For restaurants or bakeries, one of the most important equipment when it comes to food prep is the mixer. A tool used for many different functions, quality commercial mixers are used to ensure large amounts of product can be made to serve the needs of that food business. In this buyer’s guide, we break down some types of commercial mixers to look out for and the best ones currently on the market.
Based on our evaluation, the best commercial mixers for restaurants are:
- Best overall: Hobart Legacy HL200
- Best stand mixer with safety features: Globe SP20
- Best affordable stand mixer: Waring Luna WSM10L
- Best mixer with shredder attachment: Avantco MX20SHSLK
- Best multispeed countertop mixer: Waring Luna WSM7L
- Best high-end countertop mixer: Hobart N50-60
- Best spiral mixer: Estella SM60
Commercial Mixers Compared
Price | Number of Attachments | Mixer Type | Type of Bowl | |
---|---|---|---|---|
$7,968 | 3 | Stand | Swing-out | |
Buy the Hobart Legacy HL200 | ||||
$3,513 | 3 | Stand | Removable | |
Buy the Globe SP20 | ||||
$1,602 | 3 | Stand | Removable | |
Buy the Waring Luna WSM10L | ||||
$1,599 | 4 | Stand | Removable | |
Buy the Avantco MX20SHSLK | ||||
$839 | 11 | Countertop | Removable | |
Buy the Waring Luna WSM7L | ||||
$4,400 | 3 | Countertop | Removable | |
Buy the Hobart N50-60 | ||||
$2,499 | 1 | Spiral | Fixed | |
Buy the Estella SM60 |
Commercial mixers are just one of many tools needed to start a restaurant. Read our guide to see everything you need to get your business up and running.
Why You Can Trust Us
Ray Delucci is a food service professional with over 10 years in the industry. He has managed restaurants and worked in food manufacturing, product development, equipment validation, and food media. His wide-ranging experience in both food technicality and online research allows him to bring a unique perspective to the commercial mixer recommendations offered in this buyer’s guide.
Best Overall: Hobart Legacy HL200
Pros
- Timer function built-in
- Speed can be changed during operation
- Easy-to-load single-point swing-out bowl
- 20 qt capacity
Cons
- High upfront cost
Why We Picked It
When you think of quality commercial mixers, the Hobart Legacy HL200 should come to mind. Hobart is a standard in the industry; its products are known to perform exceedingly well and last a long time. This powerful, safe, and efficient mixer is the best in our guide due to its many features and overall performance and production capabilities.
This gear transmission-based mixer has three speed settings that can be changed on the fly with intuitive controls. There is a 15-minute smart timer that remembers the amount of time used on each speed, allowing employees to do multiple recipe batches with accuracy and ease. The swing-out bowl is single-point, allowing for easy loading and unloading of the machine without forcing your employees to bear the weight of lifting up a container full of product.
The smart timer also has a 15-minute automatic shutoff to avoid motor burnout and overuse. This mixer has a #12 attachment hub that allows for other attachments to be attached to the machine if you are in need of more equipment.
Best Commercial Stand Mixer With Safety Features: Globe SP20
Pros
- Chute in mixing cage for easy ingredient add-in
- Automatic shutoff safety features
- Heat treated gears and shafts
- 2-year parts and labor warranty
Cons
- Touch pad controls instead of mechanical
Why We Picked It
The Globe SP20 is a highly efficient commercial mixer with robust safety features. It features a mixing cage with a chute welded into it for ease of adding ingredients while the mixer is in use. This keeps employees from reaching their hands in and giving you peace of mind as an operator. The mixer also has an interlock shutdown system whenever the bowl is lowered to provide additional safety for your employees. Like the Hobart Legacy, this unit has a timer with an automatic shut-off for ease of monitoring your recipes.
The SP20 comes with three speed settings and three attachments. The control panel is an LED front-facing panel. While the front-facing design is nice, some cooks prefer mechanical controls for the longevity of use of the unit. The gear-driven transmission is made of heat-treated materials, ensuring the longevity of the transmission and a quieter experience. The Globe SP20 is a top-rated stand mixer for those looking for volume in production and an extra layer of user safety.
Best Affordable Stand Mixer: Waring Luna WSM10L
Pros
- #12 attachment hub
- Thermal overload protection
- 2-year motor warranty
- Gear-driven, permanent lube transmission
Cons
- No timer function
- Not a silver color which may cause lack of uniformity in your kitchen
Why We Picked It
The Luna WSM10L is a great, affordable stand mixer with all of the basic functions you need for your recipes. The 10 qt planetary mixer comes equipped with a stainless steel bowl and lever attachment that makes it easy to get large batches of product mixed within the machine. The stainless steel cage protects employees while the mixer is in use, and the thermal overload protection automatically stops the machine if it begins to overheat to dangerous levels.
