How Long Do Stand Mixers Last?

Many of us are familiar with "ballin' on a budget," though there's no denying that good kitchen equipment can make a difference in not only the quality of your dish but the ease with which you make it. Sure, whisking or folding dough by hand is entirely doable, but wouldn't it be nice to let a piece of machinery do the heavy lifting while you work on the glaze and/or filling? Stand mixers are incredibly useful kitchen tools, perfect for mixing mashed potatoes, whipping homemade buttercream, and even making fresh lemonade. Purchasing a stand mixer is a pretty big investment, but with the right care, those babies can last at least a decade, possibly even longer!

KitchenAid, otherwise known as the head honcho of stand mixers, claims that its mixers will last at minimum two to five years — but anyone who's ever had a stand mixer (whether KitchenAid or a different brand) knows that the time frame is more like upwards of ten years. Those ten years can be easily doubled or tripled into an incredibly long lifespan with proper maintenance and usage. Some families even pass their stand mixers down through the generations (this author's family included), the piece of equipment becoming an integral part of tradition.

Stand mixers are essentially tiny contraptions of machinery, filled with the same kinds of gears and mechanisms that run a car, a grandfather clock, or a sewing machine. These pieces require routine maintenance and upkeep to ensure they stay in perfect, working condition. This means ordering replacement parts or sending it for refurbishment when something breaks, cleaning it thoroughly after every use, using it regularly to prevent oil leaks, and re-greasing the gears at least once a year. There are plenty of other mistakes to avoid when using a stand mixer, such as using the wrong attachments or turning the mixer on too high of a speed, which can also affect longevity.

According to our rankings, KitchenAid has withstood the test of time as the best stand mixer on the market, and we're not the only ones who think so. The KitchenAids and other stand mixers that last upwards of 20 years are the ones that have been looked after, kind of like taking care of a beloved houseplant. With a little bit of elbow grease (quite literally) and a whole lot of nurturing, your stand mixer can bring joy (and evenly mixed pasta dough) to life for years to come.