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Ever wonder what the worst products on Amazon are? Sometimes these products just don’t get as much attention as the bigger brands, but other times they are downright awful and deserve the lowest spot. Today we’ll be comparing the worst stand mixer on Amazon vs the best stand mixer on Amazon. Read on to see who reigns supreme. Speaking of reigning supreme, we compared the best of the best with KitchenAid vs Cuisinart vs Hamilton Beach stand mixers if you’re curious.
Meet the Competitors
First up we have the best stand mixer on Amazon: KitchenAid Artisan Series Tilt-Head stand mixer. With an impressive 4.7 rating and nearly 6,700 reviews, this mixer easily beats out the rest. KitchenAid has been making stand mixers for years and they are commonly on the best stand mixer lists because they are strong, packed with accessories, and are highly reliable.
In the other corner we have the worst stand mixer on Amazon: Cookinex Stand Mixer with Detachable Head. With a 1-star rating and one single review, it’s hard to say if this stand mixer is horrible or just misunderstood. Every product on Amazon gets 1-star ratings, so it might just be an unfortunate review or maybe the mixer is really this bad.
You’ll see soon.
Cookinex may not be as recognizable as KitchenAid, but they’re no stranger to kitchen appliances. They’ve been in business for over 15 years and usually focus on providing affordable and reliable cookware, thermoses, and other appliances. They’re not known for their stand mixers, but let’s see how they compare.
Features and Settings
I want to start our stand mixer review talking about features and settings. While we could debate whether more features is necessarily better (it usually is), the truth is that you want a versatile mixer that can do whatever you need. The best stand mixer should be able to go from one recipe to another without failing. KitchenAid Artisan is certainly up to the challenge (especially if you have any Power Hub attachments), but I can’t say the same for Cookinex.
KitchenAid Artisan has a 10-speed slider that ranges from slow stir to fast, whipping action. You get a flat beater, wire whip, and dough hook for various recipes. KitchenAid’s premier feature is the Power Hub that allows you to use extra attachments like a food grinder, spiralizer, pasta maker, and so much more.
The unique 59-point planetary mixing action ensures thorough incorporation of every ingredient (translation: your chocolate chip cookies will have even chocolate distribution). The mixer has a tilt-head design so you can easily access the bowl or change the hook or beater.
The motor is strong enough for any ingredient (covered later), you can choose from 20 different colors, and you get a coated dough hook, coated flat beater, pouring shield, and a 6-wire whip.
That was a mouthful. So, does the Cookinex have anything in its arsenal to combat the KitchenAid Artisan? Not really.
The Cookinex stand mixer has a 5-speed motor ranging from slow to very fast. It also has a turbo feature for even more speed and power. The mixer itself is very light. You won’t have any problems moving it around. You get two dough hooks and two beaters that conveniently fit in the recesses of the stand.
While that isn’t nearly as impressive as the KitchenAid Artisan, Cookinex does have one feature KitchenAid doesn’t. It’s a combo stand mixer and hand mixer. You can remove the mixer from the stand and use it anywhere. There’s a bit of give and take here as the mixer is weaker but more mobile. However, Cookinex can use even win it can get being the worst rated stand mixer on Amazon.
Power
You need a strong motor if you plan on working with stiff dough or anything hard. Want to make rustic bread? You need a strong motor. How about mom’s secret cookie recipe? A strong motor goes a long way.
There’s no contest here. Cookinex has a 200 watt motor while KitchenAid Artisan has 325 watts. It’s not KitchenAid’s strongest, you’ll want the KitchenAid Professional 600 with its 575-watt motor, but it’s more than enough for stiff ingredients. Cookinex is good for basic cakes, whipped cream, and some bread recipes, but you’ll struggle as the ingredients get harder.
While it’s easy to say that Cookinex is terrible, let’s look at it closer. KitchenAid is supposed to be a stationary stand mixer while Cookinex is a combination stand mixer and hand mixer. Just look at it. It’s a hand mixer with a stand.
Standard hand mixers are around 200-250 watts, so Cookinex fits in comfortably here. That still doesn’t excuse the lack of power, but it makes sense when you understand why the motor is smaller.
Capacity
The KitchenAid Artisan comes with a 5-quart stainless steel bowl and an easy-lift lid. To put that in perspective, you can make enough dough for four loaves of bread or nine dozen cookies. Prefer mashed potatoes? You can make seven pounds of your favorite mashed potato recipe.
What about the Cookinex stand mixer? It comes with a 2-liter stainless steel bowl (roughly about 2-quarts) with a large ring around the top for easy carrying. It’s not quite as intuitive as a handle, but I personally like the rim. It’s unique. Not as useful, but special nonetheless.
Cookinex has less than half the capacity, but that shouldn’t come as any surprise. This is a cheaper stand mixer. If you’re cooking for yourself and maybe one other person, then the Cookinex detachable stand mixer should be fine. However, I’d recommend the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer if you’re cooking for the whole family (or for yourself if you love cookies just a little too much).
Final Verdict
There’s really no comparison here. The KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer is a powerhouse with tons of features and a recognized brand name known for excellence. Cookinex on the other hand is a practically unknown brand that lacks power, features, and capacity. Some of this can be explained by Cookinex being more of a combo hand mixer and stand mixer, but even then it’s only OK compared to other hand mixers.
Overall, I have to suggest the KitchenAid Artisan if you want power and versatility. There’s a reason it’s the best rated stand mixer on Amazon. Cookinex isn’t bad. I can see it being useful for one or two people, if you want an affordable mixer, or if you would prefer a combo unit. Unless that describes what you’re looking for, stick with KitchenAid here.