Rubber grips ensure a sturdy and nonslip base for tabletop use, which is useful, especially when using the mixer at higher speeds. Its mechanical controls are side-mounted and easy to understand and use as well. The bowl is removable, making it easy to transport the finished product around your workspace. If you are OK with the blue color, then this affordable stand mixer is the perfect fit for you.
Best Mixer With Shredder Attachment: Avantco MX20SHSLK
Pros
- Shredder attachment built-in
- Will not operate when bowl guard is opened
- Affordable price
- Shredder attachment is easy to assemble
Cons
- No timer function
- Only one shredder cut size included
Why We Picked It
The Avantco MX20SHSLK is the perfect example of a commercial mixer that is useful in more ways than one. This specific unit comes with a 3/16” shredder disc that can be used to process ingredients such as cheese or vegetables. This attachment is easily placed on or removed and can be a game-changer for those who shred a lot in their day-to-day production.
The 20 qt mixing bowl is easily removed for moving around your recipes and also to clean efficiently. The motor is 1.5 HP, which is higher than most on this list, and really helps with overall mixing and shredding power. The power cord and other features on this Avantco are built for reliability and longevity. This unit is great for production kitchens that need to shred a lot of product while also utilizing the main mixer functions. You can get other cut dyes for different cuts.
Best Multispeed Countertop Mixer: Waring Luna WSM7L
Pros
- 11 speed functions for precise mixing control
- Tilt-back head for ease of bowl removal
- Thermal overload protection
- Affordable countertop mixer
Cons
- No timer function
- Not a silver color which may cause lack of uniformity in your kitchen
Why We Picked It
The Waring Luna WSM7L countertop mixer is a great addition to any prep space. Useful in smaller-scale production, this mixer comes with a 7-qt bowl and a tilt-back head, making it easy to fit the bowl underneath the mixer. The mixer also features a safety guard with a chute so that ingredients can be added in correctly without injuring the operator or breaking the machine.
This mixer comes with front-mounted controls for easy access and control of the mixer speed. It also has an LED light indicating when the machine is on, a small but important safety and efficiency feature. The gear-driven, permanent lube transmission is built to last for many uses. The accessories are all dishwasher-safe, making it a very easy mixer to clean, and rubber feet support the base so that it will not slide around your prep table. This is the ideal mixer for those who are looking for a fairly priced countertop mixer that offers in-depth mixing speed control.
Best High-end Countertop Mixer: Hobart N50-60
Pros
- Automatic reset button available
- Controls mechanical and ergonomically placed on unit
- Small 5 qt kitchen footprint
Cons
- Very high purchasing price
- No timer function
- No safety mixing guard
Why We Picked It
The Hobart N50-60 is a high-end but very well-made countertop commercial mixer for those wanting an efficient mixer with a smaller kitchen footprint. Busy cafes, smaller baked goods programs, or consistent dough recipe-based kitchens with a small volume are all great examples of when to use this mixer. This mixer is focused on ergonomics, with all of the mechanical controls placed in an easy-to-reach location.
The controls are also large and easy to learn, making this a simple but effective tool for your staff to control. All of these controls are single-pole and mechanically interlocked with the transmission. This machine does require a higher price point, but the brand and efficiency of Hobart is what drives the price. If you are looking for a dependable and easy-to-use countertop mixer for your staff, then the Hobart N50-60 is your best bet.
Best Spiral Mixer: Estella SM60
Pros
- 60 qt volume
- Specifically made for large dough production
- Auto-stop safety features
Cons
- Only two speed settings
- Belt-driven transmission
- Only for bakery niche recipes
Why We Picked It
The Estella SM60 60 qt spiral mixer is a great choice for any bakery that has a large volume of dough production. The timer is what stands out on this mixer, as it will shut off your hooks when the dough is complete, preventing overworking of product and subsequent food waste. This mixer can handle up to 90 lbs. of dough capacity, and offers two speeds and a timer in order to get an accurate mix on your dough recipes. The grated lid and auto-stop safety feature make it safe and easy to use for your staff as well.
This kind of mixer is made to last, with a durable and fixed stainless steel bowl that allows you to add all sorts of ingredients into it, while also being easy to clean once you are done. This is the perfect mixer for any bakery that has large volume production needs.
Types of Commercial Mixers
Planetary Mixers
Planetary mixers are the general stand mixers you find in this list. They operate by having a mixing bowl lock into place while an attachment mixes from the arm above the mixer to incorporate the ingredients. These mixers are used in countless forms in restaurants and food production and are some of the most common and popular mixers on the market.
