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You can't beat a loaf of freshly baked bread, gooey cinnamon rolls, or a batch of homemade cookies warm out of the oven. But it's tough to mix the dough with just a wooden spoon or even a hand mixer. Luckily, a stand mixer can power through dough with ease, whip egg whites to stiff meringue, and even mash cooked potatoes and shred chicken for dinner.
I made batches of chocolate chip cookie dough, pizza dough, and whipped cream in 11 different stand mixers, each varying in size and price point. Our top pick overall is the KitchenAid 5-Quart Stand Mixer, which has no issues powering through tough dough, isn't too bulky, and has an approachable price tag for the power it offers. Another top performer and a great value option was the Cuisinart 5.5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer, which retails for $200 less than our top pick but still makes quick and easy work of baking tasks with a sleek design and a powerful, quiet motor.
Top picks for the best stand mixers
Best overall: KitchenAid 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer – See at Amazon
Best value: Cuisinart 5.5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer – See at Amazon
Best compact: KitchenAid 3.5-Quart Mini Stand Mixer – See at Amazon
Best for beginners: Breville The Bakery Chef Stand Mixer – See at Breville
Best large-capacity: Wolf Gourmet 7-Quart Stand Mixer – See at Amazon
Best overall
This popular model balances power, capacity, and size for a mixer that is perfectly designed for most home bakers; plus it comes in more than 45 fun colors.
- Handles basic tasks without overheating
- Easy to scrape down sides of the bowl
- Comes in 45 colors
- Not the strongest motor for heavy doughs
KitchenAid has been known as the crown jewel of stand mixers for over 100 years, and it's for good reason. While the brand has a fleet of different models (we tested the most popular in our guide to the best KitchenAids), the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer is the best overall choice for at-home, regular use.
This mixer is Goldilocks in terms of size: it's not too big or too small, and the space it takes up is well worth the power it provides. The tilt-head design of the stand mixer allows you to access the bowl and switch attachments without reaching around a beater; a locking knob on the side prevents the head from moving while mixing. While testing, it used a small but mighty whisk to turn heavy cream into whipped cream in just five minutes. During the pizza dough test with the dough hook, I found that the mixer had no issues on low speeds, but galloped a small amount while on the higher speed settings. The beater easily moved through a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough.
The KitchenAid 5-Quart matched or outperformed the other mixers I tested. It comes with an approachable price tag, along with the ultimate versatility of tackling any cooking or baking task thanks to a long list of additional KitchenAid attachments including a juicer, food processor, meat grinder, pasta maker, and ice cream maker. To customize it even further, you can swap out the bowl for a glass or ceramic option and choose from 29 mixer colors to create the ideal fit for your kitchen.
Best value
The Cuisinart Stand Mixer has a tilt-head design and 12 speed settings. It has a lower price point than many other top stand mixers, so it’s a great choice for beginner bakers looking to expand their recipes.
- Light and compact, but with a powerful motor
- 12 speed settings
- Available attachments like pasta makers and spiralizers
- Hard to scrape down sides of the bowl
Surprisingly comparable to the KitchenAid 5-quart stand mixer, this great Cuisinart mixer comes in at a much lower price point. The Cuisinart mixer has a tilt-head design with a lever at the back to release the lock. The 12 speed settings are controlled by a large, light-up dial on the side.
The 500-watt motor was quiet while making impressively quick work of mixing chocolate chip cookies and kneading pizza dough. There was minimal shaking of the mixer through both tough doughs. The wide whisk provided great aeration for beautiful whipped cream in under five minutes. Plus, it can accommodate additional Cuisinart attachments including a pasta maker, meat grinder, spiralizer, and ice cream maker. We haven't tested these, so we can't vouch for them the way we can recommend the KitchenAid attachments.
While this mixer can easily compete with a KitchenAid tilt-head mixer, the ratio of space between the head of the mixer and the bowl was a major flaw that I noticed. In order to scrape down the sides of the bowl, I had to turn off the mixer and release lift the head to lift it, making the process a bit more cumbersome. Overall, the stand mixer is a solid option for those looking to tackle any task at a low price point.
