The Best Stand Mixer Models, According to Our Test Kitchen Team

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Stand Mixer with the Best Features

Breville the Bakery Chef Stand Mixer

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Home bakers, it’s time to expand your collection of Breville appliances. The brand, which makes one of our Test Kitchen’s favorite hand mixers, also makes one of the best stand mixers we’ve tried: the Breville the Bakery Chef Stand Mixer.

Much like its hand mixer, this Breville stand mixer has an array of useful features that we never knew we needed but now don’t know how we lived without. An “immediate standout,” according to Sarah is the light that illuminates the bowl. This allows you to get a good look at the texture of your buttercream as it grows smoother and smoother.

Another worthwhile feature is the timer. Set the dial and the mixer will beat your ingredients for the allotted time. This is ideal for creaming butter and sugar, which can be a lengthy process—up to seven minutes! It also helps prevent over-whipping ingredients. With a set endpoint, you can walk away from your bowl of cream and not have to worry about it churning into butter.

On top of all these extras, this mixer does all that you’d expect of a great stand mixer. The controls are intuitive and our team easily stirred up all kinds of recipes from chocolate cakes to chocolate chip cookies to chocolate babka.

As you shop, be sure to check out more Breville items; you’ll find that this brand makes one of the best coffee makers and best ice cream machines, according to our Test Kitchen.

Features

• 5-quart bowl
• 12 speed settings
• Light brightens the inside of bowl while in use
• Built-in timer with shut-off option
• Includes glass bowl, whisk, paddle, dough hook, pour shield and bowl cover

Pros

• Bowl light allows you to see your ingredients better than ever
• Timer allows you to step away from the bowl if needed
• Attractive design available in several finishes

Cons

• Can be loud when used on the highest settings

Price: $400

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Most Versatile Stand Mixer

KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer

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With so many KitchenAid attachments and accessories available, it’s easy to see why the KitchenAid Artisan is the most versatile stand mixer on the market.

Before we get into all the extras, let’s talk about how well this mixer performs right out of the box. KitchenAid’s flagship stand mixer is so easy to use. Fit the bowl and the attachment of your choice into place and get ready to mix up batch after batch of easy drop cookies. And you don’t need to stop there: Attach the whisk and this mixer turns egg whites into meringue in a flash.

One of the best uses for this stand mixer, though, is for kneading bread dough. With the included dough hook attachment, you can knead dough right in the mixer in less than half the time it would take you to knead by hand.

Once you see what a joy it is to use this machine with the included fittings, it’s easy to see why many home cooks and bakers invest in KitchenAid’s many attachments. Extras like the vegetable peeler make quick work of spiralizing veggies and peeling apples. You can also use the power of the mixer’s motor with the pasta maker attachment (read our review for the full scoop) for faster pasta right at home

The only critique our pros have of this mixer is that you may have to adjust the height of the mixer’s tilt head when whisking a single egg white or a very small amount of ingredients. Fortunately, this is an easy tweak; here’s how to adjust your KitchenAid mixer. (P.S. We recommend this Blossom KitchenAid Stand Mixer, too.)

Features

• 5-quart bowl
• 10 speeds
• Includes whisk, dough hook and paddle attachments as well as a splatter shield

Pros

• Many additional KitchenAid accessories are available
• Available in many vivid colors to match any kitchen or personality; there’s even a Joanna Gaines KitchenAid mixer!
• Easy to use

Cons

• Head may require a little adjusting so the beater scrapes the bottom of the bowl

Price: $450

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Best Heavy-Duty Stand Mixer

Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer

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If your kitchen runs more like a corner bakery, our team recommends the Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer. This is a seriously heavy-duty machine that can tackle recipe after recipe with ease. In the words of Sarah, “This is great for someone who bakes constantly and needs something that will definitely stand up to anything.”

To start, there’s no beating the capacity of this Wolf stand mixer. It’s fitted with a giant seven-quart bowl—plenty big for stirring up large loaves of bread (these yeasted coffee cakes come to mind).

And when it comes to these large batches—be it cupcakes, cookies or buns—this stand mixer blends with ease. The powerful 500-watt motor “handles chunky cookie dough and kneading bread dough with complete ease,” according to Sarah.

A feature our team really loves is how the mixer starts slowly. No matter the setting, the mixer will churn a few times at a slow speed before ramping up. This helps prevent ingredients from splattering all over or puffing up in your face (we’ve all fallen victim to a flour-y mess with our mixers). While it may seem like a minor feature, it’s one that serious bakers will appreciate.

