The 6 Best Stand Mixers for Bread of 2024

Break out the instant yeast! These stand mixers are the greatest thing since sliced bread. Not only are they the best of the best stand mixers for bread dough—but we’ve also included Blair’s personal favorite for making her own bread loaves at home.

To sort through the sea of subpar stand mixers, Blair and I researched the highest-rated bestsellers that bread bakers can’t stop raving about. We focused on heavy-duty mixers, mini mixers, and the ones with the most effective attachments. You’ll immediately find that KitchenAid reigned supreme, but there are several standout mixers worth looking into, too.

Our Top Picks: 

1. What’s In Blair’s Kitchen: Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer – $449.95 at Amazon
2. Best Budget: Hamilton Beach 7 Speed Stand Mixer (4 Quarts) – $89.99 at Walmart
3. Best Mini: Delish by Dash Stand Mixer – $55.65 at Amazon
4. Best With Attachments: Ankarsrum Stainless Steel Original 7-Liter Stand Mixer – $749.95 at Amazon
5. Best Splurge: Wolf Gourmet 7-Quart Stand Mixer – $799.95 at Williams-Sonoma
6. Best Heavy Duty: Bosch Universal Plus Mixer – $419 at Amazon

Reviews of The Best Stand Mixers for Bread Dough

1. What’s In Blair’s Kitchen: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

When it comes to mixing bread dough, the Kitchenaid Artisan Series stand mixer has become a staple in Blair’s kitchen. She relies on the power of this model to perfect recipes like Farmhouse Cinnamon Rolls or her Southern Cream Cheese Pound Cake. “This stand mixer is strong enough that it can knead dough on its own for long periods of time. Accomplishing the same task by hand takes much longer and requires much more elbow grease,” Blair says.

While this mixer is an expert at tackling bread, Blair also loves its versatility and uses the additional attachments (sold separately) to conquer everything from pasta dough to shredded cooked chicken. With a 5-quart stainless steel mixing bowl and 10 speeds to choose from, this must-have piece of kitchen equipment makes multitasking easy. 

What Blair Says:

“I received my first KitchenAid stand mixer when I got engaged at 24, and I’ve had one ever since! I love that it’s sturdy and strong and can properly mix or knead any dough that I need.”

The Specs:

• Weight: 23 pounds
• Yield: 9 dozen cookies, 4 loaves
• Motor: 325 watts
• Includes: Flat beater, dough hook, whip, and pouring shield
• Settings: 10 speeds

The Pros:

• Easy set up
• Convenient tilt-head 
• Bowl, beater, and dough hook are dishwasher safe
• Durable and sturdy 
• Comfortable handle on the bowl

The Cons:

• Expensive 
• Not easily portable
• No “soft-start” feature (which helps prevent initial splatter)

What Others are Saying 

Both Good Housekeeping and Bon Appetit named the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer their top pick for stand mixers. On Amazon, this mixer has a 4.8-star rating and more than 11,000 reviews. 

Buy the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Stand Mixer:

2. Best Budget: Hamilton Beach 7 Speed Stand Mixer

The Hamilton Beach 7 Speed Stand Mixer has a 4 quart capacity and is a great option for amateur bakers who want to break bread but not the bank. It’s less souped-up than the one in Blair’s kitchen, but a convenient tilt-up design and 4 different dishwasher-safe attachments (included) means you get the most bang for your buck. 

Weighing only 9 pounds, the Hamilton Beach mixer is surprisingly portable, so you can tuck it away in a cabinet (which is great if you’re working with limited counter space). This model does an impressive job of mixing even the thickest dough, thanks to its 300-watt motor and complete bowl coverage. Other handy features include an easy-to-grip handle and the tilt-up design that makes it easy to switch attachments. 

The Specs:

• Dimensions: 13.1 by 8.5 by 13.1 inches
• Weight: 12.5 pounds
• Motor: 300 watts
• Includes: Dough hook, flat beater, splash guard, and whisk
• Settings: 7 speeds

The Pros:

• Non-slip feet 
• Easily portable
• Convenient handle
• Easy to clean

The Cons:

• Smaller capacity than others 
• No silicone scraper attached
• Removable splatter shield can limit access to bowl

What Others Are Saying

Good Housekeeping named it their best value pick for stand mixers. On Amazon, it has a 4.5-star rating and more than 8,000 reviews.

