Can we really find the best stand mixer under $200 for our kitchen, needs and favorite recipes or should we all aspire to buy a KitchenAid even if all their stand mixer models exceed this price limit?
I can tell you that we’re going to find awesome stand mixers that cost less than 200 dollars.
Just as I can tell you that even KitchenAid models have a few negative reviews to pay attention to.
It’s the same with Vitamix blenders. It’s the most famous brand among blenders but that doesn’t mean that there aren’t other brands to choose from if we have lower budgets.
Cheap stand mixers are a thing. I’ll review some of the best ones and then you can decide which would be for you. I hope you get an awesome one.
Best Stand Mixer Under $200 Reviews
While I did mention that we can totally find cheap mixers that will be an awesome fit for us, we must also consider the fact that we might not end up liking our choice at all.
The thing is that I don’t want you to be disappointed. I hope it doesn’t happen.
The Cuisinart SM-50 is overall my top pick for affordable blenders. However, pay attention. Some models in this series called Precision Master will be priced at about $250, while others are sold for less than $200.
Next, we get Hamilton Beach. This is a brand that makes cheap blenders, cheap hand mixers, affordable toaster ovens, toasters, cheap juicers, and all kinds of other affordable or cheap appliances. That’s their niche for all their products, which are many.
However, since Hamilton Beach stand mixers are so affordable, they also have a substantial number of negative reviews. Keep that in mind and make sure to check out a few.
Last but not least, I’ll also review a KitchenAid that is about $100 over our price limit. We’ll see if it’s worth saving a bit more for the most appreciated brand.
Also, there’s another question I want to pose and answer. If we’re on a budget, should we settle for a hand mixer instead, save a bunch of money and get a quality product that won’t let us down? I think it’s an important thing to clear out.
1. Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart: Overall Best Stand Mixer Under $200
As it happens with pretty much all the models that we could review for the best stand mixer under $200, some people really love this Cuisinart, while plenty others leave negative reviews where they warn future buyers about potential defects, malfunctions, dissapointments, and other things like that.
What we must do is to absolutely read some of the negative and some of the positive and then decide if it’s worth taking a chance on the Cuisinart SM-50 or not.
Another thing I advise you to do is to test it as soon as you get it. Try making your favorite recipe and see how it holds up. If you’re in doubt that it’s a good fit, I recommend returning it.
The thing is that we take risks whenever we buy anything. No matter our budgets, we might not like the product we get, even if 90% of people gave it 5 star reviews, like it happens for KitchenAid.
Metal construction
I first want to mention that the Cuisinart SM-50 series is a die-cast metal construction.
Even if we get a solid metal construction, I still recommend treating it with a bit of care.
This is a tilt-head stand mixer, which applies to most models on the market.
However, what I want you to be careful with is how you handle a head-tilt design, whether you’re using a Cuisinart, a Hamilton Beach or whatever other brand.
Lift up the head gently, don’t be forceful or brutal. And lower it in the same manner, don’t let it drop on its own.
Aid your stand mixer going up or down. Don’t flip it aggressively, don’t slam it open, don’t let it drop shut.
The dimensions are: 14.17 L x 7.87 W x 14.13 H inches.
It weighs 21.5 pounds.
Motor
The 500 watts motor is certainly a top feature for the Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master. For example, most KitchenAid models have a motor around 300 watts.
Getting a 500 watts motor is definitely something to be excited about.
It’s certainly powerful.
If you’re looking for a heavy-duty mixer for an affordable price, then this might be what you’re looking for.
I seriously have no complaints in this area, the 500 watts motor is impressive. Cuisinart describes it as a model that delivers power, precision, and performance.
12 speeds
There are 12 speeds for precision mixing. That’s a lot.
In the user manual there is a speed control guide.
For example, if we mix whipping cream and egg whites, we move gradually from speed 1 to speed 12.
Creaming butter and sugar is done at speed 2-5.
