Keen bakers and kitchen designers alike agree that one of the best stand mixers is the ultimate statement kitchen appliance. Designed to take the stress (and the effort) out of baking, these mixers are one of the most sought-after countertop additions, with designs that span almost every colourway imaginable.
In this guide, you’ll find our thoughts after reviewing a selection of the most coveted mixers on the market. But why do you need one? From combining a cake mix for a perfectly risen sponge to kneading bread dough whilst you prep the dinner, one of these appliances will change the game for a keen baker. The most expensive are equipped with speeds and modes for every delicate task, while a budget version is more suited to basic mixing. One thing is for certain, thanks to their hands-free nature, you won’t have aching arms afterwards.
No round-up of stand mixers would be complete without brands such as KitchenAid, Kenwood and Russell Hobbs, which is why we’ve tried top-selling products from all of them as part of our testing process, making cakes, dough, meringue and more to see how they fare. While the Kenwood kMix remains our favourite mixer of all time, we can’t deny that we love a KitchenAid too.
So, get stuck into the best stand mixers as decided by the Ideal Home team, who know a thing or two about baking. Once you’ve chosen your mixer, why not check out the best blenders so that you can coordinate your appliances by brand and colour?
The best stand mixers – Quick list
Short on time but sure that you want to bag the best stand mixer on the market? Browse our quick list below, which has everything you need to know neatly summed up.
1. Kenwood kMix Stand Mixer
Best stand mixer overall
The kMix is the favoured stand mixer of bakers everywhere. It’s supremely powerful and has an excellent fold function, as well as all dishwasher-safe parts. It also comes in an array of pastel colours to suit any kitchen. Sure it’s a little hefty (weighing in at 10kg), but it’s our outright #1 choice on this list for good reason – it was unparalleled in terms of performance when we tried it.
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2. KitchenAid 125 Artisan 4.8L Stand Mixer
Best stand mixer for cake
It wouldn’t be a stand mixer round-up without the iconic KitchenAid Artisan, which we found to be a total workhorse when it comes to mixing in our test kitchen, especially for cake batter. The huge array of colour options is a constant source of fascination for us, too. However, even though this is a mid-range model, it’s pretty pricey.
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3. Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker
Best stand mixer with built-in scales
The best thing about this mixer? Being able to weigh everything you need to mix in the bowl, a true godsend to cut down on washing up during testing. The assisted tilt-head is great for bulkier mixes too, and the timer display is just another handy way to keep on top of the baking process. Sure the price is premium, but you get what you pay for with this mixer.
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4. Morphy Richards MixStar Compact Stand Mixer
Best compact stand mixer
This mixer is a true space saver, and especially good for bread dough. It’s capable given its low wattage, and we love how you can store the attachments within the bowl. The built-in timer is another plus, but it lacks the classic stand mixer look.
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5. KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Best lightweight stand mixer
Take (a little bit of) the weight off with the Artisan Mini which is about 20% smaller than the original, which is our #3 choice. It has all of the same attachments you need but is much better suited to small spaces. It’s just a shame the price tag doesn’t really reflect the smaller size, but we still loved how it looked in our test kitchen.
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6. Cuisinart SM50BU Precision Master Stand Mixer
Best large-capacity stand mixer
This robust and sturdy mixer is our favourite tilt-head mixer for large batches. The 12 speeds help with bulkier mixes too, and this was a winner on bread dough during our tests. It can be a bit clunky to lift the lever to bring the head up, and it’s overall a larger choice than others on this list.
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7. Breville HeatSoft VFM029 2-in-1 hand and stand mixer
Best 2 in 1 stand mixer
The HeatSoft has a clever concept – it heats butter (even fresh from the fridge) to the perfect room temp for baking. It’s also a 2 in 1 hand and stand mixer, and comes in at a pretty budget price too. The downside? It’s not perfect at mixing dough.
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8. KitchenAid Artisan 6.9L Stand Mixer
Best heavy-duty KitchenAid
Unlike the Cuisinart, this almost industrial-sized mixer has a bowl-lift design, which is much better for serious bakers to input ingredients with. You can make a huge amount in one mix with this choice, but it’ll set you back an almost professional amount for the privilege. But if you need a recommendation, it’s the stand mixer of choice of our Kitchen Appliances Editor.
