A standing mixer is a big investment for your kitchen and it warrants some review before you make a choice. We tested 10 of the top models of mixers to help you make the most informed decision and found 3 to be the best choices! Find out which standing mixer beat the competition and get some of your questions answered about various models, attachments, performance, ease of cleaning, color choices and warranty.
We have also asked for consumer reviews of the top standing mixer models to bring you real life compliments and complaints from bakers all over the world!
If you have been wondering which standing mixer to choose among all the models out there? Then look no further! We break it down for you and help guide you towards finding the right mixer for your kitchen!
#1 KitchenAid Artisan Standing Mixer
Performance Rating: The KitchenAid Artisan series performed exceptionally well with kneading dough, creaming butter and sugar, and whipping eggs for frosting. The 5 quart bowl comes with a handle and can handle 9 cups of flour. The Artisan comes with the beater, whisk, dough hook and pouring shield. It also comes in a wide array of color choices which is a great option since these mixers are designed to be out on the counter. The Aritsan has a one year warranty.
Pros: Handled kneading dough effortlessly and the machine was not very loud. When creaming butter and sugar, only needed scraping of the bowl once. It also handled mixing small amounts of ingredients fairly easily. Easy to wipe down as long as you get splatters when wet. Bowl and attachments (except the whisk) are dishwasher safe. You can purchase additional accessories for food grinding, pasta making and blending!
Cons: The Artisan can splatter a lot on high speed and has a lot of crevices to clean if batter becomes dry. A damp towel right after use does the trick. The whisk needs to be hand washed.
#2 KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer
Performance Rating: The KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer performed well with kneading dough, creaming butter and sugar, and whipping eggs for frosting. The 4.5 quart bowl does can handle 8 cups of flour. The Ultra Power Mixer comes with the beater, whisk, and dough hook. It also comes in a wide array of color choices. The Ultra Power has a one year warranty.
Pros: Handled kneading dough and creaming butter and sugar well. This is a smaller mixer than the Artisan and less expensive. It also handled mixing small amounts of ingredients fairly easily. Easy to wipe down as long as you get splatters when wet. Bowl is dishwasher safe.
Cons: The Ultra Power bowl does not come with a handle. It can splatter a lot on high speed and has a lot of crevices to clean if batter becomes dry. A damp towel right after use does the trick. The attachments need to be hand washed. Also the head doesn’t lock into place in the raised position.
#3 Cuisinart 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer
Performance Rating: The Cuisinart 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer performed well with creaming butter and sugar, and whipping eggs for frosting. The 5.5 quart bowl does can handle 12 cups of flour. The Cuisinart comes with a standard paddle, whisk, dough hook and splash guard. There is a digital timer and it starts off slow to avoid splattering. It comes in white, brushed chrome and black color choices. The Cuisinart has a five year warranty.
Pros: The Cuisinart offers many helpful features such as a timer, a fold feature for incorporating flour without over beating, and three power outlets to attach accessories. It also handled mixing small amounts of ingredients very easily. The head locks into the upright position easily and the bowl and attachments are all dishwasher safe.
Cons: The Cuisinart is not a planetary mixer. While mixing cookie dough, the paddle pushed the dough up the sides creating havoc. The speed settings can be a little hard to see and there are lots of crevices to clean on this unit.
Other Stand Mixers that were in the running…
Breville 5 Quart Die Cast Stand Mixer:
The Breville 5 Quart Stand Mixer creamed butter and sugar but needed consistent scraping. It rocked back and forth during kneading of dough. During mixing of chunky cookie dough, the motor sounded sickly. The attachments are easy to attach and it offers a timer and slow start feature to prevent splatters. The styling is very well done, as the controls are easy to work with and the plug is easy to handle. It also has a shut-off feature if it overheats. It comes with a one year warranty.
Kenmore Elite 5 Quart Stand Mixer:
The Kenmore Elite Stand Mixer creamed butter and sugar but rocked back and forth heavily during kneading of dough. During mixing of chunky cookie dough, the paddle pushed it up the sides. It also failed to incorporate the egg whites for the frosting properly. There are 2 different sized bowls included, a 3 quart and a 5 quart. The head locks into an upright position, and it also lifts very high to make adding ingredients of stirring easy. It comes with a five year warranty.
Questions and Answers About Stand Mixers
What’s the difference between a stand mixer and a hand mixer?
Stand mixers are more versatile than hand mixers because they allow you to mix ingredients hands-free. This means that you can prep or add ingredients as the mixer is churning. Also if you need to knead dough or mix cookie dough with lots of chunky ingredients, this can become labor intensive after a few minutes. The stand mixer gives your muscles a break so you can be working on other things like prepping pans, etc. Stand mixers will end up taking up space on your counter top and they are much more expensive than hand mixers. You should get a stand mixer if you are planning on using it at least 2-3 times a week, otherwise, opt for the cheaper hand mixer alternative.
I want a stand mixer that can handle kneading dough and churning stiff cookie dough… what should I look for?
You will want a stand mixer with enough wattage to handle these tougher tasks. The above three mixers lived up to these tough tests and should perform under pressure. You will also want to pay attention to how many cups of flour the mixer can handle. This tells you how much flour the motor on the mixer can handle rather than the actual measurement that the bowl can take. Look for a planetary mixer as well. This means that the mixer can hit several areas of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients get mixed.
What additional attachments come with the stand mixer?
Many stand mixers offer hubs for a pasta maker, juicer, slicer, and food grinder. Since your mixer may end up staying out on the counter, it’s great to be able to add these additional functions. For most models, you have to purchase these accessories separately depending on your needs.
Looking for Something Less Expensive?
Hand Mixers are a Great Alternative!