Aicok Multi-Functional Stand Mixer Review

We purchased the Aicok Multi-Functional Stand Mixer so our reviewer could put it to the test in her kitchen. Keep reading for our full product review.

We were immensely curious about the Aicok Multi-Functional Stand Mixer with its dual kneading blades and its 500-watt motor. We gave it a thorough test with lightweight whipping and medium-duty mixing, and then we moved on to bread and pasta dough. Did it live up to the hype, or is it as lightweight as its price? We’ve got all the details.

Setup Process: Simple

Aside from washing all of the removable parts, there was no need for any setup before we started using the mixer.

Design: Lightweight and compact

This is a low-cost mixer, and it’s pretty easy to see where cost-saving measures were used. The body has a lot of plastic, and the machine is light enough to carry with one hand. That light weight is good if you want to store the mixer, but a light mixer can wander along a countertop. To thwart that movement, this mixer has six suction-cup feet that attach it firmly to the counter. Of course, this is only going to work on a smooth surface.

The mixer is fairly compact, yet the mixer bowl is 5 quarts, so there’s plenty of space to mix a double batch of brownies or for whipping a whole lot of cream.

The attachments push and twist onto the attachment shaft. When it’s time to remove the attachment, there’s a good chance food residue will be at the top of the attachment, making removal a bit messy. It also meant we needed to take extra care in making sure the attachment shaft was clean after use.

The mixer bowl has a handle, which makes it easy to twist on and off the base. While the mixer head tilts up to get it out of the way, we had to tilt the bowl a lot if an attachment was installed. That was fine when we had a ball of dough in the bowl, but when we were working with pourable cake batter it seemed smarter to remove the attachments first.

Performance: Better than we expected

We started our testing with easy tasks, like whipping cream and then letting it continue whipping until the cream got watery, broke completely, and turned into butter. We were pleased at the speed it created our whipped cream, and it did a great job with the butter as well.

Then we moved on to muffin batter followed by dense cookie dough. The mixer performed well on both of those tasks. We stopped to scrape down the bowl several times during mixing, but the machine was doing a reasonably good job on its own.

After the easy work, we moved on to bread dough, which is probably the most strenuous mixer task in a home kitchen. Since this has a 500-watt motor, we expected it to power through the dough without straining, but we’re not sure it did. This mixer doesn’t operate at a continuous speed, but cycles from slightly slower to slightly faster throughout mixing. So, we’re not sure if it was the dough slowing the mixer or just its normal cycling. Still, with the unique dual kneading hooks that grabbed the dough back and forth, we ended up with a smooth, stretchy ball of dough that was ready to use.

Since it passed the bread dough test and the manual mentioned pasta, we decided to give it a try. Much to our surprise, the mixer was able to knead the dense pasta dough and only got slightly warm in the process. Again, we heard the machine’s motor slow down at times, but not enough to worry us.

Features: Standard

This machine has six speeds, and according to icons printed on the mixer, the dough hook is used on speeds 1-2 for kneading bread dough, the paddle is used on speeds 1-4 for things like cake batter, and the wire whip is used on speeds 5-6 for beating fluffy things like whipped cream. To the left of the off position is a setting marked “P” but we’re not sure what that stands for. This turns the mixer on at a relatively high speed, and the mixer slows down and stops when you release the dial.

A lever is used to raise the head, which stays in position when the lever is released. While having the head stationary was useful, it was awkward when our bread dough was hanging on to the dough hooks rather firmly and we needed to hold the lever, raise the head, and hold the base of the mixer to keep it from lifting, all at the same time.

The pouring shield/splatter guard is a nice extra. Placing it on the bowl sometimes took a little fiddling, but it wasn’t a deal-breaker. When we made butter and it transformed into solid butter and a thin liquid, that shield saved us from making a spectacular mess as the liquid started splashing. An interesting safety feature on this mixer is that it won’t turn on if the head is raised.

The manual requires a mention. It’s written like it was translated from another language and not all of the translations make sense. On one hand, we were able to figure out that the “egg breaking cage” was actually the wire whip. On the other hand, some instructions contradicted others. For example, the manual said that the machine should only be operated for 10 minutes before allowing it to rest for 3-5 minutes, and it warned that the machine should be used for a shorter time in summer or the machine head could “scald hands.” It also warns that breads should not be kneaded at any speeds above 2.

However, instructions for making dough said to knead for 3 minutes on the first speed, 5 minutes on the second, and 15 minutes on the third, clearly contradicting the other instructions. We’d suggest simply monitoring the machine’s heat, but since it has overheating protection it should turn itself off before you’d risk burning your hands.

Included Accessories: Everything you need

This mixer comes with a wire whip, a plated aluminum paddle, a pair of plated aluminum dough hooks, a bowl, and a pouring spout/splash guard.

Cleaning: Unclear instructions

For cleaning, the instructions were rather unclear. The bowl can be washed with detergent, but not abrasives. The “stirring appliance” should be cleaned with water, but not detergent or hot water. Online, instructions state that the bowl and wire whip are dishwasher safe, but the dough hooks and paddle are not. We’d suggest washing the attachments by hand, just to be safe. As with other electric appliances, the outside should be wiped clean with a damp cloth.

Price: It’s a bargain

While this certainly isn’t the cheapest stand mixer you’ll find, it is on the low end of mixers that are capable of kneading bread dough. One caveat is that this is made in China and the warranty might require returning it to that country at the user’s expense, which could exceed the cost of the mixer.

Aicok Multi-Functional Stand Mixer vs. KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer

We have to admit that we’ve been big fans of the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Stand Mixer, which we tested, for quite some time. It’s a sturdy machine that has a wide variety of attachments available that make it incredibly versatile. However, it’s more expensive than the Aicok. If you can afford the KitchenAid, we’re sure you won’t be sorry. If you’re on a tighter budget, the Aicok did a masterful job of kneading both bread and pasta dough, making it quite appealing.