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Whether or not you’re a natural baker with Julia Child-like aspirations, no kitchen is complete without a mixer to help you whip up your favorite goodies without having to stir, whisk, or otherwise combine ingredients tirelessly by hand. Unlike the ways that our grandparents used to prep their dough and batter, in today’s world, baking has become much more streamlined and approachable thanks in part to the durability and affordability of both standing and handheld mixers.
Let’s first pick apart the ultimate differences in standing and hand mixers. “The beauty of a standing mixer is that it’s totally hands-off. You simply add the ingredients, select a speed, and the machine does the work for you,” chef and food photographer Lizzy Briskin tells POPSUGAR.
A hand mixer, meanwhile, “must be held in your hand while in use,” Briskin says. They’re less powerful than standing mixers, but they tend to be more affordable.
Everyone and every kitchen has different needs, whether that’s a compact mixer due to limited counter space or a heavy-duty mixer for constant cookie curation. So, we rounded up some of the top-rated standing and hand mixers to help you make an informed decision on what’s best for your sacred kitchen space. And as the wonderful Julia Child said: “The more you know, the more you can create. There’s no end to imagination in the kitchen.”