The 6 Best Stand Mixers, According to Our Extensive Testing

Final Verdict

We recommend the Breville Bakery Chef Stand Mixer for its ability to effectively mix a range of recipes, from light whipped cream to heavy whole wheat dough. We also loved its variety of features, including 12 speed settings, a timer, two different sized mixing bowls, the scrapers located on the beater, and the light at the top of the machine, which makes it easier to see what you’re mixing. For a budget-friendly pick, the Aucma 6.5-QT 660W 6-Speed Tilt-Head Stand Mixer works really well for everything but mixing bread dough at just a fraction of the price.

Our Testing Process

We tested 22 stand mixers in our lab and assessed them on design, performance, size, features, ease of cleaning, and overall value for the money. We measured the performance of these stand mixers by cooking up three recipes of varying textures, including whipped cream, cookie dough, and whole wheat bread. For each, we recorded how long it took the stand mixer to mix the ingredients, evaluated how effectively the ingredients were mixed, and noted if there were any design features that aided or hindered its ability to complete the mixing well and in a timely manner. We then noted whether the machine got hot, whether the motor got taxed while running at a high speed, and how loud it got while mixing. We also noted whether the machine shook while handling the thicker cookie and whole wheat bread doughs.

After that, we tested each product to see how easy it was to clean. This included if the bowl and attachments needed to be washed by hand or if they could be thrown in the dishwasher. We also took note if the product required further disassembly to clean and whether the body of the stand mixer had nooks and crannies that made it even more difficult to wipe down. At the end of our tests, we determined whether we would buy the stand mixer ourselves or recommend it to family or friends. Winners were taken home and tested for six months, at which point we updated this roundup with new insights.

How to Shop for Stand Mixers Like a Pro

Capacity

Capacity is measured by how much you can put in the mixing bowl. Mixing bowl capacities can range from as little as 3.5 quarts to more than 7 quarts. The capacity you choose should be dependent on how much you bake. McDowell tells us that the biggest mistake she sees people make with stand mixers is not buying the right size for their needs.

“For example, a ‘professional’ mixer with a larger capacity (7 quarts and up) might not be very helpful if you're into small-batch baking—it can actually prevent you from being able to mix small quantities effectively,” she says. “Think about trying to whip a half cup of cream in a super-large bowl vs. in a smaller one—the whisk will have more contact with the cream in a small bowl, while in a large one, it may not even reach it.”

Gordon, on the other hand, is a big believer in the bigger the capacity, the better. “A 4-quart bowl is fairly tiny, limiting you to a dozen or so cookies at once, and possibly a single cake layer depending on the cake size,” she says. “If you plan on doing a lot of baking, I’d recommend at least a 6-quart bowl.” If you aren’t able to afford a larger-capacity stand mixer but still do a lot of baking, Gordon recommends buying an extra mixing bowl or two. “An extra bowl will make it easier to accomplish more complex recipes at once or make multiple batches without washing a ton of dishes between each round,” she says. 

Velez says that some stand mixers actually allow you to use different sized mixing bowls with their product, eliminating having to buy a stand mixer based on capacity. The Breville Bakery Chef, for example, comes with both a 5-quart glass bowl and a 4-quart stainless steel bowl.

Attachment and Features

Every stand mixer comes with standard attachments including a flat beater, whisk, and dough hook. Flat beaters are great for making cookies, whisks are used for whipped cream and meringues, and dough hooks are for bread. Most bakes require just these attachments, but there are some stand mixers that come with other types of attachments that can prove helpful. These include dough rollers, dough scrapers, and cookie beaters. Although having extra attachments can be useful and fun, Leshnick recommends people don’t spend more on a mixer if they aren’t sure whether or not they will use those extra attachments. “You can always get more attachments later,” he says. “Start with what you need to make what you have in mind.”

Other helpful features that often come with stand mixers are spatulas to help mix your ingredients by hand between mixing sessions. These help with cleaning, as well. There are also splash guards that help prevent ingredients from flying out of the machine while mixing, and some even come with an additional mixing bowl that is different from the standard size bowl. 

Wattage

Although wattage is often touted as an important feature to consider when buying a stand mixer, the bakers were mixed on whether it’s a surefire indicator of a stand mixer’s success. Leshnick says that one of the stand mixers used at Breads Bakery is 500 watts and works beautifully. Instead of focusing on watts, he suggests getting a commercial-grade stand mixer for strength, as these can usually withstand more wear and tear.

If you’re still interested in using wattage as a decision-making factor, know that wattage in the 200 range is what you’d typically find in a hand mixer. So if you’re going to splurge on a stand mixer, which will cost several hundred dollars more, you might as well get something that starts at the 500-watt range.

