Buying the best stand mixer is key to being a quality home baker.
Home baking is a real pleasure, and nothing beats the taste of freshly prepared, home cooked breads, cakes and cookies hot from the oven.
However, keen bakers will know the amount of effort that goes into baking, and inadequate kitchen tools can make the job harder and longer than it needs to be.
This is why a quality stand mixer for kneading dough is essential for anyone who is serious about baking. It whips and beats doughs quickly and evenly, saving you time and energy.
But with so many stand mixers on the market how can you know which is the right one for you?
We’ve compiled this complete guide — that doesn’t start and end with Kitchen Aid mixers! — that should help you make the best buying decision for your needs.
Here’s a sneak peek at our top 3 best stand mixers:
Size 5 Quart 6 Quart 4 Quart Bread Dough Performance 5* 4.2* 3.8* Speeds 3 10 6 Stand Out Feature Gear Driven Motor Power Hub with 12 optional attachments Special Fold Setting
Let’s take it away…
Different Types of Stand Mixer
There are two main types of kitchen mixer; hand mixers and stand mixers.
Hand mixers usually have two whisk attachments, and may also come with additional dough hook attachments.
The benefit of hand mixers is that they are light and portable, and don’t take up much room in a cupboard. They are also less expensive than stand mixers, but less powerful.
Stand mixers on the other hand are much heavier and are designed to be used on a countertop or table, so are much more stable and practical when mixing large quantities of weighty ingredients like dough.
Stand mixer attachments include whisks, and other attachments such as dough hooks and paddles, and ingredients are mixed directly in the bowl of the mixer.
Deciding between a hand mixer or a stand mixer is a personal choice, but many bakers prefer the convenience and added power of a stand mixer.
Stand Mixer Parts
A kitchen mixer consists of many different parts which contribute to how effectively the mixer functions.
Here’s a round-up of the most common kitchen mixer parts you’re likely to come across:
Balloon Whisks
Whisks aerate ingredients at the same time as mixing them, so they are ideal for creating a light, fluffy dough or batter, or for making meringues.
Most kitchen mixers are equipped with two metal whisks which whip and cream ingredients together.
Dough Hooks
Dough hooks have a special corkscrew shape to effectively knead bread and pastry dough.
They are made from metal and are sturdy enough to handle even the heaviest and thickest dough.
Blades or Paddles
Made from metal, blades or paddles have a dull edge that efficiently beat and mix ingredients together.
Blades perform the same function as a traditional spoon and are used for general mixing, but can also take the place of the dough hooks when mixing bread dough.
Splash Guard
A splash guard is essentially a plastic lid which can be attached to the mixing bowl.
It prevents powdered or liquid ingredients from splashing and making a mess, and has a hole through which you can add extra ingredients during the mixing process without removing the splash guard.
Motor
Whisks and other attachments are powered by an electric motor which rotates gears inside the kitchen mixer, which in turn rotate the attachments at high speed to blend and knead ingredients.
The more powerful the motor, the more vigorously the attachments will turn.
Most kitchen mixers have a variety of speed settings.
Generally, the more powerful the motor, the better the kitchen mixer.
Bowl
Stand mixers come with a bowl or container made from metal or plastic which holds the ingredients being mixed.
Once the ingredients have been thoroughly mixed the bowl can be removed and cleaned. Some kitchen mixers have bowls of different sizes included.
What to Look for in the Best Stand Mixer
For any baker a kitchen mixer is a serious investment, so it’s crucial to consider many different factors when deciding which mixer is the best fit for you.
Durability
Kitchen mixers can be expensive, so build quality is extremely important as you need a mixer you can rely on.
A solid motor and quality parts are essential, and it’s worth finding out if it is easy to replace parts should it be necessary in order to keep your kitchen mixer in top working order.
The best mixers will be with you for years and years, allowing you to bake for every big celebration in your life!
Capacity
If you have a large family or if you just love baking for large groups of people, the size of the mixer is a chief element to take into account.
Be sure to choose a kitchen mixer with a large enough bowl size and capacity for your baking needs.
On the flip side, if you are mostly baking small batches or don’t plan on using your mixer that often, you might want to choose a smaller size product — or even a hand mixer.
Ease of Use
As a piece of equipment that will be frequently used, it’s fundamental that a kitchen mixer should be straightforward to use and maintain.
