For every baking enthusiast as well as professionals, having the right baking tools is extremely important. One of such important baking tools is a mixer. 

If you are familiar with the world of baking, you know how crucial it is to get the dough right for any baked goods. And a lot depends on mixing if you are to have the perfect dough for say, your perfect chocolate chip cookie. 

But mixing can be performed with different types of mixers. And today, we’ll compare hand mixer vs. stand mixer so that you can find out which option is the best for you.

Let’s begin.

Hand Mixer vs. Stand Mixer: Which One to Buy

A stand mixer is ideal for professional bakers who bake often and have to prepare trickier doughs. A hand mixer is okay for nearly everyone, especially if you’re running on a budget.

Hand Mixer vs. Stand Mixer

General hand mixers get the work done but wait a minute here, some hand mixers come with stands, in half the price than of stand mixers. We’ll look into that here as well.

Stand Mixer

The feature that makes stand mixers more convenient than, say, hand mixers, is that they are more convenient to use. For example, a stand mixer has a stand that’s fixed to the structure and comes with a big mixing bowl.

To ensure the proper mixing of all the ingredients, it uses a rotation method, where it moves around the bowl, to ensure proper mixing throughout the dough.

Stand Mixer

Stand mixers vary a lot depending on the manufacturer, while some offer additional attachments like mincers, blenders, ice cream processors while others don’t. 

Pros

  • Have decent sized mixing bowl included
  • Convenient to use
  • Best for large quantities and regular baking

Cons

  • Bulky in size
  • Costs more
  • Additional features vary depending on the manufacturer 

Hand Mixer

If you aren’t a regular baker and don’t bake large quantities, hand mixers could meet your requirements. They are handier and cheaper so, and there’s no fear of long-time commitment. The slightly hard thing with such mixers is, you have to put some physical effort while mixing and rotate properly to ensure it’s mixing well.

For this reason, you might want to avoid hand mixers if you’re an intensive baker. Like stand mixers, additional features depend on the manufacturers here as well. You might find extensions such as dough hook in some. 

Hand Mixer

Hand mixers come with more than ten-speed settings, and one problem that can occur during mixing speedily is, it might splash around, making the mixing process a little less tidy.

Pros 

  • Convenient storage 
  • Low price

Cons

  • Can’t perform versatile tasks like a stand mixer
  • Using can be physically tiring

Hand Mixer with a Stand!

Yes! There is! It is like the lovechild of a hand and a stand mixer. How it works is, there’s a detachable hand mixer that can be attached to a stand where there already is a bowl attached. 

Features here vary greatly as well, but one definite pro is the price, it being a lot cheaper than a regular stand mixer. 

Hand Mixer with a Stand

Some of the bowls in this mixer can be rotated while some can’t, and the bowls are rather small in size. The speeding is also limited, like that of a hand mixer, and there aren’t a lot of attached features available either. This option is not ideal if you are looking to take your baking game to the next level.

Pros

  • More versatility
  • Economic option

Cons

  • Less convenient

The Comparison

Now that we know more about hand mixers and stand mixers, let’s go to a more detailed comparison of the two.

Convenience 

Using an electronic hand mixer, you don’t have to stir or whisk the dough because the mixer will do that itself. But yes, you will have to rotate the mixer around the bowl so that every ingredient mixes properly.

With a stand mixer, things get even easier where all you have to do is set the proper speed and time and add necessary ingredients for the mixer to perform its magic. 

Storage and Counter Space 

While stand mixers top the efficiency game, it might not be the best choice if your kitchen does not have enough space because these mixers do tend to take up quite a lot of space, both while during usage and while in storage. 

Stand mixers are fairly bulky. So, when in use, they require quite a lot of counter space. And if your kitchen cabinet can’t accommodate the mixer when it stays idle, it’s wise to store it in some other part of your house. 

Mixer

A hand mixer, on the other hand, doesn’t take up much of a space. When you are using them, they can fit right in the bowl, and when in storage, they often have removable attachments. 

Again, that also depends on how often you use the mixer. If you use it fairly regularly and your kitchen counter has enough space, you can leave it on the counter as well.

Ease of Use

Well, size and weight wise, hand mixers are quite lightweight, and you can easily hold and move one around with one hand. But the problem is, working with one does require a sufficient amount of muscle movement. 

So, if you bake regularly without many breaks, you might end up with sore muscles. Another problem is you have to be mindful when you are mixing. Because if your concentration isn’t the same throughout, you risk of having a lousy dough.

Hand Mixer vs. Stand Mixer

Now, stand mixers have the upper hand in this regard, assuming you don’t have to carry it to the kitchen every time you bake something.

Like many other baking professionals, we also would advise that you keep the stand mixer closer to your reach and preferably leave it on your counter, assuming you have a fair amount of counter space. 

Ease of Maintenance

Actually, when you are cleaning the mixers after a spin, which one’s easier would mostly depend on the design, which varies from manufacturer to manufacturer. 

Some mixers allow its part to be re-attachable, so that makes it easier to clean out even the most stubborn stains. This is more applicable for stand mixers. Hand mixers can be fairly thoroughly cleaned if you are using a cleaning brush. Stand mixers also have scraping tools that make cleaning much easier.

Cost-Effective

Well, naturally, it takes more money to purchase stand mixers than it does to buy hand mixers.

So, I don’t think it leaves much of a chance to compare here because both of them differ in functionality and individual preferences. 

For example, if you bake regularly or by large quantities, a hand mixer shouldn’t be your first choice. But yes, like we have mentioned a few times, your kitchen space matters too.

But if your budget is tight, maybe you would want a hand mixer. You can easily find one in less than a hundred dollars. 

Final Words

So, which mixer suits your interest best? I hope the article provided you with enough information about hand mixer vs. stand mixer to make a choice. But do remember to choose the mixer which meets your requirement most! Because no two bakers are alike and nor are their preferences.