

Every hopeful baker dreams of outfitting their countertop with a powerful mixer—and no one makes a better one than KitchenAid. While all of the brand's mixers are excellent, there are a lot of options out there, so we put together a guide to help you find the best KitchenAid stand mixer for your baking needs, and countertop space. When considering your purchase, keep in mind that it all really comes down to personal preference. All KitchenAid stand mixers utilize the same planetary mixing action: the beater moves one way while the drive shaft moves the other; the bowl stays stationary. It mainly comes down to choosing which style, color, and size is best for you. Once you've found the mixer of your dreams, head on over to our guide to mixer attachments to maximize the cooking and baking potential of your new machinery.

What models and sizes are there to choose from?

These mixers fall into two different categories: the tilt head or the bowl lift. Tilt heads models occupy the smaller side of the size range with 3.5, 4.5, and 5 quart options, while the bowl head head comes in a wider range of sizes from 4.5 to 8 quart sizes. The tilt head style allows for the head of the mixer to hinge back from the neck of base while the bowl fastens to the bottom. In the bowl lift styles, the bowl sits on the arms of the mixer and moves up and down with a lever.

What choices do you need to make?

Since each model comes with slight variations, you should think about what you'll be using your mixer for, which attachments you'll use the most, and how much space you have in your kitchen.


Most mixers come with a stainless steel bowl, but you can also choose between glass and ceramic. Clear glass bowls with measurement markings on the side are available for tilt head and select bowl lift models, while frosted glass, hammered glass, and ceramic are only available for tilt head. If you plan on doing a lot of multi-tasking, consider buying an extra bowl.


Choosing your mixer color is perhaps the most fun part of the buying process—there are over 50 options. If you don't want to think too much about it, the classic 4.5 quart tilt head comes in white, black, or silver. If you want an array of color choices, the 5-quart Artisan tilt head style has the most variety of colors and finishes. The mini and the bowl lift models fall somewhere in between.


Bowl lift mixers are around 16 to 17" in height; tilt head ones are around 14," and minis are 12.3." If you have low-hanging cabinets and plan to use your mixer on the counter, it's best to stay away from the bowl lifts. However, if you regularly double and triple your baking batches or want to start churning out multiple loaves of bread, the bowl lift is the way to go.


The attachments are a whole different game and can aid in slow-juicing or sifting, sausage-stuffing, and ravioli-making. KitchenAid products have a universal power hub, so any attachments will fit all stand mixers. There is one exception: the ice cream maker and the precise heat mixing bowl will not fit on the Artisan Mini.

The Small But Mighty: KitchenAid Artisan Mini Series 3.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

A stand mixer that retains all the beauty and horsepower of a classic model, the Artisan Mini is the smallest and often most affordable of the bunch (though sometimes the Classic model is slightly less expensive, as is the case at the time of writing). The bowl is smaller (3.5 quarts), the machine is lighter (by 10 to 15 pounds), but almost all of the same features you'd get with the original model are here. You can still make up to 5 dozen cookies in a single batch.


KitchenAid Artisan Mini Series 3.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

This is the smallest and most affordable KitchenAid stand mixer—and it can do nearly everything the original can.
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The Classic: KitchenAid Classic 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

Like many KitchenAid mixers, this one comes with a coated flat beater, a coated dough hook, a 6-wire whisk, and a 4.5 quart stainless steel mixing bowl. The flat beater and dough hook are dishwasher-safe. With 10 speeds, this stand mixer is powerful enough for nearly any task or recipe, whether you’re combining flour, kneading bread dough, or whipping cream. There's also a Classic Plus model available, which is pretty much exactly the same but with 275 watts versus 250.


KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

This is the standard 10-speed, tilt-head classic KitchenAid mixer.
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The Upgrade: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer

This model is similar to the Classic, with a few exceptions: it has a pouring shield that fits onto your mixing bowl to help prevent messes when adding ingredients; there are over 50 creatively-named colors—like Boysenberry, Guava Glaze, and Matte Violet—to choose from; and it has a larger capacity. You can make 9 dozen cookies or 4 loaves of bread in a single batch.


KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer

This is a slight upgrade from the classic stand mixer due to its larger capacity, shield that prevents spills, and increased color availability.
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The Professional: KitchenAid 6-Quart Professional 600 Series Bowl Lift Stand Mixer

The bowl lift mixer utilizes most of the elements of the Artisan series, but takes it up a notch. The 6-quart bowl can mix dough for 13 dozen cookies, 8 loaves of bread, or 8 pounds of mashed potatoes in a single batch. Unlike the standard C-shaped dough hook, this model comes with a spiral-shaped one in burnished aluminum. It's available in more than 20 different colors.


KitchenAid 6-Quart Professional 600 Series Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer

When it comes to stand mixers, this is the cream of the crop model. It can mix dough for 13 dozen cookies, 8 loaves of bread, or 8 pounds of mashed potatoes in a single batch.
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