Commercial Mixer Buyers' Guide

Commercial mixers are an essential part of any kitchen. Choosing the right model starts with understanding what you'll be mixing and how much output your kitchen requires. You'll also want to determine where the unit will be placed, whether it be on a countertop for light prep or on the floor for extensive use and production.

Whether you need a spiral mixer for dense doughs like pizza and bagels or a versatile planetary mixer, there's a wide range of mixers with different features and styles available to suit operations of every size.

Commercial vs. Residential Mixers

Commercial mixers are designed for heavy-duty kitchen tasks, offering large capacities, powerful motors, and enhanced durability for frequent high-volume use. On the other hand, residential mixers are ideal for occasional, small-batch cooking at home and often lack the power needed for commercial settings. Commercial mixers are key for maintaining speed, consistency, and long-term performance in restaurants, bakeries, and other foodservice operations.

How to Choose the Best Commercial Mixer for Your Operation

Selecting the right commercial mixer starts with understanding what products and ingredients you'll be working with. If you're mixing dough for pizza or bread, you'll need more power than if you're making sauces. Furthermore, consider the volume required per batch and how frequently the machine will be used daily. It's best to match the mixer's capacity and motor strength to your operation's workload.

Commercial Mixer Types

There are various commercial mixers, each suited for different applications and volumes. Whether you're mixing dough, whipping batters, or blending sauces, there's a mixer designed to meet those needs. To choose the best fit for your operation, we'll explore the differences between these common types of mixers: planetary, spiral, vertical cutter, and immersion.

Planetary Mixers

Named for the way the agitator rotates on its axis while moving around the bowl—similar to a planet moving around the sun—planetary mixers are among the most versatile mixer types. Also known as cake mixers, these units enable you to mash potatoes, whip cream, and mix nearly anything with significant moisture content.

Unlike the spiral variety, planetary mixers are compatible with an assortment of agitators and attachments—usually between four and six types. They're available in compact countertop designs that are as large as 20 quarts in size, as well as larger floor models that can handle 200 quarts.

  • Common Use Mixing, whipping, mashing, and kneading
  • Ideal For: Bakeries and commercial kitchens
  • Product Applications: Cake batter, cookie dough, mashed potatoes, and sauces

Spiral Mixers

Spiral mixers are named because of the spiral-shaped agitator. Also commonly called dough or pizza mixers, these units feature motors capable of powering through dense dough and a wide variety of ingredients with a significant moisture content. Because of their power, they may not be practical for everyday kitchens, but if you're running a high-volume restaurant, bakery, or pizzeria, this mixer could be a great solution.

These mixers are available in capacities that handle 50 to 600 pounds of dough or 30 to 380 pounds of flour. For a heavier amount of dough, you may want to choose a mixer with a hydraulic bowl lift. Hydraulic lifts can be simple mechanisms that lift and lock bowls into place, or they can be robust arms that lift hundreds of pounds of dough up and over a work table so the ingredients can then be scooped out for prep.

  • Common Use: Mixing and kneading thick dough
  • Ideal For: Pizzerias, bakeries, and high-volume food production
  • Product Applications: Bread dough, pizza crust, bagel dough, and bulk baked goods

Vertical Cutter Mixers

Vertical cutter mixers are designed for speed and efficiency when processing large batches of ingredients. These powerful mixers feature wide, covered bowls, rotating blades, and high horsepower motors that can chop, mix, knead, or emulsify products within minutes. With capacities typically ranging from 15 to 60 quarts, vertical cutter mixers are ideal for operations making sauces, dressings, and fillings in bulk.

  • Common Use: Chopping, mixing, kneading, and emulsifying
  • Ideal For: Institutions and high-volume kitchens
  • Product Applications: Salsa, sauces, dressing, dough, and meat fillings

Immersion Blenders

Also known as stick blenders or hand blenders, immersion blenders are handheld units used to directly blend ingredients in a bowl or cooking vessel, eliminating the need to transfer food into a standard mixer. These compact blenders—available in sizes with 10-inch shafts to models with over a 20-inch reach—are designed for pureeing, emulsifying, and whipping, and their portability and easy cleanup streamline speed and flexibility. For those interested finding high-quality blenders, KaTom offers a curated selection of the best immersion blenders.

  • Common Use: Pureeing, emulsifying, and whipping
  • Ideal For: Restaurants, caterers, and institutional kitchens
  • Product Applications: Soup, vinaigrettes, hollandaise, and whipped cream

Commercial Mixer Styles

Beyond mixer types, commercial mixers come in different styles to suit various kitchen layouts and volume needs. The most common options include countertop and stand models.

Countertop Mixers

  • Compact size
  • Great for low- to medium-volume production
  • Ideal for restaurants with limited floor space
  • Available in planetary designs
  • 2 primary styles: tilt-head and bowl-lift

Stand Mixers

  • Freestanding
  • Built for medium-volume production
  • Typically offer planetary-style mixing with standard attachments
  • Portable for repositioning when needed, which isn't possible with built-in floor models
  • Explore KaTom's selection of stand mixers

Parts of a Commercial Mixer

Commercial mixers are made up of several essential components that work together to ensure efficient operation. Essential parts include the mixing bowl, agitator, and safety guard, along with operator controls such as bowl lift wheels or levers and speed and power controls. Furthermore, protective elements like the front and rear covers secure internal components.

