Hand-mixing cookie dough for a holiday crowd wrecks your forearms, and a weak mixer that stalls on bread dough wrecks the bake. We narrowed it to 4 stand mixers that independent testers rate well, from the all-round winner to the budget pick and two heavy-duty bread machines. Pick wrong and you will fight your mixer every time the dough gets thick.
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If you want one mixer for cookies, cakes and the occasional loaf, get this one: it beat the other mixers in each of CNN Underscored's three recipe tests (mixing, kneading and whipping). The catch: it weighs 26 lb, and CNN Underscored picked the Cuisinart SM-50 as its best affordable mixer.
The biggest difference between stand mixers is what happens when the dough gets thick. In CNN Underscored's test, how well a mixer handled wet, sticky dough while still mixing evenly set the winners apart from the rest.
Black Friday is Nov 27, and stand mixers like these are often marked down around then. We re-check Amazon prices every day, so the price on each card is the current one when you read this.
Our top picks
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#1 · Best Overall
KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
★★★★★4.7(23,348)
Home bakers who want one reliable mixer for cookies, cakes and the occasional bread
5-quart tilt-head mixer with a 10-speed motor, a stainless steel bowl and a pouring shield. It comes with a paddle, dough hook and whisk, and it works with dozens of attachments through a front power hub.
Why buy it: If you bake for holidays, birthdays or weekend treats, this takes the hardest work off your arms: it creamed butter and sugar, kneaded a crusty bread loaf and whipped fluffy frosting better than the other eight mixers CNN Underscored tested. It is heavy enough to stay put on the counter, and later you can add attachments like a pasta roller or meat grinder instead of buying more gadgets.
Pros, cons & who should skip it
It beat the competition in every one of CNN Underscored's recipe tests.
Pros
Best mixing and kneading in testing
Huge range of attachments and colors
Steady on the counter
Paddle and hook are dishwasher-safe
Cons
Heavy to lift on and off the counter
Not the quietest model tested
Whisk must be hand-washed
Costs noticeably more than the Cuisinart
Skip it if: you bake bread several times a week or in very large batches, since a heavy-duty bread mixer will suit you better
5.5-quart tilt-head mixer with a 12-speed motor, a three-year limited warranty and a choice of 11 colors. It weighs about 18 pounds.
Why buy it: If you want to start baking without paying KitchenAid money, this still handles thick cookie dough and slack bread dough with a motor that is not noisy. At 18 pounds it is easy to move around the kitchen. Its three-year warranty adds some peace of mind, and the trade-off is a whisk that needs more scraping.
Pros, cons & who should skip it
CNN Underscored named it the best affordable stand mixer, and it mixed significantly better than the ultra-budget models.
Pros
Strong value for the price
Quiet for the power it has
Easy to lift and store
Three-year warranty
Cons
Whisk fits the bowl poorly, so you will scrape more
Not as strong as the top performers
Fewer attachments than KitchenAid
Skip it if: you plan to knead heavy bread dough every week
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#3 · Best for Bread and Big Batches
Bosch Universal Plus Stand Mixer
★★★★★4.6(489)
Frequent bread bakers and anyone making large batches
Base-motor mixer with an 800-watt motor, a 6.5-quart plastic bowl and four speeds plus pulse. It weighs about 17 pounds, has suction-cup feet and works with more than 20 accessories.
Why buy it: If you make bread, bagels or big batches of dough, this takes the load that makes other mixers strain, and you can knead a lot of dough in one go. The motor sits in the base, so the top stays open for adding ingredients. CNN Underscored ranked it near the top for performance, but you will want to budget for cookie paddles because they are not in the box.
Pros, cons & who should skip it
CNN Underscored said it shone with bread dough, kneading it quickly into good elasticity.
Pros
Excellent with bread dough
Roomy bowl for large batches
Powerful motor and good warranty
Many available accessories
Cons
Plastic bowl
Attachments must be hand-washed
Cookie paddles are not included
Unusual design takes getting used to
Skip it if: you mostly bake small batches of cookies and want a classic, familiar mixer
5 mistakes that make a stand mixer a bad buy
Buying the cheapest mixer. In CNN Underscored's test, the very small and very cheap models struggled with cookie dough and bread dough, and one performed like an undersized hand mixer.
Ignoring weight. Heavier mixers stay put on the counter when the dough gets thick. If you bake bread or cookies often, look for a stronger motor (325 watts or more) and some heft.
Not checking what is in the box. Most mixers ship with a paddle, a dough hook and a whisk, but some, like the Bosch Universal Plus, leave out cookie paddles you will want for cookie dough.
Picking tilt-head when you make big bread batches. Bowl-lift and base-motor designs handle heavier dough with less rocking, and they leave the top open for adding ingredients.
Skipping the warranty. The testers noted warranties from 1 year up to 7 years on the Ankarsrum motor. On a $400+ appliance, that is worth a look.
FAQ
What is the best stand mixer for most people?
The KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart. It won all three of CNN Underscored's recipe tests and has the widest range of attachments.
Is the Cuisinart SM-50 good enough?
If you want to start baking without paying KitchenAid money, yes. It handled thick cookie dough and slack bread dough well in testing, but its whisk is awkward.
Which mixer is best for bread dough?
The Bosch Universal Plus and the Ankarsrum Original are the heavy-duty choices. Both have the motor in the base, which suits large batches and stiff dough.
Is the Ankarsrum worth the price?
Only if you bake bread several times a week or in large batches. CNN Underscored called it probably more machine than most people need.
Tilt-head or bowl-lift?
Tilt-head gives easier access to the bowl and beater. Bowl-lift and base-motor designs are steadier with heavy dough.
We started from CNN Underscored's hands-on test of nine stand mixers, where every model made the same buttercream, crusty bread loaf and cookie dough, and from Homes & Gardens' expert tests for bread dough. We ranked machines on mixing, kneading, whipping, stability, noise, cleanup and warranty. Each pick below suits a different kind of baker. Assumptions: Prices change often, so check the current price on Amazon before you buy. Warranty terms come from the testers' write-ups, so confirm them with the brand when you buy.
