Not every baking recipe calls for a stand mixer. There are plenty out there you can do either with pure elbow grease or a handheld immersion blender. However, if you plan to do a lot of mixing, whipping, and kneading, chances are, you’ll end up running into recipes that call for one. This is especially true when you’re dealing with a dense and heavy dough, as well as when you start preparing bigger batches of baked treats while you preheat the oven – plenty of recipes just become a drag when you need to do everything by hand. Simply put, the best stand mixers will make your baking tasks significantly easier.
What should you look for in the best stand mixers? The first thing you want to look for is stability. There’s nothing more annoying than a stand mixer that slides across the countertop any time it starts spinning at certain speeds, which is why we tend to favor heavier, more substantial models. They need to have powerful motors that can knead the stickiest, densest, and heaviest dough without sounding like a vehicle stuck in mud. You also want one that’s easy to operate, with simple speed adjustments and straightforward processes for attaching and removing accessories. Any time a stand mixer confuses you, it’s probably not one you’ll want to keep in the kitchen.
Mixing and kneading dough aren’t the only things the best stand mixers can do, by the way. Most models also come with a variety of attachments that enable more versatile functions, such as making pasta, mashing potatoes, and even grinding meat. Suffice to say, a good stand mixer can help you take on a whole load of kitchen tasks beyond your standard baking functions.
The best stand mixers can get expensive, though, apart from taking up a lot of countertop space. That means, we can only really recommend them if you’re doing a lot of baking. If that’s the case with you, however, then we have some of the best options out there to help streamline all your mixing, whipping, and kneading tasks.
Breville the Bakery Chef
Pros
- Powerful motor
- Can do most jobs at medium setting or lower
- Built-in timer and LED light
Cons
- No accessory port
- Some accessories are hand-wash only
Bowl size: 5 quarts and 4 quarts (two bowls included)
Wattage: 550W
Weight: 21 pounds
Attachments: Beater, flat beater, dough hook, wire whisk, splash guard, pouring shield
We love how much power this stand mixer is able to draw from its 550W motor, allowing it to make easy work of even denser bread dough that pushed a lot of cheaper models to their limits. Truth be told, we haven’t found anything else this powerful at this size, with most of the doughs we tested mixing well enough even at just the medium setting. It runs pretty quiet at the highest settings, too, albeit with a bit of rattling from the tilt head (which is not uncommon with similar designs), while the hefty die-cast metal body is substantial enough to keep it from moving around when mixing. We love the fact that it comes with two types of beater blades, which is something you don’t get with a lot of models, as well as two sizes of bowls, so they’re pretty generous with the bundled accessories. They also threw in some neat extra features, such as a built-in timer with auto-shutoff and a LED light for getting a better look inside the bowl. It’s also pretty compact at just 14 inches tall, giving you more options when putting it away for storage.
KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer
Pros
- Perfect size for home use
- Surprising power
- Versatile
Cons
- Wobbles slightly at highest setting
Bowl size: 5 quarts
Wattage: 325W
Weight: 23 pounds
Attachments: Mixing paddle, dough hook, wire whisk, removable splash guard
This stand mixer has a roughly similar size to the Breville above (maybe slightly smaller), but packs in a much weaker 325W motor. That doesn’t mean it can’t handle denser dough for bread and pizza, as it thoroughly kneads those with aplomb, albeit not as quickly nor as effortless-looking as the Breville above. it does a terrific job of mixing everything completely, too, eliminating the need to do any manuals scraping. Just as importantly, it does that while making very little noise and staying securely in place the whole time, although you do get a bit of wobble when cranking it up at the highest setting. It’s not enough to move it out of place or tip it over, but you might get a bit of mess if you crank it up with a fairly full bowl, so you need to be careful (or just stick to lower settings). In our opinion, this is the best KitchenAid stand mixer option for homes, as everything else is either too small (the 3.5-quart model) or too big, with this one really striking the perfect balance. It’s even got an accessory port, allowing you to use it with a variety of first- and third-party attachments, from pasta makers and ice cream makers to meat grinders and more.
Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer
Pros
- Sturdy and well-built
- Handles large volumes capably
- Ramps up to speed to prevent spills
Cons
- Bigger and heavier than others
Bowl size: 7 quarts
Wattage: 500W
Weight: 36.2 pounds
Attachments: Flat beater, dough hook, whisk
Of all the stand mixers in the list, this one looks the most professional, with a styling more suited to commercial kitchens than a typical household. As such, it’s larger and heavier than your usual home model, so those with limited room in the counter might want to look for other options. Unlike most stand mixers that have preset speed settings, this one has a dial that you can granularly adjust, giving you full control over the power output, which we appreciate. We also love the fact that it doesn’t go full power as soon as you turn it on. Instead, it ramps up, starting at a slower speed and moving up slowly before hitting whatever speed you’ve set. This prevents flinging dry ingredients out the bowl, which is so common with many models, allowing for largely cleaner mixing sessions. With a 500W motor, this thing has the power to plow through the thickest mixes you can put in the bowl, with the 36-pound heft keeping it largely stable even when you crank up the dial, although we did have to scrape the sides of the bowl a few times to make sure all the dough ingredients mixed thoroughly. This thing feels incredibly well-built, by the way, making it the kind of thing that’s likely going to last you for a long time.
KitchenAid 7-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer
Pros
- Premium build and feel
- Very stable
- Excellent scraping beater
- Makes large batches with ease
Cons
- Raised section at the bowl can leave some ingredients unmixed
Bowl size: 7 quarts
Wattage: 500W
Weight: 31 pounds
Attachments: Three beaters, dough hook, whisk, pouring shield, bowl scraper
If you want a KitchenAid stand mixer, but need something bigger than a five-quart bowl, then you might want to go up to the outfit’s iconic seven-quart model. It’s bigger, heftier, and packs a heck of a lot more power, allowing you to whip the heaviest creams, the thickest batters, and the densest doughs very capably. The included beater comes with two silicone edges that exhaustively scrape the bowl to ensure everything mixes thoroughly, which is very much appreciated. Unlike other stand mixers in the list, this one lifts the bowl up instead of setting down on a surface, which effectively eliminates any wobbling you might otherwise encounter at higher settings. It also feels much more well-built than the Artisan series and that thing also feels like you can pass it down to your kids. At the size and price, though, something like this is only really worth it if you regularly make large batches (as in 100-plus cookies or eight pounds of bread), which it will handle like an absolute workhorse. Otherwise, you might be better off going with their smaller 5-quart model instead.
GE Profile Smart Stand Mixer
Pros
- Adjusts motor on the fly based on torque feedback
- Very stable
- Handles big batches capably
- Built-in digital scale
Cons
- Comes with digital features most people might not use
Bowl size: 7 quarts
Wattage: unlisted
Weight: 44 pounds
Attachments: Beater, dough hook, 11-wire whisk, pouring shield
The most expensive stand mixer in the list, this one lifts the bowl similar to the KitchenAid above, promoting better stability when running at the higher settings. It’s also the heaviest option we have in the list, coming in at a whopping 44 pounds, which is comically hefty. We love how easy it is the mount and remove the attachments, while the bowl-lift arms are actually easier to use than the KitchenAid’s. That is to say, this is a well-made, well-appointed stand mixer that can do the biggest and toughest mixing jobs as capably as any premium model. But why is it so much more expensive? Well, it comes down to the bells and whistles. The biggest feature is called “Auto Sense,” which, basically, monitors the torque feedback of the motor to prevent overmixing and undermixing, ensuring it turns out fluffy, perfectly-made dough each time out. You do need to pair it with the app to use the feature, though, so you’ll have to be fine with another appliance that requires you to use a phone. It also offers a built-in smart scale (so you can weigh ingredients right in the bowl), guided recipes, timer, a reverse mode, and a few other niceties.
Marcus Sterling
Looking past the surface to find the real, useful story is where I do my best work. I dedicate my days to vetting facts and clearing up confusion, making sure every piece leaves you with a clear idea and a bit of inspiration.