Buy the Hamilton Beach 7 Speed Stand Mixer (4 Quarts): 

3. Best Mini: Delish by Dash Stand Mixer

If you’re new to the world of baking bread and don’t want to spend an arm and a leg right out the gate, consider the Delish by Dash Stand Mixer. It’s lightweight, holds 3 ½ quarts, and is affordable so it’ll work wonders while you sort through the learning curve of getting started.

Dishwasher safe and including 5 speeds, this stand mixer is very simplified in its functionality (plus included recipes), making it easy for new users to learn the ropes. The top releases with the press of a button and to change speeds, you simply turn the dial. Even kids can help you make bread dough with the Delish Stand Mixer.

That being said, the Delish Stand Mixer is the best mini stand mixer because of its convenient portability and lightweight size that make it great for a small kitchen or for those who cook smaller loaves of bread. 

The Specs:

• Dimensions: 10.4 by 8.0 by 11.5 inches
• Weight: 4.64 pounds
• Settings: 5 speeds
• Motor: 350 watts
• Includes: 2 dough beaters, 2 dough hooks, and stainless steel bowl

The Pros:

• Inexpensive
• Lightweight and compact
• Comes with recipe guide written by Delish editors
• Easy-to-use release button on top
• Accessible for beginners

The Cons:

• Can’t handle denser doughs
• Less capacity 
• Better at mixing and whipping than kneading

What Others Are Saying

Bon Appetit ranked the Delish Stand Mixer its best budget pick and The Spruce Eats gave it an honorable mention. It also has more than 20,000 reviews on Amazon.

Buy the Delish Stand Mixer by Dash:

4. Best With Attachments: Ankarsrum Stainless Steel Original 7-Liter Stand Mixer

When it comes to making bread, the quality of that bread is only as good as the quality of your attachments, and the Ankarsrum Stainless Steel Stand Mixer is proof of that. It comes with both a stainless steel mixing bowl and a plastic whisking bowl, plus 2 beaters, 2 whisks, 1 dough mixing set—which includes a dough roller, dough scraper, and dough knife—a bowl cover, and a recipe book. It’s the holy grail of stand mixer attachments! 

Visually, the Ankarsrum is stunning, but beyond that, it’s an outstanding mixer for bread—a lot of which has to do with its high-power, 600-watt motor. It can mix the heaviest of doughs and even features motor feedback, which allows the mixer to self-regulate its speed according to the load. All in all, the 7.3-quart bowl can mix up to 1.5 quarts of liquid dough and 11 pounds of dough without batting an eye, so you can bake for the whole neighborhood.

The Specs:

• Materials: Stainless steel and chrome-plated zinc
• Weight: 18.9 pounds
• Motor: 600 watts
• Yield: 11.2 pounds of dough
• Includes: 2 beaters, 2 whisks, 1 dough mixing set bowl cover, and recipe book

The Pros:

• 10+ colors to choose from 
• Can take on huge batches of dough
• High wattage 
• Self-regulating motor 
• 7 year warranty

The Cons:

• Expensive 
• Difficult to set up
• Not as intuitive to use

What Others Are Saying 

The Spruce Eats ranks the Ankarsrum Stainless Steel Original 7-Liter Stand Mixer most versatile and Bon Appetit ranks it the best stand mixer for bread.

Buy the Ankarsrum Stainless Steel Original 7-Liter Stand Mixer:

5. Best Splurge: Wolf Gourmet 7-Quart Stand Mixer

The ease with which the Wolf Gourmet 7-Quart Stand Mixer cuts through a batch of dough is beyond impressive. But when you look at the specs—one of the most powerful motors possible and a large-capacity—it’s hardly surprising. With a 7-quart mixing bowl and a gearing system that can maintain its constant speed, this Wolf Gourmet mixer is made for making bread.

The spacious bowl can fit enough batter for up to 14 dozen cookies, which means if you’re prepping for the school bake sale, you won’t have to work in multiple batches. The Wolf Gourmet’s mixing bowl can handle 8 pounds of batter and while that’s a lot of cookies, it’s also a lot of bread. The Wolf is extremely intuitive, and it’s seamless to go from one step of the process to the next. For champion bread bakers looking to step up their dough game, this stand mixer is worth splurging for.