Speed 2 is used for mixing quick breads (muffins).
Kneading bread, pizza dough is done at speeds 3 and 4. Speed 4 is used for kneading pasta dough.
Cutting in butter to flour (pastry/pie dough) is done at speeds 4–8.
Mashing potatoes/veggies is done at speeds 5-9.
Moreover, the recipe guide that comes with the Cuisinart SM-50 is very helpful because it clearly illustrates how this appliance is used. It’s quite helpful.
It has recipes for: savories, yeast breads and rolls, coffee cakes, muffins and quick breads, cookies and bars, pies, cakes and cupcakes, frostings, icings and fillings.
Size
The 5.5 quart (5.2 L) bowl is quite big.
And it’s made of stainless steel.
The maximum capacities are:
- yeast doughs: 6 cups white flour
- cookie dough: 5 dozen cookies
- whipping cream: 6 cups liquid (12 cups whipped)
- egg whites: 12 large
Since we’re talking about bowls, I must include a few negative things that I came across.
There are plenty of complaints about the fact that the accessories don’t come even close to the bottom or the walls of the bowl.
That’s a serious complaint because the whole purpose of a stand mixer is to do the work by itself. If the attachments don’t incorporate the entirety of our ingredients, then we must put in some work and assist our stand mixer in doing its job, mixing everything as it should.
On the other hand, there are reviews from people who have used the Cuisinart SM-50 Precision Master 5.5-Quart for years to make pound cakes, cookies, pies and many other baked goods. And they’re totally satisfied with how their appliance still performs.
Attachments
We get all the needed attachments:
- chef’s whisk – incorporates air into ingredients and mixtures, used for whipping eggs, egg whites or heavy creams and quickly whips potatoes, mayonnaise, sponge cakes, angel food cakes, boiled frostings, some candies
- dough hook – kneads dough for bread, rolls, pizza, focaccia, pasta dough, yeast-raised coffee cakes
- flat mixing paddle – mixing cookies, cakes, batters, frosting, making pie crust, biscuits, shortcakes, combines ingredients for meatloaf and meatballs
- splash guard with pour spout – prevents splattering and it also guides ingredients into the bowl
We also get the option to buy optional attachments, just like it’s the case for KitchenAid appliances.
Furthermore, we can buy a frozen dessert maker attachment, meat grinder, pasta extruder, pasta roller and cutter, and spiralizer/slicer attachment.
That’s a good array to choose from if you want to extend the use of this Cuisinart SM-50.
We get a bunch of colors to choose from: white linen, coconut cream, silver lining, dove gray, onyx, frosted blue, periwinkle blue, robin’s egg, agave green, blushing coral, ruby red.
However, pay attention to the fact that some models are cheaper, like the white linen option. Others can cost around $250 while only the color is different, everything else is identical. So be careful about that.
2. Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer 7 Speeds, 4 Quarts
At a price around $100, I believe that this Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer 7 Speeds is among the cheapest we could buy when you’re looking for the best stand mixer under $200.
Is it perfect?
Far from it.
However, if you want a pretty cheap stand mixer, I think that this Hamilton Beach should be among the first you check out.
Some users like it a lot. However, there were also plenty of buyers who were totally disappointed with its performance.
When we’re buying a product like the Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer 7 Speeds we must understand that there’s a good chance that we won’t like it. Or it won’t work the way we want it to.
Always test it as soon as it arrives. Make a bunch of different recipes in the first few days and see how it goes.
Attachments
We get all the classic and useful attachments:
- whisk
- flat beater
- dough hook
- splatter shield
Always remember to unplug your mixer before inserting or removing attachments.
We also get a head lift button.
As expected, it’s a tilt-head design. And the head lift button is helpful.
However, as I’ve already mentioned once in this article, assist the head of your stand mixer. Lift it up slowly, don’t push it up with all your might. Lower it slowly, don’t simply drop it.
