As you may or may not know, I have a collection of KitchenAid Stand Mixers in several colors. I love them that much! And it’s one of the best mixers for baking, and you all know I LOVE to bake.
Whether you’re whipping up a batch of cookies or kneading roll dough, a mixer is a SUPER helpful tool to have in your kitchen. KitchenAid’s mixer is my top pick and the only one I reach for, but I wanted to find all of the best mixers for baking—including hand mixers for those tighter on space. I researched other editorial lists and sifted through reviews to see which ones reviewers LOVE.
If you’re ready to take your baking to the next level, check out my list of the best mixers for baking!
My Top Picks:
- What’s in My Kitchen: KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer – $329.95 at Amazon
- Best Hand Mixer: Cuisinart HM-50 Power Advantage 9-Speed Hand Mixer – $79.95 at Amazon
- Best Budget Stand Mixer: Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer – $95.99 at Walmart
- Best Splurge: Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer – $899.84 at Amazon
- Best Stand Mixer for Bread Dough: BOSCH Universal Plus Stand Mixer – $379 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Mixers for Baking
1. What’s in My Kitchen: KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer
I ADORE my KitchenAid Stand Mixer! This particular model has a 5-quart bowl, so it can hold a batch of nine dozen cookies at a time. Not to mention the dozens of colors that will make you want to own more than one (like me!). I have it in Crystal Blue, French Blue, Grape, Raspberry Ice, Tangerine, Green Apple, and Buttercup! They’re all so pretty!
A KitchenAid makes mixing everything from Oatmeal Cookies to Snickerdoodles super quick and easy! And with 10 different speeds, you can slowly knead dough to make bread or quickly whip cream to top your desserts. Plus, you can also get a few attachments that will make your mixer even more functional!
And I’m speaking from experience when I say that this is durable enough to last for YEARS.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 5 quarts
- Speeds: 10
- Dimensions: 13.9 by 14.1 by 8.7 inches
- Weight: 22.8 pounds
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Holds a lot of dough or batter at once
- Sleek design with 20 colors
The Cons:
- Expensive
What Others Are Saying:
Wirecutter, Business Insider, Food & Wine, CNN Underscored, and Good Housekeeping all recommend the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer as the best overall. It also gets a 4.8-star rating from more than 18,200 reviewers on Amazon.
Buy the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer:
2. Best Hand Mixer: Cuisinart HM-50 Power Advantage 9-Speed Hand Mixer
Hand mixers aren’t as powerful as a full-sized stand mixer, but are good if you need them in a pinch for combining dough Oreo Balls or Chocolate Banana Bread. For a great hand mixer option, I recommend going with this Cuisinart option that’s available in different speed options, depending on your needs.
I like the 9-speed mixer for as much versatility as possible. It comes with all of the must-have attachments, including whisks and dough hooks, and all of this comes in a compact container that’s easy to store if you don’t have room for a stand mixer on your counter.
The Specs:
- Capacity: N/A
- Speeds: 9
- Dimensions: 3.94 by 8.46 by 8.94 inches
- Weight: 4 pounds
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Easy to store
- Affordable
The Cons:
- Not as stable as a stand mixer
What Others Are Saying:
This hand mixer was named the best affordable 9-speed mixer by The Strategist, the best overall hand mixer by CNN Underscored, and the most versatile hand mixer by Good Housekeeping. Plus, it has a 4.6-star rating from more than 16,900 reviewers on Amazon.
Buy the Cuisinart HM-50 Power Advantage 9-Speed Hand Mixer:
3. Best Budget Stand Mixer: Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer
If you’re set on a stand mixer but can’t spring for a KitchenAid quite yet, this budget-friendly option from Hamilton Beach is popular! It has a 4-quart bowl to fit plenty of batter or dough, and it has 7 speeds for good blending power. It also comes with the necessary attachments—a whisk, bread hook, and flat beater. As a nice touch, it even has an attachable splash guard.
