I tested 6 budget bread mixers to see which makes the perfect dough – an Argos buy is a baker’s dream

THERE’S nothing better than the smell of freshly baked bread.

But kneading dough by hand is tough and, done badly, can make the difference between a risen loaf and a sunken disaster.

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That is why many bakers rely on stand mixers – there are more than 25 MILLION “Good stand mixers” posts on TikTok as people search for a path to perfect dough.

Zoe Plant, of The Foodworks SW, said: “In 2025, we’re expecting to see stand mixers become even more popular.

Here, Julie Cook makes white loaves – using six mixers and hook attachments – to find the rising stars, marking the mixers out of five for both value and results.

HOME BARGAINS

Open Kitchen, £49.99

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With a Scandi-looking cream body, or a smart, black matte one, this would compliment every kitchen. It looks very professional too and like you mean business.

At first, it was tricky to fit the dough hook, which I found a little hard to push on and slot in.

But once that was done, and I dumped my ingredients into the mixing bowl, it efficiently pulled all the components into the middle with no help at all.

It was a bit noisier than the other ones on test, but certainly mixed the dough well, leaving a pristine bowl and no ingredients left on the sides at the end.

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The dough was easy to scoop out and get off the hook which made the washing up much easier for me.

• VALUE: 4
• DOUGH MAKING: 5

TOWER 3 IN 1: BEST LOOKING

Wayfair.co.uk, £82.99

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WITH stunning rose gold knobs and dials, this sleek black mixer is a looker and definitely brings the bling to your bread-making. It gave off social media influencer vibes.

The hook was large and the bowl has a useful handle on the side – something the others lacked.

It meant you have something to grab hold of when checking the dough or loosening the bowl from the machine.

It wasn’t too noisy either, and was surprisingly lightweight for its size.

After mixing, though, there was quite a bit of dough left on the hook compared to other mixers.

This is one for those who like a bit of glitz and glamour in the kitchen and it provides a great talking point if you’ve got your mates round for coffee.

• VALUE: 4
• DOUGH MAKING: 3

DUNELM

Dunelm.com, £55

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THIS has a smart, sleek design you’d be proud to show off to the neighbours, and it’s sturdy-looking dough hook appears more than adequate for the task in hand.

When it got started I expected a loud noise, but was met with a nice, soft whirr.

The hook kneaded everything well, pulling the ingredients from the sides of the bowl pretty quickly to make a good, smooth dough.

This is quite a tall mixer so you need to consider that, if you have a compact kitchen. On the plus side its height makes it look quite imposing and sturdy, a tool that you can trust.

• VALUE: 5
• DOUGH MAKING: 4

DAEWOO

Currys.co.uk, £59.99

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This model is much more compact than the others and lacking heft, which made it feel a bit cheaper than some of the other mixers.

But the design means it would fit really well into a small kitchen, which does not have a lot of work surface and is also good if you don’t want to hulk around a heavy mixer.

It’s so lightweight it could even be worth taking if you’re driving off with the family on a self-catering UK break.

The 3.5-litre mixing bowl was a bit small in comparison to others, but as I was only making a 2lb loaf, it was plenty large enough. The dough hook was also tiny when compared to its competitors.

Once it got going, the machine was noisy and, towards the end of mixing, virtually screeched.

But it did the job and the dough fell easily out of the bowl and off the hook for proving.

• VALUE: 4
• DOUGH MAKING: 3

GEORGE: BEST BUDGET

Asda, £45

THIS stylish product, called the Scandi, would look great in a light, bright kitchen and, great news, has been reduced from £55.

It has a vintage vibe, aesthetically pleasing with its white body and light brown wooden-effect knobs.

It was easy to assemble and lightweight, making it very user-friendly. Attaching the dough hook was easy – it snapped into place and once it got started, the noise wasn’t too loud.

As it got going, I noticed dough and flour left on the sides of the bowl, but with a nudge of my wooden spoon, the hook caught the lot and made a lovely smooth dough.

• VALUE: 4
• DOUGH MAKING: 5

COOKWORKS: BEST PRO BAKER

Argos.co.uk, £80

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WITH its sleek, commercial-kitchen-ready looks, this stand mixer – down in price from £100 – clearly means business. It came in a huge box and is solid, substantial and serious-looking.

It would make a great addition for a cook or baker who loves gadgets – or a great present for the budding baker in your life.

It was easy to put together and features a massive dough hook. Once it got going it was surprisingly quiet for its size and made a nice, smooth dough.

Also, I didn’t need to set a timer as it automatically stopped mixing after ten minutes, which was perfect as that is exactly how long I needed for each set of dough.

However it is bulkier and heavier than some mixers, so perhaps not the one for you if you’re low on space.

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You’d definitely need to assign a whole corner of your kitchen to this big boy.

• VALUE: 4
• DOUGH MAKING: 5