If you love to bake and are constantly whipping up cakes, batters and doughs, chances are you already have a stand mixer in your kitchen. If not, there's probably one on your wish list.
KitchenAid has long been revered as the must-have appliance for baking enthusiasts – an iconic brand synonymous with kitchen mixers. But there's a new kid on the block, making their mark as an option for serious bakers. The Swedish Ankarsrum stand mixer stands out from the crowd with its retro design and, like the KitchenAid, is available in a range of colours to suit your home decor. It comes with a serious price tag though – at $1395 it's significantly more expensive than a KitchenAid.
Of course we had to get it in front of our kitchen experts to see how this Swedish masterpiece stacks up against the American muscle of the KitchenAid.
On this page:
- What is the Ankarsrum?
- How is the Ankarsrum different from other stand mixers?
- How does the Ankarsrum perform?
- Ankarsrum vs KitchenAid: How do they compare?
- CHOICE verdict: Should you buy the Ankarsrum stand mixer?
What is the Ankarsrum?
While it's relatively new to the scene in Australia, the Ankarsrum Assistent Original is a kitchen stand mixer that has been manufactured in Sweden since 1940. In fact, Ankarsrum boasts that it's assembled by hand and each product is tested before leaving the factory.
It comes with a massive 7L stainless-steel mixing bowl which is capable of mixing up to 5kg of dough. The machine is ideal for all sorts of dough-making, so if this is what you're into, then the Ankarsrum will make light work of the onerous task of kneading.
What you get in the box
The Ankarsrum comes with a dough kit (with 7L bowl), whisk set (with 3.5L bowl) and a versatile lid.
When you purchase an Ankarsrum Assistent Original you'll receive the tools needed for baking and whisking. These include:
- Dough kit (7L bowl with dough roller, dough hook, dough knife and dough scraper)
- Full whisk set (3.5L mixing bowl with balloon whisks and cookie beaters)
- Versatile lid (for proving dough directly in the bowl and can also act as a splashguard)
You'll also receive a recipe book, which CHOICE home economist, Fiona Mair says could do with some improvements. Recipes are available on the website, in a hard copy version, and as a downloadable recipe book. Fiona says, "I recommend that beginners start with the downloadable version, as it includes more basic recipes with detailed instructions".
The machine comes with a seven-year warranty and there are a range of replacement parts available to purchase should your machine be in need of new parts following the warranty period.
There are also many accessories that can be purchased to increase the versatility of the Ankarsrum, turning it into a complete food preparation system. A vegetable cutter, citrus press, blender, ice cream maker, pasta roller and mincer can all be purchased as optional accessories, but keep in mind they will add to the already hefty price tag of the machine.
We purchased the Go Green accessory set for $425 which included a citrus press, blender with tamper and vegetable cutter. The unit has an extra outlet for all these accessories and to use some you'll need to turn the Ankarsrum on its side to access the outlet.
The Ankarsrum needs to be on its side to access and use the accessory outlet.
How is the Ankarsrum different from other stand mixers?
Apart from its distinct design, the Ankarsrum also operates differently to stand mixers we've tested from brands like Breville, Sunbeam, KitchenAid, Kenwood and Smeg.
Traditionally, stand mixers have their motor in the head of the unit (up above). This is where all the weight is and why it's usually important to look for a mixer with a spring loaded motor head, so it's easier to lift the head to add and manipulate ingredients. Setting it apart from other mixers, the motor of the Ankarsrum sits in the base of the unit and the mixing bowl sits on top of it. This makes it easier to add ingredients into the bowl.
The Ankarsrum also works by rotating the bowl (as opposed to to traditional stand mixers where the beaters are rotating while the bowl remains static).
The wide bowl of the Ankarsrum means it usually takes longer than other stand mixers to bring ingredients together. It may also require you to manually move the mounting arm back and forth to help the process.
Making dough
The Ankarsrum uses different accessories depending on the dough you're making (for example, high hydration doughs use the dough hook whereas the dough roller is used for pasta doughs or softer doughs that require butter).
The method for dough-making is also slightly different in the Ankarsrum than for other stand mixers – liquid is added first and then the dry ingredients are added gradually.
Stand mixers also usually have a time and speed limit when it comes to kneading heavy doughs, and if you exceed the limit you run the risk of overheating the unit and damaging the motor. With the Ankarsrum this is not the case – while it takes longer to mix and knead, there's no time or speed limit for doughs.
How does the Ankarsrum perform?
When our kitchen experts, Fiona Mair and Chantelle Dart test stand mixers they assess their performance based on how well they can whisk egg whites as well as make a dough and cake mix.