It’s not as powerful (or as pretty) as the KitchenAid, but I think it’s good for anyone who wants an inexpensive stand mixer. It’s also much lighter than other stand mixers, making it good for apartments or bakers who tend to move around.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 4 quarts
- Speeds: 7
- Dimensions: 16.3 by 10.5 by 16.3 inches
- Weight: 9.4 pounds
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Great bowl size
- Relatively affordable
The Cons:
- Some reviewers say it needs more stability
What Others Are Saying:
Home & Gardens and Good Housekeeping both recommend this budget-friendly stand mixer option, and it has a 4.5-star rating from more than 9,500 reviewers on Amazon.
Buy the Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer:
4. Best Splurge: Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer
This is one powerful stand mixer—and it has the price tag to match. If you’re willing to really splurge, though, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed. It has a 7-quart bowl that’ll really come in handy for making large batches of treats, like making my Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies in bulk. It also uses a dial instead of a lever to adjust the speed in slightly varying degrees for great precision. I also like that it comes with a splash guard to prevent messes, along with the other basic attachments.
The Specs:
- Capacity: 7 quarts
- Speeds: N/A
- Dimensions: 17 by 10.5 by 17.63 inches
- Weight: 36.2 pounds
- Dishwasher safe: No
The Pros:
- Sturdy build
- Fits tons of batter or dough
- Super precise settings
The Cons:
- Very Expensive
What Others Are Saying:
This stand mixer was named best splurge by Food & Wine, best for big batches by Food Network, and a worthy splurge by CNET.
Buy the Wolf Gourmet High-Performance Stand Mixer:
5. Best Stand Mixer for Bread Dough: Bosch Universal Plus Stand Mixer
If you’re trying to perfect your bread-making, people really like this Bosch mixer! It doesn’t look like a typical, C-shaped stand mixer, but it provides the same amount of power—if not more. And it’s much more compact for storage! It can knead up to 14 loaves at once and handle heavy batter and dough with ease. You can also use it for baking cookies — it can mix up to 34 dozen cookies in a single batch!
The Specs:
- Capacity: 6.5 quarts
- Speeds: 4
- Dimensions: 11 by 12 by 15 inches
- Weight: 12.3 pounds
- Dishwasher safe: Yes
The Pros:
- Easy to clean
- Relatively lightweight
- Kneads a lot of dough at once
The Cons:
- Not as versatile
What Others are Saying:
Both CNN Underscored and PureWow say that this is the best stand mixer for bread making. It also has a 4.6-star rating on Amazon from more than 1,000 reviews.
Buy the Bosch Universal Plus Stand Mixer:
Other Mixers for Baking to Consider
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
I have to give a shout-out to this smaller classic KitchenAid model! While I’m a big fan of the Artisan for its extra versatility and capacity, this is also a great, sturdy option that won’t cost you quite as much and isn’t as heavy. The KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is available at Amazon for $329.99.
Breville the Bakery Chef
Breville’s stand mixer is worth a mention because it gets praise from Food & Wine, Epicurious, and Better Homes & Gardens. I like that it has a clear bowl, so you can easily see how your dough is doing or if any batter is sticking to the sides. It also has a really pretty design! The Breville the Bakery Chef is available at Sur la Table for $299.99.
Breville Handy Mix Scraper
This Breville hand mixer is another popular option that gets praise from several outlets, including Good Housekeeping and Wirecutter. It has a sturdy design and 9-speed settings that rival the versatility you get from a stand mixer. That said, you can get a nice stand mixer for the same price as this hand one. The Breville Handy Mix Scraper is available at Amazon for 149.95.
Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer
Hamilton Beach’s hand mixer is a budget-friendly pick that gets great reviews from CNN Underscored, Good Housekeeping, and The Strategist. It’s not the chicest kitchen gadget, but it gets the job done and won’t take up much space. The Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Electric Hand Mixer is available at Amazon for $21.99.
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi! I’m Maria—the founder of Two Peas and Their Pod! Baking is one of my FAVORITE things to do and I’m constantly coming up with new recipes, so I make sure I have the best equipment in my kitchen to bring them all to life. A mixer is one of those must-have appliances if you want a creamy batter or perfectly-kneaded dough—and it’s a HUGE time-saver!
To find the best mixers for baking, I looked at trusted editorial sites and scoured through the reviews on retailers like Amazon. I made sure to only choose top-rated products that I’d use in my own kitchen. And, of course, I also included my beloved KitchenAid as one of my top picks.
