soap than I’d have liked to get clean.

It’s got a great stylish look, a comfortable grip, and feels high-quality with a beautiful chrome handle, but at this price point it’s the most expensive in the bunch and I don’t think it's worth the splurge.

This colorful trio is easy on the eyes, but my least favorite of the bunch from a practical standpoint. Unlike the top contenders from GIR and OXO with silicone handles and metal wires, these whisks also have silicone-coated wires, which just strikes me as unnecessary. I can’t think of an additional purpose this serves beyond preventing damage on the surface of a non-stick pan.

The 8-inch whisk is pretty cute, but not very useful for most tasks. When trying to whip cream, the silicone sort of skidded across the bottom of the bowl, and it wasn’t as smooth a ride as a metal balloon whisk. I also found the heavy cream left behind a fatty film on the silicone and required a bit more soap and sponge work. At the end of the day, these whisks can get the job done, but your money is better spent elsewhere.

This whisk has such a small handle, which makes it difficult to grip properly and as a result it was challenging to make whipped cream during testing. I think this would be a great whisk for kids who want to help out in the kitchen, but adults may struggle with the short handle. It's not the sturdiest whisk we tested, but could be well suited for a little one who’s going to bang it around.