RS Recommends: The Best Hand Mixers for Next-Level Baking

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Whether you’re new to baking or know your way around a sourdough recipe, a hand mixer is a vital tool to blend, beat, whip, and combine foods into that perfect texture and consistency you need to make meals and treats come out just right. From cakes to sauces, the possibilities with the best new hand mixers are endless — and delicious. Here’s what to look for when getting one for your kitchen.

What to Know about Hand Mixers

There are a few key features, including speeds and the included attachments, worth considering before picking your next hand mixer. Here’s what you need to know.

Arm: This is the main part of the unit that reaches down and blends your food, so make sure it’s going to be long enough. Eight inches is about the norm, but for small kitchens, a shorter one that can fit in a drawer might be a better fit. A detachable arm can offer up even more ways to store it, and lets it be portable.

Weight: For a quick blend or a few minutes, weight won’t matter as much. But if you’re purchasing this for professional use or where it’ll be in your hands all day, you’ll definitely notice arm fatigue creeping in. Try to keep it around a couple pounds or less.

Speeds: Around three speeds is the expected amount of settings, but depending on what you’re doing, you may want more. It really depends on the muscle behind it, so if it’s got a powerful motor like a 350 watt or more, three should be all you need for regular usage. A burst button can also be a huge help, giving it a sudden push of strength no matter what setting it’s on.

Attachments: These can be super helpful in the kitchen, like a whisk, blending jars with lids, milkshake mixers, and dough hooks. Some of the most convenient models let you store the attachments right on the main unit too. But either way, these should be easy to detach when you have batter all over your hands, usually with a trigger or release button.

Materials: Most are now made BPA-free, and are dishwasher safe. So don’t be afraid to get messy.

What Are the Best Hand Mixers?

We picked the best handheld mixers for baking and cooking from reliable brands including KitchenAid, Cuisinart, and Braun.

1. KitchenAid Cordless 7 Speed Hand Mixer

KitchenAid’s mixer is completely cordless, with a Lithium Ion battery that charges up fast. You have seven speeds here to choose from, including stirring, mixing, and whipping butter, whipped cream, egg whites, and batter. And the “Soft Start” feature gradually ramps up the speed to prevent making a mess. It can also stand up on its own, so the batter-splattered beaters don’t come in contact with the counter.

Buy KitchenAid Hand Mixer $84.99

2. Cuisinart EvolutionX Cordless Hand Mixer

Cuisinart has been a reliable kitchen staple for decades, and this one is perfect for whatever you’re making. Five variable speeds and an LED screen make it clear to see the current setting, and at just a pound, it’s easy to maneuver and hold.

During our testing, the rechargeable battery took about two hours to fill, but was able to give around 20 minutes of continuous runtime, with 7.4V of power behind it. That was plenty to work through rough material like cookie dough. Best of all, it won’t lose its charge over time.

Buy Cuisinart Hand Mixer $59.20

3. Braun MultiMix Hand Mixer

Braun boasts a powerful 350 watts in this nine-speed beast of a mixer. Though it’s on the mildly heavier side, at 2.2 pounds, this provides some serious muscle when you need it, able to work through things like thick homemade dough (thanks to its sturdy dough hooks). Cleanup is easy too – the unit is sealed off so no nastiness gets inside, and the mixing parts are dishwasher safe.

Buy Braun Hand Mixer $69.95

4. Galanz 5-Speed Lightweight Electric Hand Mixer

Galanz’s eye-catching retro hand mixer isn’t all just about looking cool as hell, though it does pop out on any kitchen counter. The unit is nicely lightweight to hold thanks to its ergonomic handle. It has five speeds to choose from, plus a turbo button for blasting through sticky mixes at 150W without overheating, thanks to the ventilation holes on top.

Cleanup is as simple as hitting the eject button and throwing the attachments (two turbo beaters and two dough hooks) into the dishwasher, and returning the unit to the storage base.

Buy Galanz Electric Hand Mixer $39.99