In today’s post: If you’re looking to buy a stand mixer, you have two options: a KitchenAid or a Bosch. Learn which one is best for you!
For most people, a stand mixer isn’t exactly a necessity. You can make just about anything with a set of beaters and a good amount of elbow grease – I kneaded homemade bread by hand for years! But it turns out that if you spend much time baking, a stand mixer is really, really handy to have.
If you’re ready to take the plunge and purchase a stand mixer, your two best choices are a KitchenAid or a Bosch. You just have to decide which one will be best for you! Today I’ll run through the pros and cons of each stand mixer brand so you can be sure you’re investing in the right one.
Please note I’ll be adding affiliate links to Amazon so you can find the products I mention – if you click through one of these links and make a purchase I will earn a small commission but it doesn’t affect the price you pay. Thanks!
What Stand Mixer Should You Buy?
The holiday season is a great time of year to purchase a stand mixer because you can generally find really good discounts. But a stand mixer is still an investment, so you want to be sure you get one that will be the most useful for you.
I’ve used both a KitchenAid and a Bosch extensively and I sometimes get asked: which one is better? Some people are wholeheartedly team KitchenAid or team Bosch, but I believe either one can be a good purchase. Deciding which is best for you depends on how you plan to use it! Here’s a rundown of what each one is best for.
KitchenAid pros and cons
A KitchenAid was my first stand mixer and I loved it!
Pros:
- Easy to use
- Sold in different sizes at different price points, so if you don’t need large capacity you can save money (this smaller version is a screaming deal!)
- KitchenAid mixers are so pretty! And they come in lots of fun colors
- Handles small and medium batches extremely well
- Whipping cream is so much easier in this than with a hand held electric beater!
- Comes with wire whip (frosting and cream), flat beater (cookies), and dough hook (bread)
- Lots of optional attachments! You can purchase things like: slicer, shredder, spiralizer, food grinder, pasta maker, etc.
I have the large 6 qt model, which you can find here (click through to see all the pretty color choices!). You can get 4 quart or 5 quart sizes as well, although if you’re going to make much bread I’d stick with the larger size.
Cons:
- The motor in my KitchenAid (which was sold under the label “professional series”) just doesn’t feel as powerful as the motor in my Bosch. The KitchenAid felt like it struggled a bit when you are making a stiff bread dough or a really large batch of cookie dough. A few years after we started making homemade pizza dough once a week my Kitchenaid died 😭. Sadly, getting one of these machines serviced is quite expensive, so if the motor burns out you’re left trying to decide whether to pay a couple hundred dollars to get it fixed or just put that money toward a new one.
- The machine can “travel” a bit on the counter when mixing stiff dough – it just rocks back and forth a teeny bit, but it can end up moving as a result. So you don’t want to get it started and then walk too far away from it.
Bosch Stand Mixer pros and cons
After my KitchenAid died, I struggled for a while trying to decide whether to buy a new one or get a Bosch instead. Because we make lots of pizza dough every week and I wanted to be sure my next machine lasted a long time, I decided to invest in a Bosch instead.
Pros:
- Like a KitchenAid, I found my Bosch very easy to use
- This stand mixer can handle ANYTHING. You can make multiple loaves of bread or a huge batch of cookie dough at once and the motor doesn’t even hesitate. The manual says you can mix up to 34 dozen cookies or 14 loaves of bread at once! Now, I never make this much stuff at once, but the powerful motor is very useful for normal batches as well.
- There are suction feet on the bottom of the mixer which suction to your counter to make sure it doesn’t “travel”
- The bowl is SUPER nonstick which means you won’t overflour your bread dough – that also means you have to add flour more gradually when making bread than you do in a KitchenAid.
- Because the motor is down below, the top is completely open, which makes it easier to add ingredients
- I’ve never heard of one burning out. My mom still has one that’s over 40 years old!
- Lots of attachments: blender, food processor, meat grinder, etc. There’s apparently even an attachment that turns your Bosch into an ice cream maker! I haven’t tried it but it gets great reviews.
Cons:
- A Bosch is more expensive than the smaller KitchenAid mixers. However, if you want similar capacity, the price is much closer. As of publication date, the Bosch I purchased (which includes baking attachments) is only about $25 more than the 6 qt KitchenAid I originally purchased.
- The Bosch has a larger footprint than a KitchenAid so it takes up more room on the counter; however, it’s not nearly as tall which makes storing it in a cupboard easier.
- The basic Bosch mixer package comes with wire whisks and a dough hook. However, I highly recommend getting the package with the extra baking attachments OR ordering the dough hook extender. The Bosch doesn’t handle small batches of bread dough as well as large batches without it (with it, it works great with batches as small as 3 cups of flour).
This is the Bosch set that I ordered, and I love that it comes with all the attachments for different things (frosting, cakes batters, cookie paddles, dough hook and extender, etc.). HOWEVER, if I were ordering it again today I might order the set with the ice cream maker instead, and just order a dough hook extender with it.
Which Stand Mixer Should You Buy?
Bottom line: If you’re mostly making normal size batches of cookies and cakes, plus some bread, a KitchenAid is going to work great. It looks great and will handle most things a home cook will make regularly. Additionally, if you will usually be baking small batches you can save money by purchasing one of the smaller models.
However, if you bake a lot of bread or pizza, or want to make large batches of cookies, a Bosch mixer is the way to go. It’s doesn’t look as pretty, but it will handle anything you can throw at it and will last for decades.
Thanks for reading! If you have experience with a KitchenAid or a Bosch, leave us a comment and let us know what you think!
Liz van der Werff says
Interesting article. I never even knew that the Bosch mixer existed! I bought a kitchenaid years ago, now I’m gluten free and the kids are grown, so don’t even use it anymore 🙁 Interesting article. I love your blog! You always have something intelligent and useful to share! Thanks for taking the time to keep it up 🙂
Kristie says
I’ve used them both. And like them both. 🙂 Good reviews on both. My mom has had a Bosch for a long time, I remember using it when I was a kid. She has had to replace the beaters and bowl a few times. But it is a workhorse for sure!
I will say I haven’t had my Kitchen Aid travel on the counter like yours did. I use mine regularly to make bread, and it doesn’t seem to move.
Tammy says
I must admit the kitchen aid is a showpiece but my 40 year old Bosch is a workhorse!
Sharlyn says
Love my Bosch! 20 years, hundreds of loaves of bread, and counting!
Britt Landon says
Nice treatment of both brands! I have to admit, I’m “team Bosch,” but I sell my bread, making a Bosch a necessity. One feature of the Bosch you didn’t cover (but would mean a great deal to someone with limited strength) is the weight disparity. Volume for volume, the Bosch is much lighter. If a person had to keep their machine in a cabinet, they would probably want a Bosch. Also, a mini Bosch can be super for the everyday cook.
autumn says
Britt – you’re so right! I’ve been used to my Bosch the past year and when I pulled out my old Kitchenaid for the photos I realized I’d forgotten how ridiculously heavy it is!