Since KitchenAid pioneered the idea in 1919, the stand mixer has been a kitchen workhorse. It could make it easier to combine a batch of cookies, knead bread dough and whip frosting — and that’s earlier than you buy attachments for the whole lot from spiralizing greens to rolling out pasta.
With a variety of stand mixers available on the market, we determined to check 9 completely different in style and extremely rated mixers. As we put them by way of the paces, we found the power to evenly combine components whereas additionally dealing with moist, sticky dough is a key differentiator, in the end main us to advocate a pair of home equipment that stood out above the combination.
Greatest stand mixer general
The KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Collection Tilt-Head Stand Mixer delivered the most effective efficiency of the mixers we examined. With greater than 20 obtainable colours and a basic profile, you’ll need to maintain this tilt-head mixer on show in your kitchen.
Greatest stand mixer for big batches
If you happen to choose a bowl-lift mixer as a result of it feels sturdier, the KitchenAid Skilled 600 Collection is a stable improve choice from the Artisan collection. It has an even bigger stainless-steel bowl and a extra highly effective motor that may deal with greater batches and recipes.
Greatest inexpensive stand mixer
The Cuisinart SM-50 outperformed all the cheaper mixers we examined, so in the event you’re trying to improve your baking or cooking instruments with out stretching your funds an excessive amount of, it’s an amazing selection.
Greatest stand mixer general: KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Collection Tilt-Head Stand Mixer ($429.95; williams-sonoma.com)
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid Artisan Collection Tilt-Head Stand Mixer bested the competitors in every of our three recipe exams, mixing, kneading and whipping extra successfully than the opposite mixers we examined — no shock from the most recent iteration of a design that’s been round for a century.
The KitchenAid stood out as the most effective at school when it got here to mixing and kneading dough. The paddle simply creamed butter and sugar, then gently folded in chips and dried fruit. Slack dough got here collectively shortly, and the bread loaf had a crackly crust surrounding a mushy inside. Whereas it wasn’t the quietest machine we examined, the noise didn’t cease a dialog at regular quantity, and the motor didn’t sound prefer it was laboring.
The stainless-steel bowl locked in and misplaced shortly, and the deal with was simple to grip. The ten-speed gear shifter slid with a clean movement, and the clearly differentiated speeds all proved helpful. It may gently combine at low speeds and whip at excessive speeds.
The KitchenAid comes with a full set of equipment that can get you began baking or mixing proper out of the field; we have been impressed with the simplicity of attaching and eradicating these throughout our time with the mixer, and with the flexibility the big selection of accessible instruments provides the mixer.
The powder-coated aluminum dough hook and paddle are sturdy and dishwasher-safe, whereas the whip (which, as is the case with almost each different mixer whip attachment, needs to be hand-washed) produced gentle, fluffy frosting that was clean and evenly blended. The included pouring defend had a large mouth for including flour whereas the mixer was operating, and it saved splatter within the bowl throughout our exams.
A power of the KitchenAid mixer lineup is that it’s simple to increase it to do an enormous vary of kitchen duties. Dozens of attachments can be found, starting from different beaters and paddles that you should use within the bowl to full-fledged equipment replacements that connect to the mixer’s front-mounted “energy hub” port. A flex edge beater (with a built-in scraper that strikes alongside the perimeters of the bowl whereas mixing) is an efficient first addition, and from there you should buy gadgets that do the whole lot from shredding and spiralizing greens to rolling out pasta, grinding flour or meat, or making ice cream
The KitchenAid is on the heavier facet at 26 kilos, however the weight provides it stability that’s price the additional effort in transferring it across the kitchen. The mixer has the heft to deal with as much as 9 cups of flour with out sliding across the counter.
It’s obtainable in additional than 20 colours starting from mineral water blue to feather pink and quite a lot of bowl supplies and designs from glass to ceramic with a floral motif. With a mixture of colours and top-notch efficiency, the KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Collection Tilt-Head Stand Mixer lets you have got a showpiece and workhorse in the identical machine.
Greatest stand mixer for big batches: KitchenAid Skilled 600 Collection 6-Quart Stand Mixer ($529.95; williams-sonoma.com)
KitchenAid Skilled 600 Collection 6-Quart Stand Mixer
If you happen to bake greater than twice every week, end up usually internet hosting massive household gatherings or needing to make large batches of cookies (something above 4 dozen), the KitchenAid Skilled 600 Collection is price stretching your funds. One essential observe: The Skilled 600 Collection mixer is 17 inches tall, so that you would possibly need to measure the area between your countertop and higher cupboards earlier than buying.
The 6-quart bowl can work by way of sufficient dough to make 13 dozen cookies or mash as much as 8 kilos of potatoes, so you may sort out on a regular basis duties in between large vacation gatherings. The bowl has a stable U-shaped deal with. It snaps securely into place and may then be raised or lowered with the bowl elevate deal with.
