Stand & Planetary Mixers

Planetary mixers drive a beater, whisk or hook in an orbit around a fixed bowl. Swapping the attachment changes the job, which makes them the general-purpose mixer of the kitchen — batters, creams, meringues, fillings, icings and lighter doughs all from one machine.

Sizes run from compact bench mixers for the home kitchen up to floor-standing commercial machines built for daily production. If most of what you mix is bread dough, look at spiral mixers instead — they handle it better and keep it cooler.