Consider how easy it is to set the mixer up and whether the parts are easy to take apart, as well as if there are sufficient easy to use functions rather than a bunch of confusing dials.
Dimensions
If you’re limited on counter space you might want to consider a smaller, lighter mixer model that can be easily stored away in a cupboard instead of a larger, heavier stand mixer.
Cleaning
Nobody wants a kitchen mixer that is a nightmare to clean, so consider the following: are the mixer parts easy to remove for cleaning? Can they be washed in the dishwasher or only by hand?
And a bonus: are the mixer parts non-stick?
Speed
A variable speed control is indispensable when kneading dough, as it important to start slowly when kneading and then gradually build up speed over time.
Wattage
The more watts the kitchen mixer has, the more powerful and effective it will be at kneading heavier bread dough and mixing.
Choose a mixer with a high watt rating for a better dough with less effort.
How solid is the build? Is it easy to set up? Is it intuitive to use? Is it a nightmare to clean? Will you want to store it away? These are other issues to consider.
Think about capacity too, depending on whether you want it for a small family or to make very big batches, and try to find out how easy it will be to replace spare parts if you need them.
Now we’ve got all that out of the way, let’s take it away for the main event…
The Best Stand Mixers of 2019 Hobart N50 Commercial Mixer
For many professional and high-level home bakers, the Hobart N50 is the best stand mixer bar none.
The original creators of the beyond famous Kitchen Aid mixer, Hobart have a solid reputation for top quality kitchen mixers, and the Hobart N50 Commercial Mixer is a popular choice amongst home chefs who love to bake.
It benefits from an extra powerful gear driven motor with three speeds, a single front mounted attachment head, cast aluminum flat beater and dough hook, plus a stainless steel balloon whip.
The casing is powder coated for added durability, and the 5 quart capacity lift out bowl with handle is made from stylish and practical stainless steel.
>> Read our full review of the Hobart N50
Pros
Professional quality Ideal for dough making Convenient size Delivers power even on slow settings Extremely durable Intuitive to use Good range of additional accessories and attachments available
Cons
Expensive — but considering the exceptional quality, we think it offers excellent value for money
KitchenAid KP26M1XNP 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer
This is the first of the Kitchen Aid mixers on this list — and you know it won’t be the last!
Esteemed brand KitchenAid are well known for their exceptional stand mixers, and the KitchenAid KP26M1XNP is one of their most well-liked models.
The roomy 6 quart stainless steel lift out bowl makes it a good choice for bakers who like to bake in big batches, and the formidable 575 watt motor has ten different speed settings.
Here’s a quick look at in in action on some pizza dough:
The single attachment head on this attractive, all metal body retro styled mixer has the possibility to function with multiple attachments for all sorts of jobs, with a metal flat beater, wire whisk, and spiral dough hook.
>> Read our full review of the KitchenAid KP26M1XNP
Pros
Commercial style mixer performance Large mixing capacity Excellent build quality Creates beautiful dough Durable Multiple colors available to suit your style 7 different additional attachments available
Cons
Size may be excessive if mixing only small batches
Ankarsrum AKM 6230 Stand Mixer
Swedish brand Ankarsrum have been making kitchen mixers since 1939, so they really know their stuff.
The Ankarsrum AKM 6220 stand mixer features an unusual design with the stainless steel bowl placed above the sturdy 600 watt motor which rotates the bowl at the same time as the motorized arm moves and rotates the attachments.
This means that as well as providing excellent dough kneading, ingredients to simply be poured in whilst kneading is taking place, and in addition the bowl can hold a mighty 7 quarts of volume.
This model comes with dough hook, roller, scraper, spatula, and cookie beaters.
It’s probably the best stand mixer for bread dough on the market right now.
>> Read our full review of the Ankarsrum AKM 6220
Pros
Easy to clean Super simple to use Huge capacity Unique mixing and kneading style Comes in 12 different color options Sturdy and hard-wearing
Cons
Expensive Large footprint for your kitchen counter
PRIMO PM-10 Stainless Steel Mixer
The PRIMO PM-10 Stainless Steel Mixer comes with a high price tag, but for a home stand mixer that is good enough to be used as a professional machine you get a lot of bang for your buck.
Home bakers absolutely love this machine for its dough mixing capabilities — making short work of what would otherwise be tiring and tedious work.
