Mixer Review

Stand mixers offer much more versatility than basic hand mixers. These kitchen mixers have the ability to knead dough for great homemade bread, yet they are simple enough to thoroughly mix cake batter with ease. Using a stand mixer is much more efficient than a hand mixer because the hands-free design allows you to add ingredients while the mixer is churning. This also allows you to do other tasks such as preparing the pan for baking or taking a short phone call. The KitchenAid Artisan, Breville BEM800XL and the KitchenAid Ultra Power also come with a large enough bowl to mix a couple of batches of cookie dough in one shot, providing you with even more free time.

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Stand Mixers: What to Look For

When choosing a stand mixer you should consider what your plans are for using this appliance. Besides baking cookies or bread, consider what other things you'd use your kitchen mixer for.

Features
If you are looking for a tool that will mix something more stiff such as cookie or bread dough, make sure that your stand mixer comes equipped with a dough hook. Some stand mixers also have accessories that can be purchased separately that will give your stand mixer extra functionality, from blending to filling your own homemade sausages.

Ease of Use
The purpose of a stand mixer is to make your life in the kitchen as easy as possible. Therefore, the food mixer itself should be easy to use. A good stand mixer will offer a tilt-head design that will allow you to properly position the mixing bowl before lowering the mixing head. Another important feature to look for is a bowl with a handle. This is especially nice when transferring the bowl to and from the mixer base. Other important features to consider are metal gears and a direct drive motion. This will ensure that your stand mixer will be able to stand up to the recipes that you throw its way for years to come. Another important feature to look for is planetary mixing. This allows mixers to hit several different points in the mixing bowl to ensure that all ingredients are thoroughly mixed.

Help & Support
A good stand mixer will come with a user manual complete with a few recipes to try out. It should also include a warranty on the motor as well as one for the mixer itself. Finding help for your new stand mixer should not be difficult. Some of the mixers we reviewed even offer live chat support to help you with questions.

Finding the right stand mixer will take a bit of decision making on your part. Choosing how your stand mixer will be used is the biggest consideration. If you are looking for something as simple as hands-free mixing then you don't need a food mixer that offers the extra feature capabilities. But if you are looking for one that will act as a blender or one that will help you to make homemade sausages, you'll need to choose one with these available features. Let us help you find the right stand mixer for you and we're confident you'll be happy with your choice.