Best Stand Mixer: KitchenAid Artisan, Bowl-Lift, Bosch

A stand mixer is a twenty-year appliance if you buy the right size the first time. Most people need less machine than they think; bread bakers need more.

By the Bonwits editorsUpdated September 25, 20264 picksSave to Pinterest

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Our top picks

4 picks, each linked to the exact listing

1
Best overallKitchenAid Artisan, 5-Qt Tilt Head Stand Mixer, KSM150PS, Onyx Black
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2
The sensible entry pointKitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS, Onyx Black
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3
For regular bread bakingKitchenAid 5.5-Qt Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, KSM55SXXX, Porcelain White
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4
The bread baker's machineBOSCH Universal Plus Stand Mixer 500 watt, 6.5-Quarts
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The stand mixer earns its counter space in three jobs: creaming butter and sugar for cakes and cookies, whipping egg whites and cream without an aching arm, and kneading bread dough. Any mixer here does the first two well. The third is where they separate, because stiff dough is what strains a motor and what makes a tilt-head machine walk across the counter.

So the decision comes down to how much you bake and what. A 5 quart tilt-head KitchenAid suits a household that makes a batch of cookies at the weekend and bread now and then. Someone who bakes several loaves a week, or doubles every recipe for a crowd, wants a bowl-lift machine or the Bosch, which is built around kneading.

The attachment hub matters too. Every KitchenAid stand mixer shares the same front hub, so a pasta roller or a meat grinder bought for one fits them all. That is a large part of why these machines are handed down rather than replaced.

How we chose

Bowl size. Capacity in quarts and what the maker says it will hold, in cookies and pounds of bread dough.
Motor and drive. Rated wattage where published, and whether the design suits heavy dough.
Tilt-head or bowl-lift. Tilt-head machines are shorter and easier to scrape. Bowl-lift machines are steadier with heavy loads.
Attachments and warranty. What plugs into it, and how long the maker stands behind the motor.

We read makers’ specifications, warranties, care instructions and the sources listed at the end. We do not accept paid placements. How we choose

The 4 picks, in detail

Best overallNo. 1

KitchenAid Artisan, 5-Qt Tilt Head Stand Mixer, KSM150PS, Onyx Black

Our take. The mixer most kitchens should own: a 5 quart bowl with a handle, a 325 watt motor and every attachment KitchenAid makes.

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Made in: USA (Greenville, Ohio)
Keeps for: Decades with occasional service
Bowl: 5 qt stainless steel with handle
Motor: 325 W
Design: Tilt-head
Speeds: 10
Warranty: 1 year, replacement

The Artisan is the KitchenAid most people picture: tilt-head, 5 quart stainless bowl with a handle, 10 speeds and a pouring shield. Every Artisan uses the same 325 watt motor, rated for recipes with up to about 9 cups of flour, and the color is the only real difference between versions.

It handles cookies, cakes, meringues and one or two loaves of bread at a time. The attachment hub on the front takes pasta rollers, grinders, slicers and the rest, and KitchenAid covers the machine with a one-year replacement warranty.

Skip it if you knead stiff whole wheat or bagel dough every week. A tilt-head machine can strain and rock under that load; the bowl-lift models and the Bosch are built for it.

The catch. Heavy dough is its limit, and a one-year warranty is short for a machine at this price.

The sensible entry pointNo. 2

KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS, Onyx Black

Our take. The plain-spoken KitchenAid: same metal body and attachment hub, a slightly smaller bowl, fewer colors.

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Made in: USA (Greenville, Ohio)
Keeps for: Decades with occasional service
Bowl: 4.5 qt stainless steel, dishwasher safe
Design: Tilt-head
Speeds: 10
Capacity: About 8 dozen cookies (maker's figure)
Includes: Coated flat beater, coated dough hook, 6-wire whip

The Classic is the simplest KitchenAid stand mixer: metal construction, a 4.5 quart stainless bowl, 10 speeds and the tilt-head design. KitchenAid says the bowl holds about 8 dozen cookies in a batch. It comes with a coated flat beater, coated dough hook and 6-wire whip, and it takes every attachment the more expensive models do.

For a small household that bakes cakes, cookies and the occasional loaf, it does the job for a long time. The bowl has no handle, which is the difference you notice first.

Skip it if you bake bread often or double recipes. The price gap to the Artisan is small, and the extra half quart is worth having.

The catch. The bowl has no handle, and the price is close enough to the Artisan to make it a hard sell.

For regular bread bakingNo. 3

KitchenAid 5.5-Qt Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, KSM55SXXX, Porcelain White

Our take. A bowl-lift KitchenAid with twice the Artisan's power in the bowl, for about the same money.