Of course, this Hamilton Beach Electric Stand Mixer 7 Speeds has a plastic body, which is understandable for the price, but make sure that you treat it well.
We get a user manual but there is no separate recipe guide. Unfortunately, this manufacturer is not into the habit of offering a short recipe manual, which is a pity.
Fortunately, there are a few recipes included in the user manual.
We get recipes for: chocolate velvet layer cake, bittersweet chocolate frosting, best ever sugar cookies, cowboy cookies, sour cream coffee cake, simple yeast rolls.
Motor
We get a 300 watts motor. While it’s not as powerful as the 500W motor on Cuisinart, it’s still powerful enough for decently large and heavy mixtures.
The 300 watts motor is sufficiently powerful, especially when we consider that we add ingredients in a 4 quart bowl, which is not a big size.
This is not a model that any professional would appreciate.
It might not be a model that serious amateur bakers might appreciate either. But for those on a tight budget it might be exactly what they need. And, with a bit of luck, you might even end up loving it and appreciating its performance.
It uses the same planetary mixing action that more expensive models use.
Size
The 4 quart bowl is certainly not big by any standards.
It’s actually on the smaller side. But that can be good enough for people who don’t mix large batches.
So, if you don’t need to feed a very big family, the 4 quart size might be more than enough.
For example, we can use the dough hook to make breads that weigh up to 750g, which can be the equivalent of 6 cups.
As you can see, it turns out that the 4 quart bowl is not quite as small as it might appear at first sight.
7 speeds
Speed 1 is used for the dough hook.
Speeds 1-7 for the flat beater.
The whisk is used for speeds 6 & 7.
The mixing guide in the user manual covers the following:
- cakes (mixes and from scratch): done with flat beater on speeds 1-3
- cookie dough: flat beater, speeds 2-4
- mashed potatoes: flat beater, speeds 2-4
- frostings : flat beater, speeds 1-7
- egg whites/whipped cream: whisk, speeds 5-7
- instant pudding: whisk, speeds 1-7
- bread: dough hook, speed 1
3. KitchenAid Classic Series, 4.5 Q: The Expensive Alternative
Now that we’ve seen what the picks for the best stand mixer under $200 offer, let’s also check out what’s on the other side.
The Classic Series is among the cheapest from KitchenAid. I didn’t go for the Artisan or the other series because those are seriously expensive.
I decided to pick a model that is about $100 more expensive than our price limit of 200 dollars. It might be even less than that if you get it on sale.
Can we really say that the KitchenAid Classic Series is superior to stand mixers under $200?
To be perfectly honest, we can.
Even if, nowadays, there are buyers who complain that the quality in KitchenAid appliances has decreased when compared to appliances that were bought 20-30-50 years ago, there’s still no rival brand that surpasses KitchenAid. That’s just the truth that we can’t deny, even if we will come across a few disappointed buyers from time to time.
Attachments
We get the expected attachments that come with basically all stand mixers:
- 6-wire whisk
- nylon coated flat beater
- nylon coated dough hook
The whisk is made of stainless steel, while the other two are nylon coated. They’re all sturdy and well made.
Moreover, some buyers are aware that some of the best parts about KitchenAid models stand in the fact that we can buy so many other extra accessories for these appliances.
We can turn a KitchenAid into:
- an ice cream maker
- meat grinder
- pasta maker
- grain mill
- vegetable spiralizer
- prep slicer/shredder
- fruit and vegetable strainer (making tomato sauce, purees, etc.)
Of course, we should also mention that pretty much all these extra attachments are quite pricey. But they can save us so much space in the kitchen.
Motor
The KitchenAid Classic Series embodies the power and durability to take it all on.
Nevertheless, by looking at the 275 watts that this motor boasts of, we might believe that the KitchenAid Classic Series is not extremely powerful.
While it’s certainly not the most powerful appliance you’ll come across, it’s still capable of handling pretty much any recipe.
