10 Strange Facts About Mixer
A stand mixer can easily be one of the most exciting purchases you ever
Make for your kitchen, especially if you bake a lot.
Investment piece, many people really need to make sure they have the
Space, money, and need for such a machine before taking the plunge.
Picking the Best Stand Mixer For Your Home
Although finally deciding to make the purchase can feel like a big choice
In and of itself, the actual decision comes when picking the one that will be
Right for your home and cooking needs.
Money's worth, not to mention that it will add so much to what you can do
at home.
from sausage stuffers to pasta makers.
Best options on the market today that will help you make the right decision for
your kitchen.
list down into three performance categories: light duty for the occasional
Baker, medium duty for those folks that bake on consistent basis but not
Each and every day, and heavy duty for people who bake more frequently.
There is also a bonus category for the "no-holds-barred" shopper, for those
Who need or want the very best and aren't afraid to pay for it -- however,
There is only 1 product (the Hobart N50) that we've listed in this section
That could reasonably fit into a house kitchen.
quantifiable due to differences in build quality of motors and other
components.
The appliance industry's habit of using wattage for a measurement of
Power is also a factor that's tough to translate into a review. 400 watts is
Although not 100% correlated, the mixing ability, power, and build quality
Lighter dough items or whipping up a wonderful cream, you can't go wrong with
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Kneading, this machine will perform very well for the average home chef,
As long as he or she doesn't have a bread baking obsession. Its scraping
function is unique among its peers.
auto load sensing and auto timer features give you more for your money
than many other comparable examples (i.e. the KitchenAid) in this price
range.
BEST MEDIUM DUTY STAND MIXER
This category represented a difficult choice, and it came down to the
In the Long Run, we awarded the medium category
Capabilities in the real world.
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one-year, reviewers indicated that the Cuisinart's customer service was
Sometime difficult to deal with, and that they had to pay shipping both
Methods to have their machine serviced or replaced.
KitchenAid's warranty service seems to have none of these issues.
We also appreciated the massive variety of different colors in which the
KitchenAid KSM150 5-Quart Artisan Series is offered, and the many
Various attachments that are available. Although we gave our nod
Towards the KitchenAid, we are positive that you'd be pleased with either
model.
BEST HEAVY DUTY STAND MIXER
This was by far the hardest category to decide our top pick. Much
Debate and teeth gnashing occurred, and you will not go wrong with
Choosing any of the various offerings. But Ultimately, we had to choose just
one.
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The Verona / Magic Mill DLX Mixer / Electrolux Assistant / Ankarsrum
Original (don't say that too fast) is by far our favorite stand mixer for
Baking a copious quantity of bread. Have a huge family with a bunch of
Mouths to feed and make most of your food from scratch? If so, this is THE
mixer for you.
With nearly 12 pounds of dough capacity, which can be tapped into on a
Daily basis without fear of burning the motor up, this is the best mixer for
would be the Hobart N50-60 5-Quart 3-Speed All Purpose Bench Mixer,
Costs significantly more, and most folks aren't prepared to pay this much
For a home machine.
Our other favorite option was the KitchenAid Proline 7-Quart. This one is
Especially helpful if you want to use KitchenAid's full line of accessory
Attachments such as the grain mils, meat grinders, food processors, and so
on.
HOW WE RATED
POWER
Especially if you're working with lots of heavy or dry dough. There is,
power ratings through the use of "watts."
nothing about the power available, either at the motor itself or at the mixer
head. Watts (in this case) can be defined by the amount of power or current
That is drawn from the electrical grid.
efficiencies of the motors themselves. Without getting too techie, a high
Quality fixed speed induction motor driving a top quality set of gears can
Use this 400 watts a lot more effectively and for a longer period than a
A more fair measurement of power would be a horsepower rating at
Continuous use, but this measurement is much harder to obtain, so it is
Highly unlikely it will ever be adopted by home consumer brands
(although it is used by commercial equipment makers such as Hobart).
PLANETARY ACTION
This means that the beaters rotate on their axis similarly to the way the
Earth rotates. Like a planetary system, the Entire mixer head then rotates
The opposite way, like the way the Earth rotates around the sun. This
ensures that the sides of the bowl are scraped by the beater rather than
ALL METAL GEARING
Although a bit noisier than other models with quieter nylon gears
(sometimes referred to as "plastic" gears in various reviews), models with
metal gears tend to last much longer.
That being said, there are obvious differences in quality between various
Brands in their manufacturing process, with a few lower priced models
Opting for pot metal gears, while better models offer brass or steel gears
with tighter tolerances.
The all metal gear equipped examples Are Typically kitted out with
Electronic sensors, which shut off the machine prior to the motor damaging
Itself in the event of an overload.
It should be pointed out that KitchenAid uses ONE Kevlar-reinforced
Safe in the event of motor overload, and breaks up into pieces in the event
of a jam. Their upper-end models use the electronic overload sensors, and
all metal gears.