The dough hook sat barely too far above the bottom of the bowl when it got here out of the field, however that was simple to treatment by utilizing a flathead screwdriver to regulate the set screw that sits behind the bowl within the stem of the mixer.
The bowl mixer labored nicely when there have been quite a lot of components within the bowl. The cookie dough was even with out being dense. There have been chips and fruit in every chew of cookie, a trick that different mixers couldn’t handle. Briefly, this machine is constructed to get by way of large batches of dough.
A fast wipe with a moist fabric bought the mixer clear. The wire whip must be hand-washed, and whereas the opposite equipment (dough hook and paddle) could possibly be cleaned within the dishwasher, it was simply as simple to rinse them within the sink, as dough didn’t follow the powder coating.
Greatest inexpensive stand mixer: Cuisinart SM-50 ($249.95; amazon.com)
Cuisinart SM-50 Stand Mixer
The Cuisinart SM-50 blended considerably higher than any of the ultra-budget mixers we examined. Though it didn’t do in addition to the highest performers, for these trying to spend a bit much less it might probably probably do the whole lot you want. The extra we labored with it, the extra we appreciated it.
The 12-speed motor offered a stunning quantity of energy with out being noisy, working shortly by way of thick cookie dough and slack bread dough. The whisk, nevertheless, didn’t dwell as much as the opposite equipment. The scale was a bit too large for the 5.5-quart bowl — including powdered sugar was messy — and we needed to cease whipping a number of instances to scrape down the bowl. As soon as the butter was included, the Cuisinart produced gentle and fluffy frosting with an amazing texture.
At barely over 18 kilos, it was simple to elevate on and off the counter but nonetheless sturdy sufficient to stay in place when mixing a bowl filled with components.
The Cuisinart SM-50 has a three-year restricted guarantee, is available in 11 colour choices, has interesting styling (the chrome bubble on the pinnacle reminded us of a personality from the Amongst Us viral online game) and there are 5 further attachments obtainable if you wish to prolong its usefulness. It is probably not low cost at $250, however nothing cheaper was as satisfying to make use of. If you happen to’re trying to get into baking and don’t need to stretch your funds an excessive amount of, the SM-50 is smart.
How to decide on a stand mixer
There are two widespread forms of stand mixers: tilt-head and bowl-lift stand mixers. A tilt-head stand mixer has a hinged prime so you may swing the pinnacle as much as place a bowl within the base or add components. A bowl-lift mixer has a set head and a lever that permits you to increase or decrease the bowl.
With a tilt-head mixer, you’ll have more room to swap out equipment or scrape down the perimeters of the bowl whereas the mixer is off. However in the event you’ll be fine-tuning your recipes or want so as to add components whereas a mixer is operating, chances are you’ll discover a bowl-lift mixer to be a greater choice as a result of there’s more room between the bowl and the underside of the mixer head. A bowl-lift mixer may additionally present extra stability when a mixer is churning by way of heavier dough, whereas a tilt-head mixer might vibrate or transfer up and down barely because the motor has to work tougher.
A pair of industrial quality mixers that we examined — the Bosch Common and Ankarsrum Authentic — have a motor within the base and a bowl that slides on prime; this design leaves the highest open for including components.
You’ll additionally need to take into consideration whether or not your mixer will keep on the counter or be tucked away in a pantry or cupboard. The stand mixers we examined ranged in top from 10.3 inches to 19 inches tall. Whereas all of them match beneath a normal set of cupboards, the burden proved to be a extra important issue.
The Sprint, at slightly below 3 kilos, was simply transportable. The KitchenAid Skilled 600 Collection at 29 kilos took some arm muscle to elevate on and off the counter. The heavier mixers have been higher at dealing with greater batches of components as a result of the burden helped them keep in place on the counter as soon as the motor was on. In case your mixer goes to dwell on the counter, it is perhaps a pleasant accent piece or colourful addition to your kitchen. Mixers have expanded previous chrome, white or black and now are available a variety of pastel or brilliant hues.
Stand mixers can turn out to be trusty kitchen companions and assist prevent time and sore forearms with mixing and kneading. If you happen to usually make cookies or bread, contemplate a stand mixer with a stronger motor (325 watts or above) and a bit extra weight for stability.
A lot of the machines we checked out ship with three equipment: a paddle for mixing, a dough hook for kneading and a whisk attachment for whipping. Test to see what’s included earlier than buying and what’s obtainable as an add-on.
The key manufacturers provide bowls in numerous supplies (glass, ceramic or stainless-steel) in addition to attachments that enable your stand mixer to perform as a grinder or pasta curler, and even change different home equipment, akin to an ice cream maker, blender or meals processor.
