Best KitchenAid stand mixer 2024: which model do you need?

My kitchen wouldn't feel complete without a KitchenAid stand mixer. It's capacious enough to hold the dough for 10 dozen cookies, yet short enough to clear my low cabinets. It's powerful enough to knead thicker mixtures for sourdough loaves, yet not so powerful that the motor whirs while it works. 

There's more than one kind of KitchenAid stand mixer. You'll see KitchenAid Artisans in the homes of celebrity chefs and budding bakers, while the Pro Line and Professional Plus Series are more suitable for cooks looking to bake in bigger batches. There's even the KitchenAid Classic, which delivers premium mixing performance without the premium price tag. With so many models to choose from, it's easy to feel spoiled for choice.

Out of all the tests on the very best stand mixers on the market, the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt came out on top. It's not the cheapest, but it neatly balances price, form, and functions. However, it's not the only KitchenAid out there. We've found tilt-heads and bowl-lifts galore for beating batter, kneading dough, and whipping cream. 

The quick list

If you've already got your eye on a particular KitchenAid stand mixer, you can skip straight to that section using our jump menu. If you'd rather take stock of your options, then you can browse all the best KitchenAid stand mixers below. 

Best KitchenAid stand mixer 2024

Not all KitchenAids are created equal. Some of their mini stand mixers are less suitable for ambitious bakers, while their professional-grade machines would crowd the counters in smaller kitchens. To help you compare and contrast, I've assessed each KitchenAid stand mixer by the same criteria: versatility; ease of use; appearance; and the all-important price. 

The best KitchenAid stand mixer overall

This isn't just the best KitchenAid stand mixer: it's the best stand mixer, bar none. Measuring just 14 inches tall, the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Qt. Stand Mixer should easily clear low cabinets, but it's deceptively capacious. You could mix enough batter to make 10 dozen cookies in this thing. 

Our expert tester put this appliance through its paces in our dedicated test kitchen, using it to make cakes, loaves, and bowls of cream. The KitchenAid Artisan 5-Qt. Stand Mixer passed each test with flying colors. It works quickly and quietly to incorporate wet and dry ingredients into creamy batters, supple doughs, and fluffy peaks of whipped cream. You can taste the difference; our tests found that cakes made in this mixer simply taste better than those made in other mixers. The Artisan makes lighter, moister, sweeter cakes than anything else out there. 

Whatever you want to bake, the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Qt. Stand Mixer has an accessory for that. Our tester was particularly impressed with the wire whisk, which can reach right around the edges of the mixing bowl without scratching the steel. 

The KitchenAid Artisan 5-Qt. Stand Mixer isn't perfect. The body of the mixer shakes a little as it kneads dough, and a few of the attachments aren't dishwasher-safe, so you'll need to wash each piece by hand. However, these are sacrifices I'd be willing to make to work with the world's best stand mixer. 

You can find more detail in our KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer review.

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The best KitchenAid stand mixer for serious chefs

If you like the look and feel of the Artisan, but you're looking for something more capacious, you might get along better with the KitchenAid Pro Line Series Stand Mixer. Powered by a 969W motor and equipped with a 7-qt. mixing bowl, this stand mixer means business. Once you've learned your way around the machine, you could whip up enough batter for a bake sale. 

Where most KitchenAid stand mixers feature a tilt-head design, the KitchenAid Pro Line makes use of a bowl-lift mechanism, which is less complicated than it sounds. All you need to do is push the bowl onto the handles, then turn the screw on the side to lift it into place. 

The bowl-lift holds your ingredients securely in place, which is ideal when you're working with thicker ingredients and heavier mixtures. It also makes it that much easier to store your KitchenAid beneath your kitchen cabinets without the head of the mixer hitting the bottom of your store cupboards.

Budding bakers who just want to make cakes might not need such a strong and sturdy mixer. That's alright. The KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer isn't for them: it's for accomplished cooks looking for a reliable kitchen companion.

You can find more detail in our KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer review. 

