The Best Hand Mixers for Your Money

If you’ve ever tried whipping up cream for a last-minute dinner party or hand-whisking egg whites into stiff peaks, you’ll know that a hand mixer is a must-have appliance for every home cook. In addition to fast-tracking whipping and whisking, hand mixers can also take the effort (and mess) out of kneading bread and pizza dough, facilitate emulsification when making hollandaise sauce and enhance creaming ingredients for brownie and cake batters. Hand mixers can vary vastly in power, speed and functionality, so if you’re at a loss for which kind is right for you, our guide to the top hand mixers in 2023 can help. It shouldn’t be difficult to find a model that suits your needs and budget, and the great thing is that there’s something for everyone.

Best Overall: Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer

Top Color Selection: KitchenAid Hand Mixer

Top Speed Range: Cuisinart Hand Mixer

All-inclusive: Black+Decker Hand Mixer

Budget-friendly: Dash Hand Mixer

Comparing the Leading Hand Mixers of 2023

Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer - Best Overall

List Price: $27.99

Our number one pick for the home baker is the Hamilton Beach Hand Mixer. This handy unit comes with a range of attachments and has enough oomph for a variety of beating, whisking, and kneading tasks. It can be the perfect choice for busy cooks, and that’s thanks to the fact that it’s lightweight, easy to store and a breeze to clean.

With this hand mixer’s six speed settings, you can slowly fold ingredients together or whip up creams at top speed. It comes with seven attachments: two easy-clean beaters, two traditional beaters, two dough hooks, and a whisk. When you’re done baking, you can store all of these attachments in the included storage case. Thanks to its versatility and user-friendly design, this hand mixer is our top pick.

Pros

• QuickBurst function for extra power
• Clip-on container for easy storage
• Attachments are dishwasher-safe

Cons

• Storage case is difficult to detach
• Speeds can be too fast

KitchenAid Hand Mixer - Top Color Selection

List Price: $54.99 - $59.99

A couple of thoughtful features we love about this KitchenAid Hand Mixer are its lockable swivel cord and the design of its beaters. The cord can be locked into either side of the mixer, allowing you to use it comfortably from any angle, and the stainless steel beaters without a center post help avoid batter build-up. This also makes cleaning them much easier, which we’re sure everyone can appreciate.

This hand mixer features five speeds that are ideal for slow stirring and high-powered whipping, and when you’re done mixing, you can pop the beaters off with the click of a button. This appliance is highly functional, but it’s also highly fashionable, too: you’ll be able to choose from a range of attractive colors, including red, pink and green.

Pros

• Comes with two stainless steel beaters
• Available in a wide color selection
• Lightweight, compact and user-friendly design

Cons

• Not suitable for heavy dough
• Not very fast

Cuisinart Hand Mixer - Top Speed Range

List Price: $29.95 - $79.95

The Cuisinart Power Advantage Plus offers a whopping nine speeds to work with, which makes this hand mixer great for everything from whipping cream to mixing dough. Its three low-speed settings prevent splattering, while its higher speeds are ideal for incorporating small air bubbles into egg whites for marshmallows, angel food cake, souffle and meringues.

This hand mixer comes with a superb assortment of accessories, including two beaters, two dough hooks, a whisk, a spatula, a storage case and an instruction manual containing some tasty recipes. Even better than that, this mixer comes with a three-year warranty from the manufacturer for added peace of mind while working in the kitchen.

Pros

• Attachments are dishwasher-safe
• Boasts a lightweight, space-saving design
• Comes with a three-year warranty

Cons

• Not very durable
• Cord is bulky and stiff

Black+Decker Hand Mixer - All-inclusive

List Price: $24.99

If you’re looking for something that can make baking faster and more convenient, this is the appliance for you. This hand mixer from Black+Decker is compact and lightweight, and all of its attachments are dishwasher-safe for effortless cleaning. The mixer itself comes with two beaters, two dough hooks and one whisk, providing you with everything you’ll need to bake to your heart’s desire.

This hand mixer features a comfortable grip, and it has six speed settings plus a turbo boost for when you need a little extra power. Its smart design allows you to place it upright on the counter or let it sit against the edge of the bowl without toppling over, and it comes with a storage case to hold the hand mixer plus all its attachments when they’re not being used.

Pros

• Smart, powerful design
• Easy to maneuver
• Comes with a storage case

Cons

• Mixer is heavy
• Poorly designed release button

Dash Hand Mixer - Budget-friendly

List Price: $19.99

This compact hand mixer from Dash is super cute and affordable, and it’s a great choice for whipping and fast-track batter mixing. This lightweight unit features a clip-in space to store the beaters inside the handle so that they never get lost, and the whole thing is small enough to conveniently fit in a kitchen drawer.

