Owning a stand mixer can do more than saving you time in the kitchen and perfecting your dough batters. If you’re interested in learning what makes the stand mixer a special appliance to have in the kitchen, then you’re on the right page.
Scrolling down the article you will find our analysis of 6 of the best stand mixers as well as our thoughts on what makes each of them a good choice.
We will also give you our recommendation for the best budget stand mixer, the best heavy-duty stand mixer and the overall best stand mixer.
Comparison Chart
Reviews
1. KitchenAid Artisan-Series KSM150PSWH
Our top pick of all the best stand mixers is the KitchenAid KSM150PSWH. This versatile culinary station has all the tools you need to make puffy dough and delicious frostings. The multiple speed settings give you the freedom to work with many recipes.
High performance and low power consumption are always indicators of a quality product.
Power
The 325-watt motor is a true power saver. It works just as well as an 800-watt motor while being almost three times as efficient with power consumption and quieter.
Performance
The 59-point planetary mixing action means that your flat beater and wire whip have 59 touch points per rotation. This gives the mixer superior ingredient mixing and a lot more coverage of the bowl. The efficient mixing of the KitchenAid KSM150PSWH is one of the many reasons why it is among the top stand mixers.
Capacity
The stainless steel bowl has a 5-quart capacity. This can mix enough dough in one go for approximately four loaves of bread.
Speed Settings
The 10 speed settings give you a lot of freedom with your prepping. You have the ability to work with both dry and wet ingredients, and make anything from sauces to dough and frostings. The slow-start feature is great at preventing spills in case you forgot to use the splashguard.
Included Attachments
The KitchenAid KSM150PSWH comes with a nylon-coated dough hook, a wire whip, and a nylon-coated flat beater. It has everything you need to get you started on baking delicious bread and pastries and mixing a variety of frostings. The 1-piece pouring shield allows easy pouring of wet ingredients.
It also helps keep flour and liquids from spilling out of the bowl.
PROS
CONS
A quiet yet powerful stand mixer, the KitchenAid KSM150PSWH is a true culinary station. It has a low power consumption rate and enough capacity for most home kitchens.
The KitchenAid Artisan-Series KSM150PSWH’s great bowl coverage, multiple speed settings, quiet motor, durability, and variety of available attachments put it at the top of all the stand mixers.
2. Cuisinart SM-55BC
Our runner-up spot goes to the Cuisinart SM-55BC. This efficient stand mixer comes with one of the most impressive motors for residential use. The increase in power and additional safety feature are some of the reasons the Cuisinart SM-55BC is on our list of best stand mixers.
Power
The Cuisinart SM-55BC is equipped with an 800-watt motor. It’s one of the most powerful on the market. At the same time, it doesn’t offer a big performance increase when compared to a 300-watt or 500-watt motor.
Capacity
The 5.5 quart stainless steel bowl can accommodate very large dough recipes. If you like baking four to five loaves of bread at the same time, the capacity of the Cuisinart SM-55BC might be just what you need.
Speed Settings
There are 12 speed settings on this mixer. You can put it to work starting from ultra-slow for mixing dry ingredients all the way up to very fast for whipping frostings and ice cream batters.
Attachments
The Cuisinart SM-55BC comes with a chef’s whisk, a dough hook, a flat mixing paddle and a splashguard. There are enough attachments to make hand kneading and manual ingredient mixing obsolete.
PROS
CONS
The Cuisinart SM-55BC is another fantastic stand mixer. The 12 available speed settings and automatic shutdown safety feature let you tackle a wide range of recipes. Its 800 watt motor may be loud but it is one of the most durable on the market and makes the Cuisinart SM-55BC be worthy of the runner-up spot.
3. Breville BEM800XL
The Breville BEM800XL offers you more control over your recipes than some of the best stand mixers available. With its programmable timer, 360-degree bowl coverage and variety of accessories, you will be able to handle any recipe.
The Breville BEM800XL offers you more control over your recipes than some of the best stand mixers available. With its programmable timer, 360-degree bowl coverage and variety of accessories, you will be able to handle any recipe.
Power
The 550-watt motor puts the Breville BEM800XL right in the middle when compared to the other best stand mixers. It’s not the most powerful, or the biggest power-saver, but it does have good durability and handles dense mixtures without overheating. It is also a bit quieter than other motors.
