Challah dough is a workout: it is enriched, a little stiff, and many of us make it by the five pounds. The mixer you choose decides whether Friday morning feels easy or like a fight with a motor that is slowly giving up. Here is how the three machines you will hear about most really compare.
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What the community says
A Bosch is the best for challah, a KitchenAid the best for cakes. Others describe a KitchenAid motor that stops or burns out partway through a five-pound batch.
A Bosch is the best for challah, a KitchenAid is the best for cakes.
Professional testers agree on the pattern. In Food Network’s test of 13 mixers, the KitchenAid Artisan was the best pick for the everyday baker, and bread-focused tests rank belt-driven machines like the Bosch and Ankarsrum highest for heavy dough.
Our three picks
How to choose
- Baking for the whole street? Choose the Bosch. Its bowl and motor are built for it.
- Love a soft, open crumb and bake a few loaves? The Ankarsrum is a joy.
- Bake all kinds of things, with a family-sized challah? The KitchenAid Artisan is the friendly choice.
- Not sure? Pick the one whose bowl holds the amount of flour you usually use, with room to spare.
Planning a larger batch? Our hafrashat challah guide shows the amounts where a blessing applies, so you can pick a mixer that fits.
