Best bench mixer


7 Best Stand Mixers 2022

7 Best Stand Mixers 2022 | The Strategist

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

Best in Class

Skip article list

Photo-Illustration: Courtesy of the Retailer

When you think of a stand mixer, you probably imagine a KitchenAid — and when I talked with home bakers, professional chefs, cookbook authors, and Strategist contributors about their favorite stand mixer, KitchenAid was the brand we heard about the most. However, it’s not the only option on the block, and at about $400 a pop, its mixers are dreadfully expensive. They are the favorite for a reason, though, so if you’re ready to invest in one, we’ve broken down the pros and cons of the most popular models to help you choose. We’ve also included several other options that our experts love to whisk, whip, and beat with, including a mixer for that’s a quarter of the price and an expert-vetted commercial one.

I’ve made a note of the capacity of each stand mixer’s bowl in quarts. I also asked bakers how many batches of dough or cookies those quarts equate to. A five-quart mixer is the standard size and has enough room for around 100 cookies’ worth of dough. If you’re pressed for space, I’ve also included an option that’s shoebox-apartment-size-friendly, as well as a commercial model if you’re cooking for a crowd.

The power of the motor in your mixer will determine how much it can whip or shred through at a time: Anything 300 watts or above is considered powerful. As for speed settings, they’re crucial to the versatility of your mixer as different recipes or tasks demand a different speed. Beating eggs and whipping frostings, for example, will require a higher speed than kneading dough. The more speed settings you have, the more you can do with your mixer.

Attachments are also key to the versatility of your machine. Each machine on this list comes with three standard attachments: a dough hook, a whisk, and a flat beater. (Each also comes with a splash guard to prevent splattering.) These are the essential tools you’ll need for baking and working dough and probably the ones you have in mind as you’re searching for a stand mixer. But other optional attachments are offered with most stand mixers, which elevate it to a truly multifunctional tool: from meat grinders to ice cream–makers to vegetable spiralizers. As every mixer on this list comes with the essential three attachments I mentioned earlier, I’ve made a note of how many additional attachments there are for you to purchase for the mixer.

Stand mixers are not at all cheap, so to give you some peace of mind with your big purchase, I’ve noted what warranty each product comes under. A limited warranty covers any issues with the machine from manufacturer defects, but it doesn’t cover any damages from misuse or accidents, like dropping your machine — so be sure to use the mixer with care so as not to invalidate your warranty.

KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart

$350

$450 now 22% off

$350

Capacity: 5 quarts | Power and speeds: 325 watts, 10 speeds | Optional attachments: 10 | Warranty: 1-year limited

They’re not cheap, but the love for KitchenAids is well earned: When it comes to power and longevity, no other mixer can compare. Just one example of its supreme power: Author Samantha Seneviratne told us that her mixer kneads through two batches of a yeasted dough at a time — without so much as a rattle. This model in particular, the 5-quart Artisan, is KitchenAid’s most popular, and all but one of the experts who we spoke to owned one (and used it regularly) themselves. It has a tilt head, which is easy to pull up and down when you want to add ingredients to the mix, and it’s big enough to knead nine dozen cookies’ worth of dough at once — a respectable size for even the most prolific home bakers. With ten speeds and a range of optional attachments, it can lend itself to a countless list of kitchen tasks, from grinding meat to spiralizing veggies. And as I mentioned before, it’s an appliance that’s built to last. Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis, the duo behind the Bad Manners podcast and cookbooks, have been kneading dough in theirs for over 17 years — and it’s still going strong. “This is a product you buy for life,” they told us. (Also, while rummaging through Reddit, I discovered that this is the very stand mixer used by contestants on The Great British Baking Show, which to me is a huge thumbs-up.)

Cuisinart Precision Master 5.5qt Stand Mixer

$208

$250 now 17% off

$208

Capacity: 5.5 quarts | Power and speeds: 500 watts, 12 speeds | Optional attachments: 5 | Warranty: 3-year limited

“I have a KitchenAid Professional at home … and guess what? I never use it because it’s huge,” says Lili Dagan, culinary director at Blue Apron. “I find that the cheaper and aesthetically similar Cuisinart gets the job done.” At 5.5 quarts, the Cuisinart Precision Master actually has a slightly larger capacity than the standard KitchenAid. It also has 12 speed settings to the KitchenAid’s 10. While its lower price tag includes the same three attachments as the KitchenAid’s, Cuisinart’s range of optional add-ons is much smaller (but does include a pasta roller and an ice cream–maker). The Cuisinart is available in 17 shades, from pastel blue to hot pink, so you can select one that matches the style of your kitchen. Its 500-watt motor is more powerful than most standard mixers’ 300-watt motors, and many reviewers, like Dagan, made a point to stress that it’s just as powerful as a KitchenAid model. The mixer also comes with a three-year limited warranty, meaning Cuisinart will repair or replace any faulty models.