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9. Kenwood Go Stand Mixer
Best for small kitchens
It may not look it in its picture, but this is a perfectly compact stand mixer for those who are looking for something that can fit under their kitchen cupboards or be crammed onto a busy worktop. Our Deputy Editor Rebecca Knight tried it in her kitchen and found that she loved its elegant compact design and that it had top-tier mixing capabilities as well as being easy to clean.
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Best stand mixer overall
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You might be surprised to not find another brand beginning with K kicking off this list, but hear us out: kMix is the secret weapon of bakers everywhere, casual or professional. That’s because it offers something for everyone.
Not only is it incredibly easy to control with six speeds and a fold option, but its five-litre heatproof glass bowl also allows you to see exactly what’s going on with your cake batter. This puts paid to those pesky flour lumps. It also features a 1,000W motor designed to handle up to 1.35kg of difficult dough. On the downside, thanks to its metal body, it’s another heavy mixer at 10.9kg.
During testing, the kMix stand mixer was the most fuss-free option to use, staying reassuringly steady on the worktop even at high speeds. It produced everything from light, fluffy doughnuts to crisp meringue and thick whipped cream for pavlovas perfectly.
Another plus is the sheer range of compatible attachments, which include a pasta cutter, grinding mill, dicer and spaghetti maker. It comes in four colours and all the parts are dishwasher-safe, all adding to why the kMix remains the Ideal Home team’s favourite mixer of all time.
Our full Kenwood kMix stand mixer review has more details.
Best stand mixer for cake
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We know you recognise this one. From the Great British Bake Off to Nigella’s home kitchen, the KitchenAid Artisan is a classic. We put it to the test to see if it’s still the cream of the crop. The verdict? This stand mixer is stunning and sturdy, but the motor is a little lacking compared to some of the others in our guide. You can make up to two batches of bread at a time in this mixer, so it’s a good balance between size and capacity. The bowl also screws on easily and has a handle. Attachments are dishwasher-safe, which we love.
We found during testing that the Artisan mixer will quietly work away at whichever task you throw at it. There’s also an optional pouring shield to prevent splashes, and it comes with a wire whisk, flat beater and dough hook as default. The classic tilt-head design will fit under your kitchen cabinets, and because there are so many colours to choose from (not to mention countless custom bowls and other matching appliances such as the best food processors) we know it will look the part too.
It’s also one of the heaviest stand mixers available, at a knee-bending 11kg with accessories. It did make some delicious cake though, and you can buy plenty of additional attachments to make pasta, ice cream, and even to stuff sausages if you so wish.
Our full KitchenAid Artisan Mixer review has more information.
Best stand mixer with built-in scales
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The Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker is an expensive choice, but with in-built scales and a timer, it’s the ticket to perfectly precise bakes. We really enjoyed how accurate the scales were, as they allowed us to add all of our flour, butter, sugar, and eggs to the bowl without the need to put them in a separate measuring device beforehand. Less cleanup, and a lot less faff! The assisted tilt-head means you can prop up the attachments with minimal effort because it springs up when you press the lever.
It comes in only one colour, which is a shame, but you can switch out the colour of the top panel. This also has a port to add up to 25 attachments: a blender, even a pasta maker. The best part, these will also pair with the scales on the base! The mixer comes with three attachments, and we particularly enjoyed the flat beater. We did find that the splash guard had a slight cap above the bowl because it’s attached to the assisted tilt-head, and this lets a little flour and icing sugar escape from the bowl when cooking.
Our full Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker stand mixer review has more details.
Best compact stand mixer
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In testing, we loved how easily it was able to knead bread and make cakes and whipped cream with the Morphy Richards MixStar. The mixer is noisier than some, and it also lacks that classic tilt-head design that many find so appealing about a stand mixer. If it’s not the look you’re after though, this is an immensely capable model. It comes with an in-built timer that allows you to plan your baking exploits perfectly, and its six-point speed dial is variable which gives you complete control of your mixing.
The MixStar is powered through a central column that stems from its base. To this, you can attach the whisk, dough hook, or flat beater attachments which work on a cog to rotate around the bowl. Unlike many stand mixers which have only one overhead attachment, this mixer has two, which means it can power through tasks as quickly as you’ll need. All the attachments store easily in an insert that sits in the bowl itself, which means this stand mixer is incredibly easy to store and significantly less space-intensive than other options.