This hand mixer has three speed settings, and with your purchase, you’ll receive two beaters, a recipe book and access to an online recipe database. All of its non-electrical parts are dishwasher-friendly for easy cleaning, and it comes with a one-year guarantee from the manufacturer. If you’re looking for an affordable, beginner-friendly hand mixer, make sure you check this one out.

Pros

• Lightweight and easy to maneuver
• Compact build offers smart storage
• Available in several color choices

Cons

• Only comes with beater attachments
• Beaters are short

Finding Your Next Hand Mixer: A Buyer’s Guide

Choosing a hand mixer sounds simple, but there’s a lot that goes into making sure you get your money's worth. While some units only come with a single attachment and speed setting, others feature a full range of accessories and an impressive power range. There are also smaller details to consider that can make a big difference while baking, like the shape of the beaters and the direction of spin. To help make sure that your final purchase is an informed one, here’s what you need to consider when shopping for a hand mixer in 2023.

Hand mixer base

Hand mixers need somewhere to rest when they’re not being held, and this often ends up being on your counter. This can lead to batter dripping everywhere and creating a mess, but it doesn’t have to be this way. To solve this age-old frustration, manufacturers have created models designed to rest on the mixer’s back end without toppling over; some can also rest against the side of the mixing bowl.

If you want a mixer with this feature, look for one that has a straight, flat back rather than decorative curves or rounded edges toward its base.

The angle at which the power cord comes out of the mixer will also influence its ability to stay upright, which is why some hand mixers have rotatable cords. This way, you can move it out of the way as needed.

Accessories and attachments

Every hand mixer should come with at least one set of beaters and, ideally, a whisk attachment. More powerful units may also come with dough hooks.

Beaters

Beaters are most commonly used to mix thin to medium batters, which are often for cheesecake and cupcakes. Although they can be used to whip cream, a whisk attachment is better suited for creating smaller air bubbles.

Dough hook

A hand mixer’s dough hook usually comes in a spiral shape. This attachment is used to knead heavy dough since it can withstand the dough’s elasticity; trying to use a beater or a whisk to knead heavy dough will likely cause your mixer to overheat.

Whisk

A whisk should have a thin, balloon-like wire structure with a hollow center. This is essentially a mechanized version of your regular hand whisk, and it’s used to incorporate air into batters, cream, and eggs. When whisking egg whites for chiffon cake, souffle, angel food cake or meringues, use a high-speed setting for a lighter, fluffier end product, but be careful not to overwhip.

Avoid using this attachment for medium to heavy batters, as you’ll only damage your mixer in the process.

Beater shape

Whereas stand mixers often come with a large paddle beater, hand mixers generally have two smaller beaters that look almost like wide, heavy-duty whisks. You might be surprised to learn that the angle of these beaters actually makes a difference when it comes to mixing time.

Rectangular-edged beaters can whip up ingredients faster than rounded beaters, so while this isn’t an essential, consider opting for rectangular beaters if they’re available.

Weight

Hand mixers are generally lightweight, but even holding something as light as a balloon for an extended period can start to take its toll. With that in mind, you’ll need to find a balance between a lightweight mixer that’s easy to hold and doesn’t cause strain and one that offers enough sturdiness to stand upright and endure pressure while mixing batters.

Speed settings

The speed at which you mix your ingredients will influence the size and distribution of air bubbles, and it also affects how well (or poorly) the ingredients are incorporated together. Most hand mixers come with at least five speed settings, which will be necessary if you want to use your mixer for everything from pizza dough to cake batter and whipped cream. If you’re only using it to quickly whip up cream or mix box cake batters, a three-speed unit will do the trick.

Always start mixing on a low speed setting to prevent ingredients from splattering out of the bowl. Once the beaters have started to work their magic, you can slowly increase their speed as needed. Low speeds are ideal for bread and pizza dough, as they allow for gluten and yeast development without overworking the dough. When it comes to hand mixers, not all models are powerful enough to work with such dense batters; if your hand mixer doesn’t come with dough hooks, it most likely isn’t suited for kneading jobs.

High speed settings are necessary for whipping egg whites and cream, as higher speeds allow for smaller air bubbles to form. This offers better consistency and firmness and gives your end product a light, fluffy texture.

Medium-density batters run the risk of being over-mixed or under-mixed at speeds that are either too high or too low. This is why medium-speed settings are the ideal choice for cake batter, pancakes, waffle batter and brownies. Batters that are overmixed will be gluey and dense, while undermixed batters will contain clumps of flour and might not rise well due to poor ingredient distribution.

Spinning direction

The point of using a hand mixer is to add air to your batter or ingredients while mixing them. Incorporating air involves moving molecules from the bottom to the top; when molecules are instead forced from the top down, air is pushed out as a result.