$208 at Amazon

Buy

$250 at Target

Buy

Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer

$150

Capacity: 4 quarts | Power and speeds: 300 watts, 7 speeds | Optional attachments: 2 | Warranty: 1-year limited

Even cheaper still is this stand mixer from Hamilton Beach, which we often see on sale for less than $100 (its list price is around half that of the Cuisinart). It has seven speed settings and three essential attachments (a whisk, dough hook, and flat beater), and comes in six colors, including Rose, a rather sweet dusty pink. Over 1,000 reviewers on Amazon have given it five stars, and home cooks have successfully used it to knead dough, mix batter, and even shred ground meat for meatballs. There are a few downsides reflected in the cheaper price, though — namely that the motor is loud when mixing, and even though it has a 300-watt motor, it’s not quite powerful enough to knead through several batches of dough at a time. However, for a beginner or someone who only bakes occasionally, at less than $150 you can’t really go wrong. And in case you do run into problems, the mixer comes with a one-year limited warranty.

KitchenAid 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Professional Stand Mixer

$474

$550 now 14% off

$474

Capacity: 6 quarts | Power and speeds: 575 watts, 10 speeds | Optional attachments: 10 | Warranty: 1-year limited

Unlike its Artisan series, which has a tilt head, the KitchenAid Pro series mixers use a bowl-lift mechanism. Bowl-lift machines use a lever to lower the bowl down for adding ingredients, and hoist back up for mixing, where it securely locks into place for wobble-free mixing. This, along with the more stable, broader base, makes the machine suitable for larger batches and more heavy-duty jobs. And it also means that bowl-lift mixers tend to be more expensive than tilt-head models. The Pro has all the same bells and whistles as other KitchenAids — useful attachments, a great range of speeds and colors — but its bigger capacity and sturdier build make it a better choice for those cooking larger batches at once. “If you spend a lot of time in the kitchen or know you cook for a crowd, the six-quart bowl-lift models are the way to go,” advise Holloway and Davis.

KitchenAid Artisan Mini Mixer with Flex Edge Beater

$380 now 32% off

$260

Capacity: 3.5 quarts | Power and speeds: 250 watts, 10 speeds | Optional attachments: 9 | Warranty: 1-year limited

As an aspiring baker, Erica Murphy, senior commerce director at Hearst, had always coveted a KitchenAid of her own — but couldn’t find the space to store one in her shoebox city apartment. So when KitchenAid released the Artisan Mini, which is 25 percent lighter and 20 percent smaller than the full-size version, Murphy snapped it up straightaway. “The mixer can handle all the same attachments as its predecessor (minus the ice cream–maker) and comes in a rainbow of colors,” she says. “As for the mechanics, the Artisan Mini’s beater can still slice through thick batters with ease and mix together the smoothest cookie dough. ” Its reduced size means a reduced capacity at 3.5 quarts, but if you’re pressed for space and in want of a quality mixer, this itty-bitty mixer could be the one for you.

$260 at Amazon

Buy

$380 at Wayfair

Buy

Wolf Gourmet High Performance Stand Mixer 7-Qt.

$800

$1,000 now 20% off

$800

Capacity: 7 quarts | Power and speeds: 500 watts, 10 speeds | Optional attachments: 1 | Warranty: 1-year limited

The Wolf Gourmet stand mixer is big and powerful — as an industrial stand mixer should be. It has a seven-quart-capacity bowl and a 500-watt motor, so it can whip, knead, and beat its way through your ingredients. Like the larger KitchenAid, the Wolf mixer also has a bowl lift to prevent any wobbling, and it includes the same essential three attachments as every other mixer on this list. It was recommended to us by Dagan, who concedes that it does have a hefty price tag. Her advice? “Maybe throw it on your wedding registry, for that one rich cousin to buy.”

KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - Blossom

$600

$700 now 14% off

$600

Capacity: 5 quarts | Power and speeds: 325 watts, 10 speeds | Optional attachments: 10 | Warranty: 1-year limited

KitchenAids are already a pretty big splurge, but if you’re feeling extra fancy, you might be interested in its limited-edition machines. Each year, a brand-new design is released by the company, and this year it’s this mint-colored mixer with a hammered copper bowl. It’s Kanell’s favorite mixer, thanks to its refined and pretty finish. And while you can mix and match bowls and attachments across the KitchenAid range, the bowl and color of this mixer are exclusive to the 2022 model. This model also comes with the usual three attachments, plus a pastry beater.

