The 12 best stand mixers to buy in 2022

Stand mixers can vary in price, from modestly designed models that get the basics right, to sophisticated and specialist pieces of kit, so choosing the right one for you can be a bit of a minefield. We’ve detailed all the things you should consider before buying a stand mixer and share our tried-and-tested top picks for a range of different cooks and their needs.

For baking inspiration, head over to our easy baking recipes collection. On our recipes page you’ll find all manner of delicious bakes, from easy sweet traybakes, easy cakes, the best cheesecake recipes, easy bread recipes and much more. Just getting into baking? Our best tart tins 24 best baking tips are a must read and, for your favourite baker (or even yourself), our best baking gifts guide is full of ideas.

Best stand mixers at a glance

Best smart stand mixer: Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL, £559
Best stand mixer for bakers: Ankarsrum Assistent Original food mixer, £649
Best mid-range Kenwood stand mixer: Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL, £392
Best hybrid stand mixer and food processor: Bosch CreationLine MUM5XW10, £373.98
Best stand mixer for stylish kitchens: KitchenAid Artisan, £499
Best stand mixer for sweet bakes: Sage the Bakery Boss, £415
Best entry-level Kenwood stand mixer: Kenwood kMix, £257
Most user-friendly stand mixer: Kenwood Chef Baker, £337.99
Best colourful stand mixer: Smeg stand mixer SMF03, £449
Best basic stand mixer: KitchenAid Classic, £349
Best affordable stand mixer: Cuisinart Precision stand mixer, £247
Best stand mixer for small spaces: KitchenAid Mini, £349

What can a stand mixer be used for?

The original stand mixers were designed simply to assist as egg beaters. But through constant innovation and various redesigns most modern stand mixers now come with three attachments for beating, whisking and kneading. There are countless sweet and savoury dishes to create using any of these attachments. Use the beater to make cakes, pastry, cookies, and icing – it can even be used to mash potatoes. The balloon whisk is ideal for aerating egg whites for meringue, whipping cream and making whisked sponges such as genoise. The dough hook can be used for all manner of bread doughs – it tackles high hydration pizza dough, classic bread doughs, enriched doughs and pasta, plus much more.

Many stand mixer brands also offer a range of additional attachments to ensure you get the most out of your mixer. These can include food processor attachments, pasta and cookie presses, sausage stuffers, vegetable cutters and more.

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What to look out for when choosing a stand mixer

• Design: both aesthetics and the added design features of a stand mixer should factor into your decision making. If you’re planning on keeping your stand mixer on the kitchen counter, mixers that are available in a range of colours are a great opportunity to either add a pop of colour to your space or to tie it all together.
• Size: stand mixers range in size from mini models to hulking XL machines. Consider the space you have in the kitchen, not forgetting the height. Don’t forget, there will need to be a good amount of clearance space above the mixer for when the tilt head is fully extended.
• Capacity: familiarise yourself with the bowl capacity of the mixer you’re interested in – 3-4 litres is great for smaller bakes, 4-6 litres is the most common size, making it great for all bakes, whilst 6 litres+ is ideal for large bakes and batch cooking. Some stand mixers come with two bowl sizes, which is also useful.
• Weight: stand mixers need to be a little weighty to ensure they stay anchored to the worksurface when kneading heavy doughs or mixing at full speed. If you’re unable to keep your stand mixer on the kitchen counter, consider getting a lighter model but don’t go so light that it is a flimsy construction.
• Versatility: most stand mixers come with attachments for beating, whisking and kneading as standard. But many brands offer additional attachments for a variety of tasks, such as pasta making, sausage making, ice cream making and much more. If you’re looking to make the most of your new stand mixer, the option for additional bits of kit is a big plus. Some stand mixers have additional in-built features, too: do you need in-built scales, a timer or even bowl-warming technologies?
• Price: consider how much money you have to spend on a new stand mixer. They can range in price from around £200 up to £800. Weigh up the additions to work out whether they’re worth it for you, for the price.

Top tip: if your stand mixer doesn’t come with a storage bag for the attachments, line the bowl with a clean tea towel and store the attachments inside. This keeps all the attachments together and the tea towel stops them from scratching the bowl.

Best stand mixers to buy in 2022

Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL, £559

Score: 5/5

Best smart stand mixer

Kenwood is one of the biggest names in the world of stand mixers and the Chef Patissier XL is its most advanced model.

This stand mixer is packed to the rafters with useful additions. The Patissier XL comes with two bowls (5L and 7L), integrated scales, an EasyWarm bowl and a touchscreen control panel with presets for a range of key baking dishes.

This model methodically and skilfully worked through all tests, producing high-quality and, most importantly, delicious results.

Don’t be intimidated by all the high-tech features, the Patissier XL is simply a joy to use. But it’s worth bearing in mind that these extra features come at a high cost, so this model is best suited to those who actually need them.

Read the full Kenwood Titanium Chef Patissier XL review

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Ankarsrum Assistent Original Food Mixer, £649

Score 5/5

Best stand mixer for bakers

This stand mixer stole our hearts. It stands out on this list for shunning the traditional stand mixer silhouette. But the differences don’t stop there. Rather than featuring a planetary mixing mechanism, the bowl rotates on the Ankarsrum.

Watching the Ankarsrum work is mesmerising, particularly when it comes to bread. It kneads dough with delicacy and respect, and, once baked, our cardamom buns were the most professional-quality of all the buns produced by the models on this list. Cake mixes will need to be helped a little, as the beaters alone weren’t able to fully incorporate all the ingredients.

But the Ankarsrum Assistent is well worth the investment and is clearly built to last. A must-have for bread bakers.

Read the full Ankarsrum Assistent Original Food Mixer review

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Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL, £392

Score: 5/5

Best mid-range Kenwood stand mixer

If you’re enchanted by the additions on the Titanium Chef Patissier XL but have no real need for bowl warming or a touchscreen control panel, the Chef Baker XL is a fabulous alternative. It features the same in-built scales and comes with two bowls, ideal for batch baking.

Design-wise, the Chef range is very similar and therefore simple to use. The mixer accelerates at a gentle and considered pace, reaching high speeds thanks to the powerful 1,400-watt motor. The Chef Baker XL helped us achieve fantastic results across all cake making, whisking and dough kneading tasks, and comes at a brilliant price.

Read the full Kenwood Titanium Chef Baker XL review