I got my baking habit from my mom, baking cakes and pies for a family of six. My favorite recipe of all was baking lemon meringue pie. I can clearly remember making the sweet pastry, lemon filling, then whipping up the meringue.
Now, I bake for my own family and rely on using one of the best stand mixers to beat, whip, and knead an assortment of tasty sweet and savory treats.
My stand mixer is the most important piece of kit in my kitchen. Apart from providing some eye candy on my countertop, I know it’s up to the task and will power through any challenge with endurance. Just like my mom, who relied on her trusted stand mixer for decades, I’ve made a good choice with a KitchenAid.
But, always in need of the evidence, I got to work to determine whether KitchenAid really is at the top of its game. So, along with two other testers, I’ve suffered hours of making cakes, dough and whipping thick cream, to give you the result.
The big reveal is no surprise. KitchenAid takes the top spot in my stand mixer recommendations, with the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer being my best overall pick. Next up, for its professional edge, is the KitchenAid Artisan 7-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer. For a mid-range choice, we have a new entrant with Cuisinart and its Precision Master Stand Mixer, making a good entry-level appliance.
My top three recommendations
With 10 speeds, a generous 5-quart stainless steel bowl, this stand mixer provides plenty of punch for regular batch baking. Apart from its speed and efficiency it also looks good, and comes in a wide array of delightful colors.
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With a generous size bowl, with a 7-quart capacity, this KitchenAid bridges the gap between the home and professional baker. It features a bowl-lift design and comes with four attachments. And as our tester, Helen, revealed, “it should be every baker’s bread and butter”.
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With a 5.5-quart capacity, this Cuisinart stand mixer tops our review for the best mid-range model. Plus, it's easy to operate, has 12 speeds and mixes efficiently. It also features an attractive die-cast construction.
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What to look for
When looking for a stand mixer I recommend you consider the following before making a buying decision.
Capacity and weight: A larger mixer will be heavier and more difficult to move around, and may take up more countertop space. So, if space is limited or you want to store your stand mixer in a cupboard, opt for a lightweight model and one with a smaller capacity.
How much can it mix?: Bigger isn't necessarily better. If you only need a smaller capacity, there's no reason to buy a larger model — you’re just paying out for something you don’t need.
Tilt-head or bowl-lift? The majority of stand mixers are based on a tilt-head design where the head of the mixer is raised. Bowl-lift models look more heavy-duty and the bowl lifts and lowers using a lever mechanism.
The attachments: Most stand mixers will come with three attachments, including a flat beater, for beating and creaming; a wire whip for whipping egg whites and heavy cream; and a dough hook for mixing and kneading dough. Sometimes you’ll also get a flex-edge beater that has a silicon flexible edge that skims the side of the bowl when mixing. Another useful accessory is a pouring shield, which covers the bowl while it's in use.
Meet our testing team
I started baking from a young age, as soon as I could see over the kitchen countertop, and I virtually kicked my mom out of the kitchen. And, although I can't profess to being a professional baker, my passion remains on the domestic front. I certainly know my way around a stand mixer and enjoy using all the attachments and features each one offers. I've been fortunate to extend my passion into my work, where I write about homes and gardens and get to test, review and compare kitchen appliances.
I'm an experienced writer and Home Economist with a wealth of experience working within the heart of the food industry. I started reviewing home and kitchen appliances in 2007 at the Good Housekeeping Institute and now work freelance, reviewing all sorts of appliances, from stand mixers to coffee machines. For this guide I tested the KitchenAid Artisan 7-Quart Bowl-Lift stand mixer. You’ll see my work across a host of Future publications, including Homes & Gardens, Ideal Home and Tech Radar.
I tested the premium-priced GE Profile Smart Mixer that's reviewed in this guide, although I don't expect many novice bakers will opt for this model as the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Tilt-Head stand mixer gives a better performance.My advice comes from five years of experience as a home and kitchen product tester, during which time I've tested hundreds of items first hand, including a good few kitchen appliances and stand mixers. My work appears in publications such as Forbes, USA Today, The Spruce, Food52, and more.
