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Are you looking for the best way to level up your home baking skills? Then you’re looking for the best stand mixer. Finding the right stand mixer is a combination of budget, durability, and power.
What does that mean, exactly? Well, with any mixer you want to maximize your durability, minimize the cost, and not overspend on something too powerful for Grandma’s chocolate chip cookies. But some stand mixers go above and beyond tackling huge batches of bread dough. Many take it even further, with attachments that don’t use the mixing bowl at all. So which stand mixers hold up no matter what you use them for?
Comparison Table
[amazon box=”B07P811C6D, B0016KU16G, B003QI9HPW, B07H6H2TYF, B01K2FQ4DE, B00005UP2L, B00063ULMI, B000308BUI” template=”table”]What to Look for in a Stand Mixer
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If you spend even a little time baking in the kitchen, chances are you’ve probably wondered what the best stand mixer is for you. These powerful and versatile kitchen appliances can make a huge difference in your baking.
Far from a single-tasking piece of equipment, the best stand mixer will pull more than its weight. You can use it for kneading, whipping, and of course, mixing. One other option that makes for the best stand mixer is a low-gear port. This front-mounted opening lets you add attachments such as meat grinders and pasta makers.
Think about what capacity you want your mixer to be. That is influenced a lot by how much you will use it. Baking loaves of bread every day? Look for a bigger capacity bowl than the standard. It will give you a lot more freedom for making all the recipes you love best.
How to pick the best stand mixer
If all of these are standard, what goes into the best stand mixer? Well, it’s all about durability. With as much as a stand mixer costs, you don’t want to have to replace it often at all. And that lies in what materials make up the mixer.
Specifically, metal mixers are often going to be sturdier and more durable than their plastic counterparts. They will be weightier, meaning they can handle larger loads of dough and keep turning. Speaking of larger batches, you may want to look at mixers that give you five quarts or more. That way, you can make all of those cookies at once!
Find a mixer with at least 10 speeds. Some come with as many as 12! And make sure it has the three standard attachments: a dough hook, a whisk, and a flat beater. The flat beater is the familiar tree-shaped mixing head that works on most applications. Finally, a tilt-head mixer will make a world of difference. That lets you raise and lower the head to get into the bowl easily.
How We Selected the Best Stand Mixer
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The first step in selecting the best stand mixer for your kitchen involves consulting the professionals. Often, professional reviewers have a detailed rubric and a set of tests for each metric. It lets them scientifically test the products.
Because of this, pro reviews are great for comparison. Every mixer has been tried and tested against the same set of challenges. That way, you know for sure that the mixer you choose is the best compared to others. For professional reviews, we went to trusted sites, including Foodal and the New York Times Wirecutter.
But more important than pro reviews are the customer reviews. In addition to being far more numerous, customers put these mixers through their paces. Without any regard for scientific testing, and sometimes with a disregard for guidelines, customers challenge their mixers.
Customer reviews are great because you see how well your mixer will actually hold up. Some reviewers have used theirs for years. While a particular mixer may be great for making bread, for example, you may not make any bread. A mixer that got a lower review from a pro may hold up better over long periods. That would make it the best stand mixer for you.
In order to ensure we chose the best stand mixer, customer reviews had to rank 4.0 stars or higher.
How Much Will You Pay for the Best?
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It’s no secret that to get the best stand mixer, you’ll be making a bit of an investment. While many kitchen supplies actually fare better the simpler you go, a stand mixer is one place you don’t want to skimp.
Other price considerations are size and durability. More expensive mixers have a larger capacity. Or, they can handle heavy duty use better than their less expensive counterparts. Since a stand mixer can be a staple of your kitchen, consider saving up for the perfect option.
Our Choices for the Best Stand Mixer
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We have listed our selections for the best stand mixer in alphabetical order below.
Aicok Dough Mixer with 5-Quart Stainless Steel Bowl
[amazon box=”B07P811C6D”]Aicok’s Dough Mixer is a low-cost option that still gives you the functionality of more expensive options with only a few reduced features. For example, the body is plastic, which won’t last as long. Plus, the mixer only has six speeds. This gives it a little less versatility than other mixers we’ve listed here.
