Known for their high-end kitchen appliances, Wolf created this stand mixer that marries quality, design, and performance that will wow anyone looking to splurge on a top-notch stand mixer. The mixer is constructed of brushed stainless steel for a professional, modern look. It's equipped with a 7-quart bowl and 500-watt motor that is powerful enough to knead thick bread doughs, and it comes with a flat beater, dough hook, whisk, and splatter shield. Additional food processing accessories can attach to the tilt motorhead and are sold separately. It's constructed of metal, has a 500 watt motor, and can be operated at 12 different speeds with the turn of a dial. The mixer includes attachments like a splash guard, dough hook, whisk and flat beater, plus has seven speeds and a mixing guide that lets you know which speed to use for different mixing types.
It boasts a 4.5-star average rating from more than 5,500 Amazon reviewers. The MixStar is powered through a central column that stems from its base. To this you can attach the whisk, dough hook, or flat beater attachments which work on a cog to rotate around the bowl. Unlike many stand mixers which have only one overhead attachment, this mixer has two, which means it can power through tasks as quickly as you'll need. All the attachments store easily in an insert that sits in the bowl itself, which means this stand mixer is incredibly easy to store, and significantly less space-intensive as other options.
Most stand mixers come with a dough hook attachment that's designed specifically for that machine. Most smaller dough recipes are written for stand mixers, and typically include directions for how long to mix doughs, and at what speed. Most doughs are mixed at lower speeds on a stand mixer to keep from damaging the gears and overworking the motor. The time spent mixing depends entirely on the dough, but there are a few signs you can look for to know when the dough has finished mixing. It has a 4.7-star average rating from more than 4,000 Amazon shoppers and comes in six different colors.
Like the KitchenAid stand mixers, the SMEG stand mixer comes with a hub on the front and a line-up of attachments, including several pasta cutters, grinder, and slicer attachments. This tilt-head model's features include ten speeds, whisk, beater, dough hook attachments, detachable pouring shield, and weighted enough to avoid walking across the counter while mixing. Cuisinart products are known for being reliable without breaking the bank. The designs are unfussy, with contemporary brushed stainless steel features for a consistent look across the company's wide range of products.
It also comes with multiple accessories — including a flat beater, dough hook, wire whip and pouring shield — and comes in multiple colors. If you live in a smaller space, consider getting the KitchenAid Artisan Mini, which is 20 percent smaller than the original, according to the brand, and features a 3.5-quart bowl. This top-rated mixer has an impressive 4.9-star average rating from more than 33,500 Williams Sonoma shoppers. These powerful stand mixers can crank through dough for as many as nine-dozen cookies at a time in their 5-quart stainless steel bowls. Each includes a flat beater, wire whip, dough hook, and pouring shield, so you're ready to get to work as soon as you get it out of the box. They also have the multipurpose attachment hubs that turn KitchenAid mixers into do-everything kitchen tools.
Like other hand mixers on the market, this unit comes equipped with two paddle attachments, two dough hook attachments, and a balloon whisk attachment. Six speeds are easy to adjust with a slider on top of the mixer and a pulse button for getting a mix started. These are the workhorses of the legendary KitchenAid stand mixer collection.
The most obvious difference between them and the other models is the size of the stainless steel mixing bowl – a hefty 6 quarts. That offers room for big recipes, while a super-charged motor can handle mixtures that include as much as 14 cups of flour. That enables you to produce enough dough for more than eight loaves of bread or 13 dozen cookies at once. Stand mixers look the part, but they are also essential for taking the muscle work out of even the toughest recipes. Anyone who's spent ten minutes kneading bread dough or hand-beating cake mix will know that it's a lot of arm work.
KitchenAid is well-known for its line of attachments and accessories that are interchangeable across the entire line of mixers. These include pasta sheeters, meat grinders, juicers, spiralizers, food processors, a sausage stuffer, and ice cream maker bowl—among others. The brand also offers designer bowl replacements and even third-party accessories given the popularity of the KitchenAid machines. If you want your stand mixer to be a multi-purpose workhorse, consider getting one that offers comparable accessories. The KitchenAid 7-quart Pro-Line is used and trusted in professional pastry kitchens and bakeries everywhere.
Instead of the tilt-head design, this professional model holds the mixing bowl on arms that are raised and lowered around the mixing attachment with a lever on the side of the machine. This mixer is powered by a 300-watt motor and includes a chrome-plated aluminum dough hook, wire whisk, and plastic beater for versatility. The stainless steel mixing bowl and attachments are dishwasher-safe for easy cleaning. This has the same planetary mixing action as popular high-end mixers, at a budget price, so your cake batters will be smooth and your whipped cream will be fluffy. There are six speeds, plus a special fold setting for gentle mixing. The 3 1/2 quart mixing bowl is large enough for most baking needs, and the non-slip feet keep the machine stable as it works.