Capacity
The 5 quart stainless steel mixing bowl is an ideal size for many home kitchens. The tilt-head design allows easy access to the bowl. It also makes changing attachments quick, so you don’t ruin your dough.
Speed Settings
The 12 speed settings are highlighted by a LED indicator. This visual aid helps you stay in full control over the mixing process. There is also a pause function that not only stops the mixer but also the timer.
Attachments
The Breville BEM800XL comes with a dough hook, scraper beater, flat beater, wire whip and a 2-piece splashguard. It has all the accessories needed for making dough mixing sauces and whipping up frostings.
PROS
CONS
The Breville BEM800XL stand mixer is one of the easiest-to-use kitchen appliances. The planetary mixing action ensures full bowl coverage and leaves nothing behind.
The control over mixing speed, extra spill protection from the 2-piece splashguard and powerful 550-watt motor are all on offer at a very reasonable price tag, which makes the Breville BEM800XL worthy of inclusion among the best stand mixers.
4. KitchenAid Professional 600-Series KP26M1X
This mixer is all about letting you cook for dozens of guests. The increased capacity, essential kneading accessories and powerful motor are the perfect combination of features for the efficient mixing of large quantities of ingredients.
Power
The 575-watt motor provides enough power to thoroughly mix large quantities of ingredients. While it consumes a bit more power than our top pick, the KitchenAid Professional 600-Series KP26M1X is a great stand mixer for large batches.
Capacity
The 6 quart stainless steel bowl can hold enough dough for 8 loaves of bread in a single mix. You can also mash around 8 pounds of potatoes in one go. Cooking in big batches doesn’t come easier than with this residential stand mixer.
Speed Settings
You have a choice of 10 mixing speeds to knead the dough to your liking. This mixer can handle almost any recipe and lets you have more control over the consistency of your bread or pizza dough. The first speed setting is low enough for stirring dry and wet ingredients without spilling.
Attachments
The KitchenAid Professional 600-Series KP26M1X comes with a wire whip, flat beater, and spiral dough hook. A splashguard is not included which may result in a mess when mixing liquid ingredients.
PROS
CONS
The KitchenAid Professional 600-Series KP26M1X is a goodstand mixer for preparing large batches of dough. It is a good choice if you’re often faced with cooking large quantities of baked goods for family and friends.
The attachments save you from doing any manual mixing and the 10 speed settings allow you proper control over recipes.
5. Hamilton Beach 64650
The Hamilton Beach 64650 is a very versatile stand mixer with low power consumption. That and the trust that this brand has earned over the years is why this mixer is our best budget pick for residential use.
Power
The 290-watt motor is the least power hungry so far. Being one of the best stand mixers doesn’t necessarily call for staggering wattage numbers. For its capacity and motor combination, the Hamilton Beach 64650 offers great performance without causing spikes in your electric bill.
Capacity
The 4 quart stainless steel bowl rests on a stabilizer. This stabilizer really helps when mixing dense and sticky mixtures.
Speed Settings
The Hamilton Beach 64650 has 6 speed levels and a QuickBurst option for extra control over your mixing process. These settings are enough for handling most of the recipes you make in a 4 quart bowl.
Attachments
The package includes a whisk, two beaters, and two dough hooks. However, it does not come with a splashguard.
PROS
CONS
When it comes to the best stand mixers, almost none can do as much with so little as the Hamilton Beach 64650.
The hybrid design of this mixer and low power consumption make it the best budget pick for your kitchen. It can stir and knead almost any recipe in small batches while saving you time and energy.
Buyer's Guide
Now that you’ve seen our list of the best stand mixers, let’s summarize some of the features you should be looking for when shopping for a stand mixer.
A good balance of power, capacity, control and available accessories will determine the right stand mixer for you.
Here is what you should always keep an eye out for.
What to Look for in Stand Mixers
Brand
In the case of stand mixers, the brand is important. Appliances from KitchenAid, Cuisinart and Hamilton Beach have many years of expertise behind them. These three are the biggest names in the industry because of how their stand mixers perform in their respective price range.
Motor
You need a powerful motor if you want to knead dough. Anything above 350 watts will be able to mix both quality frostings and heavy dough. Performance differences aren’t always very noticeable. Some of the stand mixers have a motor with fewer than 400 watts of power.
Why are low wattage motors just as good as high wattage motors most of the time? A high number of watts don’t always mean that’s the actual power output.
