My mum was recently looking for new kitchen small equipment and opted on a stand mixer. She contacted to inquire whether wattage was important while using a stand mixer.
When purchasing a stand mixer, you should not base your decision just on watts. Although the number may be large, the cup capacity of a stand mixer is much more helpful. Consider the available features, such as overload protection, hooks, a timer, and a splash guard, before making a purchase.
Let’s take a closer look at why purchasing a stand mixer only based on watts is a terrible idea. Finally, we’ll go through some factors to keep in mind while shopping for a new stand mixer. Here’s what I said to my daughter.
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What features should I look for in a stand mixer?
The most crucial factor to consider when purchasing a stand mixer is its capacity. 5 quarts of capacity is required for most baked items. They are often referred to as medium-sized stand mixers. Before making a final purchase choice, consider the machine’s other features and footprint.
Stand mixers for household usage are typically available in three capacities. The smallest ones have a capacity of less than 4 quarts. They are too little to combine many things in, therefore you should avoid them.
Stand mixers with capacities more than 6 quarts are also available. These mixers are larger and heavier, yet they assist blend greater characteristics of numerous items. As a result, if you have little counter space, you should avoid them.
Most home chefs will appreciate a 5-to-6-quart capacity. Most items can be mixed in these. They are, nevertheless, tiny enough to not take up much room.
Although I like doing my mixing by hand, I greatly prefer using a stand mixer. I just posted an article on the 3 Best Stand Mixers for Bakers at Every Stage of Their Baking Journey. After an examination of many stand mixers, the KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer was named the Best Overall Mixer. This stand mixer is available on Amazon!
In addition to the mixer’s capacity, you may wish to examine the following features:
- Oversplash protection – This will help keep items in the mixing bowl
- Available hooks – At a minimum, you want a whisk, dough hook, and beaters
- Timer – This allows you to time what you are mixing so that you do not overbeat items
- Electric hubs – This allows you to plug other electronic devices into your stand mixer
- All-metal construction – This ensures that the mixer is tough enough to last
- Adjustable speed – Look for options with 10-to-12 speeds
While selecting a stand mixer, each of these parameters must be considered, with watts coming in close second.
I’ll lay down how much watts you require for each sort of mixing need below.
How important is the wattage of a stand mixer while using it?
In general, any stand mixer with less than 250 watts of power should be avoided since it will not be strong enough to handle most bread doughs. This number reflects the motor’s power. It may not always indicate how much energy your mixer will use while creating tasty treats.
*You may also be interested in learning How to Mix Batter Without a Mixer. I just created an essay on The Best Ways to Mix Batter By Hand, which you can read here!
How many watts does a stand mixer require?
A stand mixer should, in general, have at least 250 watts of electricity. Those who mix bread dough on a daily basis should consider alternatives with at least 500 watts of power, but it doesn’t matter after that. Choose alternatives with extra functionality and those that are sturdy enough to remain in place while used.
The watts of a stand mixer indicates the power of the motor, but it does not necessarily translate to a better-performing machine. You should pick alternatives with at least 250 watts of power so that the mixer’s motor can mix most items.
Here’s a chart showing the wattage stand mixer to use for particular mixing task:
| Type of Mixing | Wattage Needed |
|---|---|
| Cake Batter | 250 Watts or Higher |
| Bread Dough | 500 Watts or Higher |
| Everything | 1,000 Watts or Lower |
*By the way, I just published an essay on All The Various Baking Mixing Techniques. This article discusses the ten distinct mixing methods available for producing baked products. This article may be found here!
If you often mix bread dough or other sticky stuff, go for a model with more than 500 watts of power.
The mixer’s wattage may be used in a variety of ways that have no effect on its capacity to mix your food. As a result, horsepower is a far more meaningful quantity. This is the amount of force that the stand mixer’s motor can produce.
Is a higher-wattage stand mixer preferable?
In general, a greater wattage stand mixer is not always preferable. A higher wattage stand mixer may not have enough revolutions per minute to thoroughly mix all of the components, and it may also have too much power, which often results to overmixing.
These stand mixers may also lack the horsepower that the machine’s motor has available to combine your ingredients.
