Every time I watch an episode of The Great British Baking Show, I catch myself lusting over those beautiful, shiny duck egg blue Kitchen Aid mixers, and every single attachment those eager bakers get to mess around with in the famous white tent.
If you’re after help with kneading your bread, whether you’d just like to make the process more hands-free or fiddle with some settings to find the optimum knead for the best dough, a stand mixer could be the product for you, and it doesn’t have to cost the earth either!
With plenty of options on the market, you might feel a bit out of your depth, so we’ve highlighted five of our favorite stand mixers that will offer the ideal kneading technique, as well as proving incredibly useful in your other baking endeavors.
Prefer to go into a purchase fully informed? Our buyer’s guide clearly outlines the features you should consider when it comes to a high quality stand mixer, in particular, one to be used for kneading bread, as well as how to maximize mixer use if you do cough up the dough.
Should you have any lingering worries, queries or doubts, have a look at the frequently asked questions section, where we’ve scoured the internet for the most common queries from customers looking to purchase a stand mixer. Happy baking!
Best Stand Mixers for Kneading Bread Dough
OUR TOP PICK
If you’d rather be busy baking than comparing mixers, we believe this model from Kuppet is a viable option for any customer, from amateur to master baker. Available in six equally bold and bright colors, there’s a design to suit any kitchen aesthetic.
You’ll have no trouble kneading bread dough with the included attachment (alongside a wire whip, flat beater and splash guard) as eight precise options allow you to attain an optimum dough by accurately selecting the perfect knead speed.
A tilt-head design allows easy swapping in and out of accessories and whipping the bowl in and out is incredibly easy, whilst anti-slip silicone suction cups are always holding the mixer steady even on full power.
A blue LED light indicates the mixer is on, and the attachments are easy to attach and remove from the shaft, for convenient, efficient and speedy baking at home to replicate the loaves from your favorite bakery.
KUPPET mixers are ETL listed and come with a two year warranty as standard, so any issues or problems you encounter when first using the product can be easily rectified at no additional cost, with the dedicated customer service team on call to help whenever.
Pros:
- Eight speeds for versatile baking
- One button, tilt-head design
- Over five liters of capacity in a stainless steel bowl
- Dough hook, flat beater, balloon whisk and splash guard all included
Cons:
- Dough hook not dishwasher safe
EDITORS CHOICE
Cuisinart are a reputable brand amongst bakers, and their SM-50R stand mixer is no exception, so if you’re looking for a quality product to achieve the most beautiful bread possible, you can’t go wrong here.
In six sleek, shiny colors, there’s a style to suit any baker, with a sturdy, sexy design that would look good on anyone’s countertop.
A stainless steel bowl, polished to perfection, has a huge capacity of over six liters, minimizing mess and maximizing dough size.Included in-box are your mixer, the bowl (which also has a convenient in-built handle for easy removal and carrying around the kitchen) and three included attachments, one of which is a robust dough hook which, alongside a 500 watt motor, has no trouble kneading dough.
A splash guard and pour spout allow you to add ingredients even whilst the mixer is running, whilst ensuring as little mess as possible to make cleanup a breeze; you could, with a little adjusting, even use the bowl as a vessel to prove your dough in directly!
Available to purchase separately are meat grinding, spiralizing, ice cream and pasta making attachments, which all attach simply to further increase the capability of an already powerful and impressive mixer.
Pros:
- Twelve speeds to suit any recipe
- All attachments necessary for kneading dough and beyond are included
- Splash guard to cut through cleanup
- Stylish design for all aesthetics
Cons:
- Not suitable for use on 220v outlets
BEST VALUE
Kneading the densest doughs just got so much easier with a Cusimax, boasting a powerful 800w motor surrounded by ABS housing capable of pummeling your loaves into submission quicker than ever before using the included hook.
More than five liters of capacity are available from the large stainless steel bowl, with a splash guard and access port allowing for the gradual addition of wet or dry ingredients to the active mixer, without any mess or fuss.
All included accessories are easily secured to the shaft, whilst a planetary rotation moves them around the bowl as evenly as possible to ensure the mix is thoroughly combined and all ingredients are scraped from the bowl.
Thanks to its tilt-head design, installation of the bowl and accessories, and their subsequent removal for cleaning, is easy and performed in a matter of seconds, whilst the underside cups made from silicon prevent any slipping and hold the machine steady.
The Cusimax guarantee assures users who experience any problems or have questions following their purchase can contact customer service to resolve them for a hundred percent satisfaction, which is reassuring for anxious buyers.
Pros:
- Splatter shield for easy clean up
- Large, heavy-duty stainless steel bowl
- Three speeds to choose from
- Multiple attachments included
Cons:
- Few speed settings compared to other mixers
RUNNER UP
Utilizing a similar technology to more expensive rival mixing brands, the Hamilton Beach stand mixer outperforms standard two beater models, featuring the tilt-up head design to change attachments quickly and prevent mess.
With four attractive colors to choose from, you’ll be happy enough to display this mixer on your countertop at all times, saving you the fuss of reorganizing your cupboards; you’ll be sure to utilize it often, too, as it effortlessly kneads doughs thanks to a 300w motor.
Seven speeds and a mixing guide offers exact, precise mixing to suit a variety of doughs, mixes and batters; in pride of place at the top of the mixer, the handy guide lets users know which speeds work best for different mixing methods.
A variety of techniques are possible with the dough hook, whisk and flat beaters that are included, as well as the splash guard that makes baking with kids (or messy adults!) much easier and less anxiety inducing!
An orbiting mixing head moves around the bowl as the beater rotates in the opposite direction, allowing the attachment to cover the whole of the bowl and ensure a far better quality of mixing than stationary heads.
