Budget Stand Mixers – What You Need to Know

Stand Mixers – Budget Models: Price VS Features

Stand mixers are generally a luxury kitchen appliance. Everyone seems to have the basics: a stove, refrigerator, microwave, and generally, a toaster. However, mixers are a specialty appliance with a presence limited to the kitchens of those who love to bake.

As anyone who has shopped for stand mixers can tell you, not only are they a specialty kitchen appliance, they also tend to be an expensive one!

Even the budget mixers can be fairly pricey with prices starting around $50, depending on where you purchase and the discount you may find. If you are considering a purchasing a budget stand mixer… If you are considering a budget priced mixer, there is one important point that you need to consider… No lower priced mixer is going to compare in any way to a high end mixer. Just as you wouldn’t compare a Kia car to a Maserati automobile, it is fruitless to compare a budget priced (under $75) mixer to either a mid range one (from $75 up to $175) or a high end mixer (over $175).

While in theory they perform the same tasks — in the case of the mixers, they stand in place and mix dough or batter and in the case of the automobiles, they run on four tires and transport people from place to place — in practice, well, let’s just say that in practice, there is NO comparison!

Having said that, there are several good reasons to consider purchasing a budget priced stand mixer:

• You are a passionate baker and you already own a higher priced stand mixer, but you want one for your vacation home and you know all you’ll be doing is mixing cookies for the grandkids. A budget mixer may be right for you.
• You live in extremely tight living quarters, and you won’t be able to store the stand mixer on the kitchen counter all of the time. A lightweight, budget priced mixer may be right for you.
• You need a stand mixer for a one shot deal, like baking cupcakes for a friend’s wedding. A budget mixer may be right for you.
• You are not sure whether you would use a stand mixer enough to justify a higher end model. By all means try out a budget mixer first and then, if you use it enough, move up to a more expensive model with more bells and whistles.

If you have decided that purchasing a budget stand mixer makes sense, here are some things to think about…

ONE – On the low end, you may find that the available machines are a combination stand/hand mixer.

With a stand/hand mixer combo, you have the option of removing the mixing head — including motor and beaters, and using away it from the stand, as a hand mixer.

TWO – Also, with budget mixers, there may be limited options in accessories. I have seem some models which have only beaters and dough hooks, and still others that have only beaters.

THREE – In many cases, these mixers are fairly lightweight. While this may be an advantage if you need to store it elsewhere or you plan on transporting it often, it can be a disadvantage when mixing. Obviously, you should closely supervise any operating stand mixer, but this can be especially important with more lightweight models. Having your mixer dance off of the counter and onto the floor can be a real disaster!

FOUR – Budget mixers often have fewer mixing speeds than the 10 – 12 speed offered in more expensive models. If I recall, recently I have seen them with 6 or 7 mixing speeds.

FIVE – Finally, budget priced stand mixers have far less powerful motors than higher end models. To give you an idea, budget mixer motors will run in the 200 – 300 watt range, while more expensive models can run in the 350 – 550 range.

The power of the motor relates directly to how effectively a mixer can work with heavy dough.

Realistically, the budget mixers will likely be able to handle cookie dough, but nothing much thicker than that. Many of them can’t handle bread dough, and in fact, may not even have the option of a dough hook.

However, gluten free bread dough, which tends to have a far wetter consistency than regular bread dough, may be possible, but I wouldn’t buy a mixer until I know that someone has been able to use it for that purpose.

HINT – Reading online reviews can be very useful for gleaning this type of information.

In conclusion, budget priced stand mixers will never compare directly to their higher priced cousins, but they maybe a smart choice for someone who understands their limitations.