Since KitchenAid pioneered the idea in 1919, the stand mixer has been a kitchen workhorse. It may possibly aid you combine a batch of cookies, knead bread dough and whip frosting — and that’s earlier than you buy attachments for every thing from spiralizing greens to rolling out pasta.
With a variety of stand mixers available on the market, we determined to check 9 completely different common and extremely rated mixers. As we put them by way of the paces, we found the power to evenly combine elements 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 combo.
Finest stand mixer general
The KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Sequence Tilt-Head Stand Mixer delivered the perfect efficiency of the mixers we examined. With greater than 20 accessible colours and a basic profile, you’ll wish to hold this tilt-head mixer on show in your kitchen.
Finest stand mixer for big batches
When you favor a bowl-lift mixer as a result of it feels sturdier, the KitchenAid Skilled 600 Sequence is a stable improve choice from the Artisan sequence. It has a much bigger chrome steel bowl and a extra highly effective motor that may deal with larger batches and recipes.
Finest inexpensive stand mixer
The Cuisinart SM-50 outperformed the entire 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 important selection.
Finest stand mixer general: KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Sequence Tilt-Head Stand Mixer ($429.95; williams-sonoma.com)
KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid Artisan Sequence 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 newest iteration of a design that’s been round for a century.
The KitchenAid stood out as the perfect in 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 chrome steel bowl locked in and misplaced shortly, and the deal with was straightforward to grip. The ten-speed gear shifter slid with a easy 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 had 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 offers 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, must be hand-washed) produced mild, fluffy frosting that was easy and evenly blended. The included pouring defend had a large mouth for including flour whereas the mixer was working, and it stored splatter within the bowl throughout our exams.
A power of the KitchenAid mixer lineup is that it’s straightforward 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 utilize 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 edges of the bowl whereas mixing) is an effective first addition, and from there you should buy gadgets that do every thing 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 offers 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 accessible 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 Sequence Tilt-Head Stand Mixer lets you could have a showpiece and workhorse in the identical machine.
Finest stand mixer for big batches: KitchenAid Skilled 600 Sequence 6-Quart Stand Mixer ($529.95; williams-sonoma.com)
KitchenAid Skilled 600 Sequence 6-Quart Stand Mixer
When you bake greater than twice every week, end up commonly internet hosting massive household gatherings or needing to make large batches of cookies (something above 4 dozen), the KitchenAid Skilled 600 Sequence is price stretching your funds. One vital observe: The Skilled 600 Sequence mixer is 17 inches tall, so that you would possibly wish to measure the house 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 possibly can 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 might 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 straightforward to treatment through the use of a flathead screwdriver to regulate the set screw that sits behind the bowl within the stem of the mixer.
The bowl mixer labored properly when there have been lots of elements within the bowl. The cookie dough was even with out being dense. There have been chips and fruit in every chunk of cookie, a trick that different mixers couldn’t handle. In brief, this machine is constructed to get by way of large batches of dough.
A fast wipe with a moist material received the mixer clear. The wire whip must be hand-washed, and whereas the opposite equipment (dough hook and paddle) may very well be cleaned within the dishwasher, it was simply as straightforward to rinse them within the sink, as dough didn’t persist with the powder coating.
Finest 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 every thing you want. The extra we labored with it, the extra we appreciated it.
The 12-speed motor supplied a shocking 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 occasions to scrape down the bowl. As soon as the butter was integrated, the Cuisinart produced mild and fluffy frosting with an important texture.
At barely over 18 kilos, it was straightforward to elevate on and off the counter but nonetheless sturdy sufficient to stay in place when mixing a bowl stuffed with elements.
The Cuisinart SM-50 has a three-year restricted guarantee, is available in 11 coloration 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 accessible if you wish to lengthen its usefulness. It might not be low-cost at $250, however nothing cheaper was as satisfying to make use of. When you’re trying to get into baking and don’t wish to stretch your funds an excessive amount of, the SM-50 is sensible.
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 possibly can swing the pinnacle as much as place a bowl within the base or add elements. A bowl-lift mixer has a hard and fast head and a lever that allows you to elevate or decrease the bowl.
With a tilt-head mixer, you’ll have extra space to swap out equipment or scrape down the edges 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 elements whereas a mixer is working, chances are you’ll discover a bowl-lift mixer to be a greater choice as a result of there’s extra space between the bowl and the underside of the mixer head. A bowl-lift mixer can also 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 more durable.
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 elements.
You’ll additionally wish 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 regular 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 Sequence at 29 kilos took some arm muscle to elevate on and off the counter. The heavier mixers had been higher at dealing with larger batches of elements 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 may be a pleasant accent piece or colourful addition to your kitchen. Mixers have expanded previous chrome, white or black and now are available in a variety of pastel or brilliant hues.
Stand mixers can change into trusty kitchen companions and assist prevent time and sore forearms with mixing and kneading. When you commonly make cookies or bread, take into account a stand mixer with a stronger motor (325 watts or above) and a bit extra weight for stability.