Pros:
- Top handle for easy lifting (as well as typical handle on bowl)
- Seven speeds for multiple techniques
- Orbiting head for maximum bowl coverage
- Easy tilt button makes baking a breeze
Cons:
- Not compatible with a glass bowl, if that’s your preference
RUNNER UP
With a 660w high performance, pure copper motor, protected by industry-standard ABS housing, you’ll find the Aucma stand mixer has a long enough lifespan to compete with more expensive, high-tech brands on the market, and is arguably quieter when performing!
Over six liters of capacity from the stainless steel bowl should meet all of your kitchen needs, especially with the side handles for easy transportation; six optimized speeds and a pulse function allow you to adjust your mixing for a range of recipes.
Using the included dough hook for kneading bread is simple, with a tilt-head design for accessing and installing accessories or bowls with minimal fuss, whilst a blue LED light indicates when the machine is powered on for peace of mind.
In six stunning colors, the mixer is attractive to look at and will increase the style points of any kitchen, whether kitsch, modern or rustic; not only will you be baking some of your best loaves of bread, but you’ll look pretty professional when you do it!
Built directly into the bottom of the mixer is an anti-slip pad, so even when it’s running on full blast, you’ll find it stays firmly in place, and there are no vibrations to fling ingredients around your kitchen - this, plus the included splash guard, means there’ll be little mess to clean up.
Pros:
- Contemporary silver body is attractive in any kitchen
- Six speeds and LED power indicator for easy, precise use
- Sturdy bowl and well-protected motor
- All needed attachments included
Cons:
- Customers have reported occasional difficulty in contacting the manufacturer.
Best Stand Mixers For Kneading Bread Dough Buying Guide
Although you’re buying this mixer with the hopes of kneading your bread perfectly, it’s important to consider all of the features and reasons you might want to use it, if anything to get the most bang for your buck, but to ensure your delicious dough dreams come true.
Ease of use
Is there anything more frustrating than excitedly unboxing a new gadget only to find you have no idea how it works, there are no instructions to follow, or the included guide is far too confusing to understand?
Ideally, your stand mixer should be clearly labeled and easy for even an amateur baker to use.
Whether it’s assembling the mixer, attaching one of the various accessories or activating different modes, if the user manual doesn’t lay things out simply or the mixer is difficult to put together and use as intended, you’ll waste more time getting mad than baking bread.
Design
Robust, heavy duty materials are important in a quality mixer, especially when it comes to nailing the perfect bread dough, so you want to make sure your chosen product has high production value and is composed from sturdy materials from bowl to components.
We’d be lying if we said we didn’t shop with our eyes somewhat, and an attractive stand mixer is certainly something to behold; you’ll find visitors to your kitchen won’t be able to contain comments about how they’ve always wanted one, so you can change their lives, too!
Attachments
With most mixers on the market, some attachments are supplied with the mixer as standard, such as the classic balloon whisk, excellent for whipping up egg whites, cream and thinner batters, or a mixer blade for combining a variety of mixtures with varying textures.
As kneading bread is your final goal, you want to ensure your mixer comes with dough hooks, which work your heavier mixes and doughs without applying too much pressure or not supplying enough. Without them, you’ll struggle to get your bread spot on.
Messy bakers might benefit from a splash guard - essentially a lid that covers the bowl without disturbing the arm - whilst those looking to avoid wasting any ingredients may like a flexible beater, which utilizes silicone edging for scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Storage
Don’t underestimate the size of a stand mixer when it comes to cupboard space; you don’t want to shove it away underneath lots of other baking accessories, as you risk damaging the bowl or the delicate internal components should your leaning tower of trays collapse.
However, because they are quite an aesthetically pleasing piece of equipment, you might like to display it out on your countertop. If you’re a keen bread baker, having it ready to go saves five minutes of fussing or rejigging your storage spaces before you get started.
Bowl capacity
On average, the bowl supplied with a mixer will have a capacity of four or five litres, with bigger and smaller variants easily available depending on your needs; if you want to bake as many loaves as possible, or larger sizes, a bigger bowl is best to maximize time.
It might also be possible to get mixers that can accommodate a variety of bowl sizes, which is handy if you want to mix things up and make, say, bread rolls instead of a full loaf, or whip up a family sized baguette that requires three times the dough.
Bowl material
Although glass bowls are easy on the eye and allow the baker to keep an eye on their mix from all angles, they are much more liable to break, and any wear and tear is immediately visible, so if you’re an aesthetic baker with an Instagram feed to curate, perhaps avoid them.
Stainless steel bowls are the go-to material for stand mixers, which are not only dishwasher safe, but much harder to break, and can take much more of a beating; this is good news when it comes to kneading as certain doughs require considerable bashing.
Kneading Bread With A Stand Mixer - Why Not Just Use Your Hands?
Even accomplished cooks, chefs and bakers only have one pair of hands - a stand mixer is a second member of your kitchen team; not only will it do a perfect job of kneading your dough to whatever consistency you’re looking for, it will never be late to work!
Likewise, fancier mixers come equipped with dough hooks that prevent any loss of ingredients, by ensuring that every last bit of flour has been scraped from the side of the bowl, which is very difficult for a human baker to achieve!
Working beyond the capabilities of even the strongest bakers, you’ll find adjustable speeds and a powerful motor allow for an excellent knead on notoriously tough doughs, like whole wheat, which would leave your arms aching for days but offer no trouble to a good mixer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does a bread hook replace kneading?
Short answer: yes!
A dough hook turns and folds your dough in the mixing bowl, and can even do so more powerfully than the most experienced bakers’ hands, as the machine’s powerful motor kneads heavier doughs without breaking a sweat.