SLOW START FEATURE
Any decent stand mixer will have this choice. This basically slowly spins
The motor up for the first several seconds, so that the ingredients do not fly
Into the air and make a flour cloud, or splatter your walls.
SPEED OPTIONS
Generally, the more speed options available the better, as this allows you
To perform any task that you set out to do, including whipping cream at a
higher speed and kneading dough at lower speeds.
This speed control also allows you to maximize the torque being produced
by the motor with the stiffness of the ingredients. We like to see at least 6-
7 speed choices.
N50 only has three speeds, as the motor is so powerful it can plow through
almost anything in any gear.
COLOR Choices
But we realize some folks
value the ability to match their decor, so we've included this as a small
metric.
However, you may value this more, and thus it may affect your selection
criteria more so than it does ours -- it just happened by coincidence that
Two of our top picks are offered in plenty of colors.
WEIGHT
A heavy stand mixer has much less of tendency to "walk" around your
countertops when mixing heavy bread dough. You'll generally want a
mixer that weighs at least 20 pounds, though heavier is generally better.
In the good old days of USA manufacturing, many of these appliances got
This weight from their heavy duty motors (usually tagged with Emerson or
Baldor) that contained lots of costly copper wiring and lasted nearly
forever.
Unfortunately, in these years of making products cheaper and cheaper,
many manufacturers have outsourced their motor supply to China (even if
they are "made" elsewhere) and include smaller, less efficient, and much
cheaper units. These manufacturers have beefed up the weight through
other means.
It should be noted that the Bosch Universal Plus Kitchen Machine (which
Has a killer motor that could tackle nearly anything you want to do),
Originally intended for the European market where space is at a premium,
has eschewed the weight in favor of suction cups on the feet to "glue"
itself to your countertops.
This in no way takes away from the versatility of this incredible machine,
And it could be considered the greatest light weight stand mixer in the marketplace
today (light weight referring to mass, not power or capability).
Bosch Universal Plus Kitchen Machine
The Bosch Universal Plus Stand Mixer is one of the few mixers on the
market that doesn't depend on mass to keep in in place.
TILT HEAD VS. BOWL LIFT
Before looking at individual models, you should consider which of two
Basic kinds of stand mixers are appropriate for you: tilt head or bowl lift. With
the tilt head model, you insert and remove the bowl by lifting the head of
the mixer.
When the head is lifted, you can securely twist the bowl into place in the
base of the mixer. Then just pull the tilt head down and use a small lever
On the face of the machine to lock it into place, so it doesn't wobble while
you use it.
These models tend to be a little less bulky, so consider the space you have
For storing when making your decision.
KitchenAid KSM150PS 5 Qt Artisan Series Stand Mixer| Foodal.comSave
This KitchenAid KSM150 5-Qt. Artisan Series in Persimmon is a superb
Case of a tilt head model
To insert and remove the bowl on the bowl lift models, the bowl hooks
onto arms that extend from the machine, and the arms raise and lift to
make removal easier.
More advanced home cooks like this model because bowls of warm or cold
Water can be placed beneath it for added temperature control. Some users
Complain that it's more challenging to add ingredients to the bowl lift model,
And don't like that attachments need to be taken out of the machine in
Order to remove the bowl.
KitchenAid KP26M1X 6 Qt Professional 600 Series
The KitchenAid KP26M1X 6-Qt. Professional 600 Series in Green Apple is a
Terrific example of a bowl lift model
You'll find bowl lift models to be more common in the higher end and
more powerful mixers -- this is because the heavy motors in the these
Products aren't readily supported by the single hinge found in the tilt head
models.
The bowl lift models are also more stable, as the vibrations from the
mixing action vibrate through heavier and thicker construction, meaning
There is more mass to distribute the mechanical energy from the vibrating
parts and motor. These mixers are the best choice for those who like to
make thick doughs like bread dough often.
BUILD QUALITY
Build quality is fairly self explanatory and can include some of the other
Metrics already mentioned, in addition to other variables. Does the machine
have adequate power (or even better -- surplus power) to accomplish the
task at hand?
Are good quality parts and pieces used in the construction? Will the motor
And electronic bits endure for quite a while? Are details an important part of
The assembly and engineering process? Are tolerances tight, or was the
product quickly slapped together?
Manufacturers generally have the ability to pick two out of the three
performance goals when producing products: fast, cheap, or well built. At
Foodal, we'd rather see well built than cheap for the products that we
recommend.
WARRANTY
Not only is the length of the warranty important, you must examine what
Exactly is covered, and above all, how good is the service?
Do they pick up the tab for shipping? Is support knowledgeable, and easy
to communicate with?
VALUE
Value is truly a combination of price and build quality. At Foodal, we
don't focus on price alone as a determining factor in rating a product.
Instead, we utilize our concept of Value.
Does the product, when one considers the build quality and All the other
Metrics in comparison to the price, provide value to the client? And if
So, what's the quantifiable number or star rating that we assign, based on
our observations?
Need more information, or want some better visuals? Check out this video
courtesy of Dede Wilson at Bakepedia.com. It's a great introduction to
these marvelous machines.
