Which Standing Mixer Is Right for You?

For any dedicated home baker, a standing mixer is a must-have. Prices range from under $50 to $600 or more. So, how do you choose the right model?

It stands to reason that among the best are those at the top end of the price range. They are designed to be used by hobbyist bakers and professionals alike. With that, a mid-range standing mixer is often more than adequate for most home kitchens.

All standing mixers typically follow a similar recipe in terms of design. However, added functionality and considerations tailored toward ease of use can make all the difference. Accordingly, it’s important to consider these and various other factors.

Standing mixers are widely used to make bread, cookie and other doughs. At the same time, they’re also perfect for creating cake mixes, peeling vegetables, and even ice cream. With the use of ab attachment, you can prepare freshly squeezed fruit juice, too. As such, a standing mixer can be an incredibly versatile appliance purchase.

To decide which standing mixer is most suitable for you, start by listing any must-have features. Doing so is an effective way to very quickly whittle down what’s available. Eliminate more costly models with features that you don’t need. Similarly, discount cheaper alternatives that are lacking crucial functionality.

To help get you started, here’s a closer look at three best-selling standing mixers. Each has been selected for a closer look based on price, build quality, and the inclusion of one or more all-important functions or features.

If a broad range of features across the board is required, it’s tough to beat the KitchenAid Artisan Series 10-Speed Stand Mixer. At $429.99, it’s far from inexpensive. That said, KitchenAid is arguably the market leader when it comes to standing mixers, and with good reason.

The brand’s 325-watt Artisan Series tilt-head stand mixer offers a powerful, ten-speed motor and over ten different attachments. KitchenAid’s innovative hub fixing also allows its five-star rated standing mixer to transform into everything from a pasta maker to a spiralizer.

An array of color options, including Empire Red, Cobalt Blue, Almond Cream, Toffee Delight, Pistachio, and Majestic Yellow, also mean that the KitchenAid Artisan Series 10-speed, 5-Quart, Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is perfectly at home in any kitchen.

At almost a quarter of the cost of the best overall standing mixer from KitchenAid is the Hamilton Beach 7-Speed, 4-Quart Stand Mixer. Even at just $119.99, it’s a highly capable machine, delivering an impressive 300 watts of power and plenty of functionality, but on a reduced budget.

It has fewer speed settings and attachments included than with the pricier KitchenAid, but there’s still plenty to offer. There’s a clever gentle fold setting, for starters. Elsewhere, there’s a splash guard, a dough hook, a whisk, and a flat beater to tackle a variety of different baking projects with ease.

Also five-star rated by customers, a choice of colors is available, too, including black, silver, blue, red, and aqua.

Not everyone is looking for a mixer with all of the bells and whistles. With that in mind, a range of budget options is also available. Among the best of these is the Dash Everyday 6-Speed, 3-Quart Stand Mixer. Less focused on gimmicks like ice cream making and tailored more toward its core abilities as they relate to baking, the popular Dash machine costs just $49.99.

Lightweight at under five pounds, it’s easy to stow away when not in use. Despite this, it still boasts 250 watts of power – only just behind the KitchenAid and Hamilton Beach mixers mentioned above. With two dough hooks and wire beaters included, it’s ideal for all manner of baking projects and secondary tasks like whipping meringues.

The Dash Everyday Stand Mixer scores 4.2 stars on average across almost 15,000 reviews on Amazon. Here, it’s widely praised for its compact proportions coupled with a choice of cute color options such as baby pink and pastel blue.

Standing mixers can be something of an investment. Thankfully, many buyers quickly find themselves using their new mixers on a regular basis. In fact, it’s surprising how often standing mixers are overlooked among other more common kitchen appliances.

So, it’s essential to take good care of your standing mixer. Many manufacturers offer advice and tips on routine maintenance designed to extend the life of their products.

However, once a standing mixer’s limited manufacturer warranty has expired, it is costly and time-consuming to repair if something does go wrong.

To protect against unexpected expenses, a standing mixer extended warranty is a popular safeguard employed by many owners.

Upsie offers a range of both major appliance and small appliance warranty packages. Each provides comparable or superior coverage to manufacturers’ own extended warranty plans. Upsie appliance plans never have service charges or deductibles to pay. Better still, by cutting out the middleman, Upsie customers can save up to 70 percent on the cost of an extended appliance warranty.

Benefits of an Upsie warranty include protection against power shorts and internal cord issues, plus failures to motors, gears, ball bearings, and other moving parts. Local repairs are included, too. What’s more, if your standing mixer breaks down or otherwise becomes faulty and cannot be fixed, Upsie will replace it free of charge.

To find out more, head to Upsie.com or download the Upsie smartphone app to browse all available warranties.