A stand mixer may be the home cook’s best friend. Whether you bake for pleasure, or feel like you need a team of elves to keep up with the endless school bake sales and holiday madness, a stand mixer’s appeal is simple: It does most of the work for you, and does it much faster than you could by hand, or even with a portable mixer. Stand mixers can finish off time-consuming steps like beating egg whites or whipping cream in a flash, or put a family-size batch of mashed potatoes on the dinner table in mere minutes. Also, unlike portable mixers, powerful stand mixers can take on heavy-duty chores like blending flour into stiff cookie dough and kneading bread. Pronto’s Stand Mixer Buying Guide will help you choose the best stand mixer for your needs and budget, whether you’re a novice cupcake-baker or a serious home chef (see also Hand Mixer Buying Guide, Blender Buying Guide, Food Processor Buying Guide).  More »