Which KitchenAid Stand Mixer Is Right for You?
Models from this classic brand are among the top performers in our tests. So which one should you buy?
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With their eye-catching colors and iconic design, KitchenAid stand mixers hold a place of pride on many a countertop. Of the 34 stand mixers in Consumer Reports’ tests, seven are made by KitchenAid—and five of them are among the top 10. All of the KitchenAid models receive impressive scores in our performance tests.
“A KitchenAid stand mixer is a real workhorse, and made to last a long time,” says Ginny Lui, who oversees our stand mixer tests. That’s a lot of bread dough, cookie batter, whipped cream, and other kitchen confections and concoctions.
The seven KitchenAids in our ratings all perform equally well, with Overall scores ranging from 74 to 79. So, if you’re in the market for one, how do you choose?
All of the KitchenAid stand mixers in our tests have 10 speeds, ranging from low settings for bread and pizza doughs to high speeds that whip up cream and egg whites in no time. They come with the same three attachments: a whisk, a dough hook, and a flat beater. But there are many more accessories that you can buy separately to make sausage and pasta, spiralized veggies, and more. And all of the add-on attachments fit every KitchenAid stand mixer, even if it was made 100 years ago. (The mixers debuted in 1919.)
With the exception of the Artisan Mini, all of the KitchenAid stand mixers in our tests have bowls large enough—5 quarts and larger—to make dough for at least two loaves of bread, which typically take about 6 cups of flour depending on the recipe.
What distinguishes one from another? Primarily price, size, and wattage, plus how the beaters meet the bowl. Most stand mixers, including those in KitchenAid’s Artisan and Classic series, have a head that tilts back so that you can attach the beaters and engage or disengage the bowl. If you’re cramped for vertical space, this can be a factor because you’ll need more headroom to operate the mixer.
Mixers with a bowl lift, like the KitchenAid KMS70 and the Commercial and Professional models in our ratings, have stationary heads and a lever that lifts the bowl up and lowers it down, making it easier to use under an upper cabinet. (We indicate which models have which mechanism on their product pages.) The models also vary in height, ranging from 13 to 17 inches tall. Typically, there are 18 inches of clearance between the bottom of kitchen wall cabinets and the top of the counter.
And while higher wattage means more horsepower, wattage doesn’t affect performance much in our tests. Other factors come into play, such as the quality of the motor. That can be seen in our ratings, where many top performers actually have lower wattage than some of those lower in the rankings.
And finally, these highly rated mixers vary in price, from about $250 to $950. If you’re going to invest in a mixer, you want to make sure it’s the right one.
If you have your heart set on a KitchenAid, read on for some ideas about which might be the right one for you. And if you’re not so particular about the brand, you’ll find many other good options featured in our full stand mixer ratings.
Priced at around $950, the KitchenAid Commercial Series KSM8990ER is one of the most expensive stand mixers in our tests. It also has the largest mixing bowl (8 quarts) of the KitchenAids we rate. In our tests, it earned top scores for whipping cream and mixing cookie dough, and was very good at kneading. This model is 17 inches tall and weighs 28 pounds, so keep that in mind if you’re thinking about storing it in a cabinet. This model has a bowl lift, and the stainless steel bowl has a handle to give you a better grip.
Like the Commercial Series model above, the KitchenAid Professional 600 KP26M1X has a bowl lift and a stainless steel bowl with a handle (though a slightly smaller 6-quart one), but doesn’t cost nearly as much. Like the other best performers featured here, it earns top marks for all three of our performance tests: whipping, mixing, and kneading. This model is the same height (17 inches) as its brand-mate above, but is slightly lighter, at 26 pounds.
The 10-speed KitchenAid Artisan Series KSM195PSBK is a bump up from the Classic line. It comes with the usual attachments, plus three more: a pastry beater, an extra 3-quart bowl for smaller jobs, and a handy bowl shield that prevents splatters while allowing you to add ingredients. The standard-issue stainless bowl is 5 quarts. In our lab, this mixer aced our tests for whipping cream and mixing cookie dough, and was almost as good at kneading bread dough. It works quietly, and our testers found it very easy to change the beaters and clean. It weighs 21 pounds and has a tilt head, so you’ll need some clearance between your counter and cabinets.
Another standout from KitchenAid that comes with a bowl shield is the KitchenAid Artisan KSM150PSER. It churned through our tests, impressing us with top marks for whipping heavy cream, mixing cookie dough, and doing a very good job of kneading bread dough. It’s quiet and gets a top score in our convenience test, meaning you won’t have to struggle to remove the bowl or beaters or adjust the speed. The head tilts back, so remember to account for clearance on your counter. This mixer weighs 21 pounds and comes with a 5-quart stainless steel bowl with a handle for easy removal.
The KitchenAid Bowl Lift KSM70 is a hefty 27-pound, 500-watt stand mixer that earned a top score for kneading while still receiving a very good score in our noise tests. It comes with a double-flex edge beater, which allows for better contact with the bowl, reducing the need to stop and manually scrape ingredients stuck to the side. According to the manufacturer, this can reduce the amount of time it takes to incorporate ingredients, though we haven’t tested this claim.
The KitchenAid Artisan Mini KSM3316XWH is a great choice if you love to bake but don’t have the counter space to devote to a large stand mixer. At 13 inches tall, you can stash it in a cabinet and then bring it out when it’s time for a baking session. The 4-quart bowl is also the smallest of the KitchenAid mixers we tested, meaning you may have to mix your bread dough one loaf at a time. But this little wonder aced our cookie dough mixing test and wasn’t so shabby at whipping cream or kneading dough (although most of the larger models did better). This model has a tilt head and comes with a stainless steel bowl.