CHOICE members can view the full detailed results of our testing, and compare how the Ankarsrun stacks up against over 20 other stand mixers in our latest stand mixer reviews.
We can reveal here though that the Ankarsrum was impressive across our range of tests.
"The lightweight beater bowl is used for whisking eggs for meringues, making cake batters and cookie doughs. It has an open shaft through the middle of the bowl and the twin beaters sit perfectly in the bowl so all ingredients get mixed well, with limited scraping down of the sides of the bowl," Fiona says.
The unit has rubber feet and is fairly stable on the bench when making dough, however, you may need to manually move the hook arm initially to help get all the ingredients mixed together to avoid large amounts of dough becoming stuck and staying unmixed.
How do the extra accessories perform?
When we tested the accessories from the Go Green pack, the citrus juicer and vegetable cutter gave "very good" results.
"The blender attachment comes with a tamper so it can be compared to high performance blenders," say Fiona.
"It was excellent across the range of performance tests but only struggled when it came to processing kale."
The instructions recommend processing for two minutes at a time and the blender blade is not removable (however, access around the blade for cleaning is fairly easy). The blender jug is lightweight and the unit needs to be turned on its side to attach the blender (the Ankarsrum still stays stable on its side).
Safety issues to consider
It's important to note that hands or tools should never be placed in the bowl while the machine is running.
There is a risk of crushing injuries occurring between the rotating bowl and dough hook and the arm pin for securing attachments can be stiff or misaligned and can pose a pinching risk if your hand is in the way when pushing down.
Is it easy to use?
Kitchen mixers are a fairly simple and uncomplicated appliance and overall, the same can be said for the Ankarsrum. It features two large dial controls for time and speed, the bowls are easy to attach and remove, it's very easy to add ingredients and cleaning the unit is a breeze too.
Attaching the mixing tools for dough making is where things can get tricky and this can take some time and practice to get used to. There's a sequence of steps to follow – there are two holes in the attachment arm, one for the dough knife/scraper and the other for the dough hook.
Once attached, the arm can then be locked in place by tightening the wheel handle which is uncomfortable to grip and can be difficult to loosen (you might want to leave it unlocked if you need to manually assist the initial mixing of the dough). Tool height can be adjusted with a screw driver to avoid hitting and damaging the bottom of the bowl.
There's no separate storage for the accessories and while some can be stored inside the bowl when it's not in use, you'll need to have storage space, especially if you purchase extra attachments like the Go Green set.
Keep in mind that the Ankarsrum, like many other stand mixers, is quite heavy and bulky and is designed to be a permanent fixture on your kitchen benchtop.
Ankarsrum vs KitchenAid: How do they compare?
Ankarsrum and KitchenAid are both high-end stand mixers, each with their own distinct design. Our experts have tested five KitchenAid mixers and while they are consistently excellent performers, their heavy motor head that isn't spring loaded lets them down for ease of use (among other things).
Fiona says: "the Ankarsrum has impressed us with its sturdy design and its durability, especially for dough making."
To see how these machines perform against mixers from Breville, Sunbeam, Kenwood, Smeg and more, see the results of over 20 stand mixers in our review.
Ankarsrum
Price: $1395
- Swedish-built
- Motor in the base
- Unlimited running time
- Unique retro design with 14 colours to choose from
- Ideal for making dough, especially in large batches
- Steeper learning curve due to its unconventional design
- 7 year warranty
KitchenAid
Price: $699–$1149
- American-built
- Motor in the tilt head making it heavy to lift
- No spring loaded motor head
- Maximum running time of 6 minutes on speed 2 when kneading dough
- Iconic design with multiple colours to choose from
- Ideal for general baking but can struggle with large dough batches
- Easy to use with intuitive design
- 5 year warranty
CHOICE verdict: Should you buy the Ankarsrum stand mixer?
The Ankarsrum has a design that stands out from the conventional mixers we're used to seeing from popular brands like Breville, Smeg, Sunbeam, Kenwood and KitchenAid. Its differences in design mean it might take you a little longer to learn how to use and adjust it.
It's also the most expensive mixer we've tested, so you really should consider what you usually bake and how often, to determine if this appliance is worth its price tag and a spot on your kitchen bench. The Ankarsrum can be overkill for the occasional baker or if you only make cakes and other light batters. You can pick up one of our recommended stand mixer models for around a quarter of the price of the Ankarsrum – as Fiona says, "this machine is really for the serious baker".
"The fact that the motor won't overheat, allowing for long kneading times, makes the Ankarsrum an attractive option if you're always baking large batches of bread and other doughs."
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Stock images: Getty, unless otherwise stated.