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The best KitchenAid stand mixer for small spaces

If you've always wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer, but you just couldn't accommodate one in your smaller kitchen, then you're in luck: the KitchenAid Artisan Mini offers the same sleek style and quick mixing in a cute and compact machine.

The Artisan Mini comes with all the usual KitchenAid attachments, from a flex-edge beater to a coated dough hook, re-sized to fit the mini mixing bowl. For a smaller machine, it packs a punch, and managed to beat batter, knead dough, and whip cream in no time. 

The Artisan Mini proved easier to clean than some of the more capacious KitchenAids. Almost all of the attachments can go straight in the dishwasher when you're done, even the mixing bowl, though it's best to wash the wire whip by hand. As for the body of the machine, all it needs is a quick wipe with a damp cloth to mop up any flour spills and batter splatters.

While the KitchenAid Artisan Mini isn't as powerful nor as capacious as the full-sized models, it is almost as expensive. This mini mixer would still be a significant investment for budding bakers. If you're looking for something cheap and cheerful, you might get along better with the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore stand mixer.

You can find more detail in our KitchenAid Artisan Mini Stand Mixer review. 

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The best value KitchenAid stand mixer

If you think you can't afford a quality KitchenAid stand mixer, think again. The KitchenAid Classic offers the same quality mixing and iconic looks as the Artisan at a much more reasonable price point.

The KitchenAid Classic is one of the least powerful stand mixers on the market, but it can still cream batter, knead dough, and whip cream with the best of them. If you want to get the most out of your machine, I recommend reading the instruction manual and working out the best speed settings for each function ahead of time.

When our expert baker took the KitchenAid Classic to the test kitchen, she had only a few minor complaints. There are no handles on the mixing bowl, which makes it harder to pour from bowl to tin, and no splash guard to prevent spills and splatters. The biggest issue with the KitchenAid Classic is aesthetic: this stand mixer only comes in black and white, with none of those bold hues we've come to love.

Equipped with a 5-qt. mixing bowl and a 275W motor, the KitchenAid Classic stand mixer couldn't keep a bakery in business, but it should be more than sufficient for home baking.

You can find more detail in our KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer review. 

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The most versatile KitchenAid stand mixer

You hear a lot about the power of a stand mixer: how quickly it can whip cream into fluffy peaks or beat batter into a cream consistency. The best thing about the KitchenAid Artisan 6-Qt. Stand Mixer isn't its speed, but its slowness. This is the first KitchenAid stand mixer to feature a half-speed setting that mimics the motion of hand mixing. 

When our expert tester first tried the half-speed setting, she didn't have high expectations. She threw a handful of blueberries into her cake batter, thinking that the K-Beater would break their skins, and was surprised to see each berry neatly folded into the mix. Such gentle folding affords greater control over all kinds of delicate processes, from whipping cream to foaming egg whites.

In terms of capacity, the KitchenAid Artisan 6-Qt. Stand Mixer isn't as large as the Pro Line, nor as small as the Artisan 5-Qt.: in fact, it hits a sweet spot right in the center. That 6-qt. capacity offers more than enough space to bake in bigger batches, but not so much space that the attachments can't reach the bottom of the bowl.

The KitchenAid Artisan 6-Qt. Stand Mixer excelled in all areas, except for one: it struggled to knead bread. Our expert tester gave the dough hook a fair shot before she gave up and decided to knead it herself. 

You can find more detail in our KitchenAid Artisan 6-Qt. Stand Mixer review. 

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The best KitchenAid stand mixer with a bowl-lift

For professional-grade power in a pint-sized package, look no further than the KitchenAid Professional Plus Series 5-Qt. Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer. Standing 17 inches tall, it should just about fit under low kitchen cabinets. Thanks to the bowl-lift mechanism, you don't need to tilt the head to use the mixer, which makes it that much easier to use in smaller spaces. 

