I normally use my KitchenAid mixer for bread but I make a few recipes I like that don't require all that. I usually use a wooden spoon for those recipes but THIS is way more effective and easier to use than a wooden spoon. I don't know about the whole "dishwasher safe"-ness, as claimed. I hand wash it. It's not hard to clean and I think my dishwasher may not treat it as kindly as a handwashing. Buy it if you mix dry stuff, then add wet ingredients into the dry ingredients, and that doesn't require lots of mixing/kneading. It's awesome.