Quite often the wattage indicators refer to how much power the stand mixer needs to function at its maximum potential.
This is the main reason why some of the stand mixers come with values between 350-575 watts. They all do the same thing it just takes more power for some of them to ramp up.
If you want to save energy you can opt for a less powerful motor. However, if you plan on mixing large quantities or tough bread dough, a stronger motor will last you longer. It’ll speed up the process and handle the strain better.
Capacity
The capacity depends on the recipes and how many people you wish or have to feed. The average mixing bowl capacity for some of the stand mixers is 5 quarts.
If you set your sight on anything bigger than that, you’ll have to spend more and get a motor over 500 watts.
Mixing Action and Speeds
All manufacturers utilize their own proprietary planetary mixing action to cover as much of the bowl as possible. They all do an adequate job, but some are better than others.
The more control you have over the mixing speed, the better your dough will turn out. All of the stand mixers offer at least 6 different speed levels. The lowest one is usually a gentle stir which is good for combining dry ingredients.
Design
The design is almost equally important to everything else. The stand mixers either have a bowl-lift or tilt-head design to allow you easy access to the bowl. Because some recipes require switching accessories, being able to do this fast can prevent you from ruining the finished product.
Attachments
Of course, a stand mixer is nothing without a few accessories to start with. Most stand mixers come with dough hook, wire whip and flat beater as part of the deal. The stand mixers also come equipped with a splashguard to keep the ingredients from spilling on your kitchen counter.
Budget
Last but not least, the budget also plays a part in deciding the best stand mixer for you. After considering all the features above, you will have an easier time finding a mixer that doesn’t empty your wallet.
However, keep in mind that the price tag is not your only investment. Depending on how hard you work the mixer and how powerful the motor is, your budget calculations should also include the other costs.
Few mixers start breaking down before their warranty expires. Once you have to buy spare parts on your own, odds are you won’t be pleased with having to fix an 800 or more watt motor. The bigger and the stronger the mixer is, the more expensive the repairs will be.
On the other hand, choosing the cheapest option may also have a big impact on your budget. One of the main reasons why some stand mixers are so affordable is because of their cheap components. These cheap components are not always durable and you might end up fixing the mixer more than you’re actually using it.
What Are Stand Mixers Good For
Kneading dough is the main attraction of any stand mixer. The best stand mixers save you a lot of prep time in the kitchen. They also stick to the recipe instructions better than you could by hand.
Mixing heavy cookie and bread dough can’t be easily done with a hand mixer. You will need heavier machinery to achieve the right consistencies. A stand mixer motor does not overheat as easily when working on heavy mixtures.
By adding optional accessories your stand mixer can become full culinary stations. From basic dough kneading appliances, they can turn into pasta makers, vegetable shredders, juicers, and so much more.
What Aren’t Stand Mixers Good For
There are very few tasks that stand mixers can’t handle especially given their superior motors and efficient mixing action. That’s not to say that certain tasks can’t be done more efficiently by a hand mixer.
While it is true that stand mixers have more than enough power to whip up cake and ice cream batter, it’s not the most efficient way to go about it. A hand mixer is better suited for mixing creamy recipe ingredients. It is also more energy efficient.
Final Verdict
After analyzing these six products and following our own buyer’s guide, we can’t help but recommend the KitchenAid Artisan-Series KSM150PSWH as the best stand mixer.
For residential use, this energy efficient mixer is the most effective culinary station. It comes with all the accessories you need for baking, including a splashguard.
The planetary mixing action provides full coverage of the bowl and lets you follow recipes to a tee. It’s easy to use and easy to clean. Both professional and amateur chefs can use it at home to create delicious treats in record time.
Honorary Mention
While the KitchenAid KSM150PSWH is the best overall, two other stand mixers on our list deserve special mentions. The Hamilton Beach 64650 is the best budget-friendly stand mixer available. It is perfect for prepping small batches and its ability to double as a hand mixer gives it versatility and user-friendliness. The fact that it costs as much as a regular hand mixer makes it even more impressive.
For the biggest batches in one go, the KitchenAid Professional 600-Series KP26M1X is a great choice. The ability to work with large quantities of ingredients and the toughest batters on only a 575-watt motor is truly impressive.
It’s no wonder KitchenAid is the leading manufacturer of stand mixers for residential use.
Last update on 2023-12-07 at 06:12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API