The mixer head tilts up for easy access to the bowl and locks down in use, so it won't bounce when mixing thick batters and doughs. Most manufacturers offer a range of stand mixer attachments to buy. These include rollers for making pasta and specialised ravioli makers. There are also mincers or grinders for processing meat, slicers, pre-freeze ice cream bowls, millers, spiralisers and juicers. Accessories and attachments can take up a fair amount of room in your kitchen.
Look for models that can store accessories inside the bowl or come with a storage box. Commercial Series mixers each include a brushed stainless steel bowl with a "J" style commercial handle. The beater, whip, and dough hook are made from dishwasher-safe stainless steel, and the heavy duty metal knobs stand up to repeated use. While not available in as many colors as some of the smaller models, the Pro-Line still comes in the most popular colors that match almost any kitchen. This model sports all-metal fixtures and gears inside, instead of the plastic ones found on lower-end models.
As with all KitchenAid stand mixers, the attachment hub on the machine's front will accommodate any attachments from other models. A 1.3-horsepower motor makes mixing thicker doughs more convenient, including thick cookie doughs and even a single batch of thick bagel dough. Although you can mix batters and knead bread dough by hand, these tasks are much more efficient with an electric mixer. Some handheld mixers don't have enough power to knead thick doughs and churn through large batches of cookie and cake batter. Plus, you have to hold them the whole time which can result in some serious hand and arm fatigue.
If you're looking for a better way to mix and whip through your recipes, you may want to clear some counter space and invest in a stand mixer. Some of your attachments are coated and are fine to be put in the dishwasher these are white like the flat beater and dough hook. These attachments are made from aluminum and washing them in the dishwasher causes oxidation which is that nasty black stuff. PowerA higher wattage means a more powerful motor, which can come in handy if you have large quantities of food or heavier dough.
Most good quality stand mixers have wattages ranging from 250 watts to upwards of 1000 watts. If you're planning on using a stand mixer for more heavy-duty baking projects, 500 watts or more is a powerful option for most professional bakers. How to shop for a stand mixerStand mixers are larger kitchen devices that typically come with a mixing bowl and several attachments used for different types of mixing, whipping and kneading. Unlike a hand mixer, a stand mixer doesn't need to move from the counter or be monitored to do its job, so you can leave it running while doing other activities in the kitchen.
Stand mixers often feature more than one outlet – the main outlet being using to rotate the tool in the bowl. Additional ones are usually located at the front of the machine or on the top of the lever arm. These allow you to power attachments, turning your simple stand mixer into a multifunctional kitchen helper.
Standard mixer attachments include a blender jug for making smoothies and soups, or crushing ice, and sometimes a food processor for slicing, grating and chopping. To get a better view as your cake mixes, there's an LED light that shines down from the tilt-head into the mixing bowl. This meant we didn't have to go around the outside of the bowl with a spatula to make sure that all of our ingredients were well incorporated. Food processors are able to slice, grate, and chop ingredients, where a stand mixer will need a food processor attachment to do the same tasks. While some doughs can be mixed in a heavy-duty food processor, most doughs are still best mixed in a stand mixer.
If the majority of your kitchen needs revolve around prepping fruits, vegetables, and sauces, you should consider a food processor. If your needs are more baking and mixing-based, you should consider a stand or hand mixer. A stand mixer is built to handle baking and mixing projects that would otherwise be difficult to do by hand. This includes whipping a large amount of liquid, creaming butter and sugar together, mixing a smooth dough, and incorporating ingredients that might be difficult to handle from extreme temperatures. Most stand mixers are equipped for whipping, beating, and kneading and can be used for both pastry and savory cooking projects. The detachable 4-quart bowl can handle small mixing projects but will likely not handle thick cookie and bread dough.
This machine is ideal for whipping cream, meringues, and mixing cake batters. After a few projects, you'll probably know if this machine has everything you need or if you want a more powerful hand or stand mixer. This has a 3 1/2 quart bowl, so it won't hold as much as the full-size models, but it's fine for dozens of cookies at a time.
This includes a coated flat beater, coated dough hook, and wire whip and comes in 10 different colors. You can get this mixer in a wide variety of colors to match or accent your kitchen décor, and the tilt-head makes it easy to switch from paddle to dough hook, add ingredients, or scrape the bowl. This mixer has a 5-quart bowl and comes with a flat beater, a dough hook, wire whisk, and a pouring shield. Not too big, not too small, this 10-speed mixer can knead a double batch of cookie dough and mix small amounts just as easily.
