This post may contain affiliate links. If you make a purchase through links on our site, we may earn a commission.
The best stand mixer should be a workhorse that can do just about everything in the kitchen, but it doesn’t have to cost an arm and a leg! The KitchenAid brand has become synonymous with stand mixers – and for good reason! It can do anything: mash potatoes, shred chicken, make homemade noodles, and even mix up cakes and cookies. I’ve had mine for more than 16 years and it still looks brand new! But there is one thing I don’t love about it, and that is the price.
If you want to add a quality stand mixer to your kitchen, but won’t use it every week, don’t need to feed an army, and don’t want to break your budget, I have great news: You can get an affordable stand mixer that has the right attachments, capacity, and enough power to get the job done.
After researching multiple popular brands, I narrowed the options down to the four best affordable stand mixers on the market that are sensational budget buys. Below, you’ll find more details on the best affordable stand mixers, as well as the qualities to look for while shopping for one.
My Top Picks:
- My Go-To Favorite Stand Mixer KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer – $269.72 at Amazon
- Best Stand Mixer Under $250: Cuisinart 5.5 Quart SM-Stand Mixer50 – $193.99 at Amazon
- Best Stand Mixer Under $100: Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Tilt-Head Stand Mixer – $99 at Walmart
- Best Affordable Small Stand Mixer: Hamilton Beach 6-Speed 3.5 Quart Stand Mixer – $94.99 at Amazon
Reviews of The Best Affordable Stand Mixers
1. My Go-To Favorite Stand Mixer: KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
The Classic is an affordable choice if you don’t want to shell out a ton of money but still want the impressive performance of a 10-speed KitchenAid stand mixer. It is the least expensive line of KitchenAid’s three full-size models (Classic, Artisan, and Pro), and with that comes the least powerful motor, but it performs just as well.
The 4.5-quart bowl is a little small so you might have some trouble doubling recipes, and it doesn’t include additional features such as a splash guard, but it comes with the basic attachments you’d expect with a mixer like this, including the paddle, whisk, and dough hook. The 10 extra attachments that KitchenAid sells separately provide added value since you can transform your stand mixer into an ice cream maker, pasta maker, food grinder, juicer, and many other options.
Since I bake every week and have a large family, I upgraded to the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer. True, it’s an investment, but after more than 16 years of constant use, I’ve gotten my money’s worth out of it.
My Tips:
If you need the larger size but don’t have the budget for a new one, KitchenAid sells a selection of refurbished models for far less, or you can check if one’s available on Amazon Renewed.
The Specs:
- Style: Tilt-head stand mixer
- Bowl Capacity: 4.5 quart
- Speed Settings: 10
- Motor Wattage: 275 watts
- Weight: 22 pounds
- Care & Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts, spot or wipe clean
- Included attachments/accessories: Stainless steel mixing bowl, flat beater, coated dough hook, wire whip
The Pros:
- Powerful
- Dishwasher-safe attachments
- Compatible with all KitchenAid accessories
- Cheaper than many KitchenAids
The Cons:
- No splash guard
- No handle on the mixing bowl
- Fewer features than other KitchenAids
- Not great for heavy dough
What Others Are Saying
The KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is a bestseller on Amazon with a 4.8 rating from more than 8,000 reviews. Food Network also named it the best budget stand mixer in their roundup of the four best KitchenAid stand mixers.
Buy the KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer:
2. Best Under $250: Cuisinart 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer
The Cuisinart 5.5 quart SM-50 stand mixer is a complete game changer. It might be the closest thing to match the superior performance of a larger-sized KitchenAid mixer – at half the price! So if you want to up the ante without significantly straining your budget, it is an excellent mid-range option.
Its 12-speed motor delivers substantial power without creating excessive noise and it weighs just over 18 pounds, so it’s not a huge hassle to store. It comes with more attachments than any other budget stand mixer on my list plus the company makes a bunch of additional attachments you can purchase, including a pasta roller and cutter, pasta extruder, meat grinder, frozen dessert maker, and spiralizer.
It may not be the cheapest option on the list, but it packs the power of performance. If you’re looking to get into baking and don’t want to stretch your budget too much, the Cuisinart SM-50 makes sense.
The Specs:
- Style: Tilt-head stand mixer
- Bowl capacity: 5.5 quarts
- Speed settings: 12
- Motor Wattage: 500 watts
- Weight: 17 pounds
- Care & Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts, spot or wipe clean
- Included attachments/accessories: Stainless steel bowl, chef’s whisk, dough hook, flat mixing paddle, and splash guard with pour spout
The Pros:
- Powerful yet quiet motor
- Sturdy
- Incredibly versatile
- Comes in lots of colors
- Comes with a splash guard with a pour spout
The Cons:
- Requires two hands to raise the mixing head
- Whisk is a bit flimsy
What Others Are Saying
CNN named the Cuisinart 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer the best affordable stand mixer and Popular Mechanics named it the most affordable tilt-head stand mixer. On Amazon, this product has a 4.7 rating from more than 1,000 reviews.
