The 5 Best Stand Mixers Every Baker Needs
The 5 Best Stand Mixers Every Baker Needs
Using an electric mixer ensures light and airy cake layers, fluffy whipped cream, and icing that's velvety smooth—plus it's speedier than stirring umpteen times and much easier on your biceps. The Good Housekeeping Institute Kitchen Appliances and Technology Lab evaluates stand mixers for how well they mix cake batter and cookie dough, knead bread dough, and whip cream and egg whites. We also look at factors such as ease of use, the thoroughness of the owner's manual, and, of course, how easy each mixer is to clean. Scroll on for the five stand mixers that beat out the rest.
1) KitchenAid Artisan Design Series 5-Qt. Mixer
KitchenAid
williams-sonoma.com
It's the ultimate countertop showpiece for a reason: There's nothing the KitchenAid can't do! Turn to our test's champion for so-smooth cookie dough, cake batter, and perfectly whipped egg whites. It comes with great basics plus you can add accessories like a pasta maker, spiralizer or juicer. Not to mention there are now 30 fun color options to choose from; plus, the option to engrave it and choose from 15 different bowl designs. Seriously, when it comes to mixing power, this five-quart classic is unparalleled.
2) Hamilton Beach 4-Qt. 7-Speed Stand Mixer
Hamilton Beach
amazon.com
This Hamilton Beach budget pick was among the most affordable models we tested and earned a high score in nearly every evaluation. Our Kitchen Appliance pros were impressed with its ability to both whip delicate egg whites into stiff peaks and quickly (and evenly) knead bread dough. It comes with a handle on top to make lifting the head super easy, plus it suctions to your countertop so it'll stay in place when you're mixing. All attachments are dishwasher safe.
3) KitchenAid 6-Qt. Professional Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer
KitchenAid
amazon.com
The KitchenAid Bowl Lift Professional 600 Series Stand Mixer is one of the largest and most powerful mixers on the market, but its performance paled a bit next to the smaller (and more affordable) models in the KitchenAid mixer family. It was still a top performer in our test, however, and certainly worth considering if you bake in large quantities.
4) KitchenAid 3.5-Qt. Artisan Mini Stand Mixer
KitchenAid
If you're looking for a smaller stand mixer, this KitchenAid is the model for you. It's 25% lighter and takes up 20% less counter space than the classic but doesn't compromise on performance: From whipping egg whites into stiff peaks to plowing through heavy oatmeal raisin cookie dough, it aced our Lab's mixing tests. The Mini features a three-and-a-half-quart bowl with a beater, whisk and dough hook attachment (and can still accommodate all those fun accessories).
5) Cuisineart SM-50TQ 5.5-Qt. Stand Mixer
Cuisinart
amazon.com
This stand mixer can tackle your every need from folding to making heavy dough bread. It features 12 speed settings that are easy to select with the turn of a dial. The lowest setting is very gentle, while the highest is good for putting the final touches on a whipped cream. The bowl attaches to the base easily, as do the attachments to the head of the mixer. In our tests, the whisk whipped excellent fluffy egg whites and cream that didn’t seep. It also handled a monster cookie recipe very well, as well as a multigrain bread dough.
Several attachments can be bought separately for this stand mixer, including a pasta roller and cutter, spiralizer, and ice cream maker, which is our favorite. We especially like using ice cream attachments on stand mixers because you can increase the speed to make a fluffier ice cream. The ice cream maker attachment also comes with a unique fruit chopping paddle so you can make all natural sorbets.
The best stand mixers for baking and cooking, with affordable stand mixers from Hamilton Beach to tried-and-true KitchenAid mixers and professional stand mixers.