Best overall
I find the KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart stand mixer is a real workhorse, so it’s no wonder that it tops almost everyone’s list of best stand mixers. It’s fast, efficient at mixing and quiet in operation. What’s more, I found it easy to use.
One thing that attracts bakers to KitchenAid is its iconic design and wondrous choice of colors — 46 in all! Choose between Orange Sorbet, Green Apple, and Dried Rose — there’s almost too much choice, so I opted for Almond Cream.
This KitchenAid stand mixer is based on a tilt-head design. It’s easy to release by moving a side lever. I find it makes changing attachments super easy, which twist and click into place, or gives me space to remove mixture off the side of the bowl, particularly useful when making cake batter.
The dough hook, beater and whisk all feel weighty in the hand and are just as robust as the appliance. The pouring shield is also super handy and easy to attach and reattach, unlike some other guards that I’ve used which interrupt the flow of your mixing, as they are tricky to position.
What’s my favorite aspect? I particularly find it excellent at mixing dough. Having made many loaves, including my summer-time special, zucchini bread, it can certainly keep on going, without me worrying that the motor will burn out. It also stays put on my countertop, as it's a versatile machine that I end up reaching for a lot.
Size-wise, 5 quarts is all that most domestic bakers will need. I’ve used it for over 10 years and have a family of four, and it’s seen me through plenty of birthdays and festivities when I tend to bake bigger batches. It also has 10-speed options, which gives you lots of flexibility when mixing. I start off on a low level and rank it up once the mixture starts to blend, although for kneading dough, I keep it on a steady slow speed.
Appliance in action
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Dough
The KitchenAid Artisan produced a soft bread dough after 10 minutes of kneading at speed 2 — the recommended speed for the task. The noise level measured 77 dB. All of the mixture was incorporated well without any intervention, and I had a chance to rest my arms.
Cake batter
Starting with softened butter, I creamed sugar and butter together before incorporating the eggs. At this stage, I placed the pouring shield over the top of the bowl to prevent splashes. This was easy to attach and gave adequate space to add the remaining eggs before incorporating the flour. Most of the ingredients were incorporated apart from a small amount of flour at the top of the mixing bowl, which is what I’d expect.
Whisking
The whisk proved super fast, and I found the heavy cream I was whisking reached a thick point much sooner than I had expected. While I was busy monitoring the noise level, which was 77 dB, the cream had reached a thick set within 1 minute 23 seconds. There's nothing slow about this appliance.
Read our full KitchenAid Artisan review
Best for pro bakers
If you have lots of mouths to feed and a standard-size stand mixer overflows with ingredients, this large capacity KitchenAid, with a 7-quart bowl, could be just what you need. Our tester, Helen, thought it straddles the line between a domestic and larger commercial appliance and was capable and sturdy.
Although it doesn’t quite hit the mark on the looks front like the standard KitchenAid tilt-head mixers, Helen said it’s “far from boring”. I agree that it retains the KitchenAid vibe but has an industrial edge. However, it’s still available in a wide range of colors, such as Empire Red, Mineral Water Blue, Blue Velvet, Pistachio, Contour Silver, Black Matte, White and Milkshake.
The different look is due to the bowl-lift design — it’s raised and held in place by two arms and moved up and down by a lever on one side of the machine. It’s slightly more awkward to use than the tilt-head design, but after a few goes, Helen got the knack. However, you might find it takes longer to access the mixture and scrape the side of the bowl than when using the tilt-head design.
Although it’s heavier than a standard 5-quart KitchenAid, Helen was surprised that there’s not much difference in the footprint, an advantage as you’ll want to keep this appliance on your counter rather than moving it about.
The bowl-lift stand mixer has four attachments for mixing, whisking, and kneading ingredients. The flex-edge beater is particularly useful and almost identical to the tool with Smeg’s retro stand mixer. It ensures the mixture on the side of the bowl is fully incorporated — meaning there’s less need to scrape the ingredients. A pouring shield also fits on top of the bowl to prevent messes, although Helen reported it was tricky to attach.