A vibrant nonstick sheet pan.

$30

$40 now 25% off

Buy at Great Jones

A beater that scrapes the bowl for you.

Buy at Amazon

A best-selling kitchen scale.

Buy at Walmart

• Lili Dagan, culinary director at Blue Apron
• Matt Holloway and Michelle Davis, the duo behind the Bad Manners podcast and cookbooks
• John Kanell, author of Preppy Kitchen
• Erica Murphy, senior commerce director at Hearst
• Samantha Senevriatne, author of The Joys of Baking
• Grant Yoder, a baking YouTuber known as GrantBakes

get the strategist newsletter

Actually good deals, smart shopping advice, and exclusive discounts.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.

The Strategist is designed to surface the most useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Some of our latest conquests include the best acne treatments, rolling luggage, pillows for side sleepers, natural anxiety remedies, and bath towels. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.

Every editorial product is independently selected. If you buy something through our links, New York may earn an affiliate commission.

The 7 Very Best Stand Mixers

Every product is independently selected by (obsessive) editors. Things you buy through our links may earn us a commission.

Today's Top Clicked

ZimaSilk 100-Percent Mulberry-Silk Pillowcase

$24

$24 $40 40% off

Buy at Amazon

Twelve South AirFly Pro

From $35

Buy at Amazon

Scentered Sleep Well Therapy Balm

$14

$14 $24 42% off

Buy at Amazon

UGG Lenny Robe

From $89

$89 $148 40% off

Buy at Nordstrom

Starface Hydro-Stars Starter Pack (32-Count)

Buy at Amazon

The best stand mixers in 2022

Content is created by CNN Underscored’s team of editors who work independently from the CNN newsroom. When you buy through links on our site, we may earn a commission. Learn more

Reviews

What's in this guide

Sam Fuller

There are many workhorses when it comes to the kitchen. And while cast iron skillets, Dutch ovens and cutting boards are all impressive in their own right, there is perhaps no appliance more sought after than a stand mixer. Since KitchenAid pioneered the concept in 1919, stand mixers have helped mix countless batches of cookies, knead bread dough and whip frosting — and that’s before you consider the other tasks possible with attachments that can do everything from spiralizing vegetables to rolling out pasta.

With a wide range of stand mixers on the market, we decided to test nine different popular and highly rated mixers. As we put them through the paces, we discovered the ability to evenly mix ingredients while also handling wet, sticky dough is a key differentiator, ultimately leading us to recommend a pair of appliances that stood out above the mix.

Cyber Monday Deal

KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

Best stand mixer overall

KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, 5-Qt.

Williams Sonoma

The KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer delivered the best performance of the mixers we tested. With more than 20 available colors and a classic profile, you’ll want to keep this tilt-head mixer on display in your kitchen.

$450 $350 at Kitchenaid $450 $350 at Williams Sonoma

Cyber Monday Deal

KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer

Best stand mixer for large batches

Williams-Sonoma

If you prefer a bowl-lift mixer because it feels sturdier, the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series is a solid upgrade option from the Artisan series. It has a bigger stainless steel bowl and a more powerful motor that can handle bigger batches and recipes.

$550 $430 at Amazon $550 $430 at KitchenAid $550 $430 at Williams Sonoma

Cuisinart SM-50

Best affordable stand mixer

Cuisinart SM-50 5.5 - Quart Stand Mixer

Amazon

The Cuisinart SM-50 outperformed all of the cheaper mixers we tested, so if you’re looking to upgrade your baking or cooking tools without stretching your budget too much, it’s a great choice.

From $188 at Amazon

KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer

Jonathan Bender/CNN Underscored

The KitchenAid Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer bested the competition in each of our three recipe tests, mixing, kneading and whipping more effectively than the other mixers we examined — no surprise from the latest iteration of a design that’s been around for a century.

The KitchenAid stood out as the best in class when it came to mixing and kneading dough. The paddle easily creamed butter and sugar, then gently folded in chips and dried fruit. Slack dough came together quickly, and the bread loaf had a crackly crust surrounding a soft interior. While it wasn’t the quietest machine we tested, the noise didn’t stop a conversation at normal volume, and the motor didn’t sound like it was laboring.

