Pick the best stand mixer for your kitchen with our selection of KitchenAid, Sage and Kenwood mixers. We have reviewed each and every one of the best stand mixers in our guide, meaning we know just how well they hold up against bread dough and buttercreams, and also how easy they are to use and clean.
A lot of the best stand mixers will be a real investment to last you years and years to come, but in this guide we have included mixers at a range of prices from around £100 up to £300.
Every stand mixer should come with at least three attachments: one for whisking, one for beating, and one for kneading. You can also buy additional attachments to turn your mixer into a substitute for a spiralizer, or even one of the best blenders.
The best stand mixers
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Make the smoothest, thickest dough around with the Kenwood kMix KMX754 Stand Mixer. Its high-capacity bowl is made for serious bakers who want to make large quantities of dough – ideal for pizza, cakes and much more.
Easy to clean
All of the attachments and bowls are dishwasher safe, making this food mixer extremely low maintenance and easy to use. This includes the iconic K flat beater, the twisted dough hook and the wire whisk.
Smart controls
The side dial makes it easier to feel in control of the speed of your machine, but keep in mind it has to face you as it mixes. These controls also build up gradually as you increase speed, which prevents any spills or clouds of flour in your kitchen.
If you fancy yourself a bit of a Mary Berry, then this KitchenAid 175 Artisan Stand Mixer is the ultimate tool for you. It comes in a huge range of colours to suit all styles of kitchen, and a range of attachments so you can whip up anything from frosting to creamy mashed potato
Premium option
Although pricey, if you are passionate about baking, this is a stunning food mixer that will look good and stand the test of time on your kitchen worktop. It's got so many optional attachments that you'll never run out of new recipes to try in it, from pasta makers to sausage stuffers. It really does do it all!
A classic for a reason
When we tested the KitchenAid Artisan we loved the results. It's especially great for cake, but may struggle with large batches of bread. The attachments are tactile and easy to clean, and while it's a heavy unit, it looks great sitting on the counter.
The Morphy Richards MixStar probably doesn't look like any stand mixer you've seen before - after all, where's the stand? This compact design takes all its power from the sturdy stand, which attaches to a central column onto which you can attach whisks, flat beaters and dough hooks.
Easy to store
In testing, the Morphy Richards MixStar blew our socks off. It's got a lot of power for something so compact, and because all the muscle comes from the base it's pretty sturdy too. The bowl has an insert that fits all the attachments neatly, and the bowl is squat and wide meaning it will fit under just about any kitchen shelf.
Smart extras
We love the in-built timer with this mixer, which keeps track of your recipes as you work and pauses when you stop for a taste or to add extra ingredients. We were particularly impressed with the bread kneading in the MixStar, which went very well because of the two-sided attachments you get with the central column.
Designed with the same iconic 50s styling Smeg is renowned for, the SMF01 Stand Mixer makes a timeless addition to any kitchen, whatever your interiors style, and is available in a variety of colours.
Quality construction
In addition to a 4.8ltr high-polished stainless steel bowl and a die-cast aluminium body, it boasts 10 different speed settings which ensure you achieve your desired mixture consistency. As if this wasn't enough, a range of accessories is also available to help with a range of cooking and baking tasks.
Love the look
This 50's-style mixer will pair with matching kettles and toasters, for a coordinated retro kitchen. We found it incredibly easy to use when we put it to the test, and it comes with an edge beater as standard which can't be said for a lot of the best stand mixers. Yes it's weighty and hard to shift, but with such a lovely looking appliance, why would you ever want to move it from the kitchen counter?
We were really impressed with the KitchenAid Mini Stand Mixer when it arrived in our testing studio. It's a compact machine, but with all the charm and style of a KitchenAid Artisan.
All the extras
The Mini mixer has a 3.3 litre bowl, which is perfect for single servings of dough and cake batters, this stand mixer also has a ten-speed control just like a regular KitchenAid. Attachments include a whisk, mixing beater, and dough hook. Unlike other KitchenAids, it doesn't have a splash guard.
