Mix it up in better shape

The electric hand mixer has been an indispensable kitchen utensil for decades, used to beat egg whites, whip cream, or mix a cake. Now, BeaterBlade has come up with the MixerMate ($17), an inventive 3-quart, plastic bowl designed to enhance a hand mixer’s efficiency. The bowls — in red, blue, green, and white — are funnel-shaped, which helps the blades create a tornado-like action so ingredients combine quickly, cutting beating time by 30 percent, according to the company. The tall, sloping sides prevent the splattering you often get when using round, straight-sided bowls, and reduce the effort when working with a wire hand whisk. It’s picnic season. Make your cakes with ease. Available at KitchenWares by Blackstones, 215 Newbury St., Boston, 857-366-4237; Kitchen Outfitters, 342 Great Road, Acton, 978-263-1955; The Kitchen Place, Solomon Pond Mall, 601 Donald Lynch Blvd., Marlborough, 508-485-5665.