Our full Morphy Richards MixStar review has more details.
Best lightweight stand mixer
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25% lighter and 20% smaller than the Kitchenaid Artisan mixer, the KitchenAid Artisan Mini is great for those who want the charm of a KitchenAid mixer but with a smaller profile. It has a flat beater, wire whisk, and dough hook for all your baking needs, and you can also wash all of these (apart from the whisk) in the dishwasher.
Despite its limited motor size, the KitchenAid Artisan Mini was powerful enough during our tests to make smooth and fluffy cake mixes and well-worked cookie dough. When making bread it was able to knead a regular sized loaf, but we did find that the dough worked its way up the hook, unfortunately.
If you enjoy baking but don’t need the best stand mixer for batch bakes, the KitchenAid Artisan Mini is a great choice for you. It has a great range of colour options too, and it looks a real treat when placed on the kitchen counter, as you’ll see in the images from our test centre below.
Our full KitchenAid Artisan Mini Tilt-Head Stand Mixer review has more details.
Best large capacity stand mixer
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Great for batch bakers and big families, the 500W Precision Stand Mixer is surprisingly roomy. While its footprint is standard, its 5.2-litre, stainless-steel bowl provides more capacity than you’d expect in a model of this size. This means that you can knead up to 1.2kg of dough, whip 1.4 litres of cream or whisk 12 egg whites in a single load.
There are 12 speeds, from a gentle stir (which we found invaluable for starting to mix the dough) to a rapid whisk that took the effort out of making meringues. The mixer shook a little on the highest settings but stayed steady on the worktop.
Its tools are the usual three of whisk (the only part not dishwasher-safe), beater and dough hook. This last one was especially good in that our bread dough didn’t wrap itself around the hook, but moved and kneaded it around the bowl efficiently.
Our loaf rose well without any manual kneading. The two-part splashguard and spout, while a handy option, was something awkward to have in use most of the time. It slid on easily enough but every time the mixer head was raised, both sections had to be removed, making scraping down the bowl more of a chore.
Its performance couldn’t be faulted – our sugar and butter creamed together quickly, and the batter looked well-aerated. The finished sponge wasn’t as fluffy as we’d hoped though. Where it delivers less is on aesthetics – the Precision Stand Mixer is only available in black or white, the pedal to raise the mixer head protrudes oddly and the dial feels like a clunky way to move up or down through the speeds.
However, if you’re looking for a robust workhorse of a mixer and don’t mind not having a colourful appliance, it’s a smart choice.
Best 2-in-1 stand mixer
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The Breville HeatSoft VFM029 is a budget-friendly 2-in-1 stand mixer and hand mixer, which makes it a good choice for those short on money, time and/or space. Our reviewer Qin also thought that the stand mixer base would be handy for those who might have mobility issues and have trouble holding up the handheld mixer for longer periods, which makes it a good accessible buy too.
After testing, Qin summarised that it’s a mixer best for cake bakers rather than breadmakers. Aside from the fact that it’s not very good at kneading dough, the smaller capacity means you’d be limited as to the type of bread recipe you can try overall.
There are plenty of positives for the cake makers out there though, including the clever HeatSoft function, which warms butter from the fridge into perfect room-temperature baking condition. As well as that standout feature, this mixer is equipped with a good range of attachments too, and can often be found on sale for closer to £250 than its RRP of £350.
Our Breville HeatSoft VFM029 2-in-1 Hand and Stand Mixer review has the full details.
Best heavy duty KitchenAid mixer
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This is the KitchenAid mixer for serious bakers, with the capacity and power to churn through industrial batches of bread, cake and so much more. It has a design to match that kind of heavy-duty work too, with a bowl lift design that allows you to deal with kilograms of flour and sugar with ease.
During testing, there was no test that this mixer couldn’t ace, with the planetary action delivering thorough mixing all the way down to the bottom of the huge 6.9-litre bowl. The removable pouring chute is also excellent for adding extra flour or sugar to a mix without causing a plume of dust, and the speed settings are designed to perfect any type of mixture you’re working on, from egg whites to cake batter.