Equipped with 10 speed settings and armed with a 5-qt. mixing bowl, the KitchenAid Professional Plus has sufficient space and power to perform all manner of kitchen tasks. It comes in all the classic colors, from Empire Red to Imperial Gray, including subtler shades to blend with stainless steel appliances and white kitchen walls. 

I'm yet to put the KitchenAid Professional Plus Stand Mixer through its paces in our dedicated test kitchen, but I can already tell that the bowl-lift design would be ideal for kneading dough and beating cream. 

In my time as a product tester, I've found that bowl-lift mixers tend to be heavier than tilt-head models. That's why I'd hesitate to recommend the KitchenAid Professional Plus Stand Mixer to anyone who struggles to lift heavy weights or suffers from arthritis or Parkinson's. 

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How we test KitchenAid stand mixers

We put a lot of thought into how we test stand mixers. We don't just stand around all day eating cakes and cookies. First, we take a good look at the stand mixer, assessing its size, range of speeds, and any special features, such as a bowl-lift or tilt-head design. This helps us to determine which sort of baker this stand mixer might best serve. 

For our first test, we make cake batter. This is a quick and easy way to see how well the mixer incorporates wet and dry ingredients, and whether the beater can reach all the way around the bowl. Next, we knead dough to make bread. It's always interesting to see how a stand mixer comes with thicker batter and firmer produce. This is a good chance to experiment with stand mixer accessories, such as dough hooks. For our final test, we whip cream. We're looking to see how well the whisk works with wet ingredients to make light and fluffy peaks. 

Throughout the testing process, we monitor noise levels with an online dB reader. Even the best stand mixer will whir as it works, but it shouldn't overpower normal conversation. We also document the unboxing and cleaning processes to give you the fullest possible picture of what it might be like to use each product. 

Meet the team

Millie Fender

Millie was Head of Reviews at Homes & Gardens. She led our product testing team as we sampled everything from the best electric kettles to the best pizza ovens. Millie loves to bake and she's reviewed several of the best stand mixers. These days, she works as Senior Homes Editor at Tom's Guide.

Molly Cleary

Molly was an eCommerce Editor for Homes & Gardens. These days, she writes for our sister site, Ideal Home. In her years as a product tester, Molly has tested all kinds of kitchen appliances, including several of the stand mixers featured in this buying guide.

Laura Honey

Laura is our Kitchens Editor and has spent years reviewing the best stand mixers, blenders, air fryers, and coffee makers for us. Outside of reviewing and writing, she's a keen baker, so puts her KitchenAid to a lot of use.

Best KitchenAid stand mixer FAQs

Which KitchenAid stand mixer is best for bread?

To knead dough, you need a big and beefy stand mixer, such as the KitchenAid Professional Plus or Pro Line Series. These stand mixers feature a bowl-lift mechanism that holds the bowl securely in place while the dough hook tackles the tougher mixture.

Which KitchenAid mixer is best for cake?

Any stand mixer worth its salt can whip up a creamy cake batter. The question is how much batter you want. If you're keen to make a multi-tiered cake, you might appreciate a more capacious machine, but most bakers would get away with the KitchenAid Artisan. 

Are KitchenAid mixer bowls dishwasher-safe?

Technically, yes, but they'll take up a lot of space in your dishwasher. I prefer to wash my mixing bowls by hand in a sink of warm, soapy water. I find it easier to get between the nooks and crannies and give it a good scrub.

Which KitchenAid attachments are dishwasher-safe?

As a general rule, the dough hook and flat-edge beater are dishwasher-safe, but you should always wash the six-wire whisk by hand. When you run the whisk through the dishwasher, you run the risk of bending it out of shape.

Final thoughts

You might have made it all the way to the end of this article and still not feel convinced by KitchenAid. If you're a more experienced baker, you might be looking for a larger bowl or a more powerful motor, while buyers on a budget might not feel able to justify dropping hundreds of dollars on an appliance. If that sounds like you, you should consider investing in one of the best KitchenAid alternatives. I've rounded up a few of my favorites from Smeg, Cuisinart, Kenwood, and more.