With a five-quart bowl, you won’t feel shorted when it comes to mixing capacity. The Aicok can handle as much in as any home stand mixer. That is, apart from special high-capacity models. It also has a special feature that is unique to it. A specialized second attachment gives you two dough hooks at once. This kneads more efficiently and reduces the time you need to make bread dough.
On Aicok’s, 33 customers gave this dough mixer an amazing 4.9 stars out of 5. All of the reviews given were four stars or higher.
The Aicok Dough Mixer with 5-Quart Stainless Steel Bowl is in a mid-price range and is on Amazon.
4.9 out of 5
Bosch MUM6N10UC Universal Plus Stand Mixer, 800 watts, 6.5-Quarts
[amazon box=”B0016KU16G”]Bosch’s MUM6N10UC Universal Plus Stand Mixer is large but lightweight, and distinctly different from most of the other mixers we’ve included here. This 6.5-quart monster is a real heavy duty mixer for your home. Since this mixer is a top-loader, you can easily add ingredients without having to stop.
As a top-loading mixer, this stand mixer has its drive in the base. That means the mixing heads come out of the bottom of the bowl. It can knead up to 15 pounds of bread dough, so you definitely won’t have trouble with overloading it. If you’re worried about that size being a disadvantage, this mixer can whip as little as one egg white.
Even though this is a top-loading mixer, the Bosch has the capacity for additional attachments, just like the best tilt-head models. Out of 285 reviews from Amazon customers, the Bosch MUM6N10UC earned a rating of 4.5 stars out of 5.
This mixer has a higher price point and is for sale at sites including Amazon and the Bosch website.
4.5 out of 5
Breville BEM800XL Scraper Mixer Pro 5-Quart Die-Cast Stand Mixer
[amazon box=”B003QI9HPW”]Breville’s BEM800XL Scraper Mixer Pro is the most expensive tilt-head mixer we have included here and for a good reason. Breville makes high-quality, long-lasting kitchen appliances that are catching to the eye. This stand mixer is no different.
One of its main features is a silicone scraper on its beater attachment. This scraper, combined with the mixer’s planetary action motor, makes sure stopping to scrape down the sides is a thing of the past. This mixer’s 12 speeds are tracked on a futuristic-looking digital gauge. Plus with motor protection thanks to load-sensing technology, you won’t have to fear overloading it with too much dough.
This mixer’s body is die-cast metal, so it is durable and easy to keep clean. Its five-quart mixing bowl easily handles any batch you would want to make at home.
The Breville BEM800XL Scraper Mixer Pro 5-Quart Die-Cast Stand Mixer earned a rating of 4.2 stars out of 5 from 299 Amazon customers.
This mixer has a higher price point and is for sale at Amazon and Breville.
4.2 out of 5
COSTWAY Stand Mixer, 6.3-Quart 660W 6-Speed Electric Mixer with Stainless Steel Bowl
[amazon box=”B07H6H2TYF”]The COSTWAY Stand Mixer has one of the largest bowl capacities of any mixer on this list. What’s more surprising is that it comes in at the lower price range.
This tilt-head model from COSTWAY has six speeds and a pulse function. While this isn’t as versatile as some higher-end models, it’s still enough to mix nearly any everyday recipe. In addition to the three standard mixer attachments, this mixer comes with a splash guard. Splash guards keep flour and wet ingredients from spraying onto your countertop, rather keeping them where they belong.
As a bonus, that huge 6.3-quart mixing bowl can actually handle as much as 3.5 pounds of dough at once. Even on a budget, you don’t have to compromise on mixing power.
The COSTWAY Stand Mixer, 6.3-Quart 660W 6-Speed Electric Mixer earned 4.4 stars out of 5 on Amazon from 48 customer reviews.
This stand mixer is at a lower price range and is available Amazon and the COSTWAY website.
4.4 out of 5
Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer, Brushed Chrome, Silver Lining
[amazon box=”B01K2FQ4DE”]Cuisinart’s sleek and stylish SM-50BC stand mixer combines a low price with high quality that many have come to expect from Cuisinart. Even though it is in the mid-range of prices, this stand mixer has features usually limited to the top of the price range.
One of the unique features of this Cuisinart mixer is its larger-than-average bowl. At 5.5 quarts, it gives you a little bit more wiggle room than smaller counterparts. You definitely won’t have any trouble with dough coming out of the bowl. Plus, at 12 speeds, you’ll have no problems mixing larger batches. As the best stand mixer should, this one has room to attach additional tools that will make your mixer into a real multitasker.
The Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer, Brushed Chrome, Silver Lining, earned a rating of 4.4 stars out of 5 from 177 Amazon customers. It also received an Amazon’s Choice award.
Cuisinart’s SM-50BC stand mixer has a mid-range price. It is available on Amazon and Home Depot.
4.4 out of 5
KitchenAid KSM150PSPT Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield
[amazon box=”B00005UP2L”]KitchenAid’s Artisan line of stand mixers is one of the most popular mixers on the market and with plenty of good reasons. Over the past century, KitchenAid has made some of the most significant advancements in the industry. In fact, they pioneered many of the features that are commonplace on mixers now.
The KitchenAid Artisan has a 10-speed range, which is suitable for just about any mixing job you may need it for. You can whip meringues up quickly or slowly incorporate by stirring. Plus, the Artisan in this mixer’s name refers to the power hub on the front of the mixer.
This port lets you plug in more than 15 additional attachments. They let you really experiment in your kitchen, and you can make nearly anything with the help of one of these.
The KitchenAid KSM150PSOB Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield is one of the most popular stand mixers available. It earned a rating of 4.6 stars out of 5 from 9,357 customers on Amazon, as well as an Amazon’s Choice award.
This mixer has a higher price point. You can purchase it at outlets such as Amazon and the KitchenAid website.
4.6 out of 5
KitchenAid KSM75WH Classic Plus Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
[amazon box=”B00063ULMI”]The KitchenAid Classic is very similar to the KitchenAid Artisan in a lot of ways. It is a bit smaller than its counterpart, although it has a slightly smaller bowl. At a modest, but not small, 4.5 quarts, the KitchenAid Classic is a right choice if you don’t regularly make huge batches.
Like any of the best stand mixers, the KitchenAid KSM75WH Classic Plus Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer comes with three mixer heads. It also has 10 speeds, which suit any scenario you will need in your home kitchen. Also, like the Artisan, the Classic has a power hub on the front. This port works with the same array of more than 15 culinary attachments.
KitchenAid’s Classic mixer earned 4.6 stars out of 5 from 1,383 customers on Amazon. The KitchenAid KSM75WH Classic Plus Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is mid- to a high-priced mixer. It is for sale on Amazon and the KitchenAid website.
4.6 out of 5
Hamilton Beach Eclectrics 63221 All-Metal Stand Mixer
[amazon box=”B000308BUI”]Hamilton Beach’s stand mixer brings the brand’s reputation for quality budget kitchen appliances to the stand mixer crowd. With a price range in the middle and as many features as other higher-priced mixers, this mixer is a great combo.
This mixer has a strong enough motor to give you 12 speeds so you can set the precise speed you need for your recipe. Plus, the whole machine is die-cast metal, so it’s as durable as any mixer we’ve listed here. A 4.5-quart bowl is one of the smallest volumes of any. But unless you really need the capacity for big batches, it will do the job.
Hamilton Beach’s Eclectrics 63221 All-Metal Stand Mixer is popular as well. On Amazon, over 1,000 customers rated this stand mixer at 4.4 stars out of 5. It is available at Amazon and the Hamilton Beach website.
4.4 out of 5
Which Is the Best Stand Mixer for Your Kitchen?
So, how do you decide which one is the best stand mixer? If you’re making a batch of cookies every weekend and little else, you probably don’t need one of the high-end, heavy-duty models. Although, there’s nothing wrong with treating yourself!
If there were only one mixer to pick from the choices we’ve looked at here, it would be the Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer. This mixer has a larger bowl and more speed settings than any of the other mixers. Plus, it comes in at the lower to the mid-price point so you won’t have to shell out to get a mixer in your kitchen.
For those of you who want a mixer that does everything a mixer can possibly do, the KitchenAid KSM150PSOB Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield is frankly, unbeatable. It has over a dozen attachments to cover every single task you may otherwise need a dedicated machine for. This is the best stand mixer if you’re willing to spend just a bit more. It really takes your kitchen game to the next level.
Have you used any of the mixers on our list? Let us know what you think about them in the comments section below.
Feature Image Source: Pixabay