We whipped cream, mixed up cookie dough and baked loaves of bread to find the best stand mixers on the market.
How We Tested
We bought 13 stand mixers after reading reputable consumer buying guides and doing a lot of research. We looked at how well each model creamed butter and sugar, mixed cookie dough with chocolate chips, kneaded brioche, and whipped cream and egg whites. We also looked at how clear and complete the owner’s manual was, how easy it was to put the beaters and bowl together, how each control worked, and how easy it was to clean by hand and in the dishwasher.
Our Top Stand Mixer Picks
- Best Overall: KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
- Best Value: Hamilton Beach All-Metal Stand Mixer
- Best Compact: KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5-Qt Stand Mixer
- Best Budget: Costway Stand Mixer
- Best for Big Batches: Wolf Gourmet High Performance Stand Mixer
1. Best Overall: KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is a versatile kitchen appliance that has become a staple in many homes and professional kitchens around the world. This mixer is renowned for its durability, efficiency, and stylish design, making it a popular choice among bakers and home cooks.
The Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer has a powerful motor and a robust construction that can handle even the most demanding tasks, such as mixing heavy dough and kneading bread. It has a 5-quart stainless steel bowl that can hold up to 9 cups of flour, which makes it suitable for large batches of recipes. The bowl is also dishwasher-safe, making it easy to clean after use.
One of the unique features of the KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is its 10-speed control settings. This allows you to adjust the mixer’s speed to suit different recipes and ingredients, ensuring that you get the perfect consistency every time. The mixer also comes with a range of attachments that allow you to perform different tasks such as mixing, kneading, whisking, and beating.
The tilt-head design of the mixer allows you to easily access the bowl and attachments, making it easy to add ingredients or to scrape the sides of the bowl. The mixer also has a built-in hub that allows you to attach additional accessories such as a pasta maker, a grain mill, or a meat grinder, expanding its functionality even further.
The KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is also available in a range of colors, allowing you to choose a model that fits your kitchen décor or personal style. This makes it a popular choice for home cooks who want an appliance that is not only functional but also aesthetically pleasing.
2. Best Value: Hamilton Beach All-Metal Stand Mixer
The Hamilton Beach All-Metal Stand Mixer is a versatile kitchen appliance that is designed to make baking and cooking easier and more efficient. With its powerful motor and sturdy construction, this stand mixer can handle a wide range of mixing, kneading, and whipping tasks with ease.
One of the key features of the Hamilton Beach All-Metal Stand Mixer is its all-metal construction. Unlike other stand mixers that may have plastic components, this mixer is made entirely of durable metal. This not only makes the mixer more sturdy and long-lasting, but it also gives it a sleek and stylish look that will complement any kitchen decor.
Another standout feature of the Hamilton Beach All-Metal Stand Mixer is its powerful 400-watt motor. This motor provides plenty of power for tough mixing tasks like kneading dough or whipping cream, while also remaining relatively quiet during operation. This means you can tackle your baking projects without disturbing anyone else in your home.
The mixer also features 12 different speed settings, allowing you to customize the speed to match the task at hand. Whether you’re mixing a delicate cake batter or kneading a thick bread dough, you can find the perfect speed to get the job done quickly and efficiently.
In addition to its powerful motor and versatile speed settings, the Hamilton Beach All-Metal Stand Mixer also comes with a variety of useful attachments. These include a whisk, dough hook, and flat beater, which can be easily swapped out depending on the task you’re working on. The mixer also features a tilt-head design, which makes it easy to add ingredients and remove the mixing bowl when you’re finished.
3. Best Compact: Kitchenid Artisan Mini 3.5-Qt Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5-Qt Stand Mixer is a small yet powerful kitchen appliance that packs a punch in terms of functionality and design. This mixer is ideal for those with limited counter space or those who want a smaller version of the iconic KitchenAid Stand Mixer.
One of the key features of the KitchenAid Artisan Mini is its compact size. It weighs just 18 pounds and measures 12.3 inches in height, 7.8 inches in width, and 12.3 inches in depth, making it the perfect size for small kitchens or apartment living. Despite its smaller size, it still has a 3.5-quart mixing bowl, which is large enough to make a batch of cookies or cake batter for a small family.
The mixer comes with a variety of attachments, including a flat beater, dough hook, and wire whip, which allow you to mix, knead, and whip a wide range of ingredients with ease. The mixer has 10 speed settings, making it easy to customize your mixing experience based on your needs. The mixer also has a powerful motor that can handle tough jobs, such as kneading bread dough, with ease.
The KitchenAid Artisan Mini is also available in a range of colors, including matte black, matte gray, matte white, and a variety of bright colors like hot sauce and honeydew. The mixer’s design is stylish and modern, with a tilt-head design that allows for easy access to the mixing bowl and attachments.
4. Best Budget: Costway Stand Mixer
The Costway Stand Mixer is an excellent choice for those looking for a budget-friendly stand mixer that offers a range of features typically found in higher-end models. Priced at a fraction of the cost of some of the leading brands, this mixer is an excellent choice for those looking to get started with baking or cooking at home without breaking the bank.
One of the standout features of the Costway Stand Mixer is its powerful motor. With 660 watts of power, this mixer is capable of handling even the thickest doughs and batters. Whether you’re making bread, cookies, or cake batter, this mixer can easily handle the job. Additionally, the mixer has six speed settings, so you can adjust the speed to suit your needs, whether you’re mixing heavy ingredients or gently folding in delicate ones.
Another great feature of the Costway Stand Mixer is its large capacity bowl. The 7.5-quart stainless steel bowl is large enough to mix up to 6 pounds of dough or batter, making it an ideal choice for larger batches. The bowl also has a convenient handle, which makes it easy to lift and pour.
The mixer comes with a range of attachments, including a dough hook, flat beater, and wire whisk, so you can tackle a variety of recipes. The attachments are all made from high-quality materials, so they’re durable and long-lasting. The mixer also has a tilt-head design, which makes it easy to access the bowl and attachments for cleaning.
5. Best for Big Batches: Wolf Gourmet High Performance Stand Mixer 7-Qt.
The Wolf Gourmet High Performance Stand Mixer 7-Qt is a top-of-the-line kitchen appliance designed to provide the perfect mixing experience for professional chefs and home cooks alike. This stand mixer boasts a 7-quart mixing bowl capacity, which is one of the largest available in the market today. The mixer is built to withstand heavy-duty use, with a sturdy construction that is made to last.
One of the standout features of the Wolf Gourmet High Performance Stand Mixer 7-Qt is its powerful motor, which delivers 1.3 horsepower. This powerful motor is capable of mixing even the toughest doughs and batters with ease. The mixer comes with ten speed settings, allowing you to adjust the speed to suit the task at hand. Whether you are whipping cream or kneading bread dough, you can find the perfect speed setting for the job.
The mixer also comes with a range of attachments that are designed to make your life easier in the kitchen. These include a wire whip, a dough hook, and a flat beater. The wire whip is perfect for whisking egg whites, while the dough hook is ideal for kneading dough. The flat beater is great for mixing cake batters and other soft ingredients.
The Wolf Gourmet High Performance Stand Mixer 7-Qt is designed with both form and function in mind. Its sleek design is sure to complement any kitchen, while its easy-to-use controls make it a pleasure to operate. The mixer also comes with a variety of safety features, including a locking mechanism that ensures the mixing bowl stays securely in place during use.