My wife has recenty used the pastry beater to make cookies and pastries and said it not only speeds up the prep process but the end result was just as good if not better than doing the job by hand. It didn't take her long to learn how to best use the beater. She'll never go back to her old prep ways now. Going to try pizza dough and mashed potatoes next. It's sturdy, easy to clean & well made. With all of the upcoming holidays there will be a lot of baking in our home and she's thrilled about this saving her time and effort.