5 Best Stand Mixers Available Today (for Kneading Bread Dough)

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Looking for the best stand mixer on the market for kneading bread dough? Do you need a machine that can handle multiple loaves at a time? You’ve come to the right place!

Baking bread is no doubt one of the oldest culinary traditions in the world, with an estimated history of 30,000 years.

The way we prepare bread now, of course, has evolved greatly over the years but the basics still remain the same; the smell of freshly baked bread is comforting, homely and undeniably delicious.

If you are an avid bread baker, then your kitchen is probably well equipped with all the right essentials. If you are new to baking bread, then you may want to look into some really popular bread making products in the market.

Here I have complied a list of the best stand mixers for kneading bread dough that could lend you a helping hand in your bread making.

The Basics

Before we take a look at what’s available and worth investing in, you may want to consider a few basics of what kind of appliance will serve your needs better.

In essence, there are two useful bread preparation appliances that will serve you well.

The first is the bread machine, which basically does all the work for you, and then there are stand mixers that can assist you in the dough kneading part of the process, not to mention being useful for many other applications.

Which one will work better for you? Let’s consider the options.

Bread Machine or Stand Mixer

Using a bread machine involves putting all the ingredients into the machine, selecting the right setting and you’re good to go. It involves minimal effort on your part and typically delivers very nice, consistent results.

It is a convenient, time saving appliance that can promise you a freshly baked loaf of homemade bread every day. The only downside to this appliance may be that it can only make one bread loaf at a time.

This option will work well for most home bakers but if you bake extensively and are looking to get more than one loaf of bread ready every day, you should consider a stand mixer.

Also, if you are the kind of baker who relishes the bread making process and wants more control over how your bread should turn out, the stand mixer would suit you better.

This appliance helps you knead bread dough to perfection, taking out most of the elbow grease out of the process.

Once you have a well kneaded dough on your hands, you can then proceed to prepare your bread any way you like.

Which Stand Mixer Is Best Suited For Bread

Even among stand mixers, there are different performance levels. Each levels caters to a different capacity and frequency of baking. For instance:

• Light duty stand mixers are appliances designed to handle light weight jobs for the occasional baker such as baking a cake or a batch or cookies once in a while.
• Medium duty stand mixers are more suitable for people who enjoy different baking tasks on a fairly consistent basis but are not too heavily involved in bread making.
• Heavy duty stand mixers, on the other hand, are a far better match for avid bread makers. This is because bread doughs are considered heavier doughs and require fairly intensive and heavy kneading.

If bread making is your big concern then look for a heavy duty mixer that meets the following criteria:

• Comes with a 5 quart or larger capacity stainless steel bowl
• Offers more than 400 watts of power
• Should ideally have all metal gearing
• Has a slow start feature, to prevent ingredients from flying all over the place
• Features multiple speed options
• Comes with a warranty

Keeping these features in mind, here are my top recommendations for the best stand mixers that will knead your bread dough for you.

Best Stand Mixer for Kneading Bread

1 – Ankarsrum Electric Stand Mixer (Top Pick)

If you are looking for heavy duty performance, my recommendation starts with the Ankarsrum Electric Stand Mixer (view on Amazon). Hailing from Sweden, this stand mixer has been around for quite a few decades.

Over time, not only have its functions and performance evolved, but also its names. This stand mixer has formerly gone by the names of Verona, Electrolux Assistant and Magic Pill.

This stand mixer works really well for bakers who are serious about their bread. It comes with a massive 7.5 quart stainless steel bowl that accommodates 18 cups of flour.

This easily translates into 10.75 pounds of bread dough which will yield an impressive 5-7 loaves of bread.

Its high power motor kneads heavy dough well without straining or gear gnashing, also eliminating the possibility of dreaded smoke coming from your machine.

The stand mixer comes with two attachments including a roller which provides the traditional kneading/massaging action and a dough scraper that folds the dough.

In addition there are other attachments with this appliance turning it into a veritable kitchen center.

Aesthetically appealing and ideally recommended for larger dough and bread recipes, this stand mixer offers durability and performance kneading perfectly elastic dough every time.

The unit features a sleek stainless steel design and lends a vintage feel to the kitchen.

Contrary to traditional design where the attachments on the unit spin, this mixer features a rotating bowl instead.

Pros

• 5 quart stainless steel bowl
• 600 watt motor
• Removable power cord
• Lots of attachments included
• Different colors available
• 7 years manufacturer’s warranty

Cons

• Read instructions carefully to use attachments correctly- do not go by intuition
• Not ideal for use on non-bread type recipes or lighter doughs
• Comes with a substantial price tag

2 – Breville BEM800XL Stand Mixer

Also found on Amazon, the Breville BEM800XL is a strong and sturdy unit that comes with all the standard attachments, including a dough hook, wire whisk and standard paddle.

In addition, the stand mixer also has a flexible edge beater and a splashguard for easy scraping and splatter prevention respectively.

The planetary mixing action gives full bowl coverage and a mess free performance.

This Breville stand mixer has 12 different mixing speeds, operated through an easy turn dial along with a pause feature to temporarily stop the machine. To facilitate handling, the mixer also has a tilt release button to remove the bowl easily from its stand.

The 5 quart stainless steel bowl comes with a locking recess to securely lock it in place when in use. This substantially sized bowl is large enough to accommodate most recipes, even for larger portions.

The unit comes with a timer featured on an LED screen. The screen also displays the mixing speed used for the function. The timer is automatic so will shut off on its own once the time is over.

