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Which stand mixer should you buy? Answer 4 questions

If you bake most weeks, the short answer is the KitchenAid Artisan KSM150PS: a 5-quart bowl, 10 speeds and a metal body. Four questions about what you bake, how much, where the mixer will live and your budget tell you whether another model fits you better.

Decision tool

Question 1 of 4

What do you bake most often?

The questions

1. What do you bake most often?
Cakes, cookies and frostingBread, pizza and yeast doughsA bit of everything
2. How big are your batches?
Up to 4 peopleBig family or double batches
3. Where will the mixer live? · Metal stand mixers are heavy to move around.
Out on the countertopIn a cabinet, out when needed
4. What's your budget?
As little as possibleMid-rangeQuality comes first

What we recommend, profile by profile

What do you bake most often?

Cakes, cookies and frosting
ideal Bosch Serie 2 MUMS2EW00 impastatrice planetaria 700 W, ciotola 3,8 L: Compact and light.; KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS impastatrice planetaria 4,8 L: 10 speeds and a build that lasts decades.; KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PS: A 5-quart bowl with a handle, 10 speeds and the widest range of attachments.; KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS: KitchenAid build and attachments in a smaller 4.5-quart size.; Hamilton Beach 63391 4-Quart Stand Mixer, 7 speeds: Light, cheap and easy to put away after occasional baking.
acceptable Kenwood kMix KMX750WH impastatrice planetaria 1000 W, ciotola 5 L
Bread, pizza and yeast doughs
ideal Kenwood kMix KMX750WH impastatrice planetaria 1000 W, ciotola 5 L: 1000 W, 5 L bowl and a metal body.; Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer: The biggest bowl here (5.5 qt), a 500 W motor and a 3-year warranty.
acceptable Bosch Serie 2 MUMS2EW00 impastatrice planetaria 700 W, ciotola 3,8 L, KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PS
A bit of everything
ideal Kenwood kMix KMX750WH impastatrice planetaria 1000 W, ciotola 5 L: 1000 W, 5 L bowl and a metal body.; KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PS: A 5-quart bowl with a handle, 10 speeds and the widest range of attachments.
acceptable Bosch Serie 2 MUMS2EW00 impastatrice planetaria 700 W, ciotola 3,8 L, KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS impastatrice planetaria 4,8 L, Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer, KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS, Hamilton Beach 63391 4-Quart Stand Mixer, 7 speeds

How big are your batches?

Up to 4 people
ideal Bosch Serie 2 MUMS2EW00 impastatrice planetaria 700 W, ciotola 3,8 L: Compact and light.; KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS impastatrice planetaria 4,8 L: 10 speeds and a build that lasts decades.; KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS: KitchenAid build and attachments in a smaller 4.5-quart size.; Hamilton Beach 63391 4-Quart Stand Mixer, 7 speeds: Light, cheap and easy to put away after occasional baking.
acceptable Kenwood kMix KMX750WH impastatrice planetaria 1000 W, ciotola 5 L, KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PS
Big family or double batches
ideal Kenwood kMix KMX750WH impastatrice planetaria 1000 W, ciotola 5 L: 1000 W, 5 L bowl and a metal body.; KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PS: A 5-quart bowl with a handle, 10 speeds and the widest range of attachments.; Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer: The biggest bowl here (5.5 qt), a 500 W motor and a 3-year warranty.
acceptable KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS impastatrice planetaria 4,8 L

Where will the mixer live?

