10 best stand mixers

A decent stand mixer takes all the hard work out of making cakes, breads, pastries and puddings – and a lot more besides. But with prices ranging from £35 up to well over £400, how do you know which one to buy?

All stand mixers should mix, whisk, whip and knead, while more comprehensive ones may also tackle jobs such as chopping, slicing, blending and mincing.

Before choosing a mixer, you should consider how solid the build is and whether it’s easy to set up and intuitive to use. Another thing to think about is whether it needs a helping hand with a scraper while in use. Is it a nightmare to clean? Will you want to store it away?

Think about capacity too, depending on whether you want it for a small family or to make very big batches, and try to find out how easy it will be to replace spare parts if you need them.

We tested for all these things, as well as noise levels, speed, number of settings, longevity, value for money and – perhaps most importantly – the culinary results.

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Sage the bakery boss stand mixer

This was our favourite machine. Egg whites were whisked to light, cloudy peaks far quicker than with other machines, and the dough it produced made a faultless loaf of bread. Cake batter was as good as it gets too, and unusually we didn’t find we had to scrape down the sides of the bowl in between mixing. It comes with plenty of easy-fitting accessories including glass and steel bowls, plus a beater, whisk, dough hook and scraper. Most of these extras can go in the dishwasher and the instructions for the mixer itself couldn’t be clearer. It comes in five colours and doesn’t make the racket that some other machines do. Both bowls have handles too. Add this to your kitchen armoury and you won’t look back.

Kenwood kmix KMX754

We couldn’t fault the consistency of the whipped cream, whisked egg whites and kneaded dough that this machine produced and it doesn’t make the awful din that so many other stand mixers do. The six speed settings mean you can slowly build up speed to prevent sudden splashing, and you can bung everything in the dishwasher afterwards. It looks good too, with a matching kettle and toaster also available in a range of colours (including rose gold). But the attachments aren’t the easiest to fit on and it’s heavy.

KitchenAid 4.8L artisan stand mixer

Easily the nicest looking stand mixer around, this retro-style machine is available in 20 colours ranging from ice blue to dried rose. Even better news is that it performs well across all three functions – kneading, whipping and mixing – particularly standing out when it comes to cake batter. It’s quick, quiet, easy to set up and use, a doddle to wash (with dishwasher friendly parts) and is versatile with a whopping 10 speeds. And there are plenty of attachments including a smaller 3L bowl and an effective pouring guard. All of this does come with a hefty price tag, and it does produce dust clouds when you add flour. It’s also ridiculously heavy so is not suitable for storing away, although with such an attractive machine, who would want to anyway?

Kenwood KVC7300S

The first version of this machine was launched back in 1950, but today’s futuristic-looking model is a world away from the original. Yes, it’s pricey, but we found it excels in every task, and it’s simple to operate and easy to clean, as well as being quiet. It has eight speed settings and there are a vast number of additional accessories you can buy, including a pasta roller, ice cream maker and meat mincer. It’s a shame that none are included in the price, though, and the whipping function could be a bit quicker.

Vonshef black hand and stand mixer

This sturdy black machine is our top recommendation for anyone with extremely basic needs on a tight budget. It’s perfect for students, for example. It doubles up as a hand mixer and includes plenty of accessories including two beaters, two dough hooks, a whisk and 3.5L mixing bowl. It’s nice and light, so is easy to store away, and although it’s slow compared to other machines, it offers decent enough results, particularly when it comes to whisking. The non slip feet work a treat and it’s nice and light for easy storage.

Cuisinart SM50U precision 5.2L stand mixer

Surprisingly, this is Cuisinart’s first ever stand mixer but boy, was it worth the wait. Available in black or white, it feels sturdy and well-engineered, is a breeze to set up, use and clean and – joy of joys – it doesn’t make a horrid din when in use. Best of all, it whips, whisks and kneads to perfection, with a whopping 12 speed settings for precision control. Despite the hefty price tag, we think it’s as good as some we tested that were nearly double the price. But – as with so many stand mixers – you may have to scrape down the sides if cake ingredients start to stick. Altogether, though, a fabulous all-rounder.

Swan retro die-cast stand mixer SP33010CN

Besides coming in a vast number of glorious colours, which makes this another looker you’ll be proud to store on your worktop, this robust five-litre capacity machine stands out for ease of use, with three attachments that make particularly good cakes and bread. The ingredients reach every part of the bowl, so you don’t have to scrape them down from the side. Don’t overfill it, though, or it makes a shocking mess. We also thought it is a shame the attachments aren’t dishwasher proof. Other mixers in this roundup are better at whisking as this one is slower than other models.

Judge stand mixer

This is a two in one machine which means you can detach the mixer from the stand to use as a hand mixer. It has five speeds and is super easy to clean. While this one isn’t the most attractive looking in our roundup, and the splash guard isn’t quite as effective as other models we tried, we found it mixed things quickly and required little scraping down the sides of the bowl. If you’re watching your pennies, have limited storage space and/or only need your stand mixer for the basics, you could do a lot worse.

The verdict: Stand mixers

You can’t go wrong with Sage’s “the bakery boss” mixer. Rarely do we test anything that ticks every box, yet this really did. For a budget machine, try the Vonshef mixer.

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