Countertop Mixer
A countertop mixer is a small unit that can be placed on a work table or counter in a restaurant. These mixers are used for smaller types of production, such as desserts at a restaurant or making small amounts of dough. They are useful in restaurant settings and low-volume food businesses and save tons of time due to their mixing efficiency.
Spiral Mixers
Spiral mixers are popular in bakeries and with dough making. These mixers spin both the mixing attachment and the mixing bowl itself. The rotating motions help knead large volumes of dough and keep the dough hydrated and constantly moving as needed. These are very efficient machines for very niche food businesses.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Commercial Mixer
Motor Function
Understanding how powerful a motor is in relation to the mixer itself is key when making a purchasing decision. Higher-powered motors will obviously lend to better mixing capability, so understanding how the motor runs and how much work it can do before overheating is key. Also, look for motors that avoid overheating; these will always be longer-lasting.
Safety Features
There is an inherent risk when using commercial mixers. These powerful machines are meant to efficiently incorporate food in various ways, and this also means errors can occur with unsafe handling. Features such as cage lift shut-offs, chutes to add food while the mixer is running, and not operating until the mixer is correctly assembled are all points to note. Your staff’s safety is critical to the success of your business, and it starts with the equipment they use.
Mixer Style
There are different mixer styles available on the market, the main three being: countertop, stand, and floor mixers. These all vary in size, and it is important to understand the needs of your business. A high-volume bakery would use a floor mixer constantly, while a medium-volume restaurant may only need a countertop mixer for limited use. Know the recipe capacity you need and base your decision on that.
Drive Style
Understanding the drive system of the mixer you purchase is key. For example, a belt-drive system will offer you more flexibility in your speed choice but often need more maintenance. In contrast, a gear-drive system will hold up longer but will not offer as much variability in your speed choice. Knowing the drive style compared to expected usage is paramount to your mixer buying decision.
Accessories & Attachments
Knowing not only what the mixer you purchase comes with but also the other attachments you can buy for it is important to note. For example, fitting items such as dough rollers and shredders onto a mixer can add even more efficiency and production capacity to your kitchen. Understanding what fits your mixer and the options you have to add on more tools is an important deciding factor.
Budget
Lastly, your budget will dictate the realm of mixers you can choose from. When making your budget, a full analysis of labor cost and efficiency should be made and understood. Say, you buy a cheaper, smaller mixer. Will the size constraints cause you higher labor costs that could have been made with a higher upfront cost of a larger unit? These are the questions to ask yourself when making your budget for a commercial mixer.
How We Evaluated Commercial Mixers
We looked at over 10 different commercial mixers on the market and compared them against strict scoring criteria in order to provide you with the list above. Here is a breakdown of what we judged the equipment on and why we decided to use these benchmarks in our decision-making process.
25% of Overall Score
25% of Overall Score
25% of Overall Score
25% of Overall Score
Finally, we looked at how the above-mentioned features stood out when reviewing the mixers as a whole. We then took into account the value for the price each unit was sold at. We noted brand reputation and reliability and also took into account the general ease of use staff would find when using these mixers regularly.
Commercial Mixer Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
The standard for commercial mixer attachments is often a dough hook, a whisk, and a paddle. These three attachments are able to execute an incredible range of recipes. They are often the most sought out by consumers and are the main reason why they are almost always included with any commercial mixer you buy.
There are some key differences between mixers you’d find in a food service commercial mixer versus one meant for home kitchens. Food service mixers have better motors and are built for high-volume use, being able to withstand the rigors of a kitchen environment. They also generally draw more electrical power and function at somewhat of a more efficient level due to their need to keep up with any kitchen demands. Commercial mixers are also much larger than home-use models—sometimes four to five times the size.
This generally depends on the mixer’s use case and the mixer’s size. Very large mixers offer a swing-out function to their bowls due to how heavy the bowl itself is and the difficulty presented with lifting such a heavy object. Removable bowls allow you to transfer product in that container and can be easier to clean. One is not better than the other generally, but rather in a case-by-case scenario. Most chefs tend to prefer removable bowls on small mixers and non-removable bowls on very large mixers.
Bottom Line
A great commercial mixer should be one that you can depend on to mix and process large volumes of food time and time again. It must be made well, built with the user in mind, be easy to maintain, and perform its function efficiently.
The Hobart Legacy HL200 captures all of this. As a stand mixer, it is made to last for years. The mechanical, gear-driven parts make it a standout in control and durability. Safety and timer functions help you manage your employee’s well-being and avoid overuse of the machine. Lastly, the swing-out bowl makes it a breeze to load and unload products. This is why the Hobart Legacy HL200 is the best overall commercial mixer.