The mammoth 10 quart stainless steel bowl capacity alone is exceptional and the hardened steel 0.5 hp motor is both strong and durable.
It features three different speeds and a safety guard and emergency stop button for added security. The attachments supplied include a steel wire whisk, dough hook and aluminium paddle.
>> Read our full review of the Primo PM-10
Pros
Compact design Reliable and long lasting Incredibly powerful Huge capacity Excellent performance for mixing dense dough Good safety features
Cons
Very expensive Volume and power may be excessive for some home bakers
Hamilton Beach 63325 6-Speed Stand Mixer
So far, the options on this list have been at the professional end, with high price tags to match. But the truth is that there are plenty of mid-range stand mixers available that perform well with a much more reasonable price tag.
If you’re a keen home baker, but don’t have the will or resources to invest in a premium lane mixer, then one of these lower priced products will suit you just fine.
For a high performance budget kitchen mixer, the Hamilton Beach 63325 6-Speed Stand Mixer is a good option for basic home baking.
It features a 300 watt motor with six different speeds, 3.5 quart stainless steel bowl and orbital attachment head for complete bowl coverage which needs to be lifted for easy access to change attachments or to remove the mixing bowl.
The flat paddle, whisk, and dough hook are dishwasher safe for easy cleaning.
>> Read our full review of the Hamilton Beach 63325
Pros
Good basic kitchen mixer Affordable price Special fold setting Operates quietly Stable and easy to use Space saving design
Cons
Not powerful enough for mixing denser doughs Small bowl capacity
Sunbeam FPSBHS0302 250-Watt 5-Speed Stand Mixer
While this little budget model stand mixer may not be powerful enough to handle heavy dough (at 250 watts the motor just isn’t powerful enough, it nevertheless makes a good kitchen companion.
It has 5 speeds for stirring, beating, mixing, blending and whipping, and the motorized part of the unit can be detached to turn it into a useful little hand mixer.
The Sunbeam FPSBHS0302250 also features a small 3 quart stainless steel mixing bowl and comes supplied with two chrome beaters and dough hooks.
>> Read our full review of the Sunbeam FPSBHS0302250
Pros
Very cheap Good value for money Attachments can be washed in the dishwasher Versatile dual purpose convertible hand mixer and stand mixer Compact design doesn’t take up a lot of space High beater speeds
Cons
Not powerful enough for heavier dough Build quality doesn’t match pricier models
KitchenAid KSM150PSOB Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer
The second Kitchen Aid mixer entry on our list, the KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer is an award winning product.
With its huge range of 34 color options, it’s cool as well as functional, and offers a lot of features for a reasonable price.
These include a good sized 5 quart stainless steel mixing bowl with sturdy handle, dough hook, whisk and paddle attachments with planetary mixing action for effective kneading of dough, a powerful motor, a locking tilt head design for easy bowl removal and accessory attachment, and ten speed settings to suit every type of mixing task.
>> Read our full review of the KitchenAid Artisan Series
Pros
Simple, straightforward design for ease of use Excellent value for money Huge range of color choice Powerful and effective even when mixing heavier dough Robust, quality construction Decent mixing bowl volume Stylish Comes with a pouring shield
Cons
Bowl quality could be improved
Bosch MUM6N10UC Universal Plus Stand Mixer
Like the Swedish entry on our list — the Ankarsrum AKM 6220 — the Bosch MUM6N10UC Universal Plus Stand Mixer features a top loading design with the 6.5 quart plastic bowl sitting on top of the formidable 800 watt motor in the base allowing ingredients to be added easily at any time without interrupting the mixing process.
The impressively powerful motor makes this stand mixer a top buy for home bread bakers.
There are four mixing speeds to choose from as well as a pulse option, as well as some heavy duty attachments including a dough hook, wire whisk, paddle, and bowl scraper, plus there’s the option to purchase a selection of 11 other attachments and accessories.
>> Read our full review of the Bosch Universal Plus Stand Mixer
Pros
Hassle-free cleaning for the entire mixer Compact design takes up little space Beefy motor perfect for kneading thick dough Stable and resilient Practical splash ring prevents splash back Wide choice of additional accessories available
Cons
Large bowl volume can be inconvenient when mixing smaller quantities Attachments aren’t as durable as the machine itself
What’s your pick for the best stand mixer?
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