How to choose a stand mixer
Before You Buy a Stand Mixer
There's no denying that a stand mixer is so much nicer to use than a hand model, but you do pay for this convenience. On the other hand, a stand model is much more functional, especially if optional accessories are available. Buying a stand mixer can require a small investment, and with different wattage, features, and capacities, it can seem downright confusing to shop for one. And this is one appliance you don't want to have to replace anytime soon. These tips can help you make the right purchase decision.
Stand Mixer Use Is the Ultimate Consideration
How you intend to use the mixer is your first consideration. If you bake for a large family or social events or make several loaves of bread a week, you need a powerful motor and a large capacity bowl - a minimum of 600 watts of power and a 6 qt. bowl or larger. Basing your decision on capacity is important. If your needs are smaller and you buy a large mixer, you'll find it cumbersome to use for small batches. On the other hand, if your needs are great and you buy an undersized unit, you'll need to split your recipes and process them in batches.
A Caution Regarding Power Performance and Capacity
It may seem that the higher the wattage, the more power for mixing and kneading. Unfortunately, this is not always the case. Some mixers may use more wattage to operate than other models, and power output may be less than denoted. This is why it is wiser to base your buying decision on capacity, rather than solely on advertised wattage. Manufacturers will often provide capacity (so many cups of flour, etc.) guidelines which can be very helpful, but since these usually tend to be a little on the high side and may not be the best for optimum mixing, base your decision on a reduced capacity level.
Best Stand Mixer Features
Overload protection is a nice feature, as is a locking tilt head. An all-metal construction offers more durability. 10 to 12 speeds are average and most stand mixers come with 3 standard attachments (whisk, dough hook, and beater).
Some models have a convenient timer onboard to remove the guesswork and a splash guard to prevent spills. A motor that ramps up to the speeds will help protect the unit. Models with hubs to connect optional accessories are the most functional. Warranties tend to vary between brands, but some do offer longer periods.
A Stand Mixer Has Its Limitations
While you would expect a high-wattage mixer to easily handle any dough, they do have limitations. Even the best mixers have trouble handling a very stiff dough. When dough causes the motor to become sluggish and stall, that means your mixer was not designed to handle that capacity or denseness of dough. It's not unusual to finish kneading bread dough by hand, even with a powerful mixer. To prevent motor burnout, follow the manufacturer's guidelines as to how long to operate the mixer during a session. Keep in mind that not all mixers have built-in overload protection and they are not meant to run continually for long periods.
Optional Stand Mixer Accessories
Many models come with a hub to connect optional accessories including vegetable/meat grinder, pasta or sausage maker. Although these accessories add to the cost of a mixer, they do make it more functional and reduce the number of appliances you need. However, they need sufficient power to operate these, and you may want to consider the power level when purchasing your mixer.
Where Quality Speaks - What Influences Price
Since there's a wide price range for stand mixers, you should consider what influences the price. A base model may only have one mixing action (middle), whereas a higher-priced unit will have a spiral or rotating action that covers a wide mixing area and gets closer to the side of the bowl. This action mixes better and pulls in the contents, so there's less scraping needed. The more power, the more you can do with the mixer. More expensive units will also have more durable parts and all-metal construction.
Other Considerations
Depending on the cost of your mixer, you may want to consider an extended warranty.
Related Questions
Should you consider a pink ribbon stand mixer? What if there is something wrong with your purchase? The manufacturer does need to know when the product does not perform as intended. There are options when you need to dispose of old kitchen appliances. Make sure you investigate the information surrounding your appliance thoroughly.
Our Stand Mixer Buying Guide
Every editorial product is independently selected, though we may be compensated or receive an affiliate commission if you buy something through our links. Ratings and prices are accurate and items are in stock as of time of publication.
Need a hand deciding which stand mixer is best for you? Our stand mixer buying guide has all the info you need to choose the best one for your kitchen.
For an avid home baker, a stand mixer is a must-have.
This kitchen gadget makes baking a breeze, simplifying dough prep and beating egg whites, whipping cream and more without tiring out your arm. Even regular cooks can appreciate a stand mixer’s ability to make the fluffiest mashed potatoes, perfectly combine ingredients for meatballs and shred chicken or pork.
Here’s a look at the variety of stand-mixer sizes, price ranges and features you’ll encounter.
Our Stand Mixer Buying GuideNow that you’ve decided to add a stand mixer to your arsenal of kitchen gadgets, there are a few things to consider:
Size and WeightLarge mixers are a winner for anyone who bakes throughout the week or needs to feed a hungry family. If you opt for a larger stand mixer, it’s important to remember it needs a powerful motor to properly knead dough. Your new mixer should also be fairly heavy to keep from shimmying around on your countertop.
If you cook for two or have a small kitchen with limited counter space, you’ll definitely want to consider a smaller model.
