You’ve decided that you want to buy a new mixer, but found yourself overwhelmed by all the options that are available.
From classic workhorse models to top of the line mixers, there are so many models to choose from, it’s hard to know what you really need.
We’ve taken a look at some of the top-selling models across the spectrum of power and prices, and put together this buyer’s guide to help you find the best stand mixer for your cooking style, counter space, and budget.
We’ve graded these mixers on versatility, performance, user-friendliness and design.
Whether you’re looking for the best KitchenAid stand mixer, or want to choose one of the best stand mixers under $100, we’ve got you covered.
10 Best Stand Mixers
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Choosing the Best Stand Mixer
Choosing the best stand mixer does not have to be an overwhelming or annoying task. The easiest way to proceed with making your purchase is to take some time to write down or think about which features you are best looking for in a mixer. Ask yourself these questions: are you more of a baker who is seeking to mix thick doughs? Or are you more of a cook who is just seeking to add a bit more assistance in the kitchen when it comes to mixing up some mashed potatoes for dinner once in a while? How often do you imagine that you will be using your mixer? And finally, how much are you willing to invest in your mixer? These are all important questions to reflect upon prior to making your final mixer purchase.
We’ve made our best suggestions above for a variety of budgets and cooking needs, and it’s advisable to take the time to do your research when it comes to making the final decision of which mixer is going to be the best option to fit your needs and desires in the kitchen. The following are the best tips for what you should take into consideration when you are ready to invest in a new kitchen mixer.
As we mentioned above, the first thing that you should take into consideration are your personal and unique cooking needs.
To start, stand mixers are utilized for far more than simply whipping up batches of your favorite breads and baked goods. With the proper attachments, you are capable of creating an abundance of various foods.
Purchasing the optional attachments that many mixers offer grants you the capability to be able to make meatballs, pastas, butters, raviolis, tamales, and so many other recipes that may have previously seemed entirely too complex or just plain tedious. Be sure to take into consideration both what you would like to make as well as how much you’d like to make at a time.
The next tip we can offer is to do your research on pricing options. It’s possible to find a mixer to fit nearly any budget, from a college student just starting out to “the sky is the limit”. When it comes to mixers, as in anything else, you should of course always remember the age-old slogan of “you get what you pay for”.
When looking for standard hand held mixers, you are able to easily find many really great options for significantly under $100.
However, with hand mixers comes the extra elbow grease that is required to stand and maneuver the mixer yourself. This is precisely why so many are opting to invest a bit more in order to get a stand mixer and obtain that “extra hand” in the kitchen.
If you do opt for a hand mixer, either due to budget or space requirements, consider the weight, since you’ll have to hold it. At the same time, realize that a super-lightweight hand mixer probably won’t have the same mixing power as a heavier one. Of course, no hand mixer is going to outcompete a heavy duty stand mixer, when it comes to sheer mixing ability.
With stand mixers, there is quite a wide price range as well. You can find quite good basic stand mixers for under $100, and for some home cooks this may be ideal. High powered mixers are also typically in a higher price range, but these are great choices for anyone who makes a lot of different recipes of which require a ton of heavy-load mixing.
Dense bread dough can be a real test for a lighter weight or underpowered mixer. When you make bread often, you may well find yourself wishing you’d bought a stronger model. If a heavy duty mixer this sounds like what you’re looking for, you should also seek out a mixer that has a bowl with enough capacity to make larger batches at one time.
A mixer with a wide variety of speeds will also allow you different options in terms of precision for the various types of foods that you are planning to make.
If you feel like you’re on the fence between the two, you might consider a convertible, stand to hand, mixer. Several of the models we reviewed above give you the option to use the mixer on its stand, or remove it and use it as a hand mixer.
This can be a great choice when you see good things about both options and don’t want to limit yourself. It’s also nice for a smaller kitchen, if you don’t want to store both a hand and stand mixer.
Weight
Weight is another significant factor that you will want to consider when it comes to selecting your new mixer. Especially when it comes to hand mixers, be sure to select a mixer that is easy and light to hold for a significant duration of time, as this is precisely what you will have to do, particularly when making larger batches.
Interestingly, when it comes to stand mixers, the exact opposite is usually what you’ll want to look for.
The heavier a stand mixer is, the more sturdy it is while it mixes up your recipes. This can be tricky, however, as you will want to find a mixer that is steady and strong so that it is not bouncing around your counter while mixing a heavy bread dough, but you will also want to find one that is light enough that you can handle it with relative ease. Weight also becomes a factor depending on where you plan on storing your mixer.
If you plan on using your mixer quite frequently, you may want to keep it on your counter, and depending on your counter space this may be convenient or less so. If you must keep your mixer in a cabinet, you will want to be sure that it is not too hard to lift as this may lead to it becoming an inconvenience and in the long run, you deciding that it is simply not worth the hassle of getting it out.
A good weight target for a stand mixer is one that weighs about 20 lbs or just under as these tend be the best at staying stable while they are mixing thicker doughs. With lighter types of models you may risk them moving around your counter, which means that you will have to keep a sharper eye on your mixer, and may not have the freedom to take advantage of the time that you could be doing other things.
Size
Similar to weight, you will most certainly have to take into consideration the overall size of the mixer. There are two main things to consider when it comes to size: How much space do you have available in your kitchen? And how much food are you planning to make with your mixer?