No matter what the task, our tester said this machine "proved its worth." We tested this machine with everything from whipped cream to bread dough, and it mixed it all with ease. When someone says they have a stand mixer, they're most likely talking about a KitchenAid, and probably even this model. Food mixers can chop, blend and mix all kinds of food, saving you time and effort in the kitchen when you need it the most. There are several different types including stand mixers and hand mixers with top brands such as Kenwood food mixers and Bosch food mixers leading the way. If you're looking to spend less time in the kitchen or even if you want to branch out and create more adventurous dishes you'll find a food mixer that fits your requirements. From slicers and dicers to scales and even food processors, there's a KitchenAid stand mixer accessory for just about any use.
If she already owns the iconic kitchen gadget, pick up a new accessory she can attach to her mixer and use while cooking. The slicer and shredder attachment is affordable, effective and incredibly useful, especially since it's powered by the motor in your mixer, allowing mom to leverage that power for quick shredding. While the design is a little unusual, we found that it did a great job of incorporating all of our ingredients thanks to the planetary mixing motion that reaches all edges of the bowl. The dough hook is also great for making springy loaves with well-kneaded dough.
The 1000-watt motor comes in handy here, too, but with only five speed settings, it lacks some more specific speeds. From the Great British Bake Off to Nigella's home kitchen, the KitchenAid Artisan is a classic. We put it to the test to see if it's still the cream of the crop. This stand mixer is stunning and sturdy, but the motor is a little lacking compared to some of the others in our guide.
You can make up to two batches of bread at a time in this mixer, so it's a good balance between size and capacity. In testing, we loved how easily it was able to knead bread and make cakes and whipped cream with the Morphy Richards MixStar. The mixer is noiser than some, and it's also lacking that classic tilt-head design that many find so appealing about a stand mixer. If it's not the look you're after though, this is an immensely capable model.
It comes with an in-built timer that allows you to plan your baking exploits perfectly, and its six-point speed dial is variable which gives you complete control of your mixing. Whether you're a beginner, a casual baker or more experienced, the kMix stand mixer offers something for everyone. Not only is it incredibly easy to control with six speeds and a fold option, but its five-litre heatproof glass bowl also allows you to see exactly what's going on inside. It also features a 1,000W motor designed to handle up to 1.35kg of difficult dough. On the downside, thanks to its metal body, it's another heavy mixer at 10.9kg.
With a large 5-quart capacity and a high-performance motor, an Artisan Series mixer can handle mixtures that include as much as nine cups of flour. That means it's capable of producing enough dough for four and a half loaves of bread or 9 dozen cookies in a single batch. Similar to the classic tilt-head stand mixers, these models allow for the top of the unit to lift out of the way for easy access to the bowl, which locks securely into place in the solid base. Selected Smith + Nobel food processors come with a blender jug with variable speed control.
They can also include grinder mills, blade hook, dough hook, stainless steel cutting discs, emulsifier disc, citrus press, and spatula. When working with extra sticky products, like marshmallows or very wet dough, you can grease the bowl of a stand mixer in a couple of different ways. If you're using the bowl to let a product rest before mixing or turning out, a non-stick spray like PAM should be enough to do the trick.
For very sticky ingredients that are going to get worked a little bit, you'll want a heavier-duty oil like canola, vegetable, neutral, or olive oil. For prolonged mixing, any oil that you use will eventually be incorporated into your ingredients, so take care not to over-grease or use an oil that will clash with the recipe you're making. Nearly all stand mixers come with some version of a flat paddle, wire whisk, and dough hook attachment.
Many also include a clear plastic splash/pouring shield attachment for the bowl. When people say they have a stand mixer, they're likely talking about a KitchenAid. The brand name is nearly synonymous with the machine at this point, which isn't entirely surprising since it's the original. Fans of the machine love the interchangeable attachments compatible with almost every style of mixer KitchenAid makes.
From the compact mini mixer appropriate for tiny apartments, all the way up to the commercial mixers used in professional kitchens, KitchenAid has a stand mixer to suit almost every need. Most big-box retailers frequently offer discounts on these in-demand mixers several times a year, or for certain colors. The majority of home-use countertop stand mixers are tilt-head models. The bowl is attached at the base of the machine, and the mixing attachments are secured at the top of the machine, lifting in and out of the bowl with a simple tilt of the head. Switching mixing attachments without removing the bowl is a breeze, and since you can push the head back, the bowl is more accessible when you need to add or remove ingredients or scrape the sides. While the classic KitchenAid stand mixer design is iconic, the SMEG Retro Style stand mixer is downright stylish.
Available in a palette of retro hues that coordinate with the other mid-century styled appliances SMEG produces. Clearly meant to be a fixture on your countertop, these Italian stand mixers are not only attractive but powerful with a 600-watt motor and a 5-quart bowl capacity. This is a mixer worth considering if you're baking in large quantities or are making harder-to-mix recipes. However, with more strength comes a heavier machine— this one weighs 29 pounds. The bowl lift configuration makes it convenient to add ingredients and it has three lock points for stability. The lever slowly lowers and raises the bowl for greater contact between the beater and the ingredients while mixing.
