When it comes to how we test stand mixers, I don't like to sugarcoat anything (except, of course when I'm icing a cake). Stand mixers are a big kitchen investment, so you want to make sure that they can deliver perfect pavlova and pillowy bread dough. How do I do it? Roll up your sleeves.
Before I get to adorn my apron, I do a lot of research into the best stand mixers. I look into KitchenAid, Kenwood, Salter, Smeg and more, leaving no bowl unscraped and no dough unmixed. In the last two years of testing stand mixers, I've baked more than 112,000 cupcakes, 100 loaves of bread; and whisked over 12L of double cream.
If you want to read the details about what happens behind our reviews and buying guides, you're in good company. I even tackled the ultimate question: which stand mixer do they use on The Great British Bake Off? Spoiler alert —it’s a showstopper
How we choose which stand mixers we test
Just a quick Google search of the best stand mixers on the market will bring up more models than you could test if you had a whole lifetime of baking. That's why I make it my business to know everything there is to know about each model that's out there, so you can narrow down your search by the select few
Unboxing the stand mixers
When you've bought your first stand mixer, it's unlikely that you'll care too much about the packaging. The only time you'll really notice is if it hasn't done a proper job of protecting your stand mixer in transit, which is the bare minimum, really.
The reason that I dedicate a whole section to unboxing is that I think you can learn a lot about a brand from how they send their products out. In an ideal world, the box and protective extras will all be recyclable. I like a smart, robust box too, that's easy to carry up and down stairs and even easier to open up and make sense of.
The very best brands might send some extra accessories and recipe books alongside the stand mixer to help you get started. When a brand has thought of the little extras like this, chances are, they've put a lot of time and care into designing you a really good stand mixer too.
The controls
Before I get into specific baking tasks, I always like to give you a run-down of what the stand mixer is like to use; what controls are on offer; and how you would generally navigate it. These will help you to decide whether the stand mixer you're looking at is for you. For example, if you opt for a tilt-head stand mixer, you'll find that it's more space efficient and nippy. Whereas a bowl lift stand mixer is more of a commercial, stable design that serious bakers use. There are lots more examples of half-speed settings; integrated weighing scales; timers; and more that will help you to work out whether the stand mixer that you're testing is the one that you want to use.
Test 1: cake
I run three tests on every stand mixer so that I can get a good idea of the quality of each different attachment: the mixer, the whisk, and the dough hook. To find out how effective the mixer is, I always make cake. I cream butter and sugar, testing how thoroughly and elegantly the mixer can bring together two different textures. Then, I add in flour, eggs, and vanilla, which is another great measure of how effectively the machine can integrate wet and dry ingredients.
Some stand mixers integrate a ‘slow start’ function to help prevent clouds of flour from coating your counter. Others might come with a splash guard. Whilst this is an important part of the test, I also think it’s paramount that the mixer thoroughly integrates the wet and dry ingredients, leaving a glossy, silky, well mixed batter.
After that, the test isn’t over. I need to pour the mixture into my cake tins — a mixing bowl with a handle (or two) comes in really handy here, because it’s easier to grip and manage the weight of the bowl. That doesn’t stop handle-free bowls from being great too, but it’s a consideration that needs to be accounted for.
Test 2: bread
The way that I test the dough hook is simple. I make a classic bread dough, the kind that you would use for a loaf, buns, or pizza. I’ll add my flour, yeast, olive oil, water, and salt in at once and set the mixer running. This tests, once again, how much of a mess the stand mixer makes when incorporating wet and dry ingredients, but it’s not limited to that. Wetter, sticker doughs might cling to the dough hook and drier doughs could leave crumbs collecting in the bottom of the bowl. A good dough hook will collect up all the dough and work it into a firm, smooth, and springy mix that feels elastic and soft to knead by hand. I’d generally expect these results within a few minutes and I also like to check the edges of the bowl — they should be completely clean of dough if the dough hook does really cover all parts of the bowl.
Test 3: whipping cream
The last and final attachment left to test is the whisk, so I do what any baker would do: I whip cream. This is a really simple way to check the power, speed, and rigor with which the stand mixer works. A good mixer should transform runny double cream into thick, pillowy peaks in two to five minutes. In my opinion, the less time you have to run your mixer for, the better.
I'll always start the machine on full speed and time how long it takes to whisk the cream through until it splits. I'll then use a lower speed and some whole milk to see how easily the machine can bring the double cream back to that thick, peaky texture.
I also like to test out vegan cream, since this can take a lot longer and demand a lot more work from the machine. A good stand mixer will be able to whip up some thick double cream in five minutes. If it's powerful and thorough, I shouldn't be able to notice a difference.
Cleaning, storage, and maintenance
Cleaning is never the glamorous part of my tests, but it's an inevitability that we all need to face. This part of the test is generally simple. First, I ask whether the bowl and accessories are dishwasher safe. If they are, I'll test them out to see how demanding they are.
Regardless of whether they can or cannot go in the dishwasher, I'll also hand wash the bowl and accessories, because some people don't have dishwashers or they opt for hand-washing to keep the quality of their stand mixer and accessories at a higher level for longer. At this point, I'll let you know how fiddly the clean-up is; whether you can use a wire wool brush on the bowl; and any other catches. It's always good to know what's going on here.
Why I do comparisons
Before you buy a stand mixer, you'll want to shop around. It'll help you to know whether you're getting good value for money as well as discovering what else is out there on the market. I like to pick a similar stand mixer, a slightly more expensive, and a slightly less expensive option, so that you get a sense of what the market has to offer around the price point.
The models that I compare have always been tested by me, following the same process, so comparing them to one another is actually very straightforward. I'll talk about price, aesthetics, speeds, features, and performance across our tests, so that you know exactly what you're signing up for.
Coming to a conclusion
At the end of all that, I'll come to a conclusion on who should buy the stand mixer. There isn't a single model that suits everyone, so I'll let you know who the stand mixer would suit whilst sending other people in the right direction for finding their perfect stand mixers.
