Commercial Mixer Buying Guide

Mixer Types

There are 3 types of mixers, dough, planetary, and vertical cutter mixers, and each type of mixer has its own unique advantages that make them the best choice for certain applications. Below, we'll break down the 3 types of commercial mixers and their uses.

Planetary Mixer vs Spiral Mixer

A planetary mixer is considered a more all-purpose mixer because the removable wire whip, dough beater, and dough hook attachments allow for much more flexibility in mixing. Many planetary mixers can also accept standard #12 attachments like meat grinders and food processors to further increase the versatility of the mixer.

A spiral mixer is specifically designed to gently and efficiently mix and knead dough. A spiral mixer provides operators with more control over the dough, making it the preferred choice for making large quantities of pizza and bread loaves.

Mixer Styles

In addition to the different mixer types, you can also choose from different styles. You must consider how big you want your mixer to be, and where you want to place it in your kitchen.

Parts of a Mixer

For the most part, commercial mixers share common components and features. Most mixers will include front and rear covers, a safety/bowl guard, mixing device attachments, a bowl lift wheel or lever, a bowl, and power/speed controls. Some units may feature electric bowl lifts or additional attachments, but in general, commercial mixers will operate in a similar fashion.

Commercial Mixer Features

In addition to the type of mixer, you will also need to consider the drive system, mixer speeds, horsepower, bowl lift system, and safety features of the unit to ensure it is the best model for your needs.

Drive System

Mixers generally come with either a belt-driven or gear-driven system. While both types are designed to stand up to the rigors of commercial use, there are some benefits and disadvantages to both.

Belt-driven mixers use a simple strap system, similar to an engine belt, to turn the agitator inside the mixing bowl which makes them easier to maintain and repair. However, it can experience belt "slip," or insufficient grip between the belt and drive, which reduces the velocity ratio of the mixer system.

Gear-driven mixers utilize an intricate inner assembly of gears and cogs to prevent slips and stutters. The gears eliminate the risk of drive system slip. However, when repairs are needed, they tend to be more expensive than a belt system.

Horsepower

Larger mixers tend to have a higher horsepower motor than smaller models since they're mixing more material at a time, and larger mixers are also better suited to handle thicker, stiffer dough (like pizza dough), which require more power to mix than lighter mixtures.

Bowl Lift

On planetary mixers, the mixing bowl usually attaches to a yoke at the sides or near the vertical column on the machine, and is raised and lowered one of two ways:

Manual bowl lift systems raise and lower the bowl via a wheel or lever. On some smaller countertop planetary mixers, however, the bowl does not move. Rather, the entire upper housing of the mixer, mixing device included, tilts back and permits access to the bowl.

Electric bowl lift systems raise and lower the bowl automatically with buttons or a similar interface. This is more common on larger mixers with larger mixing bowls.

How to Choose the Right Commercial Mixer

Before making your purchase, there are three main questions you will want to ask yourself:

What Will You Be Mixing?

Different types of dough and batter will have different consistencies, and as a result, not every mixer is right for every job - kneading a batch of thick, stiff dough is going to require more power than mixing meringue or icing, for example. A commercial bread mixer and pizza dough mixer will be different than a mixer meant for whipping delicate egg whites.

Finding the absorption ratio (lbs. of water divided by lbs. of flour) for some of your most commonly used dough is a good way to figure out what types of mixers might best suit your needs; the lower the absorption rate, the more difficult the dough will be to mix and in turn, the more powerful your unit should probably be.

What Type of Usage Do You Expect From Your Mixer?

All mixers are designed to handle the rigors of commercial use, but some are better equipped for certain types of mixing than others; be sure to check the manufacturer's literature on the product pages for more information.

How Much Will You Be Mixing?

How much you will be mixing plays a large role in what size of mixer you will want to look at. A small restaurant can take care of most needs with a 5 to 20 qt. planetary mixer. In contrast, a pizzeria or bakery will want to look at 40 qt. or larger, or even a spiral mixer in very large-scale applications. This is because the mixer is being used almost constantly and turning out high volumes of product.

Also, be mindful of the fact that the bowl can't be filled to the brim and different ingredient factors will affect how big each batch can be:

• Higher flour protein content = smaller batch size
• Lower water temperature = smaller batch size
• Less water in the dough = smaller batch size
• Higher mixing speed = smaller batch size
• More oil/shortening in the dough = smaller batch size

Our mixer capacities chart (below) is a great way to determine what size of mixer is best for you.

PLEASE NOTE: This chart is not a definitive guide for every mixer; the values represent a typical capacity for the products that we carry and are meant to help you determine the best commercial mixer for your needs. Please refer to the manufacturer literature (located under "Specsheet" on our product pages) for more detailed information about what each specific model can handle.

N/A = Certain mixers in this size category may not be suitable for this type of mixing. Consult the manufacturer's literature for more information.

Types of Mixer Attachments

Mixer accessories can be used to increase the versatility of your unit. Let's go over the types of mixer attachments and their uses below.

Mixer Attachments for PTO Hubs

There are a variety of different mixer hub attachments that can be used on the Power Takeoff (PTO) hub on your mixer, letting you perform many tasks beyond mixing just dough and batter!

However, the hub size on the attachment has to match the hub on the mixer. Most commercial mixer hubs and attachments are #12 size so this is seldom an issue, but still check this before purchasing.