Lakeland 6.5L digital stand mixer review

Read our full review of the best stand mixers

How easy is it to use the Lakeland 6.5L digital stand mixer?

We liked many elements of the design, though they were let down by functional difficulties. The large-capacity bowl was impressive in size but, since it lacks a handle, was very difficult to remove once locked into place in the mixer.

The digital panel might seem a little complex to use at first, but the instruction manual is very clear and it only takes a couple of tries to get the hang of it. We particularly liked the timer function, where you first choose your speed and then set a time after which the mixer automatically stops. This worked really well for the enriched dough we tested, which required mixing for seven minutes.

However, if you have messy fingers (like we normally do when we’re baking), the touchscreen panel is much less responsive. It sometimes needed to be wiped clean before use again, which slowed the process down quite a bit.

Alongside the body of the machine is the dough hook, balloon whisk, beater and lid guard, which are all relatively lightweight while still feeling high quality. However, none of the attachments are dishwasher-safe, which certainly increases the washing up after use.

There are suction pads at the four corners of the mixer’s base securing it to the work surface. Even at a high speed, the mixer stays firmly in place (this can be a problem with some models). However, while we found the suction to be very strong, the mixer was difficult to move and needed a lot of effort to lift off the work surface.

Results

The dough hook was methodical and effective in bringing together the enriched dough for our cinnamon and pecan sticky buns, reaching to the bottom of the bowl to ensure all the ingredients were incorporated. It kneaded for seven minutes on speed four, producing a bouncy and workable dough. The mixer automatically stopped at the end of the set time, which reduces the risk of the dough being over-worked if you’re distracted by something else in the kitchen.

Although the bowl could be used to whisk up to 12 egg whites, we tested four for our ultimate meringue recipe. It took slightly longer to whisk up than we expected, but eventually formed stiff and glossy peaks which baked into meringues with a crisp shell and gooey centre.

The beater took quite a while to cream together the butter and sugar for our lemon drizzle cake even though the butter had been softened. The scraper function on the side of the beater didn’t work particularly well and we did have to scrape down the bowl between the addition of each ingredient to make sure they were properly incorporated. But while it did take a bit longer to mix, the final cake was spongy and fragrant if slightly heavier in texture than we’d have liked.

How sustainable is the Lakeland 6.5L digital stand mixer?

The amount of packaging felt excessive. Each element came wrapped in individual plastic bags and the main body of the machine was cushioned with polystyrene blocks. The bowl was protected with a cardboard liner, but the majority of packing wasn’t recyclable, which did have a negative impact on the overall star rating of the machine.

In addition, you can’t replace elements of the machine without replacing the entire body. So, if you need a new balloon whisk, you have to buy a whole new stand mixer. The machine comes with Lakeland’s three-year guarantee.

We ran the stand mixer on its highest speed for 10 minutes and recorded the energy usage. This cost 47p for 10 minutes, or 4.7p per minute. This is high compared to other mixers we’ve tested, although it’s worth noting that the highest speed is very powerful and you could easily make most recipes on a lower speed.

Conclusion

There are some factors which negatively impacted the Lakeland 6.5L digital stand mixer’s score. The volume of non-recyclable plastic packaging coupled with the fact that none of the elements are replaceable means it scores poorly on sustainability. There are also a few quirks with the digital elements, which suggest that the sleek design has been prioritised over the function.

However, for home bakers regularly looking for a large capacity, this offering from Lakeland is functional with some useful features. It’s unusual to get such a large capacity stand mixer at this price and the added digital elements mean it could be a great option if you’re regularly multi-tasking.

Available from:

• Lakeland (£249.99)

Lakeland 6.5L digital stand mixer specifications

Wattage: 1800W
Product weight: 6.5kg
Speed settings/pulse functions: 10
Dimensions: 39 x 25 x 33.5cm
Functions: Includes whisk, dough hook, beater, splatter guard
Capacity of bowl: 6.5L

All costs-to-run calculations were done against the variable tariff at the time of testing (31.8p/kWh), which may have since changed – read more on the current energy price guarantee rates.