Mixer Reviews – Guide To The Best Mixers

Choosing the best stand mixer can be an enjoyable, but somewhat difficult experience. After all, the right kitchen machine will no doubt improve the quality of your baking and could offer other cooking tools you’ll wonder how you did without. However, with a plethora of different models and manufacturers and prices that range from under £100 to £1000’s you’ll need an unbiased source of mixer reviews to guide you through the best 2014/ 2015 kitchen machines. That’s where we come in.

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Buyer’s Guide To Stands Mixers

Let’s dive into this mixer buyer’s guide by looking at the various aspects that must be considered by prospective owners.

All of our mixers are scored through our 7 Mixer Marks rating system. We’ll cover each one in detail, but you can skip to a particular area by using the navigation below:

1. Functions & Accessories
2. Ease Of Cleaning
3. Noise
4. Size & Weight
5. Appearance
6. Durability
7. Price

1. Functions & Accessories

There are three different areas to consider within this criterion.

Firstly, what mixing attachments does it come with? All machines will come with an egg whisk, a dough hook and a metal beater, but a flexible beater with a rubber edge will come in very handy for dealing with sticky mixtures. A removable splash guard that covers the whole of the bowl is also a useful feature to reduce mess and for ease of cleaning.

Secondly, how many power outlets does it have? All mixers will have the bowl outlet, but some also have other power outlets found on the top of the mixer body which fit secondary attachments that will almost always be purchased separately (the Kenwood KM336 has two secondary outlets). These secondary attachments can greatly add to a budding home chef’s repertoire and combine many different machines into one. A low speed, high torque outlet can be used to attach a mincer or pasta roller, a medium speed outlet can fit a food processor and high speed outlets fit liquidisers or similar attachments.

Finally, consider additional functionality that a particular mixer offers. For example, timers and the number of spin speeds.

2. Ease Of Cleaning

The removable parts of higher end mixers will almost certainly be dishwasher safe, but remember to check this.

Also consider how easy the mechanisms are to remove and reattach the mixing attachments, mixing bowl and splash guard.

3. Noise

Not even the best mixers could be described as quiet, but there’s a big difference between the higher quality and lower quality machines. Aside from the obvious annoyance of the noise, we pay close attention to this criterion as it can be a big indicator of the quality of the motor and gearing system and therefore the reliability and longevity of the machine.

4. Size & Weight

If you’re going to be storing the appliance in a cupboard when it’s not in use then owning a lighter machine is going to make the job of lifting it in and out of the cupboard a whole lot easier. Larger motors and solid metal casing are appealing but be sure to balance this appeal against the extra weight these will bring.

The size and footprint of the mixer will be important whether you are keeping it on the counter top or storing it in a cupboard when it’s not in use, as either way it’ll be taking up valuable space.

5. Appearance

If the mixer is going to live on your counter top then appearance is particularly important.

Colour is an important consideration. Most mixers are either white or silver, but some, such as the Andrew James 5.2 come in exotic colours, such as red and black.

A solid metal casing, such as on the KitchenAid K45SS gives any mixer a classy, quality and professional feel and for me is an essential feature, although obviously this will add cost.

Finally, design is a consideration, with some preferring the more traditional shape of KitchenAid models to the professional look of Kenwood mixers.

6. Durability

Our top tip here is an obvious one; stick with the biggest brands. Kenwood are the biggest around and one of the most trusted, which doesn’t happen by chance.

Manufacturers publish their recommended running times at various speeds within the instruction manuals. They also publish the maximum amounts of mixtures that should be mixed. It is important that you abide by these limits as exceeding these could cause excess heat and wear, which will damage and slowly degrade all of the moving internal parts, such as the motor and gearing mechanism and reduce the lifespan of your machine.

Direct-drive motors are located in the head, rather than the base of the mixer and drive the moving parts directly, rather than through gears and drive-belts. Because these feature less moving parts they tend to be more reliable, but also more expensive. The KitchenAid K45SS is a great example, should you be interested.

Finally, consider the length of warranty being offered for additional piece of mind. They can be as short as one year to as long as five years.

7. Price

We scour the market for the absolute best price (considering shipping) just prior to publishing any of our mixer reviews and usually include a link to the particular winning shop within the particular review. So avoid that sinking feeling that you get when you overpay for something by continuing to browse the UK’s dedicated hub for mixer reviews.

Mixer Reviews & How To Find The Best Mixer

No mixer offers a universally perfect combination of the above, what is fun about shopping for them is that it is about finding the best mixer for you and your preferences and circumstances.

Search though our mixer reviews using the menu bar at the top of the page.

Thank you for visiting MixerReviews.co.uk – The Editorial Team