This stand mixer might knock KitchenAid off your counter - is Kenwood the best in the bakery?

Kenwood kMix Stand Mixer KMX751ACR: £359.50 at kenwoodworld.com

There are variations on the Kenwood, with glass bowls and black, pink, and red colourways, but the cream is the one that we love and swear by. It's also available at Argos and Amazon, as well as Kenwood, so it's worth shopping around.

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Kenwood kMix is the very essence of baking: it's all about nailing the basics, and then adding some flourish. Whilst plenty of baking accessories and recipes love to pile on the extras (with dials, accessories, foams, gold leaf, and cherries on top of cherries on top), this keeps things simple, stylish, and impressive.

You’ll have seen plenty of professional bakers, including Dame Mary Berry, championing Kenwood as the brand behind some of the best stand mixers. And if you're wondering why and how they have come up as a rival to some of the best KitchenAids, take the Kenwood kMix Stand Mixer as your example. With the features bakers genuinely care about: a powerful motor for kneading bread, a bowl light for better visibility, and genuinely versatile speed settings too.

I’ve tested just about every model on the market, and after putting Kenwood and KitchenAid head-to-head, here’s the bottom line: the Kenwood kMix is a standout stand mixer in every sense.

Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer

Who would the Kenwood KMix suit?

The Kenwood kMix Stand Mixer is a brilliant, powerful model for any home baker. It's made with aluminium and other, lighter metals, compared to a KitchenAid's cast iron, making it lighter to lift and easier to move around. The 5L capacity suits larger homes, as does the impressive power. The easy-to-use design and price tag make it a more accessible option for novice bakers too.

One of the most cited reasons for buying the Kenwood kMix is as an alternative to a KitchenAid Artisan, especially if you're new to baking. The silhouettes are similar and performance is almost identical, except this is over £100 cheaper and comes with lots of neat extras. I found the handle on the bowl really easy to grab and hold onto and the dial is a really smooth way to change speeds. The soft-start setting also kept my counters clean - and will save any beginner from disastrous splashes and messes.

The reason that I recommend this to larger homes is the capacity. You'll see most stand mixers sitting with capacity around 4.5L, so the 5L mixing bowl is perfect for bigger, family home bakes: it's enough for a 3kg cake, a 1.5kg load of bread, 12 egg whites, or 700g of pastry. That being said, it still works magic with smaller quantities. I made a classic carrot cake and a 500g loaf with as much skill as when I filled the bowl. The beauty of the Kenwood kMix is that it stays wonderfully consistent and stable through all the different challenges.

Unboxing Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer

Kenwood takes care with its packaging, and it shows. The box is robust enough to protect the mixer in transit, and what initially looks like standard plastic wrapping is actually a recyclable or biodegradable material, which is a small but meaningful win for sustainability in a category that can feel a little behind the times.

Inside, the Kenwood kMix comes fully assembled, complete with a K-beater, dough hook, whisk, splash guard, and spatula. It’s a comprehensive kit that sets you up straight away, whether you’re tackling cakes, bread, or anything in between. The spatula is a particularly useful inclusion for scraping down the bowl and making sure nothing goes to waste.

What is the Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer like to use?

One of my favourite things about Kenwood stand mixers, and this one in particular, is how intuitive they are to use. The rear lever controls the tilt-head mechanism, locking it securely in place, while the bowl twists smoothly into position and the dial on the side lets you move between six speed settings. Everything feels solid and well-engineered, with a reassuring click as components slot into place. Even the handle positioning is thoughtfully designed, making it comfortable for both right- and left-handed bakers.

The speed dial runs from 0 to speed 6 and features a soft-start function, which gradually builds momentum to prevent ingredients from flying out of the bowl. It’s a small detail, but one that makes a noticeable difference in day-to-day baking.

Once you've familiarised yourself with the basics of the kMix, you can get into testing. My first port of call is always a cake batter, because it requires precision at every stage, from creaming butter and sugar to incorporating wet and dry ingredients without overworking the mixture.