Although Helen couldn’t fault the stand mixer’s performance, she’d recommend the small KitchenAid 5-quart version if you are a novice, as otherwise, you could be paying out more dollars for extra capacity you don’t need.
Appliance in action
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Dough
Helen made a 2-lb batch of pizza dough, using the dough hook at a slow speed for seven minutes. The stand mixer stayed stable throughout, and there was plenty of space within the bowl for a larger batch.
Cake batter
Helen used the flat edge beater to make a cake batter, although you could also use the flat beater. She creamed the butter and sugar together and only needed to stop to scrape the mixture off the sides of the bowl once. She added the eggs, then flour, and apart from scraping the sides a couple of times, the batter mixed perfectly and created a super light sponge cake.
As well as making a cake batter, Helen used the flat beater to make garlic butter. She added butter, salt and garlic to the bowl and found the beater worked well at mixing and whipping.
Whisking
Helen didn’t hold back when whipping heavy cream. She whisked 3.8 pints, using the splashguard to protect her kitchen from splashes. It took 4 minutes for the cream to thicken, during which she increased the speed from a slow start to a fast finish.
With so much cream and not enough mouths to feed, Helen went on to turn the thickened cream into butter. During the process, the stand mixer stayed on the counter and showed no signs of being under strain.
Read our full KitchenAid Artisan 7-Quart Bowl-lift stand mixer review
Best budget
If you’re looking for a stand mixer but don’t want to invest in a KitchenAid, or similar premium brand, this Cuisinart Precision Master Stand Mixer makes a good choice.
It’s a neat and compact appliance that has a curvaceous design and is available in a selection of colors, including ruby red, white, black, periwinkle blue, Robin’s egg blue, and silver.
When testing, I was impressed with the ease of using the speed dial on the side of the machine and lever, at the back, to lift the tilt head. This made removing the bowl and adding the attachments a breeze. And with 12 speeds, you can’t fault its flexibility.
It comes with a splashguard that is in two parts, but it can be tricky to remove if you need to give the ingredients a manual stir. This was a slight problem when mixing cake batter, as without a flex-edge beater, which skims the side of the mixing bowl, I had to frequently remove the splashguard to incorporate the ingredients. However, it still gave an impressive performance and easily handled kneading dough — one of the toughest tasks a stand mixer will endure.
It has a large 5.5-quart mixing bowl and the oomph to mix batter for five dozen cookies. However, it can only knead dough for about two loaves of bread – this is great for domestic bakers, but if you’re a heavy-duty bread baker, you might want to upgrade. For its capacity, however, it is a very affordable and handsome choice.
While the Cuisinart Precision Master Stand Mixer is solidly built of die-cast metal, it’s not overly heavy, which makes it very convenient to store in a closet or cabinet when you’re not using it. However, with an appliance that looks this good, you'll be proud to have it on display.
Appliance in action
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Dough
I made a 1.5 lb loaf and found that the flour and butter blended well, and within a short time, before I added some water. Once ready to knead, I set the stand mixer at the lower end of the recommended speed, on level 5, and ran the appliance for 10 minutes. When I increased the speed to 8, the machine began to shake.
Cake batter
I started by mixing the butter and sugar, but had to intervene as the mixture stuck to the bottom of the bowl. I'd already attached the pouring shield, and this was tricky to detach. I then added the eggs, and could see the benefit of a flex-edge beater that would touch the edges of the bowl, incorporating more of the ingredients. However, this inconvenience didn't hinder the end result — a light sponge cake.
Whisking
I whisked heavy cream, starting on speed 1, before increasing it to speed 8. I measured the noise level and it peaked at 75 dB, slightly less than when monitoring the KitchenAid Artisan. After 2 minutes it had reached the consistency I required, although it had taken over 30 seconds longer than the KitchenAid.