Best compact
The smallest of the best KitchenAid stand mixers, this model is the perfect size and strength for occasional bakers, new cooks, and those with petite kitchens.
- Perfectly sized for small kitchens
- Makes single batches of most recipes well
- Easy to maneuver
- Ideal for occasional bakers and kids
- Work bowl has a handle
- Too small for double batches
- Shakes a lot when running at high speed
For a small mixer that packs a punch, the KitchenAid Mini Stand Mixer is the ideal option. This mixer is compact, but has a 250 watt motor and 10 speed settings to perform any and all baking tasks with ease. In comparison to one other small mixer I tested, the weight of this mixer made a huge difference in stability.
The all-metal construction makes for a durable, sturdy appliance, with the same tilt-head design, side locking mechanism, and speed setting knob as the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart. I was surprised the smaller capacity bowl could accommodate a full batch of pizza dough, but the motor handled it well, with minimal shaking at a lower kneading speed. It quickly powered through beating chocolate chips into cookie dough, again with minimal movement and remaining fairly quiet. However, as the mixer was brought up to higher speeds while mixing or kneading dough, it did begin to shake more.
This little mixer is ideal for those who want the power and control that a stand mixer provides without the bulk. It can remain on your countertop without taking up too much space, but it's also small and light enough to tuck away in the pantry when not in use.
Read our full review of the KitchenAid Mini Stand Mixer to learn more.
Best for beginners
From the integrated timer to the bowl head light, the Breville Stand Mixer is designed to make baking anything and everything easier. It comes in six neutral colors and includes two mixing bowls.
- On-mixer guide to which speeds are best for which task
- Built-in timer
- Comes with a glass and a metal mixing bowl
- Bulky
- Only medium capacity bowls
Breville considered just about everything in the design of this product, making it the best stand mixer for beginner bakers. It has a tilt-head design with a large, easy-to-push button on the top to release the lock. There is a side dial to adjust 12 speed settings — instead of just designated speeds with numbers, it has a helpful guide to let you know which speed is best for whipping, beating, and kneading.
A built-in timer on the side of the mixer helps when recipes specify performing a mixing task for a certain amount of time. You use it like a stopwatch or set a timer to count down while mixing. The mixer also has a light built into the top of the mixer's head which shines into the bowl, making it easier to see the consistency of your ingredients.
The mixer didn't jolt or snag while working through pizza dough and cookie dough, but at higher speeds, it did move slightly on the counter. The large whisk whipped heavy cream to make homemade whipped cream in just four minutes, among the fastest mixers we tested.
Breville includes the standard attachments including a beater, dough hook, and whisk, but the mixer also comes with a scraper beater. This attachment looks like a standard beater, just with spatula sides to limit how much you need to scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing. It also comes with a 4-quart stainless steel bowl and a 5-quart glass bowl.
Best large-capacity
For semi-professional operations, the wolf Gourmet Stand Mixer is a powerful workhorse. It has 10 speed settings and is sturdy enough to stay put while mixing the toughest doughs.
- Capacity for large batches
- Wide bowl opening
- Doesn’t move while mixing
- High price point
- Limited attachment options
For a sturdy stand mixer that boasts professional-grade power and capacity, the Wolf Gourmet stand mixer is an impressive consumer option. With a $1,000 price tag, we do not recommend this mixer for anything other than near-professional baking operations. It is designed to tackle daily batches of cookie dough, cake batter, bread dough, and more.
In comparison to other large-capacity mixers with a bowl lift, this twist-and-lock design makes it incredibly sturdy while working through multiple batches of dough. It also makes it quicker and easier to access the bowl to scrape down the sides if needed. The mixer has 10 speed settings, with a variable control knob on the side that makes it easy to smoothly adjust the speed up and down. Plus, it has a pulse setting that is perfect for incorporating ingredients without overmixing.
There were no issues powering through a batch of pizza dough or chocolate chip cookie dough. The large whisk made quick and easy work of whipping heavy cream, producing whipped cream in under 5 minutes.
