Honestly, is a stand mixer worth it or am I fine with my hand mixer for bread dough?

I was at a bakery in Portland last weekend and the baker there told me she never uses a stand mixer for bread, just her hands and a wooden spoon. But then every recipe I see online says you need a KitchenAid to even attempt challah or brioche. I've been using a $30 hand mixer for years and my bread comes out okay but not great. Does the machine actually make that big of a difference or is it just hype? I'm trying to decide if I should drop the cash or stick with what I've got. What's your experience?

2 comments

2 Comments

shah.olivia1mo ago

Bet that baker's cat didn't forgive her either.

price.jake1mo ago

Bought a cheap secondhand stand mixer off Craigslist and the thing sounded like a lawnmower trying to kill itself, but it kneaded dough like a champ. Ended up using it for like two weeks before going back to my hands because the noise drove my cat crazy.