The unit also has an internal cord storage located in the rear of the mixer for convenient storage.

Pros

• Flexible edge beater and splashguard included
• LED screen for easy display of settings
• Automatic digital timer
• Tilt release button
• Planetary mixing action
• 550 watt motor
• 12 speed option

Cons

• No additional attachments
• May not be ideal for everyday bread baking
• Only 1 year warranty

3 – KitchenAid Professional 600 Series, 6 Quart

No list of kitchen appliances would be complete without mention of a KitchenAid product. So my KitchenAid recommendation for bread making needs is the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series Stand Mixer.

Featuring a stronger motor than most other KitchenAid mixers, this stand mixer design comes with a bowl lift mechanism which gives the machine stability to process large amounts of thick, dense mixtures.

If working with the traditional bowl lift design is in your comfort zone, then this is the appliance for you.

The professional 600 series has a number of features such as an electronic speed sensor, an auto shut off, a soft start and a Locked Rotator Protection Device.

This is in addition to a multipurpose attachment hub with more than 15 optional attachments, making it a versatile and functional unit. All gears are made from rugged metal for reliable performance.

One of its most striking features is the adjustable screw which allows the height of the beaters to be lowered or raised as per preference.

The stainless steel bowl comes with a comfort handle for easy lifting when handling denser mixtures. The bowl is dishwasher safe and easy to clean.

Although not a professional grade stand mixer, this model easily qualifies as one of the best options for very busy home bakers.

To make a stylish statement in your kitchen, consider this KA 600 series piece which may also be one of your more “budget friendly” mixers on the list.

Pros

• 575 watts of power
• 6 quart mixing bowl
• Bowl lift design
• Metals gears
• Ten different speeds
• Lots of different features
• Available in more than 10 colors

Cons

• Burnished beaters and dough hook need to be hand washed
• Some concerns over noise level of the machine
• Only 1 year warranty

4 – Kenwood Chef Major Titanium 7 Quart

Just like its heavy duty name, this Kenwood stand mixer delivers heavy duty performance. It is one of the very few heavy duty stand mixers that has a tilt mechanism.

The Kenwood Major offers 800 watts of power with heavy duty metal castings and gears. And as per my recommendation for a sturdy stand mixer, this one definitely makes the cut.

It is an ideal appliance for a kitchen which is used to baking a ton of bread on a frequent basis. The unit offers 8 different speeds to work with and features planetary gearing.

Upon purchase, you will receive it with the standard attachments of a dough hook, whisk, stainless bowl and a splashguard. There is also a bonus spatula and a recipe book included within the packaging.

It also features a unique splashguard design with the guard covering the entire top of the bowl and a flap that opens to add ingredients in.

The power of the motor complements the capacity of the mixing bowl well at 7 quarts. You can easily triple your recipe for bread dough and the unit will knead it without a hitch.

To avoid overheating, the Kenwood Major comes accessorized with dual motor ventilation points allowing hot air to escape without getting trapped inside the machine.

This small appliance is one of the heavier options available weighing in at 29 pounds. As such, it will be difficult to move around the kitchen, so find a permanent spot for this one.

The product comes with a 1 year full warranty and 3 year limited warranty, making it one of the longest warranties for standing mixers.

The only downside to getting this piece is that Kenwood is a UK based company, so should anything happen to your stand mixer, accessing customer service will be an issue.

Pros

• 800 watts power
• 7 quart bowl
• Additional attachments included
• Unique splashguard design
• All pieces except base are dishwasher safe

Cons

• Slightly heavy machine at 29 pounds
• Recipe measurements are UK specific and need to be converted
• Being UK based, it might be difficult to access quick customer service

5 – Hobart N50

The Hobart N50 is actually a commercial stand mixer. The reason why I’ve decided to put it on this list is because it can be the ultimate bread making companion for home bakers who bake every day and need a very reliable machine to knead dough for them.

Having said that, this unit is very pricey (check current pricing on amazon) and not within everyone’s budget limit.

Even though a commercial mixer, this unit is sized well to fit into a larger home kitchen. Designed for heavy duty workloads, the gear driven transmission of this unit provides consistent performance.

The operating machinery is quiet and powerful, but the unit itself may weigh almost 50 pounds.

There are three speeds to use based on operating needs. It comes with a fixed speed motor meaning that the mixer will get full power even on low speed.

Even though the machine has a lower wattage motor at 348 watts, it actually delivers more torque and power at all speeds than a higher wattage motor.

The unit also features three standard attachments of a cast aluminum flat beater, a stainless steel wire whip and a cast aluminum dough hook.

One very significant perk is that you can use most of your Kitchen Aid attachments with this unit as Hobart used to manufacture Kitchen Aid before Whirlpool took over.

Pros

• 5 quart stainless steel bowl with large loop handle
• Comes with a fixed speed motor
• User friendly machine
• Can be used with most Kitchen Aid attachments

Cons

• Unit weighs close to 50 pounds, making it difficult to shift from one spot to another. It will need a permanent spot in the kitchen.
• Only a one year warranty
• Only a few can afford its hefty price tag

And the takeaway from all of this is….

Heavy duty stand mixers are an investment, so choose one wisely. If you bake bread more than three times a week, you need to get a machine that will truly help you out with all of the kneading required.    

My recommendations provided above will not only make the job easier for you but will also give you more control over your finished product.

Keeping in mind the frequency of your baking endeavors, the budget you want to invest in and whether you are looking for additional features or not, you can choose a product that will take your bread making skills to the next level.

Happy Baking!

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