If you’re in the market for a new stand mixer – or a first stand mixer – Breville’s new 5-quart Stand Mixer is definitely worth a look as a solid option that will preform well in any home kitchen. I recently added one to my collection to see how it performed and what features it brought to the table when compared to the Vikings and Kitchen Aid models that I’ve used in the past.
The first thing to like about the Breville is its look. It is modern, with jut a hint of a retro aesthetic to its overall shape, and made of die-cast stainless steel with a brushed finish that will look great in just about any kitchen. Looks aside, it has many other great features. The mixer boasts a 550 watt motor, 12 mixing speeds and a backlit LCD timer that lets you really customize the way that you it, as well as lots of included accessories. The tilting head locks into place when in mixing position and when upright. The cord can be stored inside the base of the mixer so that it doesn’t clutter up the counter.
The mixer head uses a dual rotation motion, meaning that it the mixer head makes a kind of small looping shape while it is working and doesn’t just stay in place. It’s the difference between using a hand mixer and keeping your hand over the very center of your bowl, rather than rotating your mixer over the whole area of your bowl. The 12-speed control gives you tons of flexibility, more than most mixers I’ve used. The slowest setting is so gentle that you’re virtually guaranteed that even very powdery dry ingredients won’t fly over the sides of the bowl, while the faster ones will beat egg whites to stiff peaks in no time flat. Each setting is clearly labeled with a suggestion as to what that setting is most appropriate for – Aerate/Whip, Cream/Beat, Light/Mix and Fold/Knead. This makes it very easy to translate any recipe into something that can be made in the mixer.
One of the other great things about the Breville is that it comes with lots of accessories (which many stand mixers don’t) including a paddle attachment, a dough hook, a whisk and a Beater Blade-style paddle that scrapes the sides of the bowl with soft silicone blades as it mixes. I tried them all and was very pleased with how well the scraper paddle worked when adding flour to a batch of cookie dough. The attachments all go on easily and clean up quickly when you’re done. The mixer also includes a plastic pour spout that can be snapped onto the rim of the bowl to make it easy to funnel ingredients in while the mixer is running.
The LCD timer is an interesting feature. It counts both up and down, keeping track of the time that you’ve spent mixing. Make a note of the mixing time the first time you make a recipe, then set the timer to count down the next time – the machine will turn itself off when it gets to zero so you don’t overmix! Granted, not all recipes require a specific mixing time (my homemade marshmallows do, for instance), but it is a great convenience to be able to flip the mixer on and not worry about overmixing if you have to step out of the kitchen.
I used my mixer for a big batch of the aforementioned cookies, and both the regular mixing paddle and the scraper paddle performed very well. I also ran a couple of batches of egg whites/meringue and frosting through it and was pleased with both the mixer’s capacity and the speed at which it handled the tasks. I really like the wide range of speeds available, even if I usually can make do with just three or four speeds. I also made a batch of bread in the mixer and used the dough hook to knead the dough (no hand kneading in my test). It worked beautifully (I used the slow speeds), and produced a nice, elastic dough for me in the end. There is also a neat little loop on the plug that allows you to pull it out without getting dough/flour/food too close to the electrical socket.
It’s less expensive than some other brands, looks great and works very well. I’m definitely happy with mine. Right now, the mixer is being offered exclusively through Williams Sonoma, so if you want to give it a test in person, you should be able to find it in one of their stores in your area.
Brenda
September 1, 2010Now if only my Kitchen Aide mixer would DIE so I’d have an excuse to buy this one! Plus it was a wedding gift, and my husband is soo sentimental. Oh well. Maybe one day…
JillS.
September 1, 2010I too have the KitchenAid which I love, but I am intrigued by this one. Think I’ll check it out next time I’m in WS – though that is a Dangerous place for me!
Johanna
September 1, 2010But what makes the kitchen aid mixer so versatile is the many other attachments (like the ice cream maker). I looked online, but cannot see a big variety for this one. Do you think these will come with time?
Kim
September 29, 2010This sounds like a great mixer, however, what about an extra bowl and maybe a few other attachments. I’m still thinking about purchasing the Breville Mixer. Kitchen Aide needs some compitition!
Alice
December 22, 2010After reading the reviews, I have decided to take $300 and buy the accessories I always wanted for my Kitchen Aid Mixer.
That glass bowl doesn’t look so expensive now.
Caroline Pannes
March 1, 2011I couldn’t believe that my new Breville mixer could not handle a batch of cookies..the machine shut down, and told me to remove 1/2 of the batter…believe me , this was not an oversized batch of cookies….I put it away , and took out my
44 year old Kitchenaid mixer that would take a cookie recipe using 8 cups of flour..Both bowls have a 5 quart capacity..the cookie recipe used in the Brevil was 4 1/4 c..
flour.
James
July 4, 2011Hi Nicole,
Just wanted to see if you had any additional thoughts / if your original feelings about the Breville mixer have changed with time and more use. My only question mark with going ahead with a purchase is this is a fairly new product, at least in the U.S.
Thanks!
Nicole
July 5, 2011James – I’m still having good success with my mixer. My favorite thing about it is the ultra-low setting, which doesn’t cause flour to go flying (unlike some other mixers) when I just turn it on.
The only time I had a problem with it was when I was doing multiple batches of marshmallows (which require the mixer to be running for a long period of time) and it did turn itself off a couple of times. It flipped right back on and kept working, however. I’ve had other mixers struggle with this, too, but they didn’t have safety shutoffs and I’ve had one kitchenaid actually smoke before – I can be hard on my mixers sometimes. I use a heavier duty mixer (a Viking) for really big projects now, but I still like my Breville for everyday mixing cookies, cakes, etc. and bread doughs.
So – updated pluses and minuses after several months of use. I hope that helps!
Jessica
September 11, 2011I ordered the Breville and can’t wait to try it. Only thing is, I saw a pasta maker attachment for the KitchenAid online today. Now that would be a great attachment, and I doubt Breville offers that. Hmmm. Guess you can’t have everything.
Helen
November 2, 2012I love my kitchen aide the guide on what speed to whip isnt necessary, if you have invested in a high end mixer then you already know how to whip and knead dough. I’m biased I admit 3rd generation kitchen aide user(and Granny’s still runs like a champ!), but I dont like the tilting head because the heads are always so heavy that they are precarious. Someone above mentioned that the Breville required that she remove 1/2 batter and I make some pretty heavy batters. I think I will use the money to buy some more attachments for my kitchen aide. Plus they are made in the US and pretty easily refurbished if needed. One lifetime, One Mixer