At almost 30 pounds, this is an incredibly sturdy stand mixer, but it's not maneuverable. It does not easily fit under kitchen cabinets, takes up a large amount of counter space, and is almost too hefty to move around.
What to look for in a stand mixer
Attachments and accessories: Most stand mixers include a variety of attachments such as a paddle, dough hook, and whisk. These are the three essential tools for utilizing the stand mixer for a variety of recipes. It's important to check if the stand mixer you plan to purchase comes with these basic accessories, along with any other add-ons. Many stand mixers also come with a splash guard or pouring shield. Some have the option to purchase additional accessories such as a meat grinder, pasta roller, or ice cream maker to attach to the front.
Size and capacity: To find the best stand mixer for your needs, think about how often you intend to use your mixer and where it might be kept or stored. If you plan to leave it out on your countertop, does it have a large footprint? Does it weigh too much to pick up and move on a regular basis? It's also important to keep in mind the capacity of the bowl. Most recipes can be made in a 5-quart bowl, but you may be interested in making bigger batches.
Speed settings: The speed settings on a stand mixer are what will give you control over the mixing process. Every stand mixer has a different number of speed settings. Lower speeds tackle folding and beating, while higher speeds are best for beating frosting and whipping whipped cream or egg whites for meringue.
Material: The construction of a stand mixer is key to its performance. Most stand mixers are made out of die-cast metal, which makes for a solid-metal base. The weight of this base plays a key role in providing stability while beating or kneading. Many budget stand mixers are constructed from plastic, which doesn't offer as much weight. Consider the types of recipes you may be making in your stand mixer to determine the mixer constructed from the best material for you.
How we tested
Each of the 11 stand mixers we evaluated was put through a series of tests, including making a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough, a batch of pizza dough, and a batch of homemade whipped cream. This allowed us to test the mixer using the paddle, dough hook, and whisk attachments if those attachments were included in the box.
- Beating: I made a batch of chocolate chip cookie dough in each stand mixer using the paddle attachment. With this test, I assessed how well the mixer performed while creaming butter and sugar, along with how the motor while mixing a tough dough with chocolate chips included.
- Kneading: I made a batch of pizza dough using the dough hook on each stand mixer. I evaluated each stand mixer based on its ability to knead the dough without any motor snagging issues.
- Whipping: I poured 1 cup of heavy whipping cream in each stand mixer and used the whisk attachment to make homemade whipped cream. I timed each mixer to see how long it took to perform this task, along with assessing for any issues throughout the process.
- Size and capacity: I evaluated each stand mixer based on its size and how much space it took up on the countertop, along with the capacity of the mixing bowl to perform each task.
FAQs
What is the best power for a stand mixer?
To find the best stand mixer, it's important that the motor can power through most batters and doughs you're making. A mixer with at least 300 watts to 550 watts will have no issues kneading tough dough and making double batches of cookies.
Is a hand mixer better than a stand mixer?
Stand mixers are most often constructed from metal, making them much heavier than even the best hand mixer. They're meant for countertop use and free up your hands. Hand mixers are generally less expensive and smaller, but need to be held throughout the mixing task and are less powerful. For occasional bakers or those with really limited space, hand mixers are a great choice. Still, if you can swing it, the best stand mixers give you more versatility and power.
What are the different types of stand mixers?
The two main types of stand mixers are the tilt-head and the bowl-lift. A tilt-head stand mixer is built with a hinge, which lifts the top of the mixer to make room for securing the bowl or replacing the attachment. Tilt head mixers also typically have a lock mechanism to keep the motor and top of the mixer from moving too much while mixing. A bowl-lift mixer is built with a stationery top head. It has a handle to raise or lower the bowl to lock it in place.
What can you make in a stand mixer?
While stand mixers are most often used for baking related tasks such as whipping meringues, making doughs, or mixing cake batters, they have a wide range of uses. Cooked potatoes can be whipped in a stand mixer for delicious, creamy mashed potatoes, and cooked chicken can be shredded in a stand mixer. Check out Insider's review of different stand mixer hacks.