Starting with a classic vanilla sponge, the butter and sugar creamed together into a pale, aerated mixture with minimal effort. Incorporating the remaining ingredients was seamless, and the final bake delivered light, evenly textured results.

To push things further, I made a carrot cake, which is a more complex batter, packed with grated carrot, walnuts, raisins, and my (non-negotiable) addition of pineapple. Despite the varied textures and higher moisture content, the Kenwood handled everything with ease, producing a beautifully cohesive batter and, ultimately, a reliably moist cake.

Of course, no cake test is complete without icing. I made both a buttercream and a cream cheese frosting, and in both cases, the results were smooth, stable, and completely lump-free. The soft-start function, combined with the splash guard, kept mess to an absolute minimum, which I was particularly impressed by how little icing sugar made its way onto the guard at all.

Next, I moved on to cookies. While the method starts similarly, creaming butter and sugar, the dough becomes much denser, especially once chocolate chips are added. This is where some mixers struggle, but the Kenwood maintained consistent torque and powered through without hesitation. I did need to scrape the base of the bowl once or twice to ensure everything was fully incorporated, but that’s standard across most stand mixers.

For whisking, I tested double cream, timing how quickly the mixer could achieve stiff peaks. The Kenwood came impressively close to my personal best, reaching stable peaks in around 2 minutes. Even when I switched to a more temperamental vegan cream, the results were smooth and well-structured. Again, the soft-start function prevented splashing, and the splash guard remained almost spotless, which is a strong performance detail.

Finally, I tested bread dough, often the ultimate measure of a stand mixer’s motor strength and build quality. My classic country loaf came together quickly, with the dough hook efficiently developing gluten structure and cleaning the sides of the bowl. In just eight minutes, I had a smooth, elastic dough ready to prove. I also tested larger quantities, with up to 1.5kg of flour, and the Kenwood handled it without strain. This is a seriously capable machine.

Cleaning the Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer

The bowl and all accessories are dishwasher safe, which makes clean-up super simple. The bowl is deep, but it still fitted comfortably into my single-drawer dishwasher without any awkward manoeuvring.

I tested the cream colourway, fully expecting it to show every splash and smear, but it held up remarkably well. Of course, it benefits from a quick wipe-down after use, but it’s reassuringly low-maintenance for something that looks this polished.

How does the Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer compare?

I’ve already said that this is one of my favourite Kenwood models, and that it stands up well against KitchenAid, but here’s how that plays out in practice.

I tested this shortly after trying KitchenAid’s Colour of the Year model, and while the Kenwood held its own aesthetically (the cream finish is genuinely beautiful), it also matched performance across almost every task. Mixing, whisking, and kneading were all just as efficient, with only the occasional need to scrape down the bowl.

Where Kenwood really stands out is in value and weight. It’s notably lighter than many cast-metal KitchenAid models, making it easier to move and store, and it typically comes in at a more accessible price point. That makes it particularly appealing for beginners or anyone who wants high performance without the heft.

Kenwood also offers a broader range, including models with built-in heating functions. If you’re comparing within the brand, the compact models are worth considering for smaller kitchens or tighter budgets, though you will sacrifice some capacity and features.

Should you buy the Kenwood KMix Stand Mixer?

If you’re a baker who cares about both performance and aesthetics, the Kenwood kMix is an excellent choice. It delivered consistently strong results across every test, from delicate batters to heavy doughs, and feels built to last.

It’s a reliable, well-engineered mixer that genuinely earns its place on your countertop and one that can confidently rival more expensive alternatives.

How we test stand mixers

At woman&home, we put every stand mixer through a series of standardised tests designed to reflect real home baking. That includes creaming butter and sugar, mixing cake batter, whisking cream, and kneading bread dough.

We assess each model for power, consistency, ease of use, stability, and overall build quality. We also compare it directly to competitors, consider value for money, and identify exactly who it will suit and who it might not.

If you still have questions after reading, feel free to get in touch, or explore our dedicated guide to how we test stand mixers.