Types

Match the machine to the way you prepare foods. You might find you need more than one. Which food-prep appliance best suits your style and the foods you prepare? Hand mixers can handle light chores such as whipping cream or mixing cake batter. And powerful stand mixers are ideal for cooks who make bread and cookies from scratch.

Hand mixers

These are best for light-duty tasks such as whipping cream or egg whites, mixing cake batter, and mashing potatoes. But they are not as good as some stand mixers at mixing dough. We found that the KitchenAid Ultra Power 5 and Braun Multi Mix 4-in-1 were the only hand mixers able to mix stiff bread dough.

Most of the top-performing hand mixers have wire beaters without the thick center post found on traditional-style beaters. The wire beaters performed well and were easier to clean.

Stand mixers

These are best for almost everything a hand mixer does, plus mixing cookie dough and bread dough. Their drawbacks are that they are heavier and take up more space. Make sure you'll have enough clearance in the "up" position if it will be sitting on a countertop below an overhanging cupboard.

Stand mixers work in different ways. Some use two beaters, which spin against each other. Others use one beater, which spins in one direction and moves around the bowl the opposite way.

Light-duty stand mixers typically have stationary beaters and a bowl that sits on a revolving turntable. The bowl sometimes needs a push to keep spinning.

With most stand mixers, you tilt the mixer head up to remove the beater(s) or bowl; with the KitchenAid Professional models, you crank a lever that lifts or lowers the bowl.

See also:

Blenders

Toasters

Coffeemakers

Slow cookers