Of course, this a big mixer, so you’ll need ample worktop space in your kitchen, as well as the desire to make huge batches in order to justify splashing out on this professional-style model. This mixer impressed us in all of our tests, but with an RRP of £749.00, it’s a buy that you’ll need to have a return on investment with in terms of use.
Best stand mixer for small kitchens
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Here at Ideal Home we’re very invested in finding solutions to small space problems. The Kenwood Go is here to solve the problem that our Deputy Editor Rebecca Knight has had for a long time in her small kitchen – not enough space for a stand mixer.
With very small dimensions and a flat top side, this mixer can easily fit under cupboards or be stored under your worktop, meaning that you don’t have to wrestle with what to get rid of in order to have a stand mixer at home. The built-in handle also goes a very long way design-wise to make storage and manoeuvring easy.
In her tests our reviewer went full Mary Berry, whipping up a Victoria sponge, meringues and a loaf of bread in just one afternoon. The ease of cleaning the mixer between recipes made bulk-baking easy and though the bowl on the Go is smaller than the kMix unless you’re makig industrial quantities we doubt you’ll notice.
The retro good looks are a little absent with the Go compared to the kMix and you might need to adjust the mixers lift-head in order to scrape the entirety of the bowl during each mix. Other than that, this mixer is truly good to go.
How we test stand mixers
As you might have guessed by now, we’re serious about how we test products at Ideal Home. We go to lengths to get hands-on experience with products, so that we can recommend you (or steer you away from) products in good faith.
When it comes to stand mixers, we used our test kitchen Great British Bake Off style to conduct several tests to see how four of these mxiers performed. On this testing day, we perfected the set tests that every mixer has to pass. The tests were: baking a Victoria sponge, whipping egg whites into stiff peaks, baking a loaf of bread using a standard recipe and creaming icing.
We used the mixers we tested on the day with those recipes, and then continued to use them in the future when we employed our trusted team of freelancers to review mixers for us too. You can see detailed results in the individual reviews we’ve linked to under every product, but un every review using those tests we were looking for well-combined mixes (with no floury lumps left at the bottom of the bowl), creamy icing and egg whites that were whipped into peaks quickly.
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Using these mixers simultaneously allowed us to compare these results and to measure up on timings and settings too. With each mixer, we tried out every speed and setting they had on offer through our range of tests, and judged their capacity too based on how they dealt with challenges such as a bread dough.
After testing these mixers in our review kitchen, we can make comparisons on performance. Following this, where we can, we’ve also kept hold of products in order to assess how they perform after months and years of use. Here’s a quick look as to who tested the mixers and complied this guide.
FAQs
How to choose a stand mixer
If you feel like you’re in the dark when it comes to the things you want in your stand mixer, allow us to help you out with the features that we’ve found the most valuable from testing.
Bowl capacity
Unlike some small appliances, where wattage can be a rough guide to how powerful a machine is, when it comes to stand mixers, it’s better to buy based on more tangible features. Bowl capacity is a the place to start.
Some of the mixers we tested had a capacity as low as 3.3 litres, but the average is between 4-5 litres. Whatever happens, you’ll have the space for one bread dough at a time in any mixer. For more than that, larger six-litre-plus bowls are ideal for batch bakers. Bowls are usually made from stainless steel (cheaper models may have a plastic base). But they can be made from glass, too, which enables you to keep an eye on the ingredients as they mix.
Tools
Most mixers will have three tools as standard: a balloon whisk for whipping cream, eggs and light mixtures, a dough hook for kneading bread and a beater for batters, biscuit dough and general mixing.
This could also be a flexi or scraper beater – a tool with a silicone rim that helps to scrape down the bowl as it mixes. Another common accessory is a splashguard – essential for stopping the contents of the bowl from escaping during vigorous mixing.
The tool I love using most is a flexi beater, as it’s just so versatile and great for batters and icing. If you want to get the absolute most out of your purchase, both KitchenAid and Cuisinart have extended attachment collections that can affix onto your mixer, turning it into a food processor or pasta maker in seconds.
Speed
The majority of stand mixers use planetary mixing action. This means the tool orbits while the arm moves around the bowl. This action should mean that the mixture is moved towards the middle of the bowl rather than being flung out to the sides. Each mixer will have a range of speeds, controlled by a slider or a dial.
