Do not let the slow speed fool you. This thing gets the job done. I've whipped cream, eggs, creamed cold butter to make chocolate chip cookies, and whipped up mashed potatoes and it did it all without being super loud. My old mixer sounded like a 747 taking flight. The slow speeds are actually slow and the high speed is more than adequate. In fact, I accidentally overbeat my mashed potatoes into a gluey mass because the sound was so quiet and the speed was so much slower than I'm used to. Because this mixer is designed so well, it does a lot more with a lot less. The beaters are easy to clean without the middle bar going down the center. They look thin but are strong and do not bend. I believe their hollow design is a big reason why this beater works so well. Science is an awesome thing.