The stainless steel bowl locked in and out of place quickly, and the handle was easy to grip. The 10-speed gear shifter slid with a smooth motion, and the clearly differentiated speeds all proved useful. It could gently mix at low speeds and whip at high speeds.

The KitchenAid comes with a full set of accessories that will get you started baking or mixing right out of the box; we were impressed with the simplicity of attaching and removing these during our time with the mixer, and with the versatility the wide range of available tools gives the mixer.

The powder-coated aluminum dough hook and paddle are sturdy and dishwasher-safe, while the whip (which, as is the case with nearly every other mixer whip attachment, has to be hand-washed) produced light, fluffy frosting that was smooth and evenly mixed. The included pouring shield had a wide mouth for adding flour while the mixer was running, and it kept splatter in the bowl during our tests.

A strength of the KitchenAid mixer lineup is that it’s easy to extend it to do a huge range of kitchen tasks. Dozens of attachments are available, ranging from alternative beaters and paddles that you can use in the bowl to full-fledged appliance replacements that attach to the mixer’s front-mounted “power hub” port. A flex edge beater (with a built-in scraper that moves along the sides of the bowl while mixing) is a good first addition, and from there you can purchase devices that do everything from shredding and spiralizing vegetables to rolling out pasta, grinding flour or meat, or making ice cream

The KitchenAid is on the heavier side at 26 pounds, but the weight gives it stability that is worth the extra effort in moving it around the kitchen. The mixer has the heft to handle up to 9 cups of flour without sliding around the counter.

It’s available in more than 20 colors ranging from mineral water blue to feather pink and a variety of bowl materials and designs from glass to ceramic with a floral motif. With a mix of colors and top-notch performance, the KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer lets you have a showpiece and workhorse in the same machine.

KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer

Jonathan Bender/CNN Underscored

If you bake more than twice a week, find yourself regularly hosting large family gatherings or needing to make big batches of cookies (anything above four dozen), the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series is worth stretching your budget. One important note: The Professional 600 Series mixer is 17 inches tall, so you might want to measure the space between your countertop and upper cabinets before purchasing.

The 6-quart bowl can work through enough dough to make 13 dozen cookies or mash up to 8 pounds of potatoes, so you can tackle everyday tasks in between big holiday gatherings. The bowl has a solid U-shaped handle. It snaps securely into place and can then be raised or lowered with the bowl lift handle.

The dough hook sat slightly too far above the base of the bowl when it came out of the box, but that was easy to remedy by using a flathead screwdriver to adjust the set screw that sits behind the bowl in the stem of the mixer.

The bowl mixer worked well when there were a lot of ingredients in the bowl. The cookie dough was even without being dense. There were chips and fruit in each bite of cookie, a trick that other mixers couldn’t manage. In short, this machine is built to get through big batches of dough.

A quick wipe with a damp cloth got the mixer clean. The wire whip needs to be hand-washed, and while the other accessories (dough hook and paddle) could be cleaned in the dishwasher, it was just as easy to rinse them in the sink, as dough didn’t stick to the powder coating.

Cuisinart SM-50 Stand Mixer

Jonathan Bender/CNN Underscored

The Cuisinart SM-50 mixed significantly better than any of the ultra-budget mixers we tested. Although it didn’t do as well as the top performers, for those looking to spend a bit less it can likely do everything you need. The more we worked with it, the more we liked it.

The 12-speed motor provided a surprising amount of power without being noisy, working quickly through thick cookie dough and slack bread dough. The whisk, however, didn’t live up to the other accessories. The size was a bit too big for the 5.5-quart bowl — adding powdered sugar was messy — and we had to stop whipping several times to scrape down the bowl. Once the butter was incorporated, the Cuisinart produced light and fluffy frosting with a great texture.

At slightly over 18 pounds, it was easy to lift on and off the counter yet still sturdy enough to remain in place when mixing a bowl full of ingredients.

The Cuisinart SM-50 has a three-year limited warranty, comes in 11 color options, has appealing styling (the chrome bubble on the head reminded us of a character from the Among Us viral video game) and there are five additional attachments available if you want to extend its usefulness. It may not be cheap at $250, but nothing cheaper was as satisfying to use. If you’re looking to get into baking and don’t want to stretch your budget too much, the SM-50 makes sense.

There are two common types of stand mixers: tilt-head and bowl-lift stand mixers. A tilt-head stand mixer has a hinged top so you can swing the head up to place a bowl in the base or add ingredients. A bowl-lift mixer has a fixed head and a lever that lets you raise or lower the bowl.