The 59 planetary points are another great advantage. This motion allows the attachments to cover the bottom and the sides of the bowl. It makes sure that all ingredients are incorporated and mixed together as they should be.
Size
We get a 4.5 quart bowl. Of course, it’s made of stainless steel.
We could say that this is a medium-sized bowl. But it can also be described as having capacity for small to large batches.
It can mix:
- 7 dozen cookies in a single batch
- 2 ½ pounds mash potato yield
- 4 bread loaves
All in all, it has a big enough capacity that it will fit perfectly in most households, even those housing a big family.
It’s totally capable of handling large batches. But I’m also glad to tell you that it can also mix smaller quantities just as well.
10 speeds
We get 10 speeds. That’s more than enough for nearly any task or recipe.
The user manual for the KitchenAid Classic Series is really good.
If you end up deciding that the best stand mixer for $200 for your kitchen is one that actually costs a bit more, you should read the user manual before doing anything.
And then you can experiment with the recipes that it includes: mushroom-onion tartlets, nutty cheeseball, meatball hors d’oeuvres, basic white bread, whole grain wheat bread, crusty pizza dough, popovers, baking powder biscuits, easy white cake, quick yellow cake, chocolate frosting, chocolate cake, buttercream frosting, key lime pie, almond dacquoise, pie pastry, apple tart, peanut butter cookies, chocolate chip cookies, fudge brownies, creamy no-cook mints.
4. KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer: Alternative to Stand Mixers Under $200
I mentioned that I wanted to answer the question: should we get a hand mixer instead? One that costs about half of our price limit of $200 and comes with all the accessories we need?
Let’s see what a hand mixer offers.
Of course, we must also take into account the major difference between a stand mixer and a hand mixer.
As the name suggests, we must hold the mixer until we’re done mixing our ingredients. And we must move it around the bowl until we’re done.
Thus, a hand mixer requires our time and effort in everything we need.
A stand mixer only requires us to add the ingredients as the recipe specifies. If the mixing takes a while, we can do other tasks in the meantime. It’s highly convenient.
Besides being perfect for log mixing times, stand mixers are also more capable of handling large or heavy mixtures, as long as they have powerful motors for that.
While we might consider the two mixer types to be interchangeable, the reality is that for some amateur cooks they might well be, while for others a high-quality stand mixer is an absolute must.
If you have patience and strength in your hands, then something like the KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer might be a good alternative to the best stand mixer under $200. And you’ll only pay half for it.
Attachments
One of the main things I really like about the KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer is that it includes the whole range of needed attachments:
- beaters
- pro whisk
- dough hooks
- blending rod
All attachments are made of stainless steel.
The KitchenAid 9-Speed Digital Hand Mixer weighs 2 pounds.
It can get pretty heavy if you have to mix ingredients for long minutes, especially if you don’t have a lot of strength in your arms. In that case, stand mixers are a better choice.
The soft grip handle provides a comfortable hold for tasks that take longer.
Motor
The motor seems quite small. It has a motor of 100 watts. Still, I consider that it’s powerful enough as long as we don’t mix very large batches.
I would describe a hand mixer as really good for amateur bakers who don’t bake for a large family.
Of course, there are hand mixers that are a lot more powerful than this KitchenAid. For example, the Breville Handy Mix Scraper has a 240 watts motor. But it’s also more expensive and it’s not without its own problems.
9 speeds
The 9 speeds are perfect.
We can start at speed 1 to slowly stir in chunky ingredients.
Speed 6 is used for mixing bread batter and for creaming butter and sugar.
Speed 9 is used for whipping meringue.
The soft start feature brings the beaters up to the selected speed gradually to help prevent ingredients from splattering.
We don’t have any bowl size to talk about because hand mixers don’t come with a bowl.
You can use whatever bowl size you need for your ingredients.
All in all, while we started this journey looking for the best stand mixer under $200, I also believe that people on a budget might consider buying a hand mixer instead and saving some money at the same time.
