The Best Stand Mixers

Once we got past our initial total confusion about how this innovative stand mixer works—its design is radically different from the familiar KitchenAid style—we quickly began to appreciate its powerful performance, excellent visibility, sturdy parts, and easy handling. Made in Sweden since 1940, the Ankarsrum (pronounced on-kar-SHROOM) had a thick manual that was difficult for beginners; it referred users to YouTube videos. After a short, steep learning curve, we found using this mixer quite easy. It aced our tests, whipping just two egg whites into airy, stiff peaks; creaming cake batter and cookie dough; and effortlessly kneading pizza and bagel bread doughs. It is large with a lot of parts to store, but if you have the space, it’s an ideal choice for serious home bakers who often make big batches that require heavy-duty mixing, though it performs well on smaller tasks too. One note: The top of the bowl is open, with its high-torque motor in the base of the machine. It’s very important to keep tools and fingers out of the fascinating and vigorous mixing action. You actually flip the mixer on its side to attach and operate additional tools.

“Wow” kept appearing in our notes: Butter and sugar creamed to fluffy heaps, cake batter was  “smooth as silk,” and bread dough was “gorgeous and elastic.” We enjoyed the generous capacity; weighty stability; and big, uncoated stainless-steel attachments of this updated 7-quart model. It offers 11 speeds (shades of “Spinal Tap”), including a “half speed” for folding delicate ingredients. It easily whipped just two egg whites but also powered through big double batches of pizza dough and stiff bread dough and sailed through abuse testing to produce 12 extra batches of bread and pizza dough in a row. It came with three paddle blades, including one with silicone fins, which saved us scraping down the bowl. The whisk’s many wire loops and flattened shape rode close to the bowl, engaging fully with even small amounts of ingredients (we liked that the tool height was adjustable). The “redesigned premium touchpoints” in its name is a grand way to refer to large brushed-steel control knobs (a tester with bigger hands noted they were particularly easy to grab). The bowl has a comfortable, vertical handle that provided a secure grip for pouring and scraping out batter. This substantial mixer takes up a lot of room and is heavy; bear this in mind if you plan to move your mixer often. That said, we have a big caveat with this and all other KitchenAid mixers. The company recently added strict speed and time limits for kneading: Kneading with the dough hook over speed 2 is not recommended. (A sticker covering the end of the hook reinforced this point.) This meant that when recipes called for speeds such as “medium-high” or “high,” we had to stick with speed 2. It took longer, but the results were still excellent. However, KitchenAid also states that you should not knead, even on speed 2, for longer than 2 minutes at a time without resting the mixer, and the total mixing time should not exceed 4 to 6 minutes. We think this is a major drawback to what was otherwise an excellent mixer, and we are concerned about its durability.

This powerful, smartly designed machine made quick work of large and small volumes of food. The bent tines of its whisk fit the bowl’s shape perfectly. Its Y-shaped paddle creamed quickly without allowing butter to bunch up in the crevices, and the model handled batches of stiff dough without flinching. Testers liked the bowl-lift design and large vertical bowl handle that aided pouring. While this model and the newer 7-quart KitchenAid are very similar, we have a slight preference for the newer model’s stainless-steel (instead of painted or nonstick-coated) tools and greater specificity of its 11 distinct speeds; this model claims 10 speeds, but they are labeled “Stir, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.” Note: KitchenAid now recommends not to exceed speed 2 when kneading dough with the dough hook, not to knead for more than 2 minutes at a time, and that the total mixing and kneading time should not exceed 4 to 6 minutes.

This basic, compact, heavy machine’s across-the-board performance knocked out many competitors that were bigger and much more costly (although its tilt head broke on an extreme abuse test). It produced billowy egg whites as capably as it did a double batch of pizza dough. We wish that its bowl had a handle, and stainless-steel mixing parts would have been nice (these are white epoxy-coated), but those are small concessions given its moderate price. It does not come with a splash guard, which our testing proved mostly unnecessary. The beater height is adjustable. Note: KitchenAid discontinued its Classic Plus model, which was identical to this one.  Note: KitchenAid now recommends not to exceed speed 2 when kneading dough with the dough hook, not to knead for more than 2 minutes at a time, and that the total mixing and kneading time should not exceed 4 to 6 minutes.

