From stollen to sweet sourdough, I love holiday baking. The kitchen fills with vanilla and cinnamon spice, and my family is always on stand-by to gobble up the results.
Last year, I was using a hand mixer to whip up my festive treats, but the motor quickly tired (and so did my arms, holding it for long periods of time). This year, I invested in a serious bit of kit: KitchenAid 7-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, now discounted by $219 at QVC.
Powered by a heavy-duty motor and equipped with a 7-qt. mixing bowl, this stand mixer means business. Where most of the best KitchenAid stand mixers feature a tilt-head design, this model makes use of a bowl-lift mechanism, which is less complicated than it sounds. All you need to do is push the bowl onto the handles, then turn the screw on the side to lift it into place.
The bowl-lift holds your ingredients securely in place, which is ideal when you're working with thicker ingredients and heavier mixtures. On the QVC website, it says you can make 13 dozen cookies, 7.5 lbs of mashed potatoes and 8.5 lbs of bread for homemade loaves (that's the holiday cookie exchange and canapé season, handled).
This KitchenAid deal includes a variety of attachments (like a pastry beater), which open up so many creative ways to use your KitchenAid, but may require you to make some space in your cupboard. However, I find that the tilt-head design makes it easier to store the mixer beneath my kitchen cabinets.
Budding bakers who simply want to make cakes may not need a mixer as strong and versatile as this one. If that sounds like you, look to the classic KitchenAid Artisan model, also discounted by $150 at QVC.
Whatever size mixer you choose, I do recommend perusing the array of attachments, such as ice shavers, spiralizers, and pasta rollers, available to shop at KitchenAid – they add fun and exploration to any model.
More Holiday Baking Essentials On Sale
Cyber Week is bringing some deep discounts to baking essentials, from oven mitts to scales and bakeware.
This deal is the talk of our team at Homes & Gardens. Martha Stewart's oven mitts are not only beautiful, but they are practical and comfortable when handling hot dishes. I wouldn't expect anything less from the baking queen.
I couldn't live without SMEG's retro kitchen scale. Irue to the brand’s retro identity, they feature a softly curved silhouette, a polished stainless-steel bowl, and a turquoise blue, black, or white base that would look right at home next to a KitchenAid mixer.
If you want to bring little Christmas magic to your kitchen, I can’t recommend Nordic Ware’s tins enough. With their timeless designs and easy-to-master techniques, these pans can transform even the simplest cake into a work of art. Read more in my Nordic Ware Bundt tin review.
If you're keen to find more baking discounts to scoop up this holiday season, our Living editor, Martha, found a fantastic Cyber Week deal this Walmart Bakeware Set.
I'd always recommend picking up a KitchenAid coupon too, as that goes the extra mile to save money on stand mixers and helpful appliances.