Read our full Cuisinart Precision Master stand mixer review
Also tested
How we test
We use many indicators when reviewing the best stand mixers to see whether an appliance can deliver on performance. It can be a challenge because, in the process, we eat our way through a lot of bread and cake! However, although we put the stand mixers through a range of mixing tests, we also consider other factors.
Size and weight
When testing each stand mixer, we look at its size and weight, considering whether it will fit under a wall-mounted kitchen cupboard and how easy it is to move around. For instance, if you want to store your stand mixer in a cupboard, will lifting and moving it onto your countertop be tricky? The capacity of the bowl is another aspect — how many cookies or loaves of bread can you make in one batch?
Design
We also consider the overall appearance of the stand mixer, as we realize that looks are important if your appliance is going to be a permanent fixture on your countertop. Plus, we consider the number of color options available, as some stand mixers are available in every color under the sun.
Ease of use
We also assess how intuitive an appliance is to use — can it be unpacked and used without reading the instructions, or do you need more insight before the first go? The positioning of the controls is also important, along with how easy they are to use. And although not many of us like to think about cleaning, this is another important element that we review. Are there any hard-to-reach parts, and which accessories are dishwasher safe?
The appliance in action
During testing, we rate things like power and how well each stand mixer performs at various tasks and speeds. This includes whisking, mixing batter, and kneading bread using the different attachments. During this process, we also looked at how user-friendly and practical the appliance was to use and monitored the noise level.
The dough hook
First, we attach the dough hook and blend the ingredients for a loaf of bread. We check how well the ingredients come together before setting the mixer to knead the dough for 10 minutes. During this time, we measure the noise level in decibels and monitor how much of the stand mixer is moving on the countertop. Once the 10 minutes are up, we check the consistency of the dough to see how smooth it appears and whether any ingredient remnants are left around the edge of the bowl.
The flat beater
We then progress to making a vanilla sponge using the flat beater. While the butter and sugar are creamed together, we note how well the ingredients are incorporated, how much remains on the edge of the bowl, and whether any intervention is needed. The remaining ingredients are added, and we monitor how well the cake batter comes together within a few minutes. If the stand mixer has a pouring shield, we also monitor how easy and effective it is to use. The proof is also in the pudding, and we consider the texture and taste of the final bake.
The whisk
Our final flourish is using the whisk, which we use to whip heavy cream. We time how long it takes for the mixture to hold its shape and form a consistently that could be used for piping. We also note which speed setting was used and whether the heavy cream splashed when being mixed.
How to choose
There are lots of aspects to consider before buying a stand mixer, especially if it's your first time and you don't have previous experience knowing what to look for. So, before buying a stand mixer in your favorite color — because I know there's lots of tempting colorways to choose from — take the time to consider what you want out of the appliance. Here, you'll find lots of advice to help you decide, whether you're a novice or not.
Capacity and weight
Before buying a stand mixer, consider where it’s going to be stored. If you're using it every day, it’s best kept on your countertop rather than in a cupboard. And, if you are going to be moving it about, check its weight, as some can be heavier than others. You could end up being the baker with the biggest biceps! It’s also worth checking the clearance height if you have a tilt-head stand mixer (more on these below), whereas a bowl-lift design won't need any additional headroom.
How much can it mix?
There's really no need to buy the biggest capacity stand mixer unless you're going to use it. I use the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer, and it's plenty big enough for my needs. I can batch bake cupcakes, knead a good-sized loaf and whip up a flurry of cream, without feeling I need a larger appliance. However, if your baking prowess goes beyond a domestic level, you might do well buying the KitchenAid Artisan 7-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer. Although with extra capacity comes a higher price tag.
Tilt-head or bowl lift?
Stand mixers are split into tilt-head and bowl-lift designs. With a tilt-head stand mixer you tilt the head back so you can look into the bowl and add ingredients. This also allows you to remove the bowl and change the attachments when necessary. Out of the two, I'd say it is the easier stand mixer to use. On a bowl-lift model, you raise or lower the bowl using a crank — it can take a little while to get used to the technique, but soon becomes second nature. Tilt-lift models tend to be less expensive, so are a good choice if you are starting your baking journey, or needing it to store it away when not in use. However, bowl-lift mixers offer more power and larger capacities.
