We’ve Been Testing Stand Mixers Since 2013 and KitchenAid’s Is Still the Best

The KitchenAid stand mixer is timeless. My cheery yellow mixer is almost identical to the cobalt-blue one my mom has used for my entire life, and hers looks an awful lot like the one in Julia Child’s kitchen. In fact, the KitchenAid stand mixer’s looks haven’t really changed much since 1937, when the Model K was released. And in name and function, it’s been around for even longer.

The KitchenAid mixer is the direct descendant of one of the first stand mixers, an 80-quart behemoth invented by Herbert Johnston, an engineer at the Hobart Manufacturing Company. The Hobart H Model, as the original was called, debuted in 1914, and it was a hit with commercial bakeries and the U.S. Navy (which outfitted every ship with one). Then in 1919 came the 5-quart model, which one executive’s wife dubbed “the best kitchen aid” (or so the story goes).

That first KitchenAid mixer wasn’t particularly attractive, nor was it cheap—adjusted for inflation, the original price tag was nearly $2,900. Stores were reluctant to carry it, so instead a salesforce of women sold it door to door.

It wasn’t until that 1937 design change, which gave the KitchenAid its iconic curves, that the mixer really gained in popularity. The introduction of color options, like petal pink and island green, in 1955 also helped.

Hobart (which still makes commercial mixers) sold KitchenAid to Whirlpool in 1986, but KitchenAid mixers are still manufactured in the same Ohio factory they have been since 1946. A representative told us that the company still builds the mixers using all-metal gears and Hobart’s same patented design.

I can’t think of another kitchen appliance that works with such a wide range of attachments (sold separately) as KitchenAid stand mixers. A handy hub on the front end of the mixer allows you to tap the motor’s power for all kinds of tasks, from grinding meat to shaving ice.

And though not all of the attachments are equally great, the ones that work well can really expand the versatility of your mixer and open up new possibilities in the kitchen. After testing a wide range, we’ve found four we recommend: the Metal Food Grinder, the Pasta Roller, the Fresh Prep Slicer/Shredder, and the Shave Ice Attachment. They can make seemingly ambitious projects, like making your own sausage or fresh tagliatelle from scratch, feel downright breezy.

KitchenAid mixers are equipped with a serious motor, and in our experience they can easily last decades, if not forever, which helps justify the price. The standard tilt-head model usually sells for $450, but you can snag one on sale for as low as $250, or you can buy a refurbished model from KitchenAid for around $200.

But they’re not invincible.

Regularly overtaxing the motor may cause it to burn out, so respect its limits. Don’t overfill the bowl, and pay attention when mixing particularly thick doughs; if you sense the motor straining, try mixing a smaller quantity. In the manuals for its mixers, KitchenAid also specifically cautions against kneading bread dough at speeds other than 2, noting that “Use of any other speed creates high potential for unit failure.”

Note, too, that KitchenAid says its mixers “will mix faster and more thoroughly than most other electric mixers,” and that you may need to mix for less time than a recipe suggests. This rings true to my experience, so I’d suggest going by the visual cues a recipe suggests (like “soft peaks” or “light and fluffy”) rather than the mixing time. It will be better for the motor and for your baked goods too.

The great thing about KitchenAid mixers is that they’re repairable and adjustable. For example, you can recalibrate the height of the beater if it’s hitting the bottom of the bowl.

And if your machine needs fixing, you can send it back to the factory or to an authorized service facility for repairs (or buy parts from a service facility to give it a go yourself).

The original version of this post was part of our 2020 “52 Things We Love” series, an ode to Wirecutter picks that have withstood the test of time. Read the entire series. The current version was edited by Rachelle Bergstein and Catherine Kast.