Everything to Know Before Buying a Mixer for Baking
What to Consider Before Buying a Mixer for Baking
Here are a few things to think about before purchasing a mixer for yourself!
Type: There are two main times of mixers: a stand mixer and a hand mixer. A stand mixer is a standalone device with a bowl where it can mix, beat, knead, and whisk quickly and efficiently. It’s great for everything from thick cookie dough mix to bread dough. An electric hand mixer, on the other hand, is a handheld device that you’ll need to move about to fully mix your ingredients. I find that it’s better for more liquidy cake and banana bread mixers, but you can also use it for cookie dough if you’re in a pinch.
Storage: If you don’t have much space on your countertop or in your cabinets, you might want a hand mixer rather than a stand mixer.
Capacity: When it comes to stand mixers, you want to consider the bowl capacity. If you make large batches of cookies or hefty loaves of bread, I recommend going with a bigger bowl (five quarts or more). Hand mixers don’t require a certain capacity, but you don’t want to take on too much with it — or your hands might start to hurt!
Attachments: Most mixers for baking come with the same basic attachments: a whisk, a bread hook, and a flat beater. Some mixers are also compatible with other attachments that you can buy separately. KitchenAid also makes pasta cutter and meat grinder attachments, for example If you think you might want additional attachments, I get a mixer that has the ones you like!.
Is a Stand Mixer or Hand Mixer Better for Baking?
You can use a stand or hand mixer, but I prefer a stand mixer! If you bake a lot, it’s worth investing in a stand mixer that can make the prep process a lot easier, as they are quick and powerful. But a hand mixer is a great option if you only bake occasionally or if you don’t want to invest in or store a larger appliance. I also use it for mixes that don’t require too much mixing when I don’t want to pull out a full stand mixer.
What is a Hand Mixer Used For?
A hand mixer is a nice alternative to a stand mixer because it’s more affordable and space-saving. It typically isn’t as good at kneading dough or thicker mixes, but it’s helpful for whisking whipped cream, mixing batter, and loads of other kitchen tasks!
How Do You Make Butter with a Mixer?
Making butter in a stand mixer is super easy—you just need heavy whipping cream! Get your stand mixer ready by putting on the whisk attachment, and then pour the cream into the bowl. If your mixer has a splash guard for the bowl, you can put that on too. Start mixing on the slowest speed and gradually raise it to the highest setting as the cream turns from liquid to a whipped consistency and finally to a solid texture that’s clinging to the sides of the bowl.
By that point, it’ll have a gritty texture and look yellow like butter. From there, you should drain the excess buttermilk in the bowl and continue mixing the solid butter until it’s clinging to the whisk.
As the final step, you need to rinse the butter, which means adding ice-cold into the mixer and mixing on a medium speed until the water is cloudy and then drain that liquid into the sink. (The butter should still be stuck inside the whisk attachment.) Repeat this process until the water runs clear.
How Do You Knead Dough with a Stand Mixer?
To knead dough in a stand mixer, you want to use the dough hook attachment. It’ll depend on the type of bread you’re making, but in general, you should use a low speed setting and allow the hook attachment to knead the dough for a couple of minutes at a time, scraping the sides of the bowl in between. And when your dough is smooth and has elasticity, it’s ready!
The Best Baking Recipes
There are SO many recipes that are easier to make when you have a mixer! To give you some ideas, I’ve listed a few of my recipes below!
- Easy Sugar Cookies
- Oreo Balls
- Cinnamon Rolls
- Chocolate Sour Cream Bundt Cake
- Peanut Butter Cookies
- Chocolate Chip Cookie Bars
Prices were accurate at time of publication.
KichenAids are always on sale…somewhere…but often the color choice is not.
I purchased a mini KitchenAid a few years ago. Having limited counter space, I agonized about giving up any to an appliance…no matter how useful.
However m when I saw the beautiful copper mini, I could not resist. It is like a piece of jewelry on the counter and I could not be happier with the purchase. It is perfect for my baking needs. I like making smaller volumes of cookies and baked goods… 6″ cakes are my “thing”…so the mini was the answer.
I seldom break it out but my Cuisinart hand mixer is a favorite as well.