Many 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 accessible as an add-on.
The most important manufacturers provide bowls in several supplies (glass, ceramic or chrome steel) in addition to attachments that enable your stand mixer to operate as a grinder or pasta curler, and even substitute different home equipment, reminiscent of 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 similar to their stand-alone counterparts.
Find out how to look after a stand mixer
You may clear the bottom and the pinnacle of your mixer with a moist dish towel. Take into account that tilt-head mixers might need extra open areas the place dry elements 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 normal for a mixer to in any other case have attachments and a bowl which can be dishwasher-safe.
When you’re on the lookout for peace of thoughts on what is usually a large funding, each mixer we examined had a alternative guarantee of no less than one yr, with the Ankarsrum Authentic providing a seven-year guarantee on its motor.
After well-reviewed and best-selling fashions, we handled 9 stand mixers as if it had been the vacations and lots of household had 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 worth from $50 to $700, and their efficiency was as diversified as you would possibly anticipate. We checked out completely different design kinds and numerous configurations, together with tilt-head and bowl-lift mixers, and had been delighted that the mixers got here in as many colours because the meals dye we used for the frosting.
We additionally thought-about how straightforward it was to get a mixer up and working, how properly it operated as soon as we began including elements to the bowl and the way laborious it was to wash up every thing after we had been finished. Listed below are the standards we utilized in testing every mannequin:
Efficiency
- Mixing paddle: We checked out how properly it creamed butter and sugar, integrated 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 elements to create a fluffy, easy topping and the effectiveness of the pour defend or splatter guard.
Total usability
- Getting began: We thought-about how laborious 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-about the whole variety of speeds and if there was a significant distinction between speeds.
- Stability: We weighed the steadiness of how heavy a mixer is whenever 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
- House issues: The entire fashions match beneath a regular 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 working and if it sounded just like the motor was laboring.
- Ease of cleanup: We thought-about whether or not attachments and the bowl had been dishwasher-safe in addition to whether or not or not flour or different powdery elements received 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 accessible in addition to further attachments that may enhance the performance of a mixer.
Guarantee
- Mixers will be pricey, 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 elements. It was loud when whipping frosting, and we needed to cease repeatedly to scrape down the edges of the bowl. Thick cookie dough had the small tilt mixer rocking barely, though the compact mixer was capable of knead bread dough collectively after initially struggling to drag the moist dough off the edges of the bowl.
When you’re on the lookout for a mixer to finish the look of your kitchen, the Aucma is lovable, with a glowing LED velocity knob and colours match for Howdy Kitty’s kitchen. And in the event you don’t wish 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 appears to be like like a high-performance race automobile with glossy traces and chrome accents. It was transportable and simple to function out of the field, but it surely didn’t fairly carry out on the identical degree as our prime mixers regardless of the same price ticket.
Smeg’s “Clean Begin” function means the motor regularly accelerates to the velocity you set on the dial (as much as 10). Whereas this felt uneven at first and elements didn’t mix as shortly, the mixer was efficient as soon as it received up to the mark.
The bread hook and whisk attachments had heft and had 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 out there in a bunch of engaging finishes), tended to point out smudges after cleansing. Smeg presents a spread of equipment (together with pasta makers, a grinder, a slicer and a grater), although not fairly as intensive as that accessible for the extra established KitchenAid, Bosch or Ankarsrum machines.
Hamilton Seaside 4-Quart Electrical Stand Mixer ($109.99; amazon.com)
The deal with — harking back to an enormous hand mixer — makes it simpler to hold. However even with suction cup ft, the Hamilton Seaside doesn’t have the burden to combine elements properly. 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 constantly 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 had been included at a worth level equal to the KitchenAid Artisan stored 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 presents loads of room so as to add elements 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 similar to the KitchenAid it shone with bread dough, shortly kneading it into form with good elasticity. The Bosch produced mild and ethereal frosting, though some powdered sugar received caught to the central column simply out of the double whisks’ attain. It dealt with cookie dough properly with an excellent distribution of the chips and fruit. At 17 kilos, the mixer stayed in place (it has suction cup ft 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 accessible equipment (the backside drive means there are attachments that convert the machine 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 favor 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, but it surely performs like an undersized hand mixer. The directions warn you to not add too many elements 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. When you had 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 an internet 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 industrial kitchen’s mixer that by accident received shipped to your home. The Swedish mixer, which debuted in 1940, arrives with a hardcover recipe information, two bowls and a advice (take the advice) that you simply 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 chrome steel bowl. The one-wire beaters shortly creamed butter and sugar for the frosting, but it surely was tough so as to add dry elements with out getting them on prime of the central mixing widget above the included 6.5-quart plastic bowl.
The most costly 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 might tackle a variety of kitchen duties. You should purchase an intensive 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 occasions every week, but it surely’s most likely extra machine than you want in your counter.
Learn extra from CNN Underscored’s hands-on testing:
