Beginner’s Guide to Stand Mixer | How to Use a Stand Mixer • A Sweet Pea Chef

Stand Mixers are a versatile kitchen appliance. You can use them for multiple tasks, with mixing baking ingredients one of the most popular uses. This guide will teach you how to get the most out of your stand mixer. I’ve included fabulous recipes, too!

A stand mixer is a kitchen tool that has been around for a long time. I can remember my mom using one to make cookies and doughs and to mix other yummy ingredients as prep for main meal dishes.

I did a little research on the stand mixer and did you know this handy kitchen tool was invented about 100 years ago? The first mixer ever built was 80 quarts and was used on Navy Battleships in World War I. Once the KitchenAid mixers hit “mainstream” and were patented in 1919, they were smaller, of course, and weighed a mere 65 pounds.

That’s still a far cry from the 26 pounds that my mixer weighs! And you’ve gotta love the color choices for today’s mixers, right? It’s also kinda cool that the attachments available in today’s market will fit any KitchenAid machines, even back to my mom’s mixer. From the spiralizer to the pasta maker, the handy attachments are the best!

Let’s take a look at how to use a stand mixer so you can get the most out of yours. I can guarantee you’ll use it for a ton of tasks in the kitchen!

WHAT SIZE STAND MIXER DO I NEED?

I use the 5 quart stand mixer. I find the size perfect for the tasks I use it for, like mixing filling for Sweet Potato Pie or awesome Pork Tamales. The 5 quart bowl is just the right size.

Let’s look at it in batches of cookies. My mixer yields about 9 dozen cookies (and 4 loaves of bread and 7 pounds of mashed potatoes for those big holiday get-togethers), while the 4.5 quart mixer yields 7 dozen cookies. The 3.5 quart mixer yields 5 dozen and the 6 quart, 13 dozen cookies. These numbers kind of give you an idea of the bowl capacity and what the mixer can do.

The wattages of the motors are different, too. My mixer, at 325 watts, is just perfect. And you can choose from 20 colors, from lime green to a really nice sky blue. That’s really cool and fun, too.

BOWL LIFT AND TILT HEAD MODEL DIFFERENCES

You can choose a bowl-lift model or a tilt-head model. Here are some points on that:

The tilt-head mixer is 14.0” tall.
The bowl-lift mixer height can be 16 7/16” to 17”.
These heights can make a difference, depending on how low your cabinets are from the countertop.
If you want easy access to the beater, you may want the tilt-head model.
Some love the look of the bowl-lift mixer but find removing the bowl a little trickier than when using the tilt-head version.
With the bowl-lift mixer, the bowl sits on the arms of the mixer and you raise it by using a lever.
With the tilt-head, the bowl attaches to the base.

THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN CHOOSING A STAND MIXER

If you are planning to use your mixer a lot like I do, you’ll want to keep a few considerations in mind. There are a few different versions but I’m not going to go into all the detail. For example, you’ve got the Classic mixer, the Artisan mixer, and more in the KitchenAid brand. But for basic points, take a look here:

You may want a pouring shield to prevent splashing, and they can be bought for every model except the glass bowl models.
Some people like to have extra bowls when doing tasks like holiday baking. You can buy clear glass, ceramic, and stainless steel bowls. But some bowls fit the tilt-head model only, while others fit the bowl lift model.
You can get a mixing bowl with a handle, or without. It’s really your preference but does depend on the model.
Beaters come in coated or burnished aluminum beaters, with the coated beater being dishwasher safe (the aluminum beater must be hand washed and dried right away).
If color choice is important to you, the Artisan model in the KitchenAid brand has the most color options.

TIPS FOR HOW TO USE A STAND MIXER

Are you looking for a few tips and tricks for using your stand mixer?

Read the manual: Sure, some think reading the manual is a time-waster. But it’s an important (and helpful!) thing to do. You want to know every fine detail about your new mixer, right? The manual will let you know how much flour your bowl can handle at once and good-to-know info like that.
Start on low speed: Always begin a task on low speed and work your way up to high. This helps against spattering ingredients all over the kitchen!
Don’t scrape while mixing: This is tempting, but really not a good idea. Just one slip of the spatula, and you can bend the beaters out of shape.
Adjust the beater: This is one of the reasons to read the manual. You’ll learn how to adjust the beater so it mixes well and does not touch the bottom of the bowl.
Tighten the hinge: This isn’t always necessary, but if the head of the mixer starts to shift and shake, just turn the mixer on its side and tighten the pin (the manual, my friends, will show you how).
Spin the beaters: Once your mixture is combined, lift the beaters just a bit with the mixer on low and then high, to spin off the mixture and reduce waste.
Use a towel: Using a towel to help prevent ingredients flying out of the bowl in the event you turn it on high and flour, for example, poofs out of the bowl. Just lay a clean kitchen towel over the bowl.
Chill the bowl: Chilling the bowl and the beaters really makes a difference. Whipped cream turns out super fluffy with great peaks!
Invest in a silicone scraper: Silicone scrapers are the best for scraping down the bowl.
Store your stuff wisely: Storing attachments in the bowl is super smart and a great space saver. Line a stainless steel bowl with a towel to avoid scratches.
Buy attachments: Who can resist all of the nifty attachments! Want to learn how to use a stand mixer? Buy fun stuff like the pasta maker and the meat grinder.

WAYS TO USE YOUR STAND MIXER

I said earlier that the stand mixer is versatile and I meant it! I use mine for just about everything. Sometimes I use my Vitamix, Slow Cooker, or Instant Pot. But a stand mixer works well, too. I’ve listed 10 ways to use your mixer right here!

Shred meat – Use the beater to shred the cooked meat for pulled pork. Awesome!
Shred chicken – Meal prep is even more efficient when you shred the chicken in your mixer.
Mix beef – Making burgers for the grill? Use your stand mixer to combine the ingredients.
Mashed potatoes – Need I say more? Creamy and delicious potatoes <–yum.
Make guacamole – Love guacamole? You can whip up a batch quickly in the mixer.
Mix dip – Gotta love dip for the Super Bowl!
Make cinnamon rolls – You can use your dip for either the dough or the yummy frosting on cinnamon rolls.
Make quick breads – Chocolate zucchini bread is amazing and moist.
Create tortillas – Sometimes I mix the ingredients for my tortillas in my stand mixer.
Make a sauce – A sauce can be mixed in the blender or the mixer.