Love the look
That classic stand mixer design is perfectly shrunk down into the KitchenAid Mini. In testing, we also found that its power wasn't lacking. Because the bowl is a little smaller, it works well to incorporate all ingredients without any sticking to the side of the bowl. It is also a sturdy machine, and despite the 250 watts we were happy with the dough we made in this mixer, and our buttercream was very fluffy in minutes.
If you’re an avid baker, this professional stand mixer from Sage by Heston Blumenthal is a must-have gadget. Allowing you to mix a range of different ingredients quickly and easily, you'll be making everything from thick dough to delicate fluffy meringues in no time.
Your new kitchen helper
The Sage The Bakery Boss by Heston Blumenthal has a different take on speed dials when you compare it to the other stand mixers on the market. Instead of leaving the guesswork to you, this stand mixer lights up as you turn up the speed to tell you when you're in creaming, folding, whipping or kneading territory, meaning you won't have any overworked batter or under-beaten egg whites. It also comes complete with a timer, meaning you can leave this mixer to work its magic, while you get on with other tasks.
It's got the power
Its 1200 watt motor has four times the power of the average KitchenAid, which is just as well, because the 4.7 litre mixing bowl can handle some seriously big batches.
The Bosch MUM59340GB comes with 13 attachments, so with this one machine you'll get way more than just a stand mixer. It has a citrus juicer, blender, and even a mincer.
Value buy
It's usually cheaper than most of the best stand mixers we've tested, so we were wowed by the powerful 1000 watt motor and the extensive range of attachments. Thoughtful extras like the scraper on the flat beater and the dishwasher-safe bowl are amazing for the price.
Unique look
This stand mixer looks so unconventional. It has an overhead attachment as opposed to a tilt-head, which centres the attachments but does lack the classic KitchenAid charm you may be looking for.
With in-built scales that make weighing ingredients straight into the bowl easier than ever, the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker is the smartest mixer we've ever tried. It's also got a brilliant look, with an assisted-lift lever that will help less able bakers get stuck in.
Super smart
The display at the base of the mixer shows a set of scales that work in either ounces or grams to help you measure in your ingredients as you cook. It also has a timer that automatically starts running when you begin mixing. This is great for recipes with very specific timings.
Very powerful
At 1200 watts, the Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker is more than twice as powerful than alternatives from KitchenAid and other brands. Its dial allows you to gradually increase speed, although we never felt the need to go up to its full speed when making cake, bread, or whipped cream.
How we tested the best stand mixers
We put a lot of thought into how we test, and create specific tests for every product we review. When we test the best stand mixers, we make sure to use all of the included attachments before making out final conclusions. Some stand mixers come with just a flat beater, whisk and dough hook, so our tests make a loaf of bread, a cake, and whipped cream or buttercream to fully assess the user experience.
We also take into account the weight of the machine, and check to see if it's significantly heated up after ten minutes of kneading to see how durable the motor is. Many stand mixers can move around kitchen counters when working on high speeds, so when making buttercream we ramp the speed up high to see if the machine moves around, meaning it's less sturdy.
How to buy the best stand mixer
When it comes to buying the best stand mixer to suit your needs, there are a few factors and functions we'd recommend considering:
Is it a stand mixer that you actually want?
Food mixers are a baker's best friend, allowing users to whisk and whip ingredients with ease. If you're looking for something that can whizz up soups, smoothies, and the like, you might be better suited to a food processor.
Ease of use
The whole point in a stand mixer is to make your life easier. With that in mind, look out for devices that are easy to use and subsequently easy to clean. Some parts may be dishwasher safe, while others are not, and some machines are louder than others.
Cost
A top quality stand mixer can cost anything from £100 to £800, but there are plenty around for those on a budget, too.
The price does not always reflect the quality, so it is important to look for the features you want and consider what you want to use it for before buying something expensive that doesn’t cater to your needs.