Running a successful bakery is all about dough (both literally and metaphorically) and picking the best dough mixer for your business.

While innovative recipes and mouthwatering goodies can draw folks to your bakery, dough quality is vital, so picking the best dough mixer matters. A commercial dough mixer is one of the most essential pieces of equipment in any bakery — the best dough mixer ensures everything from baked goods and pastries to bread and pizza are made properly and consistently.

In this article, we’ll go through how to pick the best dough mixers and what to pay attention to specifically when looking for a commercial dough mixer. From spiral mixers with stationary bowls and removable bowls options to vertical dough mixers designed to blend and aerate, the ideal commercial dough mixer is out there: here's everything you need to know to ensure you pick the best one.

The Best Dough Mixer Meets Your Bakery's Needs

Before choosing a dough mixer, identify what your bakery needs and the constraints in which you're operating:  

  • Volume: How many pastries, baked goods, or other items are you selling? Daily? Weekly? How quickly? Understanding your bakery's volume needs will determine the size and power of the commercial mixer needed.
  • Products Sold: What kind of items are you selling? Are you mixing dough for bread, for pastries, or a mix of items? Doughs, such as pizza, artisan bread and bagel doughs require more robust mixers.
  • Space: How much space do you have in your kitchen? Mixers come in various sizes, and you don’t want to sacrifice functionality for a unit that doesn't fit your space.
  • Extras: Do you need to mix other items besides dough, like whipped cream or batter for other baked goods? If you're using your dough mixer for a variety of items, you might want to consider a versatile model with removable parts.

Types of Commercial Dough Mixers

The best dough mixer depends on what you're baking. In general, there are two kinds of commercial dough mixers commonly used in bakeries and other food businesses: spiral mixers and vertical mixers. Each has distinct features suited for different applications.

Spiral Mixer

Spiral mixers are best for heavy and hearty doughs like the ones needed for bread, pizza and bagels (both kinds of doughs rely on developing gluten, which means the dough needs to be thoroughly mixed, although these mixers are still suitable for gluten-free doughs).

With a spiral mixer, the bowl rotates while a spiral-shaped hook turns and efficiently kneads the dough. This dual action mimics hand-kneading, which helps develop gluten and gives the dough a uniform consistency.

Empire has two categories of spiral mixers: stationary and removable bowl mixers. Stationary mixers are generally ideal for small to large retail bakery operations (our model can handle between 40-440 pounds of dough per use), while removable bowl mixers are better suited for large-scale commercial operations, where the mixer can be used over and over while the dough mixer bowl is removed and moved through a production line.

Regardless of your commercial dough mixer needs, both mixers save more time than hand kneading. Hand-kneading dough can be exhausting, while a commercial dough mixer can effortlessly develop a perfectly mixed and kneaded dough. Generous estimates put commercial dough mixers as saving up to 80% of the time it'd take to knead dough by hand.

Vertical Mixer

Vertical mixers have a fixed bowl and interchangeable mixing attachments (like a whisk or dough hook). The attachments move in an orbital motion, where they can blend, mix and aerate a variety of products.

These mixers are versatile and can mix a variety of products, like batter for cupcakes or whipped cream and frosting. The mixing attachment is also easy to change, so if you have a bakery pumping out dozens of different goods, a vertical mixer allows you the flexibility and convenience to use the mixer for a variety of products.

The Best Dough Mixer For You

A spiral mixer is the best choice if you're operating a business that primarily makes bread and other items that require strong, thoroughly kneaded dough. But a vertical mixer offers flexibility and dexterity — that's why identifying your needs is the first question you need to answer before determining which is the best dough mixer for your business.

But answering these questions pays off: the right commercial dough mixer can instantly transform a business and help increase output and quality. Whether you go for a vertical or a spiral mixer, the folks at Empire are here to answer questions and pair you with the best dough mixer for your business.