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Made in: USA (Greenville, Ohio)
Keeps for: Decades with occasional service
Bowl: 5.5 qt stainless steel, 3-point lock
Design: Bowl-lift
Speeds: 11, including 1/2 speed
Capacity: Over 7 lb bread dough (maker's figure)
Power: 2x the Artisan's in the bowl (maker's figure)

The KSM55 is one of KitchenAid's redesigned bowl-lift machines. The bowl locks at three points and a lever raises it to the beater, rather than the head tilting down, which keeps the machine steadier with heavy dough. KitchenAid says it delivers twice the power in the bowl of the Artisan, measured at peak above speed 2.

It has 11 speeds, including a half speed for folding in berries or egg whites, and KitchenAid says the 5.5 quart bowl kneads over 7 pounds of bread dough or mixes 11 dozen cookies. It includes a coated flat beater, coated dough hook and 6-wire whip.

Skip it if your kitchen has low upper cabinets, and measure first. Bowl-lift machines are taller than tilt-heads, and scraping down the bowl takes a little more reaching.

The catch. Taller than a tilt-head, and the bowl is harder to scrape mid-mix.

The bread baker's machineNo. 4

BOSCH Universal Plus Stand Mixer 500 watt, 6.5-Quarts

Our take. A light, belt-driven machine with the motor underneath, built to knead large batches of whole grain dough.

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Keeps for: Many years; 3-year motor and transmission warranty
Bowl: 6.5 qt BPA-free plastic, dishwasher safe
Motor: 500 W, belt-driven, bottom drive
Capacity: Up to 15 lb bread dough (maker's figure)
Weight: About 12.75 lb (distributor's figure)
Warranty: 3 years motor and transmission, 1 year plastics

The Bosch Universal Plus looks nothing like a KitchenAid. The 500 watt motor sits under the bowl and drives it through a belt, with a dough hook rising from the center. The 6.5 quart bowl is BPA-free plastic with a handle, and it is dishwasher safe. Bosch says it kneads up to 15 pounds of whole grain dough, about 14 loaves, or 34 dozen cookies.

Because the drive comes from below, the top of the bowl is open for adding ingredients as it runs. The whole machine weighs about 13 pounds, light enough to come out of the cupboard easily. NutriMill, the US distributor, covers the motor and transmission for three years.

Skip it if you mostly make cakes and small batches, or if you want a mixer to leave out as a centerpiece. The plastic bowl and utilitarian look are not for display, and the attachments do not fit a KitchenAid hub.

The catch. A plastic bowl and a utilitarian look, and it is not the tool for a small batch of meringue.

Compare the picks

Pick	Best for	Made in	Keeps for	Buy
KitchenAid Artisan, 5-Qt Tilt Head Stand Mixer, KSM150PS, Onyx Black	Best overall	USA (Greenville, Ohio)	Decades with occasional service	Check priceAmazon
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS, Onyx Black	The sensible entry point	USA (Greenville, Ohio)	Decades with occasional service	Check priceAmazon
KitchenAid 5.5-Qt Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, KSM55SXXX, Porcelain White	For regular bread baking	USA (Greenville, Ohio)	Decades with occasional service	Check priceAmazon
BOSCH Universal Plus Stand Mixer 500 watt, 6.5-Quarts	The bread baker's machine	Not stated	Many years; 3-year motor and transmission warranty	Check priceAmazon

Compared.

Every comparison

Tilt-head or bowl-lift

Tilt-head machines are shorter, easier to fit under cabinets and easier to scrape and pour from. Bowl-lift machines hold the bowl at three points and stay steadier under heavy dough. If you bake bread weekly, get a bowl-lift or the Bosch. If not, the Artisan.

Attachments worth buying

Every KitchenAid stand mixer shares the same attachment hub. For most cooks the pasta roller and cutter set and the metal food grinder earn their price first. A flex edge beater that scrapes the bowl saves stopping to scrape by hand.

What we left out

The Ankarsrum, a Swedish machine with a rotating bowl and a 7-year motor warranty, and the Kenwood Chef are both well regarded for bread. At the time of writing neither was sold on Amazon US by the maker or Amazon itself, only by third-party sellers, so we left them off.

Frequently asked questions

What size stand mixer do I need?

Five quarts suits most households. Choose the 5.5 quart bowl-lift, or the Bosch, if you bake bread weekly or double recipes.

Is the KitchenAid Artisan powerful enough for bread?

For a loaf or two at a time, yes. For frequent stiff or whole grain dough, a bowl-lift KitchenAid or the Bosch Universal Plus is the better tool.

Do KitchenAid attachments fit every model?

Attachments that plug into the front hub fit every KitchenAid stand mixer. Bowls, beaters and hooks are specific to the model and bowl size.

What is the difference between the KitchenAid Classic and the Artisan?

The Artisan has a larger 5 quart bowl with a handle, a pouring shield and more colors. Both are tilt-head machines with 10 speeds and the same attachment hub.

How long does a stand mixer last?

A well-made mixer commonly runs for decades. Motors can be serviced, and gear grease can be replaced by a repair shop.