This allows you to build up to the speed you want gradually. If you want to perform very delicate tasks, such as working with egg whites, being able to have very particular speeds will be important to you, so you might want to spend more on a mixer with a big range.
Slow start and pause functions
There may also be a ‘soft start’ slow speed to prevent fine ingredients, such as flour, from puffing out before the speed ramps up. Another useful feature is a pause function. This stops the machine mixing so you can add ingredients, before returning to the same speed. Some mixers may also have preset programmes for food types such as cake or gentle ‘fold’ options.
Why do I need a stand mixer?
Stand mixers look the part, but they are also essential for taking the muscle work out of even the toughest recipes. Anyone who’s spent ten minutes kneading bread dough or hand-beating cake mix will know that it’s a lot of arm work. Not only will the best stand mixer do it a lot faster, but it will often do a better job thanks to the range of speeds available, as well as the assortment of attachments that are custom-made for baking.
While we are a team of keen bakers here at Ideal Home, we’re not professionals, which is why we spoke to Debby Donnelly A.K.A @thebohobake owner of Vanilla Nova cakes about why she decided to invest in a stand mixer.
‘I have a copper KitchenAid which has powered my business since 2010,’ says Debby. ‘I chose to invest in one after developing repetitive strain from kneading fondant and bread dough. We’ve used it for over 3500 wedding cakes, countless celebration cakes, tarts, loaves, and gingerbread houses, and it’s still going strong.’
Debby adds ‘Mechanically, it’s only ever needed one replacement part due to wear and tear; a set of brushes costing £12. It’s the best investment I’ve made for my business.’
How much should I spend on a mixer?
This depends on whether you’re buying a stand mixer with a view to keeping it long-term. Basic mixers can be picked up as cheaply as £50. But for one that will last, budget for a minimum of £100. Beyond £150, most of what you’ll be paying for is a greater choice of colours and styling, extra features or accessories. More expensive mixers tend to have a sturdier build quality to ensure they’ll be whisking and beating for decades to come.
What kind of stand mixer attachments are available?
Stand mixers often feature more than one outlet – the main outlet being used to rotate the tool in the bowl. Additional ones are usually located at the front of the machine or on the top of the lever arm. These allow you to power attachments, turning your simple stand mixer into a multifunctional kitchen helper. Standard mixer attachments include a blender jug for making smoothies and soups or crushing ice, and sometimes a food processor for slicing, grating and chopping.
Most manufacturers offer a range of stand mixer attachments to buy. These include rollers for making pasta and specialised ravioli makers. There are also mincers or grinders for processing meat, slicers, pre-freeze ice cream bowls, millers, spiralisers and juicers. Accessories and attachments can take up a fair amount of room in your kitchen. Look for models that can store accessories inside the bowl or come with a storage box. That way, you won’t lose the kit at the back of a cupboard.
Are stand mixers good for baking bread?
During our tests, we made plenty of bread using a stand mixer to whip dough into shape. Most mixers include a dough hook to help you on your way, too. You don’t have to just take our word for it – Aidan Monks, co-owner of Lovingly Artisan Bakery is a fan too.
Aidan, who uses a Kenwood mixer at home (we told you it’s the mixer of bakers) says ‘I love to do test bakes at home and when we are creating home baking courses to go online we are using similar equipment.’
‘Our mixers in the bakery hold 250kg of dough so it’s hard to create recipes that work at home from that scale,’ continues Aidan. ‘They are an essential piece of kitchen equipment at home. Easy to control for all baking jobs. Food processors can vary widely when it comes to mixing and timing.’
As to why he prefers Kenwood over other brands, Aidan says ‘I prefer Kenwood for bread making. It’s all about power. If the mixer doesn’t have a large robust motor making sourdough or ciabatta can easily cause the motor to overheat. Kenwood mixers also have a large capacity, strong stainless bowls with great handles and robust tools to match.’
Are stand mixer parts dishwasher safe?
While a dishwasher-safe bowl is usually standard, check that accessories are too before you pop them in alongside. Whisk attachments often have to be washed by hand. Hot temperatures can cause plastic to be damaged.
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