KitchenAid specifically has a really massive vary of attachments, each for the bowl and the front-mounted “energy hub” motor port widespread to its mixers. Bosch and Ankarsrum equipment make the most of the base-mounted motor design and provide blender, meals processor and juicer attachments that work very like their stand-alone counterparts.
The right way to look after a stand mixer
You’ll be able to clear the bottom and the pinnacle of your mixer with a moist dish towel. Needless to say tilt-head mixers might need extra open areas the place dry components can get caught.
Whereas you’ll have to hand-wash your whisks (soak them in heat water and dish cleaning soap first to interrupt down frosting or whipped cream), it’s pretty customary for a mixer to in any other case have attachments and a bowl which are dishwasher-safe.
If you happen to’re on the lookout for peace of thoughts on what generally is a large funding, each mixer we examined had a substitute guarantee of not less than one yr, with the Ankarsrum Authentic providing a seven-year guarantee on its motor.
After taking a look at well-reviewed and best-selling fashions, we handled 9 stand mixers as if it have been the vacations and quite a lot of household have been coming over for dinner. Over the course of a month, we examined the identical recipes for buttercream frosting, a crusty loaf of bread and dried apricot and white chocolate chip cookies on every machine.
The mixers ranged in value from $50 to $700, and their efficiency was as assorted as you would possibly anticipate. We checked out completely different design types and numerous configurations, together with tilt-head and bowl-lift mixers, and have been delighted that the mixers got here in as many colours because the meals dye we used for the frosting.
We additionally thought of how simple it was to get a mixer up and operating, how nicely it operated as soon as we began including components to the bowl and the way onerous it was to wash up the whole lot after we have been carried out. Listed below are the factors we utilized in testing every mannequin:
Efficiency
- Mixing paddle: We checked out how nicely it creamed butter and sugar, included eggs and distributed chips and fruit in a white chocolate chip and dried apricot cookie dough.
- Dough hook: We examined how shortly bread dough got here collectively, the elasticity of the dough and the crumb and high quality of the completed crusty boule.
- Whisk: We used a buttercream frosting to check the power to whip collectively components to create a fluffy, clean topping and the effectiveness of the pour defend or splatter guard.
Total usability
- Getting began: We thought of how onerous it was to make use of or take away attachments, in addition to slide a bowl on and off a mixer.
- Velocity settings: Whereas most mixers have guides for what velocity to make use of for a activity, we additionally thought of the overall variety of speeds and if there was a significant distinction between speeds.
- Stability: We weighed the stability of how heavy a mixer is if you’re lifting it on and off the kitchen counter and whether or not it has sufficient heft to remain nonetheless whereas mixing at excessive speeds.
Design and construct
- Area concerns: All the fashions match underneath a normal countertop, however we examined each tilt-head and bowl-lift mixers.
- Supplies: Right here, we in contrast the dimensions and supplies used for the bowl in addition to the included attachments.
- Sound: We listened to the quantity of every machine to see if we may nonetheless maintain a dialog whereas it was operating and if it sounded just like the motor was laboring.
- Ease of cleanup: We thought of whether or not attachments and the bowl have been dishwasher-safe in addition to whether or not or not flour or different powdery components bought trapped within the physique of the mixer primarily based on its form.
Extras
- We checked out whether or not there are extra colours or completely different bowl supplies obtainable in addition to further attachments that may enhance the performance of a mixer.
Guarantee
- Mixers may be expensive, so we famous the size of every mannequin’s guarantee.
Different stand mixers we examined
Aucma 6.5-Quart Stand Mixer ($139.99, initially $159.99; amazon.com)
This mixer scored on the decrease finish in efficiency. The lean head launched with a nifty lever however an ominous clank. In contrast to the KitchenAid, the Aucma struggled to evenly combine components. It was loud when whipping frosting, and we needed to cease repeatedly to scrape down the perimeters of the bowl. Thick cookie dough had the small tilt mixer rocking barely, though the compact mixer was in a position to knead bread dough collectively after initially struggling to drag the moist dough off the perimeters of the bowl.
If you happen to’re on the lookout for a mixer to finish the look of your kitchen, the Aucma is lovely, with a glowing LED velocity knob and colours match for Hey Kitty’s kitchen. And in the event you don’t need to go away it out, the tilt-head mixer can also be light-weight at lower than 12 kilos and has a big 6.5 quart bowl with two handles.
Smeg SMF03 ($569.95; williams-sonoma.com)
The Smeg stand mixer seems to be like a high-performance race automotive with glossy strains and chrome accents. It was transportable and straightforward to function out of the field, however it didn’t fairly carry out on the similar degree as our prime mixers regardless of the same price ticket.
Smeg’s “Easy Begin” characteristic means the motor progressively accelerates to the velocity you set on the dial (as much as 10). Whereas this felt uneven at first and components didn’t mix as shortly, the mixer was efficient as soon as it bought in control.