To work against gravity, the beaters should spin from the inside out so that particles are pushed upward and outward. To check for this, attach beaters to your hand mixer and hold it out in front of you like a drill. When set in motion, the beater on the right should spin clockwise, while the one on the left should spin counterclockwise.

Handle

Since baking usually involves slippery fingers and a few spills, look for a hand mixer with a non-slip grip. More importantly, though, is a mixer with an ergonomic grip, especially if you have to hold it in place for a while: an ergonomic handle will make your hand mixer more comfortable to hold by placing less strain on your hands, wrist and fingers.

Storage

One of the benefits of using a hand mixer instead of a stand mixer is that these appliances are compact and easy to store. Some come with storage cases so that you can keep all the attachments with the mixer, while other models allow you to clip the beaters into the mixer itself so that everything is stored as one unit. Either way, you’ll only need a little extra space to store a hand mixer, whether that’s in a cupboard, a drawer or even inside a mixing bowl.

Cord length

Most hand mixers state their cord length on the product listing. Avoid cord lengths that are too short, as this can make it difficult to maneuver the beater. It’s not ideal to use extension cords in the kitchen, either, so try to find a hand mixer with a cord that’s long enough to comfortably reach your kitchen's power outlet.

Pros of using a hand mixer

• Hand mixers are light enough to hold in just one hand and easy to move around
• They’re quick to set up and simple to use
• When used for small, quick jobs like mixing cake or waffle batter, results will practically be the same as with a stand mixer
• They’re budget-friendly versions of much more expensive stand mixers
• They don’t require counter space and take up little storage space
• You can use them with any bowl

Cons of using a hand mixer

• Hand mixers are not self-supporting: you’ll have to hold them the entire time you want to use them, which can get tiring for longer tasks
• Not all hand mixers are powerful enough to work heavy batters
• Since they need to be removed from the bowl when they’re not being used, things can get messy when placing hand mixers down
• Hand mixers don’t feature a splash guard, which means ingredients can splatter out of the bowl while mixing. You can, however, drape a dish towel over one side of the bowl to solve this problem, as this will prevent any ingredients from flying out

What bowl should I use with my hand mixer?

One great thing about hand mixers is that you can use them with any bowl you have. The type of bowl you use can, however, affect the speed and outcome of your mixing.

Glass bowls are great because they can be placed in the fridge, freezer, microwave and dishwasher. Since glass bowls are clear, you can also see what’s happening inside them at all times.

The downside to glass bowls is that they break easily and must be handled with a dishcloth or an oven mitt when placed in the microwave or over a double boiler to avoid getting burned. They also aren't an ideal choice for whipping egg whites.

Stainless steel bowls are used largely by professionals and offer better results when whipping egg whites. They maintain cool temperatures (even during beating), which helps prevent splitting or curdling. Stainless steel bowls don’t break easily, are easy to clean and are also much lighter than glass bowls.

On the downside, they can't go in the microwave, and you also can’t see inside the bowl from the sides.

People Also Asked

Q: Why is my whipped cream not becoming thick?

A: Cream needs to remain in the refrigerator until you whip it; the fat won’t emulsify when it’s at room temperature, which means that it won’t sufficiently hold air. If you’re working in warm temperatures, it will help to cool the bowl and whisk beforehand.

Q: How long does it take to whip meringue with a hand mixer?

A: This depends on several factors, such as the temperature of the eggs, the speed and power of your hand mixer and whether you’re adding any other ingredients, such as sugar. Whipping your egg whites into stiff peaks can take anywhere from five to 10 minutes with a hand mixer.

Q: Can you make hollandaise sauce with a hand mixer?

A: Yes, hollandaise sauce can be made with a hand mixer. You do, however, need to be very careful when emulsifying the ingredients so that the sauce doesn’t split. Make sure to use the whisk attachment when making hollandaise or similar sauces.

Q: What will happen if I whip egg whites too long?

A: Over-whipping egg whites will make them unusable, so make sure to keep an eye on them. If they’re overwhipped, the egg whites’ proteins begin to break down and the aerated foamy texture will start to collapse, lose moisture and become grainy.

Q: Can you mix by hand instead of a mixer?

A: Yes, you can mix by hand instead of using a hand mixer, but it will likely require a lot more time and effort. Adding a hand mixer to your kitchen can make cooking and baking a breeze, so consider picking one up today.

Why Trust Us

Our commitment to the consumer begins with product selection and ends with the last word we write in each article. Each hand mixer is carefully vetted quantitatively through star ratings and number of reviews qualitatively through careful examination of reviews and the features each one has to offer. Leveraging our team of bargain hunters, we’re also always sure to keep your budget in mind while we find the best mixers on the market. Our team of experts is dedicated to accurately depicting the pros and cons of each hand mixer, translating technical product specifications into information you can understand. Our mission is to make sure you get the most bang for your buck…or in this case the most dough for your dime.