Buy the Cuisinart SM-50:
3. Best Under $100: Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
If you’re on a strict budget but still need a decent size, look no further than this 5.3 quart mixer from the Drew Barrymore line. Priced at approximately $100, it offers 12 speed settings to handle a wide range of tasks and a tilt-head design to make it easy to do everything from whipping cream to mixing up to 9 dozen cookies at once!
All of the accessories are removable, dishwasher-safe & BPA-free and you can tilt the head back while adding ingredients for easy use.
Its sleek design comes in 9 subtle colors and looks really cute on the counter if you want to keep it out, but it’s lightweight enough to move easily if you’d prefer to tuck it away. While the motor may face some challenges with heavy-duty tasks like kneading bread dough, it is one of the most all-around, cost-effective mixers available.
The Specs:
- Style: Tilt-head stand mixer
- Bowl capacity: 5.3 quarts
- Speed settings: 12
- Motor Wattage: 300 watts
- Weight: 11.1 pounds
- Care & Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts, spot or wipe clean
- Included attachments/accessories: Stainless mixing bowl, coated flat beater blade, dough hook, whisk, splash shield
The Pros:
- Easy to add ingredients while mixing
- Easy to carry
- Stylish design
- Powerful
- Affordable
The Cons:
- Base can be tricky to clean
- Struggles with heavy dough
- Motor is not the strongest
What Others Are Saying
Epicurious named the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Tilt Head Stand Mixer the best budget stand mixer, and it has a 4.6-star rating on Walmart with more than 800 reviews.
Buy the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Tilt-Head Stand Mixer:
4. Best Affordable Small Stand Mixer: Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Stand Mixer
The Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Stand Mixer is a very affordable option that gets the job done. Although it has a smaller, 3.5-quart bowl, but it still offers ample capacity for baking a cake, preparing a loaf of bread, or whipping up a batch of cookies. While it’s not as fancy as some models out there, the attachments are easy to push into place (unlike the twist and lock motion we are used to on hand mixers) and they pop out easily with a tug.
You have the option of selecting from six different speeds, including a special fold setting for gentle ingredient incorporation, which prevents over-mixing. One potential drawback to note is the absence of a handle on the bowl, and I wish the beater paddle is made of plastic, it also includes a wire whisk and chrome-plated dough hook.
The Specs:
- Style: Tilt-head stand mixer
- Bowl capacity: 3.5 quarts
- Speed settings: 6
- Motor Wattage: 300 watts
- Weight: 11.1 pounds
- Care & Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe parts, spot or wipe clean
- Included attachments/accessories: Stainless steel mixing bowl, plastic beater, dough hook, wire whip
The Pros:
- Affordable
- Convenient handle
- Easy to add ingredients while mixing
- Fold setting reduces splatter
- Strong dough hook
- Suction cups hold it to the counter
The Cons:
- The tilt head is a little clumsy
- Small bowl
- No silicone scraper
- Paddle is plastic
- Smaller capacity
What Others Are Saying
The Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Stand Mixer has a 4.4 rating on Amazon from more than 3,000 reviews. It was also named the best budget stand mixer for bread by The Spruce Eats.
Buy the Hamilton Beach 6-Speed Stand Mixer:
Other Affordable Stand Mixers I’ve Researched
You get what you pay for with this budget option. It has no bells and whistles, but it can get the job done. It’s fairly lightweight, so it feels like it could rock off the counter at any moment. If you only want to bake an occasional birthday cake or a few dozen cookies it will work, but you’re pretty much limited to those types of recipes. For $20 more, I’d go with the Beautiful by Drew Barrymore Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, which was one of our top picks for the best affordable stand mixers. The Costway Stand Mixer is available at Amazon for $89.99.
While I really love the Instant small appliances, this model just doesn’t do it for me. It has a sleek design with an extra large 7.4-quart mixing bowl and even a built-in timer, but it only comes in one color and the beeping noise it makes can be annoying. I do love that it has a digital scale that weighs everything in the bowl but if you don’t need the scale or the giant mixing bowl, then it’s probably not worth the extra cost. The Instant Stand Mixer Pro is available at Amazon for $299.95.
At first, the DASH stand mixer seems promising for small spaces and even smaller budgets. Unfortunately, the bowl is almost too small for most tasks and it’s so lightweight the machine has a hard time staying anchored to the counter. Still, if you want a mixer for your kids to learn to bake with, it might be a good option. The DASH Stand Mixer is available at Amazon for $49.99.
Why You Can Trust Me
Hi, I’m Carrie, the creator behind Eating on a Dime, mom to 8, and founder of Lazy Day Cooking Club. I’ve spent the past 25 years cooking for my friends and family at home, allowing me time to hone my skills and master the art of making amazing dinners without complicated recipes. Having a large family means that I’ve had to learn how to prepare and cook meals for everyone without blowing my budget. I’m on a mission to help you cook delicious meals without busting your budget.
I regularly use my kitchen stand mixer to mix up anything from sweets like Copycat Cinnabon Rolls and Chunky Monkey Ice Cream to creamy Garlic Mashed Potatoes or Homemade Egg Noodles. When it came to choosing the best affordable kitchen stand mixers, I chose mixers that can handle it all while taking into consideration the capacity, price, and how many unique features each model had. I also took into account what other reviews are saying, since there’s nothing better than real-life experience!