*By the way, if I didn’t have the appropriate sort of mixer, I wouldn’t be able to cure my runny buttercream frosting. In this case, I utilized a 5-Speed Electric Hand Mixer, which is capable of getting the job done! On Amazon, you can find the Hand Mixer I use!
Depending on the model, the horsepower may be distributed to do a variety of jobs. It is possible that it will spin the connected hook, turn the bowl, and push air and hydration into your mixture.
As a result, you must carefully analyze this quantity.
You may regulate the rotations per minute by adjusting the mixer’s speed. You should never mix bread on the second speed. Most loaves of bread will need 285 to 475 revolutions to combine the ingredients.
Should I purchase a stand mixer only on the basis of its wattage?
In general, you should not purchase a stand mixer only primarily on its watts. Wattage shows you how much power is delivered to the motor but not what the motor accomplishes with that power. Before making a purchasing selection, you should evaluate several other elements, such as its revolutions and features.
Revolutions are one of the most important aspects to examine. The ability to adjust this amount at the mixer’s lowest speeds is critical for effectively incorporating ingredients into bread and other dishes. It aids in ensuring that air and moisture are incorporated into your meal at the appropriate time and in the appropriate proportions.
You should also evaluate the stand mixer’s capacity. You don’t want one that’s less than 5 quarts.
Also, purchasing one that is too large for your requirements would take up counter space that you may not have in your kitchen.
Consider the size of the beater as well. You want beaters that are at least 66% the length of the mixing bowl’s depth. This ensures that all of the components in your dish are absorbed.
*By the way, I just published an article on How to Repair Lumpy Buttercream Frosting. This article explains why your frosting may have lumps and how to cure and avoid lumpy frosting. This article may be found here!
Determine if a bowl-lift or a tilt head is the better option. The head of a tilt-head mixer rises to allow you to spin the bowl in place.
Instead, with a bowl-lift mixer, the head remains stationary while the bowl rises and falls to allow you to add your ingredients.
Tilt-head mixers provide many more options than bowl-lift mixers. Tilt-head mixers are perfect for small and medium-sized households. Bowl-lift mixers are ideal if you often cook in big batches or produce heavy doughs.
You must also pick which form of mixing action best matches your requirements. Although most manufacturers have abandoned rotary mixers, you may still encounter a handful since they are less expensive to construct due to fewer moving components.
The problem with these stand mixers is that they only whisk your food while the hook and the bowl revolve in the same direction, which makes incorporating ingredients take longer.
The most prevalent are planetary-motion mixers. On these mixers, the head rotates in one direction while the attachment rotates in the other way. These mixers are excellent in mixing your meals.
Since the bowl and attachment revolve, spiral mixers are ideal if you often prepare bread and pastries. These mixers retain the ingredients at a lower temperature, which helps to prevent early fermentation of the bread.
Since they have two distinct motors, this is conceivable, although these mixers are generally more costly.
*Side Note: I just published an article titled Why Your Buttercream Frosting Is Grainy. This article explains how to make grainy frosting smooth again. This article may be found here!
Another item to consider is the stand mixer’s gears. You must choose an option with all-metal gears. They will survive longer while being louder.
While shopping for gears, aim for those constructed of brass or steel since they will be the strongest. You should also choose an option with electrical sensors that, if anything goes wrong, will cut off the motor before it.
Many stand mixers are portable. As a result, they walk when you attempt to utilize them. Look for alternatives that weigh at least 20 pounds, with a preference for those that weigh even more.
Many stand mixers provide a warranty. Evaluate what the warranty covers.
You should think about if shipping is included, as well as the projected turnaround time, since you don’t want to be without your mixer or spend its worth to send it to be fixed.
Consider the color of your stand mixer, especially if you want to leave it out in your kitchen. You’ll want one that complements your kitchen’s decor. While you may not purchase another one for a long time, search for neutrals so that the unit will still blend in if you decide to update your decor.
*By the way, I recently published an essay discussing whether or not it is worthwhile to invest in a KitchenAid stand mixer. This article compares the characteristics of a KitchenAid stand mixer to those of other stand mixers and determines if it is worthwhile to purchase this mixer over others. This article may be found here!