There can be few laboratory processes as apparently simple and yet as essential as the stirring of a solution. The vast majority of preparative and analytical procedures in chemical, biochemical and biological laboratories rely on effective mixing in solution at some stage in the process. Yet, although the action of stirring sounds trivial, there are in fact any number of ways to mix a solution. Does it need to be stirred vigorously or gently, should it be heated as well as stirred, does the stirring pattern need to be radial or tangential, or will a simple jiggle of the beaker be sufficient? The more closely the stirring process is examined, the more nuances become apparent.