The only drawback to this machine is the price tag. However, you can take comfort in knowing that this mixer is designed to be put to the test. It’s as close to a commercial stand mixer as you can find without visiting a restaurant supply store.

Features

• 7-quart bowl
• 10 speed options
• Pulse setting
• Includes a whisk, dough hook and flat beater attachment as well as a splatter shield

Pros

• Accommodates large batches
• Durable
• Very easy to use
• Dishwasher-safe attachments

Cons

• Heavy—this mixer weighs 29 pounds
• Pricier than most mixers on the market

Price: $1,000

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Best Stand Mixer for Beginner Bakers

Beautiful Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

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While expert home bakers may not mind splurging on a top-of-the-line mixer, we know that those appliances aren’t for everyone. If you ask us, you can get a great stand mixer for about $130: the Beautiful Tilt-Head Stand Mixer.

Despite being a lightweight machine, this Beautiful stand mixer is ready for any task you throw its way. This mixer whipped cream and created airy egg whites with ease and remarkable speed. Cookie dough was also no problem for this mixer, though Sarah recommends scraping down the sides of the bowl a bit more frequently with this model.

Because this stand mixer is light, make sure that it’s suctioned firmly to your work surface before tackling serious tasks like kneading bread dough or stirring up a stiffer cookie dough (something like gingerbread or monster cookies with lots of mix-ins).

Sarah sums up the Test Kitchen’s experience with this mixer like this, “It’s great for a beginner baker or college student. It’s affordable and gets the job done.”

This Walmart-exclusive brand consistently performs well in our tests; Beautiful makes one of the best air fryers, best blenders and best electric griddles. Here’s a complete list of what we think are the best Beautiful by Drew Barrymore kitchen items.

Features

• 5.3-quart bowl
• 12 speed settings
• Includes balloon whisk, dough hook and flat beater attachments in addition to a splatter guard
• Suctioned base holds mixer in place

Pros

• Budget-friendly
• Dishwasher-safe attachments
• Available in attractive, trendy colors like cornflower and cream

Cons

• Lightweight construction means this isn’t the ideal machine for heavy-duty baking

Price: $129

What to Consider When Buying a Stand Mixer  

A stand mixer can be a significant investment in your culinary capabilities, so there are several factors to consider when shopping for the perfect option.

Motor Power and Speed Options 

• Motor Power: Opt for a stand mixer with at least a 250-watt motor. However, if your cooking and baking tasks are more heavy-duty and high-volume, a higher wattage motor is recommended (they typically go up to about 1000, but the really high-end ones are better for professional settings).

• Speed Settings:  Most stand mixers offer variable speeds, but the more high-end models have a greater range of speeds (KitchenAid, for instance, has settings that range from one to eight, with the lowest representing a slow stir and the highest intended for whipping). The more speed settings a stand mixer has, the more versatile it will be.

Build Quality and Design 

• Materials:  Typically, stand mixers are made from some combination of plastic and stainless steel. These are both durable materials but have benefits and drawbacks depending on their use. Stand mixer housings are usually plastic, but the additional accessories and attachments can be either/or. Stainless steel attachments (like mixers) will last longer, but they are sometimes more expensive at the outset. Plastic ones can break more easily and require more frequent replacement, but they’re more inexpensive. Both materials are easy to clean and should be dishwasher-safe.

• Design:  Overall, a stand mixer’s design won’t speak to its overall qualities and capabilities, but it might hamper your ability to enjoy looking at it—and you might not want to leave it out (like when guests come over). Luckily, the overall design is one of the easiest things about a stand mixer to discern, so you’ll have virtually no trouble deciding if you like the look of one before buying.

Bowl Capacity 

Included bowls typically range from three to seven quarts in size. Most stand mixers come with a single bowl in this size range, but you can always purchase more (and they don’t have to be from the brand itself). Ensure the bowls you choose are the right depth to work with your mixer, as not all the available options will be compatible.

Attachments and Accessories 

• Included Attachments:  Most mixers have a bowl, dough hook, flat beater and wire whip. These are the essential tools for any stand mixer, allowing for a wide range of cooking/baking options. Some stand mixers will come with more than this. Still, we recommend against getting a stand mixer without these essential tools, as you’ll be significantly limited in your capabilities.

• Optional Accessories:  Most stand mixers will have a limited line of accessories, but some brands offer additional ones (typically for an added cost). Look at the options for your stand mixer before buying, as you want to make sure you can access accessories for your everyday cooking. This is also important if you break or misplace an attachment, as you’ll know if they’re easy to replace.

