If you regularly make bread, brioche or other bakes, start by choosing a stand mixer with a dough hook, beater and whisk to suit your recipes. Then pick a bowl size that works for the batches you usually make. A food processor is also worth considering if you’ll use its other functions regularly. In either case, the stated power alone won’t tell you how well it kneads.
If you want the mixer to do the kneading, start with the amount of dough you usually make. Check that the specific model comes with a dough hook and look up its stated dough capacity, rather than relying on the wattage alone.
Cakes, whipped egg whites and yeasted doughs all need different attachments. A bowl suited to the recipes you make most often will be more useful than a large one chosen only for the occasional big batch.
If grating, slicing, chopping or blending are regular tasks in your kitchen, compare an expandable stand mixer with a food processor that can knead. Check which attachments are included and where you’ll store them.
Que Choisir links the value of a stand mixer to how often you bake and the quantities you make. First choose the type of appliance to suit the jobs you’ll use it for, then check the specific model and its attachments.
Consider this if: kneading, mixing and whisking make up most of your regular use.
The trade-off: you’ll need another appliance to grate or blend, unless the model supports compatible attachments.
Consider this if: you knead regularly and have a specific use in mind for extra attachments.
The trade-off: compatibility doesn’t mean the attachments are included, and you’ll need somewhere to store them as well as the mixer.
Consider this if: slicing, chopping or blending matter just as much as kneading in your kitchen.
The trade-off: having a dough hook doesn’t, by itself, show that the appliance can handle your large batches of bread.
| What to consider | What to check | What matters to me |
|---|---|---|
| Regular use | Make a note of what you often prepare and which tasks you want the appliance to handle: kneading, mixing or whisking. Check which attachments are supplied for each task. | I regularly make bread, brioche or cakes and want to avoid preparing them by hand. |
| Bowl and storage | Compare the bowl capacity with the size of your usual batches, then check the appliance’s dimensions and weight if you’ll need to move it. Bowl capacity alone doesn’t tell you how much dough it can knead. | My usual recipes need to fit in the bowl, but I also want to be able to handle, clean and store the appliance. |
| Yeasted doughs | Check that the specific model comes with a dough hook and look up its stated dough capacity. If it needs to handle heavy doughs, look for comparable kneading tests. Que Choisir’s test, for example, assesses bread dough at maximum capacity. | For my batches of bread or brioche, I don’t want to choose based on the number of watts or speed settings alone. |
| Other functions | Check which attachments are included and which are merely compatible. Look at the cutting, blending or weighing functions available on the model you’re considering. | I’d only choose a versatile appliance if I’ll genuinely use its other functions and have somewhere to store the attachments. |
These figures alone won’t tell you how well a mixer will handle the amount of bread dough you usually make.
Check for a dough hook and look up the stated dough capacity for the exact model. If kneading is a priority, look for tests using similar doughs too.
A larger bowl takes up more space and can be more awkward to handle or clean.
Choose a size to suit the recipes you make most often. If you put the mixer away after each use, check its dimensions and weight too.
An expandable mixer may work with accessories that aren’t supplied in the box.
Check exactly what comes with each model against the attachments you need for your recipes, and make sure you have somewhere to store them.
These details apply to the models mentioned, not every mixer made by each brand.
Depending on the model, the Titanium Chef Baker range offers a stand mixer that can be used with additional attachments.
The Artisan 5KSM125EPL combines a 4,7 L stainless steel bowl with the basic attachments for kneading, mixing and whisking.
The Série 6 MUMS6ZS17 is designed for people who want to combine baking and weighing in one appliance.
The CS 4200XL is a food processor worth considering if you also want to slice, chop or blend.
This selection includes stand mixers for kneading, mixing and whisking, as well as a multifunction cooking appliance with a kneading function. Compare their features with the size of your batches and the other tasks you want them to handle.
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Worth considering if you regularly make yeasted doughs and bakes.
For heavy dough, stick to the stated limit of 2 kg of dough and the recommended continuous kneading time of 5 to 10 minutes. Make sure you have enough room to set up the mixer.
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The dough hook, whisk and beater listed in the product name cover the basics for bread and baking.
It has a stated bowl capacity of 6 L, six speed settings and a tilting head. If you make large batches of bread, check the maximum dough capacity: bowl size alone won’t tell you.
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The dough hook, whisk and beater listed in the product name are designed for different tasks, from yeasted doughs to whisked mixtures.
This variant has a 5 L bowl and a tilting head. For bread, check separately how much dough it can knead: neither the 400 W motor nor the 10 speed settings tell you this.
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The dough hook, whisk and beater listed for this mixer cover kneading and everyday baking tasks.
The bowl is stated to have a 6.5 QT capacity. If you make heavy batches or need to put the mixer away after use, check the dough capacity, dimensions and weight for this model.
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This multifunction option could suit you if preparing and cooking other recipes is also part of how you’ll use the appliance.
The product name mentions built-in scales and a large touchscreen. Check the dough capacity for your batches of bread: having a kneading function doesn’t, by itself, show that it can handle repeated batches of heavy dough.
According to Que Choisir’s guide, a stand mixer makes sense if you often bake or make bread and brioche, or regularly prepare large quantities. If you only make the occasional recipe, consider whether the space a dedicated appliance takes up is worthwhile for how you’ll use it.
No. The stated power alone isn’t enough to judge how well a mixer kneads. Que Choisir recommends considering the attachments and quantities too. Check for a dough hook and look up the dough capacity for the specific model. If kneading matters a lot to you, look for tests using bread dough.
Start with the quantities you make most often. A large bowl may suit bigger batches, but it also takes up more space and can be more awkward to handle or clean. Check the stated dough capacity separately.
Only if the model and its attachments cover the other tasks you want it to handle. An expandable stand mixer may work with additional attachments, while a food processor may combine kneading and cutting functions. Check the functions and attachments included with each model.