With a tilt-head mixer, you’ll have more space to swap out accessories or scrape down the sides of the bowl while the mixer is off. But if you’ll be fine-tuning your recipes or need to add ingredients while a mixer is running, you may find a bowl-lift mixer to be a better option because there is more space between the bowl and the bottom of the mixer head. A bowl-lift mixer may also provide more stability when a mixer is churning through heavier dough, whereas a tilt-head mixer may vibrate or move up and down slightly as the motor has to work harder.

A pair of heavy-duty mixers that we tested — the Bosch Universal and Ankarsrum Original — have a motor in the base and a bowl that slides on top; this design leaves the top open for adding ingredients.

You’ll also want to think about whether your mixer will stay on the counter or be tucked away in a pantry or cabinet. The stand mixers we tested ranged in height from 10.3 inches to 19 inches tall. While they all fit underneath a standard set of cabinets, the weight proved to be a more significant factor.

The Dash, at just under 3 pounds, was easily portable. The KitchenAid Professional 600 Series at 29 pounds took some arm muscle to lift on and off the counter. The heavier mixers were better at handling bigger batches of ingredients because the weight helped them stay in place on the counter once the motor was on. If your mixer is going to live on the counter, it might be a nice accent piece or colorful addition to your kitchen. Mixers have expanded past chrome, white or black and now come in a wide range of pastel or bright hues.

Stand mixers can become trusty kitchen partners and help save you time and sore forearms with mixing and kneading. If you regularly make cookies or bread, consider a stand mixer with a stronger motor (325 watts or above) and a bit more weight for stability.

Most of the machines we looked at ship with three accessories: a paddle for mixing, a dough hook for kneading and a whisk attachment for whipping. Check to see what’s included before purchasing and what’s available as an add-on.

The major brands offer bowls in different materials (glass, ceramic or stainless steel) as well as attachments that allow your stand mixer to function as a grinder or pasta roller, or even replace other appliances, such as an ice cream maker, blender or food processor.

KitchenAid in particular has a very large range of attachments, both for the bowl and the front-mounted “power hub” motor port common to its mixers. Bosch and Ankarsrum accessories take advantage of the base-mounted motor design and offer blender, food processor and juicer attachments that work much like their stand-alone counterparts.

You can clean the base and the head of your mixer with a wet dish towel. Keep in mind that tilt-head mixers might have more open spaces where dry ingredients can get caught.

While you will have to hand-wash your whisks (soak them in warm water and dish soap first to break down frosting or whipped cream), it’s fairly standard for a mixer to otherwise have attachments and a bowl that are dishwasher-safe.

If you’re looking for peace of mind on what can be a big investment, every mixer we tested had a replacement warranty of at least one year, with the Ankarsrum Original offering a seven-year warranty on its motor.

After looking at well-reviewed and best-selling models, we treated nine stand mixers as if it were the holidays and a lot of family were coming over for dinner. Over the course of a month, we tested the same recipes for buttercream frosting, a crusty loaf of bread and dried apricot and white chocolate chip cookies on each machine.

The mixers ranged in price from $50 to $700, and their performance was as varied as you might expect. We looked at different design styles and various configurations, including tilt-head and bowl-lift mixers, and were delighted that the mixers came in as many colors as the food dye we used for the frosting.

We also considered how easy it was to get a mixer up and running, how well it operated once we started adding ingredients to the bowl and how hard it was to clean up everything when we were done. Here are the criteria we used in testing each model:

This mixer scored on the lower end in performance. The tilt head released with a nifty lever but an ominous clank. Unlike the KitchenAid, the Aucma struggled to evenly mix ingredients. It was loud when whipping frosting, and we had to stop repeatedly to scrape down the sides of the bowl. Thick cookie dough had the small tilt mixer rocking slightly, although the compact mixer was able to knead bread dough together after initially struggling to pull the wet dough off the sides of the bowl.

If you’re looking for a mixer to complete the look of your kitchen, the Aucma is adorable, with a glowing LED speed knob and colors fit for Hello Kitty’s kitchen. And if you don’t want to leave it out, the tilt-head mixer is also lightweight at less than 12 pounds and has a large 6.5 quart bowl with two handles.

The Smeg stand mixer looks like a high-performance race car with sleek lines and chrome accents. It was portable and easy to operate out of the box, but it didn’t quite perform at the same level as our top mixers despite a similar price tag.

