Cuisinart SM-50R 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer
A stand mixer (5.2L, 110 watts), a solid choice for everyday baking and the occasional bread dough.
What Can You Make With a Stand Mixer?
A stand mixer does far more than cakes, especially once you add attachments. This guide runs through what you can make with the standard tools and the wider attachment range.
The short answer
With the three standard tools a stand mixer makes cakes, biscuits, bread, pastry, meringues, whipped cream, icing and more. Add the optional attachment hub and many mixers also roll pasta, mince meat, spiralise vegetables and even act as a food processor. It is one of the most versatile appliances in the kitchen once you use it fully.
With the flat beater
The beater is the workhorse for creaming butter and sugar, mixing cake batters, biscuit and cookie doughs, pastry, icing and frosting. It folds and combines without over-aerating, making it the default tool for most baking. If you only ever use one attachment, this is the one that does the bulk of the work.
With the whisk and dough hook
The balloon whisk whips cream, egg whites and meringues, and lightens airy batters and mousses. The dough hook kneads bread, pizza, brioche and other yeast doughs hands-free - the job that most justifies owning a stand mixer. Between the beater, whisk and hook, the standard set covers the vast majority of home baking.
With attachments
Many mixers offer an attachment hub that turns the motor into a wider kitchen tool. Common add-ons include pasta rollers and cutters, meat mincers, vegetable spiralisers, food grinders and food-processor attachments. These extend the mixer well beyond baking, though they are optional extras and vary by brand, so check compatibility before buying.
Beyond baking
Even without attachments, a stand mixer helps with mashed potato, meatball and burger mixes, shredding cooked chicken with the beater, and mixing batters for pancakes or Yorkshire puddings. Its hands-free power makes light work of jobs that are tedious by hand, so it earns its place well beyond the cake tin.
Getting the most from it
- Learn the three tools first: they cover most jobs.
- Consider the attachment hub if you want pasta or mincing.
- Use the right speed: slow for folding, fast for whipping.
- Do not overfill the bowl, which strains the motor.
- Check attachment compatibility before buying extras.
Our top picks
#1
#2 
Cuisinart SM-50BC SMD-50BC Precision Pro 5.5-Quart Digital Stand Mixer
A stand mixer (500 watts), a solid choice for everyday baking and the occasional bread dough.
#3 
Aucma Stand Mixer
A stand mixer (6.2L, 1400 watts, tilt-head), a solid choice for everyday baking and the occasional bread dough.
#4 
Aucma VIVOHOME 5.7l Electric Stand Mixer With Bowl for
A stand mixer (5.7L, 1500 watts, tilt-head), a solid choice for everyday baking and the occasional bread dough.
Frequently asked questions
What can you make with a stand mixer?
With the standard tools: cakes, biscuits, bread, pastry, meringues, whipped cream and icing. With the attachment hub many mixers also roll pasta, mince meat, spiralise vegetables and act as a food processor.
What attachments come with a stand mixer?
Most include three standard tools: a flat beater for batters and creaming, a balloon whisk for cream and egg whites, and a dough hook for kneading bread. Extras like pasta rollers and mincers are usually optional.
Can a stand mixer be used for things other than baking?
Yes - it handles mashed potato, burger and meatball mixes, shredding cooked chicken, and pancake or Yorkshire pudding batters, plus pasta, mincing and more with attachments. Its hands-free power suits many tedious kitchen jobs.
Bottom line
Our top pick is the Cuisinart SM-50R 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer (our score 9.6/10) - A stand mixer (5.2L, 110 watts), a solid choice for everyday baking and the occasional bread dough..