The Specs:

• Capacity: 7 quarts
• Weight: 29 pounds
• Dimensions: 17 by 17 ⅝ by 10 ½ inches
• Motor: 500 watts
• Yield: 8 pounds of dough
• Includes: Flat beater, whisk, dough hook, and splash shield

The Pros:

• Large capacity 
• High-powered motor
• Dishwasher safe
• 5-year warranty

The Cons:

• Expensive 
• Takes up a lot of counter space
• Too tall to fit in some spaces

What Others Are Saying 

Both Good Housekeeping and The Spruce Eats ranked the Wolf Gourmet Stand Mixer the best large stand mixer.

Buy the Wolf Gourmet 7 Quart Stand Mixer:

6. Best Heavy Duty: Bosch Universal Plus Mixer

If you’re baking for one or two people, you can make do with a lower capacity mixing bowl and less powerful wattage, but if you really want to up the ante, the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer has a powerful, 500-watt motor and the capability to yield heavy-duty dough. The included 6 1/2-quart stainless steel bowl is one of the larger options at a moderate price. 

Even though the mixer itself is great for thicker bread doughs, be aware that the included bowl is not recommended for Challah or dense whole wheat dough, but Bosch also offers a Challah-specific bowl you can use for those types of bread. 

The bottom drive motor only has 4 speeds, but don’t let that deter you. With this mixer, it’s less about the number of speed options and more about the quality. As long as you’re working the included dough hook and using the extender when needed, you’ll churn out some quality bread dough. 

The Specs:

• Weight: 17 lbs
• Motor: 800 watts
• Yield: 10 pounds of dough
• Settings: 4 speeds
• Includes: splash ring, bowl lid, dough hook and extender, wire whips, plastic whip

The Pros:

• Handles large amounts of dough 
• Base features suction feet
• Unique, compact design
• Easy to set up

The Cons:

• Whip driver is plastic
• Needs additional accessory for Challah bread
• Dough hook and plastic whip driver are hand-wash only

Buy the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer:

Other Stand Mixers for Bread Dough We Researched

These stand mixers for bread dough are also good choices but didn’t make our top picks:

Cuisinart Precision Master 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer

With a stainless steel mixing bowl that comes with a convenient handle, this 12-speed mixer is easy to use at an affordable price, but unfortunately doesn’t always provide a good, even mix (you’ll often have to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl when you knead dough). The Cuisinart Precision Master 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer is available at Walmart for $186.92.

Smeg 50s Retro-Style Stand Mixer

Although this mixer is super cute and has a vintage aesthetic, the Smeg 50s Retro-style stand mixer fell short compared to the KitchenAid and Bosch mixers. It has a powerful motor, but it lacks sturdiness and can feel shaky when it kneads dough. The Smeg 50s Retro-style Stand Mixer is available at Amazon for $539.95.

KitchenAid Artisan Mini Stand Mixer (3.5-Quart)

The Artisan Mini Stand Mixer is another KitchenAid product worth noting. Ultimately, we passed over it because it only holds up to 3.5 quarts (and is a tad pricey for the size). Mini but mighty, it still packs a near-professional bread-making experience. The KitchenAid Artisan Mini Stand Mixer is available at Amazon for $379.99.

Aucma Stand Mixer, 6.5-QT 660W 6-Speed Tilt-Head

The 660-watt, 6-speed Aucma Stand Mixer was a strong contender for the budget category, but it ultimately lost due to its inconsistent mixing that can leave dough (or batter) on all sides of the bowl. The Aucma Stand Mixer 6-6.5 Quart Tilt-Head is available at Amazon for $139.99.

GE Tilt Head 5.3 Quart Stand Mixer 

The GE Tilt Head Stand Mixer is a sleek mixer that comes with a whisk, beater, dough hook, and splatter cover. It’s moderately priced and has a powerful (but loud) motor. The GE Tilt Head Stand Mixer is available at Amazon for $199.

KitchenAid 8-Quart Commercial Countertop Mixer

While it’s every professional bread baker’s dream, most amateur loaf-makers don’t need (or have the room for) this large countertop mixer. It’s a beautiful machine but is a pricey option that’s more appropriate for a commercial kitchen. The KitchenAid 8-Quart Commercial Countertop Mixer is available at Amazon for $799.95.

