Alternatives To Try If You Can't Afford A KitchenAid Mixer

KitchenAid mixers serve multiple functions in a kitchen. Naturally, they mix things, but in addition to covering all of your baking needs, stand mixers can do things such as rolling out pasta and grinding meat, as long as they have the right attachments on them. They're even super colorful and aesthetically pleasing! However, there's one large drawback. KitchenAid mixers are expensive. They retail for hundreds of dollars (via Business Insider). If you can invest in one, they're great because they can last generations, but if you can't, here are some alternatives to using a stand mixer. 

Our first recommendation is to keep a hand mixer, well, on hand. Just like KitchenAid's stand mixers, these come in a variety of colors and last forever. They retail for around $40 on Amazon, so while they're still not cheap, they're much, much cheaper than their stand mixer counterparts. The main difference between the two is that you have to control the hand mixer while the stand mixer does everything itself — and you don't have to do anything but turn it on. Still, you can accomplish most things with a hand mixer that you would do with a stand mixer; you just need to beat things with a hand mixer for longer than you would with a stand mixer to make up for the hand mixer's lesser power level (via The Washington Post).

There are still options outside of mixers altogether. Some things you would use a mixer for can be prepared in a food processor. Smaller food processors cost about the same as a hand mixer, while full-size brands can cost hundreds (via Consumer Reports), so you'd want to really examine what you're going to use it for to decide which one you're going to get if you're only getting one. A food processor can make doughs and batters, though it's not going to aerate a batter or anything else like a mixer would (via Baking Kneads). They can, however, chop nuts and grate cheese — things a mixer cannot do. If you don't have any equipment at all, you can, of course, hand whip batters with a whisk or hand knead your doughs. Just like you'd add time if you were using a hand mixer, you'd add extra time to supplement you working by hand. 

If you're looking for a stand mixer and want to stay on a budget, there are options for that as well. Hamilton Beach offers a sturdy one for $100; Aucma sells one for $129; Dash Compact sells a budget-friendly one for $80; and Sunbeam sells a modern-looking glass mixer for $125 (via Bustle). No matter your budget or preferences, there is always a way for you to make magic in the kitchen.