Typically, you can find a wide array of different sizes available on the market and, as may be expected, typically the prices do go up as the models get larger. If you plan on baking for larger groups and you have the space, you may seek to invest in a bigger kitchen mixer which is far more likely to make your life easier, and you can guarantee that the cost will certainly be worth it. If you are planning on mainly cooking for a small family, you may be able to happily make do with a small or medium sized mixer model.
Speed
Speed settings are also vastly important to consider, as different types of foods will require different speeds of mixing. The vast majority of models in terms of both hand and stand mixers offer several speeds, typically anywhere between 3 to 12 different speed options. Every mixer has some form of a slow setting, which of course makes it much easier to add ingredients to your mixtures without making a huge mess.
They should additionally include a faster setting for making such things as meringues or whipping up cream. While it’s possible to create any number of recipes, providing that the mixer has at least three different speed options, if you are more ambitious in the kitchen and want to mix with the most accurate precision, opting for a model with more speed setting options could really pay off.
Attachments
When it comes to using your mixer to its fullest potential, you will most certainly want to invest in standard attachments. The good news is that many mixers come with several standard attachments, just be sure to double check before you buy.
For most home cooks, there are three basic attachments to consider. A dough hook is an attachment that is typically in a spiral shape or a c-shape that is utilized for whipping up virtually anything that will require kneading, such as pizza dough and bread. A wire whip, or “balloon whisk”, is used to create the finest homemade whipped cream, frostings and meringues.
Finally, there is a flat beater that is easily the most commonly utilized attachment, as it is the simplest go-to selection for cake batters, cookie doughs, and even mashed potatoes.
While the aforementioned attachments are the most commonly used and highly trusted for all of your kitchen needs, there are also many other attachments that can be found on the market to suit any of your kitchen needs or desires.
These attachments include, but are certainly not limited to; pasta rollers, ravioli makers, slicers and shredders, juicers and sauce attachments, ice cream makers, food grinders, sausage stuffers, vegetable and fruit strainers, and even grain mills. If you believe that you may be interested in investing in more attachments as time passes, it is important that you purchase a stand mixer that can be compatible with any attachments of which you may be interested in, and has the power to run them.
Cleaning
Yet another thing that you may seek to consider is just how easy the actual cleaning process of your mixer is. Let’s face it, we have enough to do in the kitchen as it is, with regards to the actual cooking and cleaning process.
Which is precisely why hand mixers are often the top earner of points with regards to the cleaning category when compared to stand mixers. When it comes to stand mixers, one typically will wind up with a lot of different separate pieces that they must to clean. While the vast majority of attachments are completely dishwasher safe, you will still find that other attachments must be washed by hand every time that you use your mixer.
Maintenance is something else that you will have to consider. Keeping this thought in mind, you should most certainly do some research on the mixer that you are planning on investing in. Read reviews and product recalls to ensure that you are making the best decision that you possibly can make for the investment of your new mixer.
It is most certainly always expected that some minor amount of maintenance for the majority of stand mixers is inevitable, however, some may prove to be a bit more difficult than others. This again is where reading reviews can come into important play as you can quite often get a very good sense about which mixers will give you far more trouble when you are cleaning and maintaining them than others might.
Other Considerations
When it comes to the noise level of kitchen mixers, regardless of how you look at it, you will find yourself dealing with some amount of sound. In other words, you will not be able to find a mixer, hand or stand, that is completely silent.
While most standard hand mixers are not too significantly loud, any electric mixer is going to make a certain amount of noise, and of course, there are some certain models of which are far louder than others. With that being said, if you are particularly sensitive to loud noises, or maybe have a new baby in the house, then you should take a look at which mixer models the reviewers mention as being noticeably quieter.
And finally, we come to the selection of the color of your mixer model. Whatever your stylistic preferences may be or whatever the theme of your kitchen is, you are sure to find a variety of color options available for virtually any mixer that you seek.
While some of the cheaper models only come in one or two colors, the majority of the top of the line brand mixers offer a wide range of vibrant colorful selections. Whether you are simply sticking to the standard white or black model or going for the ever popular red, or perhaps a fresh spring green, you are sure to find the perfect color to suit your needs as well as complete the look of your kitchen’s space!
Conclusion
There is a huge abundance of mixers available on the market today, and regardless of which type of mixer you are seeking, be it a hand mixer or a stand mixer, you are sure to find the perfect one that offers everything you are looking for and more. The best stand mixer can most certainly transform who you become in the kitchen.
You can go from grumbling as you mix mediocre cookies to creating the best desserts, breads and pastas in no time flat! An extra helping hand in the kitchen is something that everyone could use and would more than welcome, and if you choose the perfect mixer for your needs, that extra helping hand can become a reality.
A good, trusted and reliable mixer is most certainly going to prove to be a worthwhile investment for you. And again, it is most definitely a product where you will get exactly what you pay for. Be sure to put in the time to research the aspects that matter most to you, while additionally utilizing this buyer’s guide as a great resource to get you started in kicking off your mixer selection journey.
Take care in doing your research, never be afraid to read reviews and ask questions to get better answers. No one likes paying a ridiculous amount of money for a product that not only does not suit their needs, but ends up becoming another daunting and stressful chore to deal with in the long run.
The best advice that we can give is to simply sit down with this buyer’s guide and a piece of paper. Jot down precisely what you are looking to get out of your mixer and ask yourself the questions: What am I going to use the mixer for? What am I seeking to get out of the mixer? How much am I planning on investing?
Would a stand or hand mixer be the best fit in my kitchen? Where am I going to keep the mixer? How heavy and big is the mixer that I am interested in? From here, you will best be able to jumpstart your search in finding the best possible mixer that you are sure to love and use for many years to come!