Why You Can Trust Us

I’m Stephanie, a lifestyle writer and product reviewer who is passionate about all kinds of bread including focaccia, sourdough, and any kind of Greek bread. I worked on this roundup of the best stand mixers for bread dough with Blair of The Seasoned Mom—lover of bread and frequent maker of buttermilk biscuits.

To come up with our list, we began with the one right in Blair’s kitchen! Then we looked for the most popular and well-rated stand mixers at major retailers and perused buying guides from culinary experts and other trusted review sites. After comparing them all, we came up with our ultimate list of the best stand mixers for bread dough.

What to Know About Stand Mixers For Bread Dough

What to Consider Before Buying a Stand Mixer for Bread Dough

Size: When choosing a stand mixer for bread dough, consider the mixing bowl size, the wattage, its functionality, and the warranty. Most mixers aren’t cheap but rather, are a long-lasting investment, so you may even want to consider buying an extended warranty. 

Wattage: Similarly, wattage and mixing bowl size are important depending on what kind of bread dough and how much bread dough you plan on making. If you know you’re going heavy duty with your dough, prioritize a mixer with 500+ wattage and a larger bowl. Conversely, if you need less oomph behind your dough, a 325-watt mixer and a mid-size bowl should do the trick. 

Functionality: How easy is it to use? Is it incredibly intuitive or is there more of a learning curve? No one wants a tilt-head that frequently gets stuck or a dial that barely turns.

How to Use a Stand Mixer for Bread 

To use a stand mixer for bread, absolutely make sure you have a dough hook. This is the attachment you will need for all breads made with yeast. You’ll want to keep the speed relatively low while mixing yeast dough—about speed 2 on your mixer. Higher speeds might cause flour to fly everywhere and the mixture to not be as uniform; and anything less won’t be able to knead through.

Start by kneading the dough (on speed 2) for about 2 1/2 minutes. The bread dough mixture should form and cling to the dough hook, forming a ball. Then restart the mixer at the same low speed, kneading for another 3 to 4 minutes. Once done, the bread dough should have some elasticity to it and be free of clumps.

How to Adjust Bread Recipes for a Stand Mixer

If your bread recipe doesn’t have instructions about using a stand mixer to knead, you’ll have to adjust it. For every 10 to 12 minutes of kneading by hand, substitute a stand mixer for 2 minutes. The dough should form a smooth ball and clean the sides of the bowl. Over-kneading will cause a hard crust and dense dough that’s dry and prone to crumbling.

To ensure you’ve properly adjusted the bread recipe for a stand mixer, try the windowpane test: Flatten a marble-sized piece of dough, then stretch it out like you would pizza dough. If it keeps stretching until it’s extremely thin and you can see your own fingers through the dough—it’s been properly adjusted.

What’s the Best Size Stand Mixer for Bread Dough?

The preferred size of your stand mixer will depend on how much dough and what kind of dough you’re using, but generally, you’ll need a minimum capacity of 5 quarts to allow enough empty space in the bowl for the dough to rise.

Do you Need a Stand Mixer for Bread Dough?

There’s no denying that using a stand mixer for bread dough (or pizza dough) is convenient and will save you time and effort. You can knead dough by hand without it, but it requires a lot of elbow grease. Other options include using a bread machine or a food processor with a dough blade. Or, look for no-knead recipes like Blair’s no-knead Dutch oven bread. 

Can I Knead Pasta Dough in a Stand Mixer?

While we may not think of pasta dough as “bread,” you can make pasta dough in a stand mixer in a very similar way. For your best chance at success, invest in an all-metal grain mill attachment and a pasta rolling and cutting set. Once the ingredients are all together, knead the pasta dough in the stand mixer for about 5 minutes on speed 2.

The Best Homemade Bread Recipes

Once you’ve got a new stand mixer to work with, get ready to knead the dough with The Seasoned Mom’s best bread recipes:

• Easy Homemade Bread
• Classic Farmhouse Oatmeal Bread
• Homemade Soft Pretzels
• Honey Wheat Bread
• Easy Pizza Dough

Prices were accurate at time of publication.