If you can't afford a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, what would be a good brand?

You've seen them for years. They graced the kitchens of our childhoods and they appear in modern kitchens on current television cooking shows. Some are shiny stainless steel while others coordinate nicely with a modern kitchen color scheme. They sit pristinely, casting an aura of know-how and expertise in kitchens all over the world,and they tend to be a bit costly. Of course some folks won't bat an eye over spending $300+ for a stand mixer. That's what many of the popular Kitchen Aid stand mixers go for in retail kitchen stores. Others, however, balk at the steep investment. After all, you can replace a stove or a dishwasher for just a little more than that! Is it even possible to purchase a stand mixer for less money? And if so which ones are worth the price?

Jennifer Bartos is an expert in baking supplies, and is the owner of the All in One Bake Shop. She doesn't believe there is any other stand mixer worth considering.

"I wouldn't really recommend another brand for a stand mixer," she says. "The Kitchen Aid if of such high quality, and really is a very good product."

So where does that leave those unable to afford such a kitchen extravagance? Bartos recommends learning to do a few basic things the old fashioned way.

"Learn to knead bread dough by hand," she says. "It helps bakers control the consistency of the dough."

She recommends doing the very same thing when mixing up cookie dough.

Are there any alternatives for those wishing to try a less expensive option in a kitchen stand mixer? Yes. There are several. Small versions might in fact be the best way to attempt to use such an appliance. They are simply much smaller versions of the larger, more popular stand mixers like the Kitchen Aid. They are of very little use for functions like kneading dough and mixing stiff or sticky batters, but can easily whip up a cake mix or homemade cake batter. In some households that's all the stand mixer is used for, and where this is the case,the smaller, less expensive stand mixers work just fine. From Sunbeam to Black and Decker, there are a variety of these small, single function stand mixers that start at around $35 each. These stand mixers are also popular items on sites that allow members to accrue points to cash in as merchandise,similar to the nearly extinct tradition of cashing in trading stamps.

It can be done. Prospective bakers can purchase and use a stand mixer that isn't the price or quality of a Kitchen Aid stand mixer. The uses are in fact limited, but in many cases may be just what the baker needs.

Jennifer Bartos still prefers planning with a much different goal in mind. She is opposed to purchasing the less expensive, less functional models of kitchen stand mixers. Just exactly what is her advice?

"Do your mixing by hand until you can save up the money to buy a quality brand," she says.

And to Bartos, "quality brand" means Kitchen Aid.