What to Know About Affordable Stand Mixers
What to Consider Before Buying an Affordable Stand Mixer
If you want to incorporate a stand mixer into your kitchen, you’ll want to choose a good quality mixer with the right capacity, attachments, and enough power to handle your favorite recipes. Here are some features to look for when shopping for the best affordable stand mixers:
- Capacity: When choosing an affordable stand mixer, consider how often you’ll use it and how many ingredients you’ll need to fit inside the bowl for the recipes you want to make. Budget stand mixers come in different shapes and sizes, and the different models can hold different amounts of ingredients. All of the stand mixers on this list can handle most of your basic baking needs. If you frequently double your recipes, these models may not be big enough for you.
- Wattage: Wattage is an important factor, depending on the kind of recipes you’ll be mixing up. Most affordable stand mixers use engines anywhere from 300 to 500 watts, which is more than enough power to make frosting and whip egg whites. However, if you know you’re going to be making lots of bread dough, you’ll need a mixer with more power.
- Functionality: Every stand mixer comes with a certain number of speed settings and three basic attachments: a paddle beater, a wire whisk, and a dough hook. Some mixers also come with splash guards. KitchenAid models have add-on attachments that are sold separately that can turn your stand mixer into an ice cream maker, pasta maker, food grinder, juicer, and much more.
How Much Does a Stand Mixer Cost?
Kitchen stand mixer prices can vary significantly based on several factors, including the brand, power, capacity, and features.
Entry-level stand mixers: Entry-level stand mixers are a great option if you have limited countertop space, don’t intend to use your mixer often, or are budget-conscious. Entry-level budget models fall within the range of $50 to $100.
Mid-range stand mixers: These represent the sweet spot in the middle. They offer a step up in terms of power, capacity, and features and are great for intermediate home bakers who want more versatility and durability without the high price tag of professional-grade models. Mid-range stand mixers generally range from $200 to $400.
High-end stand mixers: These are top-of-the-line appliances that are designed for serious home cooks, culinary enthusiasts, and professionals who demand the best performance and quality in their kitchen. Since I use my mixer every week, this is what works for me. High-end stand mixers generally start from $400 and can go upwards of $1000.
What Size Stand Mixer Do I Need?
The right-sized mixer provides enough space for you to mix ingredients, plus room to spare. The size you need will be determined by the size of your recipes.
Mini (2- 4 quarts): Mini mixers are ideal if you have a small kitchen and don’t make large batches of batter for cookies or other baked goods.
Small (4-5 quarts): This is a good starting size for home bakers because they give you room to grow. They also accommodate everyday recipes and meals.
Large (5-7 quarts or larger): Large stand mixers work best to fulfill the needs of professional bakers or home bakers who love to give out baked goods and often double (or even triple!) their recipe. This allows them to produce baked goods in large quantities.
What is a Stand Mixer Used For?
Hand mixers and stand mixers can take on many of the same dishes, but some recipes or tasks that require more power or finesse are better suited for a stand mixer. For example, you’ll want to use a stand mixer for large batches, thick bread dough, or for specialty tasks like cutting butter into flour.
No matter the price point, a great stand mixer should be able to handle just about every task as well or better than a hand mixer. I love my KitchenAid because it does it all! It can take on stiff bread dough, effortlessly whip up a mountain of garlic mashed potatoes, and churn out double batches of cookies in seconds. I’ve even used mine to make homemade ice cream and even shred chicken!
Is a KitchenAid Stand Mixer Worth It?
I have the KitchenAid stand mixer and while it is expensive, some things are worth investing in. I’ve owned it for 16.5 years and it is still like new!
It’s great for a large family like mine because it can handle both big and small batches without taking up any more room than the smaller version. The tilt-head design comes in handy for recipes where you add ingredients slowly and one at a time like my Homemade Egg Noodles recipe.
If you have budget concerns, keep an eye out for refurbished options that are offered at a cheaper price for seasonal sales. If you’re not in need of one right away, it’s worth the wait!
Will KitchenAid Attachments Fit a Farberware Stand Mixer?
People often wonder if KitchenAid attachments will fit other mixers because they want to buy a cheaper mixer and still be able to use the Kitchenaid attachments to do things like rolling out pasta or spiralizing veggies.
In most cases, yes! You can use KitchenAid attachments on a Farberware stand mixer, as long as the shape and size allow for them to safely fit.
But there are two things to keep in mind. First, compatibility may vary depending on the specific models of Farberware stand mixers and KitchenAid attachments. Second, using attachments that are not intended for use with your model could void your warranty
Some Top Recipes for Stand Mixers
Once you’ve got a new stand mixer to work with, get ready to try out these recipes with some of my family’s favorite recipes:
- Copycat Cinnabon Rolls
- Chunky Monkey Ice Cream
- Kings Hawaiian Rolls
- Cookies and Cream Ice Cream
- Copycat Texas Roadhouse Rolls
Prices were accurate at the time of publication.
