The best hand mixers - tested by baking experts

The best hand mixers make whipping up cakes, cookies, and even mashed potatoes a breeze — without taking up the precious counter space of a stand mixer. I, alongside the woman&home recipe development team have been testing all the models from KitchenAid through to Kenwood and Salter to bring you the only six hand mixers you need to know about.

Whether you're an occasional baker or this years next Great British Bake Off contestant, you'll want some features at the core of your hand mixer. It should be comfortable to hold, with enough speeds to tackle different tasks (five is normally a good place to start), and it doesn't hurt to look nice too. The one that does this better than any other is the KitchenAid 9-speed model. It's good enough to rival some of the best stand mixers on the market and the soft-start and turbo modes add an extra level of luxury that other models can't quite compete with.

That's not to say that KitchenAid is the only brand to buy. In the list below, you'll see that we tested the stylish Dualit hand mixer, which they use on GBBO, the budget-friendly Salter Cosmos, and Kenwood's brand new space saving design. There's something for every baker and budget here. I've also got professional bakers to answer your questions and to finally settle the hand mixer vs stand mixer debate. So grab a slice of cake and settle in.

The quick list

If you want to whizz through the best hand mixers, here's a flavour of what each model is like to use. If you like what you see, keep scrolling to find out about our in-person experience with each model.

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The best hand mixers, for whipping, mixing, and kneading

You've seen my summaries of what each hand mixer is like to use, but here's where you'll need an apron on. I'll go through all the details of what our experts found when the woman&home food team took these to the test kitchen. We were whipping egg whites, whisking meringue, beating cake batter, and mixing cookie dough. Yes, we ate everything we made. No, we didn't regret it.

Best hand mixer overall

Looking for an all-singing, all-dancing design? Then this is the model to invest in, with big results and a whopping nine speeds. You’ll be spoilt for choice with attachments too, as it comes with two beaters, two dough hooks, a whisk, and a blending rod (ideal for smoothies and sauces), plus a soft-start feature that we found helped ingredients stay in our bowl with no messy splashes when going up a speed or two.

The stainless-steel Turbo Beaters are great for mixing heavy doughs or big bowls of ingredients, and while the soft-grip handle makes it easy to hold with one hand, it did make our arm ache a little when on the top speed when we mixed for a while. 

The LED display is easy to see, though, and it has a soft-grip handle and lockable swivel cord as per the five-speed model. Want to take it with you when you’re away? Then the cotton storage bag will come in useful. Now, it’s not cheap, but you do get a top-notch model for your money. And if it feels too pricey, see our regularly updated guide to the best KitchenAid deals, where you might be able to bag a bargain.

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Best budget hand mixer

Not everyone wants to shell out a lot on a hand mixer, especially if you’re only going to be using it now and again, which is where a more budget-friendly option comes in—and you won’t do much better than this little beauty from Salter. 

As well as the great price, the Salter is a nice compact model, which makes it a doddle to transport should you want to take it away with you. Great for whisking, beating, and mixing, this 300W mixer features five-speed settings, with an extra turbo function and a gunmetal-grey curvy design. 

Again, it’s not the showiest model, but it performed better than average in my tests, making short work of mixing cake batter and whipped cream. Granted, it’s not the quietest mixer out there, but for its great price, I am more than happy with how it looks, feels, and performs.

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Best compact hand mixer

For those heavy-duty baking tasks, this mixer gets the job done quickly and efficiently. We certainly felt the difference in power with this machine as opposed to some of the other lower-budget models, so if you’re looking for one to get through those hard dough mixes, then I’d absolutely recommend the Kenwood QuickMix GO. 

Design-wise, its blue or pink colourways offer some stylish and subtle fun to any kitchen. They look as good with stainless steel as they do with warmer, earthy tones and smart marble. Another big plus of this model is that it is light and compact enough for those that don’t have lots of room to store a larger model, so a fantastic option for smaller kitchens. The astute bakers will spot that the lid of the QuickMix lifts off for storing the accessories inside. It's really clever.

I found the whisks slightly on the short side for our large bowl, and it definitely wasn’t the quietest model, but on the plus side, it has a great slow start that didn’t send our lighter ingredients flying. A great all-rounder, especially if you need some space-saving options. 

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Most versatile hand mixer

After a no-frills mixer at a good price, that does the job efficiently? Then this 450W model may be the one. Simple and reliable, it comes with Bosch’s ‘fine creamer’ tools, which have little balls on the end (to add more air to your ingredient mix) and two dough hooks. 

On first inspection, the tools didn’t look the most sturdy, but woman&home's recipe developer, Rose Fooks, said "I can’t deny they gave me amazing results and I found the mixer one of the lightest to use out of them all. Even though, there was a bit of splashing during whisking tasks, it wasn't enough to put me off." 

The Styline has a good range of speeds and we particularly liked the pulse function, but the winning aspect  was just how quiet this model was—you could hear yourself talking over it, which surprised Rose, in a good way.  

Looks-wise, it’s not the sleekest or stylish out of the bunch, with its simple monochrome design, and it’s certainly not the most high-tech mixer, but you can be confident it’s also not basic and it falls middle of the row—a good design with an even better price.   

The Bosch Styline Hand Mixer MFQ4020GB was supplied by AO.com for this review

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Best cordless hand mixer

Prepare to fall in love with this little beauty’s sleek good looks and no-fuss style. What Cuisinart’s cordless power hand mixer lacks in additional tools (it only includes beaters, a small downside), it makes up for in ease of use. 

I liked the five-speed settings, which were super powerful when needed and light as a feather for finer ingredients—and the fact that it stands up by itself on the benchtop means much less mess. It's also easy to store, with a cordless, sleek stainless-steel design that makes it super-flexible. 