This petite mixer aced nearly every test, with the exception of sticky, heavy, high-hydration pizza dough, indicating that it lacks sufficient torque for very difficult mixing jobs. Its capacity was limited as well: It could not fit double batches of dough. Lighter and more compact than other KitchenAid models, this would work for someone with limited space who doesn’t plan to make high-volume recipes like double batches of baked goods. The speed controls and tilt-head lever were simple to operate (while it claims 10 speeds, there are actually eight, labeled “Stir, 1, 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10”); the bowl and attachments were easy to put on and take off. We wish that the bowl had a handle and that the price was a bit more reflective of the mixer’s size (the KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer holds more and costs less); however, if you want a small and relatively powerful machine with lots of color choices, this is a good option. Note: It fits all KitchenAid attachments except the ice cream maker. Note: KitchenAid now recommends not to exceed speed 2 when kneading dough with the dough hook, not to knead for more than 2 minutes at a time, and that the total mixing and kneading time should not exceed 4 to 6 minutes.

Thoughtful design features set this mixer apart, including a light that illuminates the bowl; two included bowls, in glass and metal, with a cover that fits both; smooth, convenient handholds for grabbing the mixer base to move it; and a built-in timer that automatically shuts off the mixer or counts up whenever it’s running. A few caveats: While we loved the timer, it was sometimes a bit jumpy and difficult to set, and if we were doing something in timed stages and didn’t want the mixer to shut off, it could be inconvenient. All of the controls, including the timer, a big dial to adjust mixing speed, and a lighted bar to show where you’ve set it, are on the rear left of the machine, limiting the way you can position the mixer in your kitchen. Mixing was efficient, with excellent results throughout. Breville claims it has “load-sensing technology that adjusts power up or down according to load” and sensors that cut off power to protect the motor if it overheats, but while the mixer rocked and walked a bit every time it kneaded stiff bagel bread dough, it never overheated or shut down in our testing, successfully completing 12 extra batches of bagel bread and pizza dough. (Rocking did become a bit worse after the fifth batch in a row.) Quibbles: The dark finish often looked dusty with flour, the scraping paddle trapped food atop its silicone fins, and the metal bowl has tiny horizontal loop handles that were hard to grasp while scraping out dough. While the space between the tools and bowl was fairly close, so ingredients mixed fully, the beater height is not adjustable, so if it ever moves over time (as can happen with lots of use), you can’t tweak it yourself.

While this model is a competent mixer and comes in upward of 20 stylish colors, it is priced at about $150 more than its Classic sibling, for roughly equivalent size and performance (it’s described as a 5-quart machine, but its actual capacity is 3 quarts; the Classic holds 3.25 quarts). We liked that the tool height is adjustable and that the bowl has a large, rounded, vertical handle for comfortable, secure handling. When we made Bagel Bread dough, it made a slight clicking sound as it kneaded and struggled at first to mix wet and dry ingredients, but ultimately did the job. During abuse testing, it rocked and got very warm, but completed all 12 extra batches in a row of bread and pizza dough. The bowl sometimes gets stuck on its base when it’s been working hard. We liked the plain latch to release the tilt head after fighting with buttons on other brands. Note: KitchenAid now recommends not to exceed speed 2 when kneading dough with the dough hook, not to knead for more than 2 minutes at a time, and that the total mixing and kneading time should not exceed 4 to 6 minutes.

Compared with its siblings, this 6-quart stand mixer wasn’t quite as impressive. Runny egg whites didn’t turn into stiff peaks until we cranked the speed to create a vortex. It was also relatively noisy, and as it jerked slightly on tough kneading tasks, the bowl briefly popped out of place. But the final results were nonetheless very good. While it is billed as having 10 speeds, there are six, labeled “Stir, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10.” Note: KitchenAid now recommends not to exceed speed 2 when kneading dough with the dough hook, not to knead for more than 2 minutes at a time, and that the total mixing and kneading time should not exceed 4 to 6 minutes.

With a comparatively tight gap between the attachments and the bowl, this mixer aced mixing and creaming, albeit with a high-pitched whine that some testers found unpleasant. Its tool clearance is not adjustable, so if it moves over time with lots of use, you can’t fix it. When kneading, it didn’t rock but felt a bit underpowered We had to stop and mix the dry ingredients for Bagel Bread by hand and raise the speed from medium to medium-high to help it along. The bowl locks in securely but lacks a handle. If you don’t bake a lot of bread, this mixer is a good option, especially given the price.

This mixer performed remarkably well at a comparatively low price, whipping up “satiny, cloudlike egg whites” and “glossy meringue” and doing a “decent” job mixing cookies, cake, and dough, with our help stopping and scraping the bowl. It’s lightweight and a large handle on top made it easy to move around, and the nonstick coating on the paddle and dough hook made them very easy to swipe clean. That said, it does not seem overly durable. The button for the tilt head stopped working well by the end of testing, needing a jiggle to get the head to lock down. Parts like the whisk are thin with a plastic top, and the mixer housing is plastic. It rocked and walked across the counter while kneading dough because its suction-cup feet had become dusted with flour and couldn’t stick. We’d prefer vertical handles on the mixing bowl; its small ear-like handles were not comfortable. Controls were on the rear right side, limiting the orientation of the mixer on the counter, and a “mixing guide” was printed on the top rear, which shorter testers could not see.