LIGHT DUTY STAND MIXERS
This one is ideal for the occasional baker, someone who bakes a couple of
times a month but not in huge batches, or for those with a smaller budget.
If you ever like to bake bread or make pizzas, we can't recommend any of
the light duty machines for these purposes in good conscience. Move on to
A better medium or heavy duty machine if you're able to afford to.
SUNBEAM MIXMASTER
The Sunbeam MixMaster Stand Mixer differs from others in that it's built
Very similarly to a handheld mixer, and it doesn't offer planetary action.
Instead, double beaters rotate the ingredients -- expect some bowl scraping
to be required with this design.
The top of the machine features a handle with a boost button, which can be
operated with your thumb.
Unlike other stand mixers, the bowl faces away from you when operating
it. If this will be your first stand mixer and you've used handhelds in the
Past, this could be a good alternative for you if you have any reservations
about making the switch.
Sunbeam 2594 350-Watt MixMaster Stand Mixer with Dough Hooks and
Beaters | Foodal.comSave
Sunbeam 2594 350-Watt MixMaster Stand Mixer with Dough Hooks and
Beaters, Black available from Amazon
Unlike a handheld mixer, however, this is easier to operate, and you won't
Find that your arm is getting tired after fifteen minutes of use. It's also
more powerful than many of its handheld counterparts: it features a 350-
watt motor, and 12 different speed settings.
You don't need to hold the handle to operate this setting -- there's a dial on
The back with the 12 speeds that features a slow startup, so you won't find
yourself covered in flour.
In addition to rotating attachments, the bowl also rotates in the opposite
Direction from the attachments, to ensure that all ingredients are picked up
and thoroughly mixed into the batter or dough.
The 4-quart stainless bowl is on the smaller end of the spectrum for mixer
bowls. Sunbeam provides two attachments: beaters and dough hooks.
Although this appliance seems to handle lighter dough and batters well,
many users wrote that regular use to make bread dough wore this machine
out rather quickly. If You're hoping to use this to make a lot of bread,
Look at a more durable option instead.
This Sunbeam MixMaster comes with a 2-year warranty, so if something
Does go wrong with your product, you'll have ample time to replace it. This
Is a fantastic option for beginners or people who aren't sure they want or need
such a machine, and aren't quite ready to commit the cash to more durable,
Multipurpose options.
This one is, by far, the best stand mixer in terms of value at this price
point.
KITCHENAID ULTRA POWER 4 1/2-QUART
KitchenAid mixers are the quintessential stand mixer option for many
home cooks, and for good reason: they're known for durability, have
Several attachment options, and are simple to use.
Although many users have speculated that their quality declined in the
late 2000s, KitchenAid reports that changes have been made over the last
Several years to get the mixers back to their former, decade-lasting selves.
And this seems to have been confirmed by customer reviews.
When choosing a KitchenAid, look for a new model, as users report these
tend to have a more solid construction. Of course, models from the 1990s
and earlier have also been known to last for decades when cared for
properly. This kind of durability does come with a caveat: these appliances
Are fairly heavy at 22-30 pounds, so be sure to store them in an easy to
reach place.
Although the 4.5-quart bowl is on the smaller side, this is by no means
limiting. Theoretically, you can mix together almost seven dozen cookies
Or four loaves of lighter bread dough at once, but we wouldn't recommend
attempting that much on a regular basis. It weighs 26 pounds and measures
in at 14 1/8 x 13 15/16 x 8 3/4 inches.
KitchenAid KSM95 Ultra Power Stand Mixer
Although the Ultra Power may not exactly live up to its namesake, many
users find it has plenty of juice for the jobs they need done -- this one is in
Empire Red
With ten speeds and 300 watts of power, this machine can handle most
dough with no problem. And it gives you several dimensions of control, so
You can whip egg whites or slowly beat in butter.
If you are a regular bread baker, meaning more than twice a month, I'd
Recommend looking at a more effective option, although many users report
That they use this model to generate bread frequently.
This machine comes with the 3 basic attachments -- a flat beater, wire
Whip, and dough hook -- and can be used with the other attachments that
KitchenAid offers.
KITCHENAID 4 1/2-QUART CLASSIC PLUS
This model is very similar to the Ultra Power, but it's a little more
affordable. And it has a 275-watt motor rather than the 300-watt version.
Both models have 59-point planetary action, which means it has 59 touch
Points throughout the bowl when mixing, to get ingredients thoroughly
incorporated. Also, both models have a tilt head, and ten speeds for
precision control.
KitchenAid KSM75WH 4 1/2 Qt Classic Plus Stand Mixer
This model is a wonderful choice for the occasional user. It will easily mix
together cookie dough and cake batter or beat mashed potatoes. It'll also
Do just fine making thicker dough occasionally, but if you know you'll be
Utilizing this to bake frequently, get a more powerful machine.
Nevertheless, some users report using it often to make thick pizza dough with
No problems, except that the head will jump up and down a little bit.
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