For professional chefs and home bakers alike, a solid stainless steel stand mixer is a must-have kitchen appliance. Quality units retail for several hundred dollars, and mid-level brands may cost even more than that. Many professional chefs swear by stand mixers, saying that the built-in paddle attachments allow them to blend ingredients evenly without worrying about damaging their knuckles. If you’re considering adding a mixer to your kitchen, it’s important to consider how you plan to use it. While professional chefs and bakers usually have at least one stand mixer in their kitchen, ordinary users may not be so lucky.
Look For Helpful Options With Your Stand Mixer
Stand mixers come with several features, but the most important ones are the dough hook and the powerful motor. A dough hook allows you to make just about any kind of bread from scratch; the stronger the motor, the better your results will be. A dough hook is also necessary because a stand mixer does not have a large capacity bowl that supplies the power for whipping the dough. Whirling the dough requires a powerful motor, as well as a strong bowl that are wide enough to handle all of the dough at once. A powerful motor will also allow for quick and easy mixing.
Another popular feature found in stand mixers is an egg beater attachment. An egg beater is used to beat egg whites to perfection, and to speed up beating when making specialty breads, pastries, or cookies. If you buy a good egg beater, it can also perform beating duties, which means that it would beat eggs and other ingredients for you so you don’t have to. No matter what your cooking needs, an good stand mixer is an essential kitchen appliance that you should own.
Don’t Ignore Hand Mixers
Some bakers use both a hand mixer and a stand mixer. Both are handy tools to have, but they aren’t always interchangeable. Hand mixers are limited on what they can beat. Their motors are smaller and can’t handle stiff batters as well as a stand mixer. There is no reason not to have both of these kitchen tools on hand, but remember that one might be better for certain tasks than the other.
Some Stand Mixers That We Really Like!
| Image | Title | Price | Prime | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | Cuisinart SM-50BC 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer, Brushed Chrome, Silver Lining | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | Aucma Stand Mixer,6.5-QT 660W 6-Speed Tilt-Head Food Mixer, Kitchen Electric Mixer with Dough Hook, Wire Whip & Beater (6.5QT, Blue) | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | KitchenAid KSM150PSER Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield, 5-Quart, Empire Red | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | KitchenAid KITCH K45SSOB Mixer 4.5, 250watts, Onyx Black | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | Facelle Stand Mixer, 8.5 Quart Electric Mixer, 660W 6-Speed Tilt-Head Kitchen Electric Food Mixer with Beater, Dough Hook and Wire Whip, Champagne | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | Kenmore Elite Ovation 5 Qt Stand Mixer, 500 Watts, with Revolutionary Pour-In Top, Tilt Head, Flat Beater, Whisk, Dough Hook, 360-degree Splash Guard, Glass Bowl, LED Light, Metallic Grey | PrimeEligible | Buy Now | |
 | Delish by Dash Compact Stand Mixer, 3.5 Quart with Beaters & Dough Hooks Included - Red | PrimeEligible | Buy Now |