The lithium ion battery is charged by USB and you get around 20 minutes of continuous use, which was easily enough for me to make one lot of batter—it takes 130 minutes to charge. Also included in the box is a little recipe booklet, which is handy if you're needing some cake inspiration.

When all the hard work is done, the beaters are fine to pop in the dishwasher. Budget-wise, it’s at the top end of the spectrum, working hard for its price—but for me, it was well worth a place in our guide to the best hand mixers. You can't put a price on cordless convenience.

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Most stylish hand mixer

Sometimes it’s easy to underestimate how much the looks of an appliance can really sell it to you, and when we unpacked this mixer from the box it was a clear case of love at first sight. The smooth cream colorway and rounded design are similar to that of the retro-look of Smeg and KitchenAid but the Dualit has the cherry on top: it's the go-to for The Great British Bake Off. 

Looks aside, in my tests, the 400W motor performed well—although it is one of the noisier models. I found the four-speed settings easy to control even at a slow speed. One of the winning features for me is its retractable cord and integral plug storage, which means when it’s not in use you can wind the cord up and keep it tangle-free.

 Comfortable to hold, it’s quite a long mixer with an open-ended handle and not the lightest, but it definitely makes up for that in design and reliability—plus, I like the number of tools that are included in the price.

The Dualit Hand Mixer 89303 was supplied by Lakeland for this review.

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How to choose the best hand mixer for you

It's easy to get mixed up with all the different attachments and rotation speeds, so I like to make choosing the best hand mixer for you and your kitchen simple. If you've thought about the following factors before you shop, you're likely to make a smart shopping decision:

• Attachments—before you part with your cash, you’ll want to consider which attachments you’ll need. Some hand mixers don’t come with a whisk (so you might want a separate electric whisk, ideal for whipping egg whites and light sponge batters). But, most models do include two beaters (used for medium to heavy mixtures, such as creaming butter), while others will offer a dough hook for kneading. Decide which ones you absolutely want/need.
• Size—you’ll want to keep in mind where you are going to be storing your hand mixer before buying one, as some models are more compact than others, making it easier for those short on space. Also, some have detachable mixing wands, while others don't, which makes storage harder.
• Weight—if you’re going to be whipping up batters regularly or having the kids help, you might want a lighter model with a comfortable, easy grip, which will make the whole experience more pleasant and less tough on your hands and arms.
• Wattage—contrary to popular belief, the higher the wattage isn’t always the best indicator of a mixer’s power, as it refers to the power going into the machine rather than what comes out. So while you should probably aim for a hand mixer with at least 85W (all of our below models meet this requirement), assessing the speeds and capabilities of the mixer is a little more important.
• Speed—the more speed settings you have, the easier the mixer will be to adjust and control. You don’t want a model that’s too powerful for lighter ingredients, for example. Most models will have two to three options, with two being more basic and anything over three geared towards regular bakers. Decide which one is right for your needs.
• Ease of cleaning—cleaning a kitchen is always a pain after a big baking session, but many of these hand mixers have dishwasher-safe parts—although not all of them do. Decide whether this is important to you before purchasing.
• Budget—hand mixers vary greatly in price, with some of the higher-end brands, such as KitchenAid, coming in at over 99. You often get what you pay for when it comes to hand mixers—however, that’s not to say that the mixers at the cheaper end of the spectrum aren’t proficient, too. You’ll just want to ensure that the hand mixer’s attachments are of decent quality if you’re going for one of the more affordable options.

How we test the best hand mixers

To find the best hand mixers, we put each model through a series of real-world tests to assess performance, ease of use, and overall value for money. Our testing process includes:

Beyond these practical tests, we also examine each hand mixer's power, speed settings, and additional attachments to see what versatility they offer. We assess ease of use, including how comfortable they are to hold, how intuitive the controls are, and how easy they are to clean. Finally, we consider value for money, ensuring that the best-performing models justify their price with durability and efficiency.

FAQs

Is a hand mixer worth buying?

Let’s face it, mixing ingredients and dough from scratch can be hard graft, not to mention time-consuming. So if that’s something you do regularly, then a hand mixer can make the job easier. It can help to make things like cookies, cakes and bread both faster and easier—and so for us it’s a kitchen essential.

A hand mixer is also a good option if you’re short on space, because they are normally small and compact, particularly in comparison to stand mixers. Many bakers have hand mixers if they don’t have room on their worktops for a stand mixer—although many keen bakers will have both.

Should I buy a hand mixer or a stand mixer?

If you're a budding baker, you'll have tossed-up the hand mixer vs stand mixer debate. If you know you'll be tacking some big and serious tasks, a stand mixer will offer more capacity and more power. However, if you want a storage-friendly option for simple baking assistance, a hand mixer will save you space and money.

Which hand mixer does Mary Berry use?

It's not always easy to work out which appliances are being used by celebrities, but Mary Berry isn't coy about it. In fact, there's a Kenwood and Mary Berry collaboration, so, as you can imagine, that's the hand mixer the baking queen defaults to.

Which hand mixers do they use on the Great British Bake Off?

When I researched which stand mixers they use on Bake Off, the answers were, unsurprisingly Kenwood and KitchenAids. However, the hand mixers that they use seem to be Dualit's. This isn't a surprise: it's an impressive hand mixer, but the brand is often overlooked when they're pitted against giants such as Kenwood and KitchenAid.

You can't go wrong with a classic hand mixer, but if you want to expand your baking skills, it's worth taking a look at the best stand mixers on the market. These offer next-level baking assistance.