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
On imamother, a poll on challah mixers was lopsided: Bosch took 76% of the votes, hand kneading 18%, a bread machine 3% and KitchenAid just 4%. One poster put it simply: 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.
An imamother member, summing up a long thread
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. Treat all of this as guidance, not gospel: forums are opinionated and models change.
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.
