Deciding What is the Best Stand Mixer for Your Needs

Stand mixerAre you tired of doing all the hard work in the kitchen with no hands free to prepare or do other things? Don’t worry, the solution is purchasing a stand mixer.

Nowadays stand mixers can do much more than mix ingredients for baked goods. With the extra attachments, it can prepare batter and grind meat and all that is in between.

As a consumer on Amazon.com said in his review; “this mixer changed the way I cooked and inspired me to prepare things I never did because it took too much effort and time”.

There are a lot of different brands stand mixers on sale and to help you make an informed decision, we’ve researched  resources on the Internet  and present to you the top 3 selling best stand mixers based on consumers reviews and ratings. (See below).

The top 3 selling stand mixers on the market

While doing your research, read the pros and cons and compare the features of the different stand mixers. Below we present to you the most reviewed and top rated stand mixers according to consumers reviews.

1. KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixers

This is the most reviewed and best rated stand mixer on Amazon.com among mixers between $200 and $300. It comes with 3 solidly constructed attachments; a flat beater, a wire whip and a dough hook. It’s easy to secure them on the beater shaft. Other attachments such as a citrus juicer or stuffer for sausages can be bought separately to make the stand mixer complete for about every preparation of food.

Pros:
- it’s easy to clean
- The bowl is made of stainless steal and big enough (5 quart) to prepare large quantities of dough for example
- the motor is very strong so the mixer does the heavy duty jobs easily
- consumers rave about the perfect mixing because of the 10 different speeds and the because the beater moves clockwise and the shave turns counter clockwise
- Consumers say this good quality professional stand mixer has a very long lifespan
- good customer service

Cons:
- it’s very heavy so if you use it often but do not have the space on your counter and have to store it, it can be a hassle
- some consumers say that it leaves not well mixed ingredients in bowl but as a response to this, other consumers say that if you read the instructions, you find out that the mixer comes with an adjustment screw so after adjusting it, it works perfectly.

2. KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer

This upgraded stand mixer of KitchenAid was also reviewed many times and the best rated one among the mixers starting from $300. A bit more expensive than our no 1 choice but than again, it can handle larger quantities and has a more powerful motor. Also, the new featured powerful spiral dough hook is designed to resemble hand kneading and punches and rolls the dough. Other features include a 10 speed choice and shuts off automatically when overloaded. Other attachments such as a sausage stuffer can be bought separately to complete the possibilities of this stand mixer.

Pros:
- it’s a save professional mixer and very easy to clean with its one piece full metal geared motor head.
- consumers liked the electronic speed sensor feature. The speed of mixing stays consistently, also when you put more ingredients into the bowl.
- excellent quality and service
- the motor turns off automatically when overload, so very safe
- The large stainless steel bowl is a big plus
- people are raving about the spiral dough hook
- the soft start feature is something consumers like a lot
- the powerful motor for the heavy duty jobs and large quantities
- it comes in many different colours and has a beautiful design

Cons:
- it’s a bit louder due to the more powerful motor
- it’s expensive

3. KitchenAid K45SS Classic 250-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, White

Another KitchenAid stand mixer and the most reviewed and best rated stand mixers among the mixers up to $200. This mixer comes with the 3 attachments, just as the ones of our no 1 choice but with a less powerful motor and smaller bowl but if you are not preparing heavy duty ingredients and/or don’t need large quantities, than this is the stand mixer which will be perfect for you. Great value for money!

Pros:
- It works fast and easy
- although the motor is less powerful than the others, it still does the job if you don’t exceed the quantity of ingredients
- The way it rotates makes it doing a very effective job in mixing the ingredients
- especially good for mixing baking ingredients
- it comes with many recipe’s
- the attachments and bowl are easy to attach
- great value for money
- good customer service

Cons:
- it’s very heavy, you don’t want to move it too much so make sure you have the space in your kitchen
- sometimes the motor gets a bit warm
- the motor isn’t powerful enough for heavy duty jobs
- the attachments are sometimes hard to untwist when they are greasy


How does a stand mixer work

A mixer is whipping, stirring, grinding and beating food and is a more efficient device for mixing ingredients than a spoon or your hands. The two types of mixers are the handheld mixer and the stand mixer. Nowadays many people chose to buy a stand mixer because it leaves their hands free for other preparations and also because it does heavy duty mixing like dough for pizza in large quantities.

A (stainless steel) bowl needs to be attached to the stand mixer and than it’s just a matter of adding the attachment you need, for example a dough hook and select the needed speed. A powerful motor will rotate the attachment for as long as it needs and your hands are free to prepare other goods or relax for a while!

Benefits of using a stand mixer

Another big plus about using a stand mixer instead of a hand mixer or another mixing device, is that it spills less food. The big bowl keeps the ingredients in while mixing them and help keep your kitchen clean. So in the end, again, it will save you time and frustration!

There are a lot of brands for you to chose from like the KitchenAid stand mixer, the Cuisinart stand mixer and the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer.

Important features to look for and things to be aware of when buying a stand mixer

An important feature should be the metal gearing of the mixer. Plastic or nylon gearing may be quieter but tend to break down faster. Also, the bowl should be made of stainless steel.

But before buying one, take time to figure out the following things.

Were will you place the stand mixer in your kitchen?
Because the mixers are quite heavy and large, you want to have space to store and operate it. Take a look at your kitchen to see if you have the space, especially when you use the mixer regularly and don’t want to move it!

What will you prepare mostly with it and how often will you use the mixer?
If you use the mixer only occasionally, you don’t need a powerful mixer but if you use it regularly, also for heavy kneading dough or grinding meat, you want to buy a powerful one. Also think about the quantity of ingredients you want to mix. This can help you decide whether to purchase a smaller one or one with a larger capacity.

Think about quality of the machine and reliability of the brand.
You want to have a good quality stand mixer and a reliable brand from a company that gives a warranty and good customer service. Because the mixers come in different prizes but in general are not cheap, you want your complaints about the machine, if there are any, to be handled with care. Usually, the branded once are known for their good quality an great customer service.

We advice you to read more detailed information about these best reviewed and top rated professional stand mixers before purchasing one by clicking on the link. We hope this article helped you to make a well informed choice.

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