More Stand Mixers to Consider

Smeg Stand Mixer: We loved the retro design of the Smeg Stand Mixer as well as the pastel color options available. It was by and far one of the easiest to clean, as the bowl and attachments are dishwasher-safe, and there was no ingredient splattering during any of our recipe testing. It did well in our tests, although we found that the motor has a high pitch whine no matter what speed it is on. Plus, it's expensive.

Cuisinart Precision Master 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer: We really appreciated the relatively inexpensive price of this Cuisinart stand mixer, especially since it has features similar to higher-priced models. However, we didn’t like how the machine shook and got hot to the touch while making our cookie dough and bread dough. 

Questions You Might Ask

What are the benefits of a stand mixer in comparison to a hand mixer?

The biggest benefit of a stand mixer is that it cuts down on hand and arm fatigue. Anyone who has held a hand mixer for even just a couple minutes knows that it gets very tiring, very quickly. It’s worth it to go through this kind of workout if you only bake here and there, especially considering that the price of a hand mixer is typically hundreds of dollars less than that of a stand mixer.

Stand mixers actually mix ingredients more quickly than hand mixers do. They are also a lot easier to use for big baking jobs as well as tough baking jobs, such as kneading bread. However, because stand mixers are so expensive, they are only worth the investment if you bake regularly. 

What’s the difference between a tilt-head stand mixer and a bowl-lift stand mixer?

A tilt-head stand mixer requires you to lift the upper body of the machine up to add the ingredients and swap out the attachments. Meanwhile, with a bowl-lift stand mixer, the mixing bowl attaches to the machine and is lifted up to meet the attachments via a lever. 

According to our experts, one isn’t better than the other in terms of performance; that said, some have found that the tilt-head offers slightly more in terms of convenience. Both McDowell and Velez told us that with a tilt-head, it can be easier to scrape down ingredients that have stuck to the sides of the mixing bowl. Leshnick also finds that tilt-head stand mixers make it easier to add ingredients into the bowl.

Another convenience difference between these two stand mixers is that bowl-lifts are usually bigger than tilt-lifts, so make sure you have ample counter space to store the machine before you buy one. For tilt-lifts, you also should be sure that you have enough vertical clearance for when you lift the upper half of the machine up.

What's the best way to maintain a stand mixer?

Stand mixers are considered kitchen MVPs, and when well taken care of, they can last for several years. Velez, Gordon, and Leshnick agree that one big threat to the longevity of stand mixers is overworking the motor. “The fastest way to burn out a motor is beating cold butter,” Gordon says. “The only time you should put cold butter into a mixer bowl is if you are making pie crust (pâte brisée method) or some type of dough where butter is slowly broken in." If you’re about to make something, and your butter is cold, she suggests leaving it out so it can reach room temperature, or softening it a bit in the microwave. 

Gordon also suggests starting your mixer on a lower setting, even if the recipe calls for a high setting. “You want to allow the motor a chance to build up to high gear,” she says. According to Velez and Leshnick, you can also overwork the motor by using too firm a batter or dough. “If the mixer struggles to mix the dough and is making weird sounds, stop and try to figure out why the dough is so stiff," Leshnick says. To prevent that from happening altogether, Velez suggests finishing your thick dough recipe outside of the mixer. In addition to preventing the motor from overworking, this trick can prevent the machine’s gears from loosening. 

Another way to maintain your stand mixer is to clean it after use. In addition to washing the bowl and attachments (be sure to check whether they are dishwasher-safe), McDowell recommends wiping the machine down to prevent buildup of ingredients. She also suggests being mindful to keep flour or dusty ingredients from entering the main mechanism, such as the vents. And if you have a tilt-head stand mixer, she says to always return the tilt head to its lowered, secured position when not in use, which helps to maintain the internal machine. 

Take Our Word for It

This article was written by Rachel Center, a product reviews home writer for Real Simple. We researched the best stand mixers and tested 22 of the most popular options in our lab, evaluating them on ease of cleaning, design, performance, size, features, and value. We also spoke to four professional bakers to get their advice on how to choose the best stand mixers, including Paola Velez, pastry chef and co-founder of Bakers Against Racism; Edan Leshnick, head pastry chef at Breads Bakery; Erin McDowell, recipe developer and cookbook author; and Anna Gordon, founder and chef of The Good Batch Bakery. 

What Is Real Simple Selects?

Next to each product on this list, you may have noticed a Real Simple Selects seal of approval. Any product appearing alongside that seal has been vetted by our team—put through tests and graded on its performance to earn a spot on our list. Although we buy most of the products we test, sometimes we do get samples from companies if purchasing a product ourselves isn’t an option. All products go through the same rigorous process, whether they are purchased or sent by the company.

Love our recommendations? Check out more products that have earned the Real Simple Selects, from humidifiers to cordless vacuums.