Commercial Mixer Key Features

To improve efficiency and user safety, commercial mixers may come with a variety of features. When choosing a mixer, assess what it comes with—programmable controls, speed settings, or attachment types—and how it will meet the specific needs of your kitchen.

Motors

Since the motor is the driving force behind a commercial mixer's performance, it's important to select the right power level to handle your mixing tasks. When comparing models, consider horsepower, ingredient density, and how often your kitchen will be making large batches.

  • Horsepower: Ranges from 1/3 HP for light-duty tasks to 5 HP for heavy, continuous use
  • Absorption Ratio: Higher ratios require more power to effectively mix thick dough and depends mainly on the type of flour you'll be using
  • Ideal Usage: Light-duty mixers (those with lower horsepower) are great for batters and creams, while heavy-duty mixers can mix and knead dough for breads, bagels, and pizzas

Speed

A mixer's speed will affect both the texture of ingredients and the functionality of various attachments. Many commercial mixers have multiple speed settings (however, not all mixers support on-the-fly speed changes), so it's important to match each attachment to its needed speed range. For instance, planetary mixers often feature variable speed controls, while spiral mixers offer fixed low, medium, and high settings.

Mixer attachments will fit either a No. 12 or No. 20 hub, so make sure to consult your mixer's manual to see which hub it has. Here are some of the most common attachments and the speeds recommended for each:

  • Flat Beater: Best at medium speeds for mixing, creaming, and mashing
  • Wire Loop: Operates at high speeds to beat eggs, egg whites, and make frostings
  • Dough Hook: Kneads bread and pizza dough at low speeds
  • Pastry Knife: Designed for low speeds to cut shortening into flour without overworking the dough
  • Wing Whip: Functions at medium to high speeds, ideal for making mayonnaise or whipped potatoes
  • Sweet Dough Hook: Great for creaming, folding, and stretching doughs with lower gluten content at medium speeds

Drivers

Commercial mixers use either belt-driven or gear-driven systems to power their mixing action, each offering different advantages in terms of performance, control, and maintenance. Below are some of the pros and cons of each type of driver.

Belt-Driven Mixers:

  • Smooth, adjustable speed control, enabling as-needed adjustments
  • Quieter operation
  • Lower repair costs
  • Belts may slip and wear out faster than gears

Gear-Driven Mixers

  • Provide greater, consistent torque and power for dense ingredients
  • Durable construction for heavy use
  • Louder
  • More expensive to repair

Bowl Lift

Found on many heavy-duty commercial mixers, bowl lifts are built to raise the mixing bowl into position, keeping operators from manually lifting heavy loads. These lifts can be manual or automatic, each offering benefits depending on your kitchen's workload.

  • Manual Lifts: Operated with a lever that raises the bowl into place, which is simple to use but may become challenging with heavy batches; also, more prone to breaking if overloaded
  • Automatic Lifts: Reduce physical strain, support larger bowl capacities, and often include safety interlocks to prevent operation unless the bowl is properly in place
  • Workflow Impact: Manual lifts are better suited to lighter tasks, while automatic lifts enhance efficiency in high-volume settings

Safety Features

Mixer safety features reduce risks during operation and ensure safe handling of heavy or moving components.

  • Bowl Guard: Prevents contact with moving parts while the mixer is in use. The front portion is moveable, permitting the addition of ingredients and the removal of the agitator
  • Interlock Systems: Disable operation unless all parts are properly secured, such as the mixing bowl
  • Anti-Slip Foot Pads: Keep the mixer steady during mixing tasks
  • No Voltage Release: Stops the mixer from automatically restarting after a power outage or interruption

Convenience Options

The following optional features can enhance the usability of a mixer, helping operators save time and reduce manual effort during peak prep and service hours:

  • Integrated Bowl Scrapers: Automatically scrape the sides of the bowl during the mixing process, which is helpful to ensure product isn't wasted when bowl guards prevent access
  • Ingredient Shoots: Make it easy to add ingredients while the mixer is running, which minimizes interruptions
  • Timers: Support timed mixing cycles so operators can work on other tasks

Tips for Maintaining Your Commercial Mixer

Regular maintenance is required if you want to extend the life of your mixer, keep it running efficiently, and ward off costly downtime.

  • Don't overload; stick to the mixer's capacity to avoid motor strain
  • Wash attachments after each use
  • Unplug before cleaning, and wipe with damp cloth, avoiding direct sprays or submersion
  • Clean the exterior daily to eliminate food buildup
  • Never leave the mixer running unattended; always monitor operation
  • Oil the hub shaft regularly with food-grade lubricant
  • Change speeds only when the mixer is off, unless it supports speed-shifting
  • Stay alert for wear, slipping belts, odd noises, or reduced performance

Explore Commercial Mixers at KaTom To Find Your Best Match

Whether you're outfitting a small bakery or high-volume restaurant, KaTom offers top-performing commercial mixers designed to meet the demands of any kitchen. Our extensive selection includes planetary, spiral, vertical cutter, and immersion mixers in both countertop and floor models. Browse our full collection of commercial mixers to find the best match for your operation.