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If you're a baker or enjoy cooking from scratch, aside from your fridge and stove, a stand mixer is one of the most important kitchen appliances. Beyond its utility as a countertop fixture, it lends a certain culinary seriousness to your space, whether or not you use it every day.
Our Picks Best overall KitchenAid Artisan Plus $600 at KitchenAid KitchenAid makes a number of different appliances, but somehow “mixer” seems to be the suffix that best fits the brand -- and for good reason. KitchenAid dominates the stand mixer category, and we got to test the recently launched Artisan Plus, which introduces new features and colors. The addition of a half-speed setting, a built-in LED light and a double-flex edge beater that scrapes the bowl while mixing makes this our top pick. The small-but-mighty LED light helps you see ingredients in the bowl, while the half-speed setting prevents splatter. Pros LED light automatically turns on when the mixer is in use
Tilt-head
Double-flex edge beater ensures all ingredients are mixed together
Variety of colors and finishes Cons Pricier than other KitchenAid options Expand Pros & Cons Best stand mixer under $250 Cuisinart Precision Master SM-50 $230 at Amazon Cuisinart is to the food processor as KitchenAid is to the stand mixer, but it’s certainly no slouch when it comes to stand mixers, especially if you’re brand-loyal. If you’re also price-sensitive, this Cuisinart model offers the security of a major brand name with significant savings over a KitchenAid mixer. (It’s still on the pricey side to be considered “budget,” but that’s where the handy term “value” comes into play.) The look is a little sleeker and more industrial than the KitchenAid model, but it still comes in a generous range of colors. Pros Good amount of speed settings for a budget pick Expand Pros & Cons Best budget stand mixer Hamilton Beach 6-speed stand mixer $130 at Walmart Compact and relatively light, this Hamilton Beach model was the clear winner among budget stand mixers. In both my own hands-on experience and across review evaluations, Hamilton Beach has proven to be an extremely reliable brand for those looking to save money, and it earned the “budget” spot on well over half of the review sites I consulted. Pros Most affordable option on our list Cons Limited purchasing options Expand Pros & Cons Best for bread making Ankarsrum Assistent Original $800 at Ankarsrum If you don’t know what “hydration” means in baking, the Ankarsrum Assistent Original probably isn’t for you. But if you do -- and bread in all its breathtaking varieties is what you want a stand mixer for -- don’t skip this modern classic from Sweden. Its powerful motor is built into the base and turns the bowl, making this machine about as stable as it gets. That design also means it can handle super-low-hydration doughs -- whole wheat or rye, pizza and even bagels -- without breaking a sweat or moving a millimeter. Pros Capable of handling low-hydration doughs such as whole-wheat, rye, pizza and bagels
Stable and powerful Cons Expensive at $800
Lots of parts to store
Not beginner-friendly Expand Pros & Cons Best large stand mixer KitchenAid 7-quart bowl-lift stand mixer $539 at Amazon Same KitchenAid design, same KitchenAid color choices (mostly), but with 40% more volume, 66% more power and two additional mixing paddles to take your stand mixer functionality to a professional level. I also like the half-speed setting here for the possibility of gently folding nuts or chips into batters. The bowl-lift mechanics allow for even greater maneuverability (and far less swearing than with a tilt-head when you accidentally hit the cupboards). Pros More volume and power
Half-speed setting for gentle and precise mixing Cons Fewer color options than other KitchenAid models Expand Pros & Cons A worthy splurge with tons of power Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer $799 at Ooni The Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer is an absolute tank of a stand mixer. At $799, it's not for the stand mixer-curious, but it's great for those who make dough on the regular, and we're not talking about cookie dough. Instead, this mixer excels at pizza dough, bread dough and anything where gluten needs to be worked over with serious muscle. Pros Heavy-duty but with a comparatively modest footprint
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