Buy It For Life
Stand Mixers

Updated Jul 20, 2026

Buy it for life: the most durable stand mixers,
according to r/BuyItForLife on Reddit.
Recommended by people who have owned them for years. How we pick.
Do you know of an item that should be on this list? Let us know!

Ankarsrum Original

Swedish-made rotating-bowl mixer praised for bread dough capacity, durability, and long-term reliability.

Excellent for bread dough
Very durable over years of use
Handles large or dense batches well

Ankarsrum mixer is great.
– trapcardbard

my ankarsrum is 12 years old and hasn't had a single issue, use it multiple times a week, every week and bake all of our bread.
– Red_fife

Then got an Ankarsrum and will never look back.
– honkyk5

Available at Ankarsrum Original USA

KitchenAid bowl-lift stand mixer

Popular bowl-lift KitchenAid praised for power, repairability, and long service life.

Stronger motor for heavier doughs
Easy to repair and service
Many users report 10-20+ years of use

KitchenAid bowl-lift models are what we swear by in my family. One we bought new 20 years ago is still good as new.
– Groundskeepr

The new motors are so much better and quieter. They are still reliable.
– Hipster_Dragon

I recommend a bowl lift Kitchen Aid.
– npflood

KitchenAid Artisan

Tilt-head home mixer valued for general baking, parts support, and broad owner satisfaction.

Good for typical baking tasks
Durable tilt-head design
Easy to find used and parts are available

A KitchenAid Artisan is great for everything except making low-hydration breads.
– frisky_husky

I got mine used off Facebook marketplace for $60. It’s a tilt bowl artisan series.
– catladyaccountant

The tilt head models (Classic, Artisan) are much more durable and use the old motor and gearbox design
– sponge_welder

Bosch Universal Plus

High-capacity mixer often recommended by bread bakers for dense and frequent dough mixing.

Well suited for serious bread baking
Handles stiff dough better than many planetary mixers
Strong durability reputation

the Bosch Universal Plus comes up a lot in serious bread baking circles for exactly this reason.
– quietcodelife

The Bosche/Nutrimill or the Anskarsrum are both going to be better for bread than Kitchenaid.
– CeruleanSaga

For durability check out a Bosch ‘Universal’ not as pretty as a kitchenaid, but to illustrate the point I once had an old Mennonite lady tell me completely unironically “a Bosch is forever”.
– Max1234567890123

Kenwood Chef

Long-running mixer line respected for durability, hand-me-down longevity, and solid everyday performance.

Very long lifespan
Strong reputation for reliability
Good legacy parts and accessories support in some regions

I have a Kenwood Chef that I’ve owned since about 2005 and is still going strong.
– thelastestgunslinger

I have a 1980 built Kenwood Chef, still gets regular use and it never, ever breaks.
– Itisd

Kenwood Chef. People hand these things down to their grand children l.
– Warm_Bumblebee_8077

Hobart A-200

Commercial 20-quart Hobart mixer admired for extreme durability, power, and refurbishment potential.

Extremely durable commercial build
Powerful for bread and heavy mixing
Worth refurbishing for long-term use

By and large, they're built like tanks, they last forever, and are pretty easy to clean up.
– ruralengineer

absolutely loved it, I put it in 1st-2nd place along with a Diosna.
– skratchattack

I love old Hobarts, back when they were built to last
– megustachef

Back to Kitchen Appliances

Sources:
What's the best stand mixer if you only want to buy one for the next 10 years?
Kitchenaid stand mixer?
1946 Hobart A-200 20 Quart Stand Mixer, Refurbished and Repainted
What's the best stand mixer people still love years later?
BIFL standing mixer?

Buy It For LifeStand Mixers