Breaking down the attachments
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Stand mixers now come with a host of attachments and accessories for different purposes, so many that it can be a little intimidating to a new baker. Here’s a breakdown of what the main tools do so you know which to use:
Flat beater: This attachment should come with every stand mixer. It’s used for everyday beating and mixing — great for creaming butter and sugar together for cakes as well as batters and frosting. Out of all the attachments I have, I use this the most. Some flat beaters also come with a rubber or silicone edge so they can better scrape the ingredients from the edges of the bowl. They are often called flex-edge beaters, and are worth their weight in gold. If your stand mixer doesn't come with a flex-edge beater, but there's an option to buy one, I'd definitely go for it.
Wire whip: Used for whisking, this attachment whips air into ingredients. It’s commonly used to make whipped cream or meringue and creates light and fluffy textures. Sometimes it's called a balloon whisk.
Dough hook: As the name suggests, this attachment helps mix and knead doughs, so it’s what you need to use if you plan to bake fresh bread or pizza. Dough hooks can appear in a ‘C’ shape or can also look like a spiral.
Splash guard or pouring shield: Other useful tools include a splash guard or pouring shield. These sit on top of the bowl while the mixer is running and prevent ingredients from splashing out. During our testing, some were more tricky to use than others, so it's worth checking advice and reviews before you make a purchase. I like the pouring shield on the KitchenAid Artisan as it comes in one piece and is easy to remove and replace. It's much easier than using a teacloth, which I remember my mom using to prevent flour and powdered sugar taking over the kitchen.
Extra bowls: Some brands also sell glass bowls in addition to stainless steel. With a glass bowl, you can better see the ingredients being mixed, but they are naturally more fragile.
What to expect in 2025
I’ve got some exciting news to report for 2025. Ooni, renowned for its pizza ovens, has just revealed it will be releasing a revolutionary new mixer on April 8th — the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer — and guess what, it’s perfect for pizza dough. It certainly looks like a mighty machine able to handle a decent batch of dough.
It’s one to watch, as it steps away from the standard planetary mixing design and adopts a spiral mixing technique, which it claims has only historically been used in professional kitchens, bakeries and pizzerias. Plus, it boasts a roomy bowl, with a 7.2-quart capacity — giving you the perfect excuse to hold a pizza party!
I’m in the process of getting my hands on the mixer and will report back once it’s been tested and reviewed.
The Ankarsrum Assistent Original stand mixer is also currently being put through its paces. This Swedish-designed mixer is known for its bread-kneading ability and claims the substantial bowl can hold up to 11 lbs of dough — far more than you'll fit into a domestic bread machine. It certainly looks like a sturdy appliance that's up to the job!
Stand mixer FAQs
Can you repair stand mixers?
Yes, stand mixers are repairable. If yours goes wrong, it’s likely to be a power supply issue, broken wires, a failed motor or control problems. Your first action should be to check your manual for common problems, such as an overloaded bowl resulting in an overheated motor. You may be able to fix the error yourself. However, if the problem continues, check your warranty to see if your appliance is still under guarantee, and if so, contact the manufacturer.
Handheld mixer or stand mixer?
Both stand mixers and hand mixers take the effort out of combining ingredients and achieve a much smoother and faster result than by hand. Rather than owning one or the other, I find it helps to have both. I use a hand mixer for smaller amounts, such as mixing a pancake batter, or a small quantity of heavy cream; whereas my stand mixer can handle much larger quantities and heavier mixtures, such as fruit cake and dough.
However, there is a big difference in the price, so if you only intend to whip and blend light ingredients, you’ll save dollars by keeping to a hand mixer. But, if you intend to bake cakes, knead dough and batch bake, a stand mixer is the best choice.
