The best stand mixers
Cakes, bread and meringues without the aching arm: the stand mixers worth the worktop space.
A stand mixer does the beating, kneading and whisking while you get on with something else. It's the centrepiece present for a keen baker, and the best ones last for decades.
Bigger bowls suit families and bread makers; 5 litres is plenty for most cakes. Don't judge by watts alone: build quality, bowl size and the tools in the box matter more for everyday baking.
What matters
- Bowl size: 5L for most, 6L+ for big batches and bread.
- Beater, dough hook and whisk included.
- A splash guard.
- Weight and worktop space.
#1 of 5
Best overall
KitchenAid Artisan 4.8L Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (5KSM125, Almond Cream)
£459.00 RRP
Built to last, with a heavy metal body, a planetary action that reaches the whole bowl, ten speeds and a hub on the front that takes pasta rollers, mincers and more.
What owners say: Owners love the quality and timeless look, find it easy to use and surprisingly quiet, though it's heavy and some find it expensive.
Heads up: At over 10kg it's heavy, so it needs a permanent spot on the worktop rather than living in a cupboard.
A closer look: Scrape the bowl down once mid-mix for cakes. For bread, KitchenAid says to knead on speed 2 with the dough hook.
- Tilt-head, 10 speeds
- 4.7–4.8 litre stainless bowl
- Flat beater, dough hook, wire whisk
- Front hub for optional attachments
- 5-year guarantee on the mixer
Best for: A mixer for life
- Power
- 300W
- Bowl
- 4.7–4.8L
- Speeds
- 10
- Tools included
- Beater, dough hook, whisk
#2 of 5
Biggest bowl
Kenwood Chef XL Stand Mixer (KVL4100W, 6.7L)
£479.99 RRP
A 1,200W motor and a huge 6.7-litre bowl that takes a 2.5kg batch of bread dough or a double cake mix. Kenwood is British: Kenneth Wood started the firm in Woking in 1947 and launched the first Kenwood Chef in 1950.
What owners say: Owners find it brilliant and very robust, with room for big batches, and well worth the money, though some find the attachments fiddly.
A closer look: The big bowl is for big bakes: for a couple of egg whites, a hand whisk is quicker. Batch-bake and freeze, and it earns its space.
- 1,200W
- 6.7 litre stainless bowl
- K-beater, dough hook, balloon whisk
- Electronic speed control, splash guard
- Over 25 optional attachments
Best for: Big families and bread
- Power
- 1,200W
- Bowl
- 6.7L
- Speeds
- Variable + pulse
- Tools included
- K-beater, dough hook, whisk
#3 of 5
Best value
Aucma 6.2L Stand Mixer (1,400W)
£149.99 RRP
Big-mixer capacity for a fraction of the price: a 6.2-litre bowl with two handles, a 1,400W copper motor, six speeds plus pulse and a one-piece splash guard, in a retro look.
What owners say: Owners find it handles everything from cake mix to heavy dough, like the retro look and think it's an excellent buy, though noise divides opinion.
A closer look: Use the pulse to start mixing flour without a dust cloud, then turn up. The two-handled bowl is easy to lift off to pour batter.
- 1,400W copper motor
- 6.2 litre stainless bowl with handles
- 6 speeds plus pulse
- Whisk, dough hook, beater
- Splash guard, tilt-head
Best for: Big bakes on a budget
- Power
- 1,400W
- Bowl
- 6.2L
- Speeds
- 6 + pulse
- Tools included
- Beater, dough hook, whisk
#4 of 5
Salter Marino Stand Mixer (5L, 1,200W)
£74.99 RRP
A 1,200W mixer with a 5-litre steel bowl, six speeds, pulse and a removable splash guard in a blue-grey finish, from the British brand that made the country's first spring scales in the 1760s.
What owners say: Owners find it performs excellently, looks nice and is simple to use, and great value, though noise and durability get mixed comments.
A closer look: It matches the rest of Salter's Marino range, for anyone who likes a coordinated kitchen. Keep the splash guard on for the first minute of any mix.
- 1,200W
- 5 litre stainless bowl
- 6 speeds plus pulse
- Whisk, dough hook, beater
- Removable splash guard
Best for: A matching kitchen
- Power
- 1,200W
- Bowl
- 5L
- Speeds
- 6 + pulse
- Tools included
- Beater, dough hook, whisk
#5 of 5
Best budget
Tower 3-in-1 Stand Mixer (1,000W, rose gold)
£79.99 RRP
A rose-gold 1,000W mixer with a 5-litre bowl, planetary mixing, six speeds and pulse, and a guarantee that extends to three years when you register it.
What owners say: Owners find it easy to use, better than kneading by hand and good value, though some find it noisy and the beater misses the bottom of the bowl.
Heads up: Owners find it loud, and the beater can miss a little at the bottom of the bowl, so scrape down once.
A closer look: Register it with Tower straight away for the extra two years' guarantee. A good first mixer for someone just getting into baking.
- 1,000W
- 5 litre stainless bowl
- 6 speeds plus pulse
- Beater, balloon whisk, dough hook
- 3-year guarantee (when registered)
Best for: First-time bakers
- Power
- 1,000W
- Bowl
- 5L
- Speeds
- 6 + pulse
- Tools included
- Beater, dough hook, whisk
How they compare
| Feature | #1KitchenAid Artisan | #2Kenwood Chef XL | #3Aucma 6.2L | #4Salter Marino | #5Tower 3-in-1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Biggest bowl | Best value | Best budget | ||
| Picked Rating | 9.4 | 9.2 | 9.0 | 8.9 | 8.8 |
| Price | £459.00 RRP | £479.99 RRP | £149.99 RRP | £74.99 RRP | £79.99 RRP |
| Power | 300W | 1,200W | 1,400W | 1,200W | 1,000W |
| Bowl | 4.7–4.8L | 6.7L | 6.2L | 5L | 5L |
| Speeds | 10 | Variable + pulse | 6 + pulse | 6 + pulse | 6 + pulse |
| Tools included | Beater, dough hook, whisk | K-beater, dough hook, whisk | Beater, dough hook, whisk | Beater, dough hook, whisk | Beater, dough hook, whisk |
| Best for | A mixer for life | Big families and bread | Big bakes on a budget | A matching kitchen | First-time bakers |
| Check price | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon | View on Amazon |
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