Ease of Use and Cleaning 

• Attachment Mechanism: Ensure your attachments are easy to insert and remove (so you can swap them for different tasks and cleaning), but attachments must also stay secure. Trustworthy brands have mechanisms that manage both of these feats simultaneously. Still, you may need to learn how to attach and detach accessories properly (outlined in the user manual).

• Cleaning: The easier your stand mixer is to take apart (and put back together), the easier it is to clean—and this is very important. Devices that are hard to clean inevitably have a shorter effective lifespan and may get jammed or cease working. The easier it is to clean your stand mixer, the longer it will last.

Noise Level 

Larger, higher-capacity mixers are typically louder than smaller ones. However, stand mixers tend to run quieter than other kitchen gadgets (like blenders). If your stand mixer suddenly starts making a loud noise and didn’t before, consider contacting customer service, as something could be wrong with it and may need repair.

Reliability and Warranty 

• Brand Reputation: While brand name recognition isn’t everything, it can significantly affect your shopping experience. Lesser-known brands may offer more budget-friendly buys but can also offer sub-par products. Better-known brands have reputations to maintain and are often more reliable. That said, there’s more to a product than its name, so consider customer testimonials and professional reviews.

• Warranty: A given warranty determines what is covered (like manufacturer defects, missing parts, etc.), but every brand offers a different range of coverage, support and the amount of time a warranty is valid. Remember this when shopping, as it could make or break your experience if something goes wrong with your stand mixer.

How We Tested Stand Mixers

So what does it mean to test at Taste of Home? It means that our squad of expert bakers, led by Sarah Tramonte for this test, put each stand mixer through its paces; trying all the speeds, using every attachment and putting these countertop appliances to good use by stirring up recipes submitted by our readers (submit your best recipes!).

Our testing squad took careful notes of how each model performed in the following categories:

• Beating: Stand mixers are the go-to tool for beating together cake batters and cookie dough. The Test Kitchen stirred up plenty of these recipes to see how each stand mixer performed.
• Whipping: Our Test Kitchen staff judged how well each mixer whisked cream into homemade whipped cream and egg whites into stiff peaks using each mixer’s whisk attachment.
• Kneading: Save yourself a lot of effort and use your mixer to knead bread. Our team checked to see if each mixer was up to this tough task.
• Features: Mixers come with all sorts of extras, from dough hooks to splatter guards. Any extra attachments or added features should make time in the kitchen more enjoyable, not more complicated.
• Cleanup: Stand mixers see a lot of action and can get dirty fast. Our team made note of easy-to-clean parts. (Bonus points if attachments are dishwasher-safe!). We also took our tips for how to clean a stand mixer and put them to use during this test.
• Price: Stand mixers are one of the more expensive countertop appliances. Our pros test products to make sure you get your money’s worth.

This was a serious product test! Check out which brands were our testers’ favorites, the ones we call Test Kitchen-Preferred.

Why You Should Trust Us  

Lisa Kaminski has worked with Taste of Home for over six years, including helming the Taste of Home Bakeable program, a guide-to-baking hub and social community of 20,000 home bakers. She dedicated herself to finding and testing quality ingredients, kitchen gear and home products and writing articles about the best-of beverages, snack foods, ready-made baking ingredients and more. Her work has reached over half a million Taste of Home readers.

Sarah Tramonte has also worked with Taste of Home for over six years as a food stylist and recipe developer. She has a bachelor’s degree in art and design from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She’s also the author of The Moody Foodie, a cookbook that catapulted her culinary career. Sarah has developed, tested and styled hundreds of recipes for Taste of Home.

Sean Tirman, Content Updates Editor at Taste of Home, updated and contributed research to this piece. Sean has written shopping guides since 2016 and is a former associate editor at Gear Patrol.

FAQ  

Which brand is best for mixers? 

KitchenAid is the most widely recognized name in stand mixers, but all the brands we tested had worthy offerings. Ultimately, the stand mixer you should choose depends on more than just the brand name—the capabilities are far more important than the label.

What mixer is comparable to KitchenAid? 

Alongside KitchenAid, the brands with the most to offer that we tested included Breville, Wolf Gourmet and Beautiful.

Which stand mixer is most powerful? 

In our testing, we discovered that the Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer is the best for heavy-duty mixing and, therefore, is the most powerful.

How many watts should a good stand mixer be? 

Opt for a stand mixer with at least a 250-watt motor. The most powerful stand mixers on the market have motors up to 1,000 watts.