How to whisk by hand
I'm in a sublet situation, so my stand mixer and hand mixer are packed away in storage for a little while. This means that whenever I need egg whites or cream beaten stiff, I have to do it by hand. It's really not that hard and doesn't take as long as most people think.
There are a lot of reasons why you may want to whisk by hand besides lack of equipment. Maybe you want to keep things quiet and simple, or the baby is sleeping nearby, or you're just trying to be more unplugged in the kitchen. Maybe you just don't want to haul out your stand mixer or maybe your electricity is out and you still want to bake that cake. Or maybe whisking by hand is the only exercise you're going to get today! Whisking by hand also allows you to keep a close eye on what's happening so you can stop when your cream or whites are just perfect.
With both cream and egg whites, you should be sure your bowl is large enough to allow for vigorous whisking and the expansion of the whites or cream. You are incorporating air, so your whisk needs plenty of room to move around. A balloon egg whisk is nice in that it helps to incorporate in more air but it's not necessary.
Begin whisking by vigorously swishing your whisk back and forth to break up the egg whites until they are foamy. Then start whisking in a more circular motion, lifting the whisk up and out of the egg whites. When to stop? That depends on how stiff you want your peaks. Visit Emma's visual guide for a look at what is meant by soft, firm, and stiff peaks.