The standard size bowl is between 4.5 and 5.5 quarts, which is perfect for most cakes and homemade frostings. Smaller models are easier to move from cupboard to countertop, an absolute essential if you don’t plan on using your mixer on a regular basis.
Larger sizes can range from 6 to 8 quarts, which is ideal for all the bake sale heroes out there!
Our Pick for a Small Mixer: KitchenAid Artisan Series, $380
Our Pick for a Large Mixer: KitchenAid Professional 600 Series, $500
Stand mixers are available at all price levels and the best of the best will set you back hundreds of dollars. The price of these machines is based on factors like brand name, capacity and features, plus any special attachments. The good news is that you can pick up a quality stand mixer for around $100. Some are available at lower prices; however, these mixers tend to be less sturdy and may break down with repeated heavy use.
A great stand mixer is an investment for your kitchen, so it might be worth spending the extra cash.
PowerA general guideline is to pick up the most powerful mixer in your budget range. The higher the wattage, the more powerful the motor, which means you can safely mix sturdier dough. (Keep our best recipes for homemade bread handy!)
Test Kitchen tip: Aim for 300 watts and higher.
Features and AccessoriesFrom speed settings to attachments, you’ll want to compare the available features on the models you’re considering. Opt for a stand mixer that has multiple speed settings and comes with whisks, a dough hook and a paddle for the best value.
Every stand mixer on the market has a wide selection of accessories you can buy to get the most out of this brilliant gadget. There’s a KitchenAid attachment for everything, including homemade ice cream and fresh pasta.
Things You Never Thought to Make in a Stand Mixer
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Making meatballs can be tough on your wrists—especially when whipping up a big batch.
Save your energy by letting a stand mixer do some of the work. Simply toss the breadcrumbs, eggs, seasonings and any other add-ins from your favorite recipe into the mixing bowl. Use the paddle attachment on a low speed to combine the ingredients. Then, add the meat until mixture is lightly but thoroughly incorporated.
Get Our Recipe for Great-Grandma's Italian Meatballs
In the market for a new stand mixer?This is our favorite KitchenAid model.
Whether you're shredding chicken for a crowd or a single sandwich, let your stand mixer do all of the work. No forks required. Simply toss cooked, boneless chicken into the mixing bowl, secure the paddle attachment and turn the mixer on a low speed. Voila! In just a few seconds you'll have effortless pulled chicken.
Get Our Recipe for Shredded Barbecue Chicken over Grits
Check out the 10 best KitchenAid attachments you can buy.
Guac lovers, listen up. The days of mixing your favorite chip dip by hand are over. Make guacamole in a stand mixer by placing halved avocados, lime juice and your favorite seasonings in the mixing bowl. Use the paddle attachment on a medium speed to combine. Then, stir in diced tomatoes, onions, jalapeños and any other add-ins you'd like.
Get Our Recipe for Catherine's Guacamole
No bread machine? No problem. You can still make easy homemade doughs—no kneading required. Just attach a dough hook to your mixer and let it work its magic. Your dough is done when it's smooth and elastic.
Get Our Recipe for Perfect Pizza Crust
Crispy? Chewy? Cheese-stuffed? Here's how to make homemade pizza crust just the way you like it.
Mashed potatoes are a holiday favorite, but they can take a toll on your time (and energy!) when mashing by hand.
Lighten up your workload by making oh-so-creamy potatoes in your stand mixer. The paddle attachment makes quick work of boiled potatoes, butter, milk and any add-ins you desire. Just mix the spuds on a low or medium speed until you reach the desired consistency.
Get Our Recipe for Cream Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Stuffed shells are a comfort food classic, but they can be tedious to assemble. Make the task easier by preparing the filling in your stand mixer. Blend the cheese, seasonings, egg and any other add-ins on a medium speed with the paddle attachment. Once combined, scoop the mixture straight from the bowl into the cooked shells.
Get Our Recipe for Italian Stuffed Shells
No appetizer spread is complete without a good dip, but it takes time to chop and combine all of those ingredients. Use your stand mixer to speed up the process. When making spinach and artichoke dip, for example, mix together the cream cheese, mozzarella, seasonings and other base ingredients until smooth.
Then, throw in the spinach, artichokes and other veggies. In just minutes you've made a creamy-yet-chunky dip that's ready to pop in the oven.
Get Our Recipe for Five-Cheese Spinach & Artichoke Dip
Macarons don't have to be intimidating. The secret is to get your egg whites perfectly whipped—and a stand mixer can help you do just that. Let the egg whites reach room temperature, then beat with the whisk attachment until stiff peaks form.
Get Our Recipe for Hazelnut Macarons
Ever wonder the difference between macaroons and macarons? Here it is.