The bread hook and whisk attachments had heft and have been as much as the duty of kneading bread dough and whipping frosting. The paddle left a bit extra cookie dough on the backside of the bowl than we’d like, and didn’t evenly distribute the chips and dried fruit in addition to our prime picks.
The shiny exterior, whereas lovely (and the Smeg is on the market in a bunch of enticing finishes), tended to point out smudges after cleansing. Smeg provides a spread of equipment (together with pasta makers, a grinder, a slicer and a grater), although not fairly as in depth as that obtainable for the extra established KitchenAid, Bosch or Ankarsrum machines.
Hamilton Seaside 4-Quart Electrical Stand Mixer ($109.99; amazon.com)
The deal with — paying homage to an enormous hand mixer — makes it simpler to hold. However even with suction cup toes, the Hamilton Seaside doesn’t have the burden to combine components nicely. It bucked up and chipped the plastic splash guard whereas attempting to plow by way of a giant mound of cookie dough. The frosting was barely grainy, and the bread was too dense. The bowl’s base, with grooves for locking in place, took additional time to wash.
Bosch Common Plus ($439.99; abt.com)
The Bosch Common Plus persistently ranked close to the highest of the fashions we examined by way of efficiency, however the plastic bowl, the necessity to hand-wash attachments and the truth that neither cookie paddles nor the heavy-duty mount for them have been included at a value level equal to the KitchenAid Artisan saved it from topping the charts.
The Common Plus (which Bosch has made since 1952) makes use of a really completely different design from KitchenAid-style machines, with the motor within the base and the bowl mounted from the highest; the equipment mount on a central column that attaches on the middle of the bowl. This makes for a squatter machine that’s deeper than it’s tall, in contrast to the KitchenAid.
The shorter profile holds a strong 500-watt motor with 4 distinct speeds and a pulse choice. On the plus facet, the vast 6.5-quart plastic bowl provides loads of room so as to add components across the attachments that snap onto a central column. The attachments, although, are all hand-wash, which made for a bit extra work than the opposite fashions we examined.
The Bosch is a good performer, and identical to the KitchenAid it shone with bread dough, shortly kneading it into form with good elasticity. The Bosch produced gentle and ethereal frosting, though some powdered sugar bought caught to the central column simply out of the double whisks’ attain. It dealt with cookie dough nicely with a fair distribution of the chips and fruit. At 17 kilos, the mixer stayed in place (it has suction cup toes for additional grip) however may nonetheless be moved with out an excessive amount of effort.
A 3-year guarantee on the motor, together with greater than 20 obtainable equipment (the backside drive means there are attachments that convert the gadget to a full-fledged blender and meals processor) means the Bosch may fortunately dwell in your kitchen for fairly some time. If the design appeals to you however you like a stainless-steel bowl, a model is available for $60 more, although with the identical restricted equipment because the inexpensive model.
Sprint 3-Quart Stand Mixer ($49.99; amazon.com)
This 3-pound micro mixer has some good touches — a base that slides to mean you can negotiate round large lumps — and a dishwasher-safe bowl and attachments, however it performs like an undersized hand mixer. The directions warn you to not add too many components or use it for longer than three minutes at a time. Based mostly on the noise of the motor, this looks like sage recommendation. Giant batches of frosting didn’t whip, and our bread dough didn’t come collectively evenly. If you happen to have been making solely single servings, the Sprint would possibly make sense, however you’re probably higher off discovering a brand new hand mixer or used stand mixer in a web-based market.
Ankarsrum Authentic Kitchen Machine ($699.95; amazon.com)
With a variable velocity motor and an 8-quart bowl, the Ankarsrum Authentic Kitchen Machine appears like a business kitchen’s mixer that by accident bought shipped to your home. The Swedish mixer, which debuted in 1940, arrives with a hardcover recipe information, two bowls and a suggestion (take the advice) that you just watch a YouTube video earlier than utilizing it.
Whereas the bevy of attachments and choices appear daunting, the training curve isn’t steep. A scraper slots in beneath the arm that holds the dough hook and dough curler, which labored collectively successfully to knead and blend dough within the 8-quart stainless-steel bowl. The one-wire beaters shortly creamed butter and sugar for the frosting, however it was tough so as to add dry components with out getting them on prime of the central mixing widget above the included 6.5-quart plastic bowl.
The costliest mixer we examined, the Ankarsrum Authentic was quiet and amply powered at 600 watts. The mixer comes with a seven-year guarantee for the motor and may tackle a variety of kitchen duties. You should buy an in depth vary of attachments that allow you to use it as a juicer, pasta curler, grain mill, blender and extra. It’s a match for bakers making massive batches of bread or baked items a number of instances every week, however it’s most likely extra machine than you want in your counter.
Learn extra from CNN Underscored’s hands-on testing:
