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How to choose a stand mixer

Reviewed October 2026

Who this guide suits

This guide suits people who bake at least a few times a month and are tired of a hand mixer struggling with thick dough, or holding a bowl steady while trying to add ingredients. It also suits someone setting up a kitchen they plan to stay in for years, where counter space and budget are being spent once, carefully.

If you bake only twice a year, a good hand mixer and a large bowl will usually be enough. A stand mixer is a large, heavy appliance that earns its place only if it gets regular use. If you make large batches of bread every week, you may need to look one step up from the model featured here, at a bowl lift design with a larger bowl, rather than a tilt head model.

What to look for

Bowl size. A 5 quart bowl handles a standard cake mix, a batch of cookies and a single loaf worth of dough for most households. Smaller bowls feel cramped with double batches, and much larger bowls are harder to store and can struggle to reach small amounts, such as two egg whites.

Head style. A tilt head model lets you lift the head back to change attachments and remove the bowl. It needs clearance under cabinets when tilted. A bowl lift model raises the bowl to the head instead and tends to sit taller but more stable under heavy loads. Measure the space under your cabinets before choosing either style.

Motor and speeds. Published power numbers are not directly comparable between brands, because they are measured differently. What matters more in owner reports is whether the mixer slows and strains on stiff dough, and whether the lowest speed is gentle enough to fold without throwing flour across the counter. A soft start and a true slow stir speed are worth having.

Attachments and support. The flat beater, whisk and dough hook cover most baking. Extra attachments, such as a pasta roller or meat grinder, only add value if you will actually use them. Check that spare bowls, beaters and parts are still sold for the model. Long parts support is one reason established mixer lines stay popular for so long.

Who should skip the Artisan Series 5

• Keen bread bakers who mostly make large or stiff dough. Owners report the head moving and the motor working hard on that kind of baking, and the manufacturer rates flour capacity below what keen bread bakers sometimes expect. A bowl lift model is the better fit.
• Anyone without a permanent counter spot. The mixer is heavy to move in and out of a cupboard, and most owners end up leaving it on the counter.
• Anyone who bakes only a few times a year. A good hand mixer and a large bowl cover occasional baking without the cost or the counter space.

Honest limits

This guide is based on manufacturer specifications and widely reported owner experience. This site has not tested this mixer in person.

The Artisan Series 5 has limits that owners mention often. Large or stiff bread dough can make the head move and the motor work hard, and the manufacturer rates flour capacity below what keen bread bakers sometimes expect. If most of your baking is heavy whole grain loaves, a bowl lift model is a better fit. The mixer is also heavy to move in and out of a cupboard, so most owners leave it on the counter. Finally, the included coated beaters on some bundles need more careful washing than stainless versions, so check what is included in the specific listing.

Before you buy

• Measure under cabinet clearance with the head tilted back, and check counter depth.
• Confirm which attachments are in the box for that retailer bundle.
• Check the warranty length and how warranty service works in your country.
• Decide where it will live. If there is no permanent counter spot, a stand mixer often becomes an unused cupboard item.

For many regular bakers, a 5 quart tilt head mixer is the practical middle ground between a hand mixer and a larger professional style machine. Chosen for the baking you actually do, it is the kind of purchase that can stay in weekly use for many years. That long life is also the fair way to judge its cost. Spread across years of regular baking, a well made mixer asks a little of each year it serves, while a cheaper machine that strains on dough and is replaced within a few years quietly costs more over the same period. The arithmetic only works if the mixer is used often, which is why the baking you actually do matters more than the features on the box.