We know that scrambled eggs are super easy to make by hand. But when whipping up a big batch for company you'll appreciate your stand mixer's power. Simply crack the eggs into the mixing bowl, secure the whisk attachment, and add your desired amount of milk and seasonings. Blend for a minute or so until the eggs are fluffy and light.
Get Our Recipe for Fluffy Scrambled Eggs
Take the mess out of pulled pork by shredding the meat in your stand mixer. Use the paddle attachment and a low speed to tear apart warm meat. Just be sure to cut the roast into medium-sized pieces before attempting to shred it—placing a whole roast in the bowl will overwhelm your machine.
Get Our Recipe for Root Beer Pulled Pork Sandwiches
Meat loaf oftentimes requires that you mix the ingredients multiple times. When you use a stand mixer, you'll cut down on both prep time and dirtied dishes. Start by beating the eggs. Then add in the milk, bread and other ingredients. Finally, add the meat and mix well. With just one bowl you've made a hearty dinner.
Get Our Recipe for Best-Ever Meat Loaf
Cheesecake filling can be a real pain to mix by hand—especially if the ingredients are cold. Minimize the muscle by mixing up your filling in a stand mixer.
Just blend all of the ingredients until super smooth and pour into your prepared crust.
Get Our Recipe for Ricotta Cheesecake
Add extra flavor to your butter with herbs and spices. Just place softened butter in the mixer, add your seasonings, and let the mixer evenly incorporate. If you're feeling extra ambitious, make the butter from scratch by placing heavy cream in the stand mixer. Whip it on high speed until butter starts to form. Drain away any excess liquid, and that's it! You have fresh, homemade butter.
Get Our Recipe for Lemon Tarragon Butter
It's tough to combine stiff ingredients—like ice cream and butter—by hand. Use your stand mixer to create these sweet Polish treats. Trust us, your arm will thank you.
Get Our Recipe for Ice Cream Kolachkes
Lasagna is a labor of love, but that doesn't mean it has to take hours to make. Speed up the process by preparing at least one of the fillings in your stand mixer.
Create the cheese layer by blending together ricotta, eggs, mozzarella and more with a paddle attachment on medium speed.
Get Our Recipe for Traditional Lasagna
Homemade marshmallows are SO much better than the store-bought kind. And with the help of your stand mixer, they're not too challenging to make. Once you've brought all the ingredients to a boil, pour the liquid into your stand mixer and beat on high until the mixture is thick and has doubled in volume.
Get Our Recipe for Homemade Holiday Marshmallows
Up Next:9 KitchenAid Major Appliances We'd Be Happy to Have in Our Homes
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Planetary mixer. How to choose | Pastry School
Today we'll talk about how to choose planetary mixer for the work of a home pastry chefManual pastry mixers are in almost every kitchen, but professional pastry chefs often prefer planetary mixer .
This is a device in which the whisk rotates both around its axis and inside the bowl at the same time.
While these mixers are running, you can do other tasks such as making cream or cleaning the table. Hands remain free, and the work is done. In this article, we will consider how a kitchen machine to replace the mixer and the mixer itself.
Why do you need a planetary mixer
The main tasks that a mixer should perform a mixer for a confectioner is+
- Knead the dough
- easily beat the cream, cream and proteins
These are two main processes, automating which you you can not only facilitate the baking process, but also significantly speed it up. This function is available both in a separate planetary mixer and as part of a kitchen machine. What to choose, a kitchen machine or a separate planetary mixer, is up to you. Just a kitchen machine has a number of additional functions that are of dubious need: a meat grinder, a shredder, a grater, a juicer.
If you are not going to use them, then you should not consider this option - just overpay..
Planetary mixer. Nozzles
In the Mixer set, there must be three nozzles : +
- Vennik for whipping proteins
- Nazing for mixing ingredients
- Hook for kneading the dough
All these nozzles should be made of certified food metal. , as it increases the service life and complies with hygiene standards.+
Power
When choosing a mixer, you may be faced with a choice of power. Sellers will assure you that the more power a planetary mixer has, the better. +
But there is one point. Few people say that this power is divided by the number of slots in the machine. That is, if you have a machine that has 3 slots: a mixer, a blender slot, a meat grinder for example. 900 watt machine.+
Therefore 300 watts per socket!!! This is a classic marketing ploy to convince you to buy more.
The popular KitchenAid has 300 watts and is the most branded mixer. +
Body material
High quality plastic and stainless steel are the materials used to make the body of kitchen machines and mixers. Models with a plastic case are more in demand. It is easier to clean, more affordable. +
Models with a stainless steel case are more durable, more reliable, but they are significantly heavier and more expensive. But you do not need to drag it from place to place. Also pay attention to the material of the nozzles (corolla, blades). They must be made of high quality food grade stainless steel. It will be very important to ask what material the internal mechanisms are made of. In some cheap (and expensive) planetary mixers and machines, the internal parts are made of plastic. The store is unlikely to tell you such information, but if you call the service center, then you will most likely be told the truth. On my old Bosch mixer, the internal parts were plastic, so it quickly failed.
