Is the Breville Bakery Chef Worth It?
Based on tests by America's Test Kitchen (Jun 2026). How we score
Save $374Depends. KitchenAid Classic for most people.
Amazon prices as of Sep 29, 9:38 PM EDT (details)
Why
America's Test Kitchen found its mixing "efficient, with excellent results throughout," and liked its "thoughtful design features": a bowl light, glass and metal bowls, and a built-in timer. It also finished 12 extra batches of stiff dough in abuse testing. But ATK's Best Mid-Priced Mixer, the KitchenAid Classic, gives you the same mixing results for much less and rated higher overall. Buy the Breville if you want the timer, bowl light and two bowls, or you knead stiff dough often.
Breville warranty: 1 year; 5-year motor
Cheaper alternatives, scored against the Breville
Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, White
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen's Best Mid-Priced Mixer, rated Highly Recommended to the Bakery Chef's Recommended: its "across-the-board performance knocked out many competitors that were bigger and much more costly." It has no timer, bowl light or second bowl, its mixing tools are coated, and its "tilt head broke on an extreme abuse test" that the Breville finished.
| Criterion | Breville | KitchenAid Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 3/3 | 3/3 |
| Ease of use | 2.5/3 | 2.5/3 |
| Cleanup | 2.5/3 | 3/3 |
From America's Test Kitchen: The Best Stand Mixers (updated June 23, 2026)
Sources: America's Test Kitchen: The Best Stand Mixers (updated June 23, 2026), Manufacturer specs via Amazon listing
Artisan Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, White
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
America's Test Kitchen's Best Small Mixer "aced nearly every test, with the exception of sticky, heavy, high-hydration pizza dough," and it "could not fit double batches of dough." Get it only if counter space is tight: ATK points out that the KitchenAid Classic "holds more and costs less." ATK tested it in Ice; this listing is the same model in White.
| Criterion | Breville | KitchenAid Artisan Mini |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 3/3 | 2/3 |
| Ease of use | 2.5/3 | 3/3 |
| Cleanup | 2.5/3 | 3/3 |
From America's Test Kitchen: The Best Stand Mixers (updated June 23, 2026)
Sources: America's Test Kitchen: The Best Stand Mixers (updated June 23, 2026), Manufacturer specs via Amazon listing
Common questions
Does the Breville Bakery Chef have a timer?
Yes. It counts up while the mixer runs, or counts down and shuts the mixer off. America's Test Kitchen loved it but found it "sometimes a bit jumpy and difficult to set."
Breville Bakery Chef or KitchenAid Classic?
America's Test Kitchen gave both top marks for performance and rated the Classic Highly Recommended, the Breville Recommended. The Breville adds a timer, bowl light and second bowl, and it finished an abuse test that broke the Classic's tilt head.
Sources: America's Test Kitchen: The Best Stand Mixers (updated June 23, 2026), Manufacturer specs via Amazon listing