Smeg’s “Smooth Start” feature means the motor gradually accelerates to the speed you set on the dial (up to 10). While this felt choppy at first and ingredients didn’t combine as quickly, the mixer was effective once it got up to speed.

The bread hook and whisk attachments had heft and were up to the task of kneading bread dough and whipping frosting. The paddle left a bit more cookie dough at the bottom of the bowl than we’d like, and didn’t evenly distribute the chips and dried fruit as well as our top picks.

The glossy exterior, while beautiful (and the Smeg is available in a bunch of attractive finishes), tended to show smudges after cleaning. Smeg offers a range of accessories (including pasta makers, a grinder, a slicer and a grater), though not quite as extensive as that available for the more established KitchenAid, Bosch or Ankarsrum machines.

The handle — reminiscent of a giant hand mixer — makes it easier to carry. But even with suction cup feet, the Hamilton Beach doesn’t have the weight to mix ingredients well. It bucked up and chipped the plastic splash guard while trying to plow through a big mound of cookie dough. The frosting was slightly grainy, and the bread was too dense. The bowl’s base, with grooves for locking in place, took extra time to clean.

The Bosch Universal Plus consistently ranked near the top of the models we tested in terms of performance, but the plastic bowl, the need to hand-wash attachments and the fact that neither cookie paddles nor the heavy-duty mount for them were included at a price point equivalent to the KitchenAid Artisan kept it from topping the charts.

The Universal Plus (which Bosch has made since 1952) uses a very different design from KitchenAid-style machines, with the motor in the base and the bowl mounted from the top; the accessories mount on a central column that attaches at the center of the bowl. This makes for a squatter machine that is deeper than it is tall, unlike the KitchenAid.

The shorter profile holds a robust 500-watt motor with four distinct speeds and a pulse option. On the plus side, the wide 6.5-quart plastic bowl offers plenty of room to add ingredients around the attachments that snap onto a central column. The attachments, though, are all hand-wash, which made for a bit more work than the other models we tested.

The Bosch is a great performer, and just like the KitchenAid it shone with bread dough, quickly kneading it into shape with good elasticity. The Bosch produced light and airy frosting, although some powdered sugar got stuck to the central column just out of the double whisks’ reach. It handled cookie dough well with an even distribution of the chips and fruit. At 17 pounds, the mixer stayed in place (it has suction cup feet for extra grip) but could still be moved without too much effort.

A three-year warranty on the motor, along with more than 20 available accessories (the  bottom drive means there are attachments that convert the device to a full-fledged blender and food processor) means the Bosch could happily live in your kitchen for quite a while. If the design appeals to you but you prefer a stainless steel bowl, a version is available for $60 more, though with the same limited accessories as the less expensive version.

This 3-pound micro mixer has some nice touches — a base that slides to allow you to negotiate around big lumps — and a dishwasher-safe bowl and attachments, but it performs like an undersized hand mixer. The instructions warn you not to add too many ingredients or use it for longer than three minutes at a time. Based on the noise of the motor, this seems like sage advice. Large batches of frosting didn’t whip, and our bread dough didn’t come together evenly. If you were making only single servings, the Dash might make sense, but you’re likely better off finding a new hand mixer or used stand mixer in an online marketplace.

With a variable speed motor and an 8-quart bowl, the Ankarsrum Original Kitchen Machine feels like a commercial kitchen’s mixer that accidentally got shipped to your house. The Swedish mixer, which debuted in 1940, arrives with a hardcover recipe guide, two bowls and a recommendation (take the recommendation) that you watch a YouTube video before using it.

While the bevy of attachments and options seem daunting, the learning curve isn’t steep. A scraper slots in underneath the arm that holds the dough hook and dough roller, which worked together effectively to knead and mix dough in the 8-quart stainless steel bowl. The single-wire beaters quickly creamed butter and sugar for the frosting, but it was difficult to add dry ingredients without getting them on top of the central mixing widget above the included 6.5-quart plastic bowl.

The most expensive mixer we tested, the Ankarsrum Original was quiet and amply powered at 600 watts. The mixer comes with a seven-year warranty for the motor and can take on a wide range of kitchen tasks. You can purchase an extensive range of attachments that let you use it as a juicer, pasta roller, grain mill, blender and more. It’s a fit for bakers making large batches of bread or baked goods several times a week, but it’s probably more machine than you need on your counter.

Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.

Thanks for subscribing! Your welcome email is on its way.

Receive product recommendations, reviews & deals several times a week.

By subscribing, you agree to our privacy policy

Best mixers, top 9 rating of kitchen mixers