Out on the countertop
ideal Kenwood kMix KMX750WH impastatrice planetaria 1000 W, ciotola 5 L: 1000 W, 5 L bowl and a metal body.; KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS impastatrice planetaria 4,8 L: 10 speeds and a build that lasts decades.; KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PS: A 5-quart bowl with a handle, 10 speeds and the widest range of attachments.; Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer: The biggest bowl here (5.5 qt), a 500 W motor and a 3-year warranty.; KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS: KitchenAid build and attachments in a smaller 4.5-quart size.
acceptable Bosch Serie 2 MUMS2EW00 impastatrice planetaria 700 W, ciotola 3,8 L
In a cabinet, out when needed
ideal Bosch Serie 2 MUMS2EW00 impastatrice planetaria 700 W, ciotola 3,8 L: Compact and light.; Hamilton Beach 63391 4-Quart Stand Mixer, 7 speeds: Light, cheap and easy to put away after occasional baking.
acceptable Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer, KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS

Products considered

Product	Best for	Why for you	The catch	Price band
Kenwood kMix KMX750WH impastatrice planetaria 1000 W, ciotola 5 L Capacity: 5 L · Power: 1000 W · Speed settings: 6 + pulse Search on →	–	1000 W, 5 L bowl and a metal body.	Heavy and loud at high speed.	–
Bosch Serie 2 MUMS2EW00 impastatrice planetaria 700 W, ciotola 3,8 L Capacity: 3,8 L · Power: 700 W · Speed settings: 4 Search on →	–	Compact and light.	Plastic body, 4 speeds.	–
KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS impastatrice planetaria 4,8 L Capacity: 4,8 L · Power: 300 W · Speed settings: 10 Search on →	–	10 speeds and a build that lasts decades.	High price tier and heavy.	–
KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer KSM150PS Capacity: 5 qt · Power: 325 W · Speed settings: 10 See on Amazon → · Read the full guide	For people who bake most weeks	A 5-quart bowl with a handle, 10 speeds and the widest range of attachments.	High price tier, and tall under cabinets.	Premium
Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart Stand Mixer Capacity: 5.5 qt · Power: 500 W · Speed settings: 12 See on Amazon → · Read the full guide	For big-batch bread bakers	The biggest bowl here (5.5 qt), a 500 W motor and a 3-year warranty.	Far fewer attachments than KitchenAid.	Budget pick
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS Capacity: 4.5 qt · Power: 275 W · Speed settings: 10 See on Amazon → · Read the full guide	For cookies and cakes in a smaller kitchen	KitchenAid build and attachments in a smaller 4.5-quart size.	The bowl has no handle and the motor is smaller.	Mid-range
Hamilton Beach 63391 4-Quart Stand Mixer, 7 speeds Capacity: 4 qt · Power: 300 W · Speed settings: 7 See on Amazon → · Read the full guide	For occasional bakers	Light, cheap and easy to put away after occasional baking.	Plastic housing, not built for weekly bread.	Budget pick

Manufacturer-stated data checked against official spec sheets; prices as market ranges.

How we chose the questions

The tool weighs four factors. What you bake matters most: bread and pizza dough need a sturdy motor and a heavy body that stays put, while cakes, egg whites and frosting reward many speeds and a bowl that isn't too big. Next is batch size: a 4-quart bowl covers a family of four, while big families and double batches need 5 quarts or more. Third is space: metal stand mixers are heavy and live on the countertop, lighter ones go back in a cabinet. Last is budget, which rules out models outside the range you pick. The mixers come from spec sheets, manuals, kitchen-focused reviews and owner reviews written months after purchase.

How the score works

Each answer gives 2 points to the product that is ideal for that profile, 1 to an acceptable one and 0 to one that does not cover it. Budget is eliminatory: anything above it is out. Ties go to the guide's order. Amazon links are affiliate links, but the result does not depend on the commission.

Frequently asked questions

Is a stronger motor or a bigger bowl more important?

It depends on what you bake: bread needs motor and stability, while cakes and frosting work better in a medium bowl than a huge one.

Is a 4-quart mixer enough for a family?

For four people, yes, for cakes and one batch of dough at a time. Double batches call for 5 quarts or more.

Does the budget change the result?

Yes: the budget filters out models outside your range, then the other answers choose among the rest.

This tool comes from the guide: Best stand mixer: which one to buy for bread, cookies and cakes. Updated 2 November 2026.

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