14 best hand mixers and electric whisks for baking

Score: 94/100

Smeg’s coveted, colourful range of kitchen appliances includes this stylish hand mixer. True to brand form, it feels premium in design and build, as reflected in thoughtful details such as the rubber tie for keeping its cord out of the way and the small canvas bag for storing its beaters and dough hooks.

Its nine speeds offer keen bakers precise control and it makes relatively little noise, even at peak power. There's a timer on the handle to save you from over mixing, too.

Our testers gave it full marks for mixing light and airy cake batter and quickly whipping cream to a thick, smooth texture. It beat egg whites to velvety stiff peaks in just 80 seconds and kneaded dough evenly, efficiently and effortlessly. For budding Bake Off contestants, this is a must-buy.

Score: 92/100

Though it wasn't the cheapest model on test, our experts thought this hand mixer offered the best value for money. It gave a solid all-round performance but particularly excelled when kneading dough and whipping cream, accomplishing the latter in under a minute.

It’s robustly made but its motor sounded a little clunky in use. Its non-slip handle made mixing comfortable for hands of all sizes though, and its smooth body lacked dirt traps, making it easy to clean after a baking session.

Score: 92/100

If it’s versatility you’re after, this 3-in-1 machine beats, kneads and whisks to help you tackle an array of kitchen jobs. It particularly impressed our testers during heavy duty tasks, such as kneading dough, and they found its accessories sturdy.

Its long, grippy handle makes for a more comfortable mixing experience and its non-slip base keeps it steady when standing. It also comes with plenty of helpful usage tips, but it is on the heavy side and may prove cumbersome to store in smaller kitchens.

Score: 90/100

Pavlova lovers, this reasonably priced hand mixer is for you; our testers rated it highly for whipping egg whites into stiff yet light peaks, perfect for meringue. It combined cake mixture and bread dough well and felt stable in use.

Its power switch does feel a little flimsy and its top speed lacks oomph, but it’s a reliable buy for under £40.

Score: 89/100

While small (and affordable), this hand mixer is impressively powerful. It surprised our testers by quickly mixing cake ingredients to near perfection, only dropping points for injecting a touch too much air. The downside is that its high power stays consistent across the six speeds, meaning it lacks control for more delicate jobs.

Its body feels basic and plasticky and it only comes with beaters, but it has a useful groove at its back for resting on the side of a mixing bowl. For less than £20, it delivers a solid performance that would satisfy anybody on a budget.

Score: 88/100

Testers loved the convenient cordless design of this hand mixer. The rechargeable battery works with other appliances in the KitchenAid Go range and gives up to 60 minutes of mixing time. There’s even a handy indicator light to show the remaining battery life.

It scored perfect marks for mixing cake batter and whisking cream but struggled to aerate egg whites. Dough kept catching on the whisk attachment too. While it’s pricey, the sturdy mixer comes with seven speeds and clear instructions, so should please keen cake makers.

Score: 88/100

This sleek, clean-looking mixer is another one that's a joy to use for cake making, scoring full marks for light, well-risen and spongy bakes. Whisking cream was a breeze too, but our egg whites could have been lighter.

It took just under two minutes to form a ball of dough when making bread with the sturdy dough hooks, but you need to work the edges to incorporate all the flour. Testers loved that the lowest speed was very slow, making this a good model for folding mixes.

Score: 87/100

Here’s another good value buy, with a robust build and well-made attachments. Our testers found it effortless to use, especially when mixing up a Victoria sponge and bringing egg whites to voluminous peaks.

It wasn’t so hot at kneading dough, leaving some ingredients unmixed, but it would make a good choice for an entry level baker who is more into cake than bread. Though not dishwasher-safe, the attachments clean easily under hot water, and its gunmetal casing looks stylish.

Score: 87/100

Designed to speed up your baking prep with a good level of control, our testers appreciated the steady, clear increases in power as they moved through the mixer's speed settings and liked its punchy pulse mode.

It whisked cream to a firm yet velvety texture in under two minutes and created a fluffy cake mixture, but it struggled to pull all dough into a ball. The flex is short and the buttons feel a little cheap, but this is another reliable, fairly priced performer.

Score: 87/100

This stylish cordless hand mixer comes in a box designed for tidy storage. Its soft-start feature minimises the risk of splatter and there’s no cable to get in the way of your mixing.

It produced beautifully spongy fairy cakes with an even crumb and moist texture, and whisked soft egg whites with bouncy peaks in under two minutes. It splashed a little while whisking cream, but our testers liked that it’s self-standing and only takes two hours to recharge from empty.

Score: 84/100

This innovative hand mixer is uniquely designed, with space saving in mind. Within its compact carry case, you’ll find all the tools you need to set up and blend. Then, when you're finished mixing, everything slots neatly back on board. There’s even a measuring spoon included, so you can always cook with accuracy.

Testers awarded it a perfect score for its ability to whisk egg whites but were a little disappointed by its performance when whipping double cream – there were small air bubbles and it took longer than expected. A quick clean-up with the dishwasher-safe attachments won us over though.

Score: 84/100

When it comes to product testing, we always focus on performance over style. But it’s hard to ignore this hand mixer’s eye-catching design; the blue and white Laura Ashley China Rose print will bring that chic cottagecore look to any countertop. It’s practical too, with a sleek steel finish, ergonomic handle, easy-fitting attachments and a handy storage bag for everything when not in use.

Rest assured, it ticks the quality box too – it's an excellent mixer. The dough hooks worked well, and our Victoria sponge batter was light and glossy.

Things got a little messy when whipping cream though – the mixer caused it to splash up the sides of our bowl and onto the worktop, so you may want to wear an apron if you’re making a meringue. Splashes aside, its five speeds and turbo mode should deliver quick quality results bake after bake.

Score: 82/100

Our testers loved the compact design of this cordless hand mixer. It excelled at mixing up light, airy cake batter, and whipped both cream and egg whites at speed. Although it struggled with kneading dough (it occasionally cut out when it got very laborious), the resulting loaf was light and fluffy, and this is the only cordless model we’ve tested that comes with dough hooks.

It is a pricey hand mixer, but as with all Zwilling products, it comes with a lifetime warranty for long-term reassurance. We also like how the detachable battery can be used as a power bank and can be swapped between other Zwilling cordless appliances. A competent, compact and convenient device.

Score: 81/100

Performing best when whisking egg whites, this hand mixer is an excellent buy for meringue fans. Within just two minutes, our whites were airy and voluminous with good stiff peaks. It struggled more in our cupcake test, failing to whip enough air into the batter which left our tester’s bake a little flat.

Our experts also noticed that the hand mixer vibrated on the highest of its five settings. But that didn’t take away from its otherwise good performance across the board. The controls were easy to use and the instructions simple to follow. It also comes with a handy bag to store attachments when not in use.