This sturdy, attractive mixer was easy to operate, steady, and quiet but struggled to whip egg whites and incorporate ingredients for cookie and ciabatta dough. We scraped the bowl often and tried higher speeds to improve results, with mixed success. While the whisk has two wires fairly close to the bowl, the rest of the wire loops are much shorter and farther from the bowl. With big gaps between attachments and the bowl, ingredients stayed just out of reach, making for slow progress. We liked the light that illuminated its bowl while operating.

This mixer whipped and creamed like a champ. But kneading was a huge struggle It rocked heavily, heated up, and smelled like burning oil, making us worry about durability, though it completed the tasks. We liked the big vertical bowl handle for leverage, but its sharp edges were uncomfortable. While it claims to have 12 speeds, there are six options, listed as “2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12.”

This pretty, stylish mixer is very appealing; it comes in several colors, and its steel body and glossy finish resisted fingerprints, so it continued to look good throughout testing. The bowl was sturdy, with a comfortable vertical handle. We only wish its mixing was equally strong. Attachment height isn’t adjustable, and the gap between its mixing tools and the bowl was big We found liquid egg whites and cream at the bottom of the bowl when the top looked fully whipped; cake batter had dry lumps; and bread and cookie dough only mixed in the middle since the paddle left a thick wall of dry ingredients lining the bowl sides. We had to stop and scrape frequently, so recipes took longer to complete. During long kneading, the mixer walked and heated up. In handling, we found the tilt-head control stiff and awkward to use, and with the speed lever at the rear top, it was impossible for shorter testers to see. They had to “drive by feel.” It was louder than other mixers, with a whining sound.

This mixer got jobs done, though we had to do extra bowl scraping and rev up the speed so that it would blend ingredients. Its motor is quite loud and a bit whiny when operating. Its tool clearance is not adjustable, so we found unwhipped egg whites under the fluffy peaks, and it took twice as long as other mixers to complete some tasks. Its paddle has a bird’s foot–like pattern of fingers that sometimes traps batter and dough. The mixer suddenly shut down while kneading Bagel Bread dough; its manual states that it won’t run longer than 10 minutes, to protect the motor from overheating. (After a few minutes we switched it back on and it continued.) Its metal bowl has a flat, thin vertical handle with sharp edges that are quite uncomfortable when the bowl is heavy and full. While GE doesn’t make optional accessories, this machine has what the company describes as “a universal hub that will allow it to accept all third-party attachments, including those from KitchenAid.”

We included this commercial mixer, wondering if it would be a good solution for serious home bakers, but it had a host of issues We struggled to move this 43.9-pound behemoth, and its 19.5-inch-tall body didn’t fit under our cupboards. Cake batter and larger volumes of cream and egg whites were no problem, but the ill-designed bowl and attachments meant that it struggled with smaller amounts of food. The attached bowl guard must be used or the mixer won’t operate. It blocked our view, began to separate from the bowl by the end of heavy kneading, and doesn’t detach for cleaning. If you have a small business, this mixer might be worthwhile, but it’s really not designed for home cooks.

This mixer delivered decent results—easily churning out cookie dough and cake batter—and while it’s designed to be compact, all the recipes fit fine, but it had some design flaws that were tough to overlook. Testers commented on its bulky appearance, its loudness, and the difficulty of putting on and removing the attachments The dough hook, whisk, and paddle attachments all had to be forcefully pushed in and yanked out. While the company said the dough hook was dishwasher-safe, it emerged covered in an unremovable black powdery residue because it is made of uncoated aluminum.

While we loved the retro look of this stand mixer, it failed at performing even the most basic of tasks. Unlike other models, the beaters did not move around the bowl to mix ingredients; the Dash’s two beaters remained stationary, while the bowl moved. It failed each one of our tests After 5 minutes of whipping, heavy cream was merely frothy and our cake batter had large patches of unmixed flour. (We tested a backup mixer and got the same results.) The dough hooks were also ineffective. One drilled into the same spot in the bread dough while the other spun around wildly. Testers noted that the mixer shook and the bowl, attached to a rotating base, spun around alarmingly even when the machine was on a low speed. A lever beneath the bowl that you push back and forth is supposed to help shift contents around to ensure they are mixed, but it didn’t help much.