+
Planetary mixer bowl
The bowl is sacred in a mixer. It is better that the bowl is made of food grade stainless steel , as plastic absorbs odors and fats. And this is not entirely hygienic. Now most models come with a stainless steel bowl, but keep this in mind so that you can take this into account when choosing a mixer. Also pay attention to bowl capacity . A very small volume (2 liters) should not be taken. In order to prepare cakes to order, 4-6 liters are enough.
I once bought a planetary mixer where the bowl had no handles. This turned out to be very inconvenient. Therefore, when buying a kitchen assistant, choose those models whose bowls have handles .+
Whipping speed
When you are going to buy a planetary mixer, you will have to choose the speed. Each model has its own distinctive features in speed. , but note that it is very convenient when there are the ability to smoothly adjust the speed.
+
Safety
When choosing a mixer, you should pay attention to safety both for the device itself and for you. .Different manufacturers produce models with different degrees of protection:+
- Restart protection
- Overtemperature protection
- Switch-on protection when the lid is open
- Switch-on protection with an incorrectly installed bowl
Also pay attention to such little things that will bring you comfort in working with the mixer:
Where to store and How to care
It is better to store the planetary mixer assembled, as it will always be ready for use and you do not need to spend time on assembly.
If the space in the kitchen does not allow, then you will have to put it in the closet, but there is nothing to be done about it. +
You can, of course, choose the model that suits your workspace, but this should not be the key to choosing this appliance. After use, wash the nozzles with detergent in running hot water and dry. Wipe the machine itself with a damp cloth from industrial drops and grease. Attention! Do not immerse the planetary mixer itself in water. Doing so will short circuit the device and cause serious injury!+
Where and what brand to buy
There is a huge choice of manufacturers on the modern market. It all depends on your goals and budget. I can recommend you models and companies that I have been using for several years and that have proven themselves (links to the described models are highlighted) :+
Budget options :
Firms KitFort, Gemlux, Pioneer, Redmond/
Do not try to buy mixers cheaper than these prices - you are guaranteed to run into low-quality goods!
Where can I buy such equipment so as not to travel all over the city?
I mostly order through online store Ozone .
It’s cheaper, very convenient and reliable. Of course, I don’t order everything there, but I ordered some of my kitchen machines and mixers there. +
You place an order and they deliver it to your home. ))) You can pay up to 70%. By the way, in no case order such things on Aliexpress or similar sites. Yes, it can be cheaper, but there is no 100% guarantee for the goods and there is a big risk of getting just a fake or a fake. The miser pays twice, or even three times. +
Perhaps you have your own experience and vision of purchasing a mixer? Please write in the comments below. +
You can learn how to use all these tools for making delicious and beautiful pastries in my course “Pastry Chef from Scratch” . More than 20 desserts https://konditerkurs.ru/shop/videokursy/konditer-s-nulya-video-kurs/t for all occasions!
More about the course
manual or stationary? Pros and cons of each
There are two main types of mixers on the modern household appliances market: manual and stationary.
And no matter how manufacturers advertise the additional features of these devices, their main purpose is to mix and whip products. But they still have some kind of differences, which gives consumers the right to choose the device that is most ideally suited to the personal needs of each.
Hand mixers: advantages and disadvantages
Such devices are distinguished by their light weight, compact size and ease of use. Also, when whipping the dough or mixing any ingredients, the mixer must be constantly held in your hands. He easily copes with everyday culinary tasks, but kneading a very thick dough is too tough for him. Among the main advantages of the device, one can clearly distinguish mobility and the ability to use them in any convenient place in the kitchen. In addition, you can take it with you to the country and cook there, because the hand mixer is quite simply transported, disassembled and washed.
Stationary mixers
In turn, this technique is solid and multifunctional.
As standard, it has the mixer itself, a mixing bowl and a stand that holds the entire device. Its undeniable advantage is independent work: you just need to press one button, after which the whole process will start. Also, with their help, you can cook more dishes than a manual model cannot boast. But the disadvantage of the device is quite obvious: due to its design features and dimensions, the device requires a separate place in the kitchen, plus the process of cleaning it is more complicated and painstaking.
KitchenAid Bright Planetary Mixer
KitchenAid Collection
Smeg
Stand MixerStrong metal tips
Based on the fact that the principle of operation of both a manual and a stationary mixer is almost the same, the choice of device should be based on its ease of use and the personal needs of each consumer. One device completely frees your hands and allows you to go about your business, the other cannot provide such an opportunity, but it is small and does not take up much space in the kitchen.
