BEFORE YOU BUY

Work out which model best suits your needs

Are you buying a mixer to keep long-term? Basic models can be picked up as cheaply as £50, but for one that will last, budget for at least £100. Beyond £150, you’ll mostly be paying for a greater choice of colours and styling, extra features or accessories. Pricier mixers tend to have a sturdier build.

Stand mixers often feature more than one outlet – the main one rotates the tool in the bowl. Other ones are usually located at the front of the machine or on the top of the lever arm; these allow you to power the attachments. Standard mixer attachments include a blender jug for making smoothies and soups, or crushing ice, and sometimes a food processor for slicing, grating and chopping.

Most manufacturers offer a range of attachments to buy. These include rollers for making pasta and specialised ravioli makers. There are also mincers or grinders for processing meat, slicers, pre-freeze ice cream bowls, millers, spiralisers and juicers. These can take up a fair amount of space in your kitchen. Look for models that can store accessories in the bowl or come with a storage box.

Most mixers include three tools as standard: a balloon whisk for whipping cream, eggs and light mixtures; a dough hook for kneading bread; and a beater for batters, biscuit dough and general mixing. This could also be a flexi or scraper beater – a tool that helps to scrape down the bowl as it mixes. Another useful accessory is a splashguard, which stops the contents of the bowl escaping during vigorous mixing.

There may be a ‘soft start’ to prevent fine ingredients, such as flour, puffing out before the speed ramps up. Another good feature is a pause function. This stops the mixing so you can add ingredients before returning to the same speed. Some mixers have preset programs for food types, such as cake, or gentle fold options.