Everything You Should Consider When Buying a Stand Mixer
You should have the right tools in your kitchen. Welcome to The Guide to Outfitting Your Kitchen series , in which I help you outfit your space with all the small appliances you need (and ditch the ones you don’t need).
Buying a stand mixer is not an easy purchase. You have to consider size, power, features and of course price. Buying the right one is like buying a tiny new kitchen appliance, but it’s worth it. This powerful tool is a must-have for professional chefs, avid bakers, and home cooks alike. Once you use it, it’s hard to go back to the Twee hand mixer. Here’s what to look for when choosing your next stand mixer.
Stand Mixers vs Hand Mixers
Hand and stand mixers on paper perform similar tasks. They both mix ingredients in a bowl faster and more efficiently than you could with your hand and spoon. The difference is what you mix. A hand mixer is a small, hand-held tool with long beaters that can quickly remove a box of cake mix or whip up a bowl of brownie batter. Kneading bread or making flaky pie crust? Well, that might be a problem.
The shape of the attachments, the power of the motor, and the fact that you have to hold and navigate the hand mixer all make a stand mixer a more functional and versatile appliance. When comparing models, keeping these factors in mind will help you narrow down your choices. (I should note that commercial machines are in a completely different category, and in this article I’m only referring to home options.)
Size
A stand mixer is small compared to a stove or refrigerator, but all things considered, it can still take up a lot of space in your kitchen. Before you start looking at models, take a look around your kitchen. Think about where this strange machine will live. How often will you use it? Whether you need it once a week or once a year, this will help you decide whether you need to measure your closet or counter storage space.
How do the parts move? Some mixers have levers that allow you to lift the bowl into place, while others have a tilting head. You’ll want to think about those extra inches and how they might fit under cabinets or next to other appliances.
Consider weight. A heavier model will likely require a permanent countertop space, while a smaller, lighter model can be wisely moved back and forth to a low shelf. Is this a gift for your great-grandmother? Perhaps a lighter model would be more attractive.
As a rule, more expensive models are larger in size. They have larger bowls, heavier motors and a wider base for greater stability.
Power
How powerful a stand mixer is depends on the shape of the beater attachments and how much power the motor can produce. Stand mixers range from 275 to 600 watts. The cheapest machines use less energy and use less energy overall than more expensive power plants. Think about what you plan to use the mixer for. If you need quick help with brownie dough, mashed potatoes, or the cake batter you make weekly, you won’t need a ton of energy. If you’re planning to increase your sourdough bread production, you’ll need a powerful machine that can knead elastic dough daily.
Attachments
I think the attachments are one of the coolest things about stand mixers. Since mixers have a big, powerful motor that just keeps turning and turning, some genius thought, “Why don’t we attach other useful tools to this engine?” Great idea. You can buy a pasta roller to finally give your rolling pin a break, a sausage grinder because sausage is delicious, or even a spiralizer for some zoodles. If this is an added benefit you’re looking for, be sure to check out the mixer’s mounting options.
Price guide
I’ve kept you waiting long enough. Let’s talk about the most important thing: the price range. It’s the first thing I think about when buying anything. If a certain line of equipment is out of my budget, I won’t even tease myself with those models. Since everyone has a different amount of money they’re willing to spend on a stand mixer, here are the brands and models that tend to fall in different price ranges.
Less than $80
There aren’t many options in this price range, but that doesn’t mean it’s impossible to find a stand mixer. The following brands offer reliable products and seem to strive to meet customer needs wherever possible. In this case, you are essentially buying a hand mixer with a stand to store it. It won’t provide much power, but at least you’ll be able to multi-task in the kitchen.
These are options for the home cook on a budget who can use the appliance hands-free but doesn’t need a machine for heavy stirring. If you’re interested in a stand mixer that can knead bread and knead thick dough, move on to the next price point and keep a close eye on sales.
from 99 to 150 dollars
These trusted home kitchen equipment brands offer true stand mixers at affordable prices (as you’ll see later in the list, they get wild), but they may lack in bowl size and power. Unlike the hand mixers and stand mixers above, these models are true stand mixers in the sense that their shape and whisk rotation allow you to create a wider range of recipes.
As I mentioned above, these products go on sale frequently, so if $100 is still out of range, check back from time to time to lock in one of their offers.
from 200 to 500 dollars
Now we’re getting into the thick of affordable stand mixer offerings. These machines offer a good balance of price and features. Listed below are retail prices from lowest to highest, but keep in mind that the Instant Pot mixer offers a larger bowl, and KitchenAid is popular for its many attachments.
$500 and up
These are premium models of home mixers. Yes, they will cost you a lot, but if used correctly they will produce dough for a generation. For the cost of a new computer, you would expect these machines to have some special feature. Well, they do. These mixers operate at 500 to 600 watts, which is almost double the power of some of the mixers mentioned above. This line includes a smart mixer with a built-in digital scale, a mixer that’s great for mixing large batches of bread dough, and a mixer with multiple attachments.
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Retro mixer Smeg 50s – equipped with a powerful 600 W motor and an attractive design.
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Ankarsrum Original Stand Mixer – Uses a spiral mixing motion, has an open design for easy addition of ingredients, and features a 600W motor.
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GE Profile Smart Stand Mixer – Includes built-in scales and automatic texture detection technology to adjust blending.
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The Wolf Gourmet High Performance Stand Mixer is a professional quality mixer with stepless speed control and a chopper attachment.
Soon you’ll be able to easily mix cakes and dough or roll out homemade ravioli. But don’t let all this power go to your head. Sometimes you should beat egg whites by hand just to keep yourself under control. (Just kidding, it’s not fun.)