HOMEBAKING is both therapeutic and a great way to save money by cooking from scratch – there’s nothing like making your own cakes, bread and pastries, and to do this easily you need a good mixer.
The Smeg SMF02 stand mixer looks the part, but does it live up to its good looks in the whisking, kneading and mixing departments?
I was more than happy to put it to the test and see how it compares to its competitors, including KitchenAid, as the best stand mixer.
- Smeg SMF02 50's Style stand mixer, from £354 at Amazon - buy here
The Smeg SMF02 stand mixer is a sleek 50's style machine that will add a pop of colour to your kitchen.
Unlike its competitors, where the whole machine is the same hue, the body of the Smeg mixer is a matte silver, which provides a nice contrast to the colourful attachment arm.
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There are five glossy colours to choose from: black (SMF02BLUK), cream (SMF02CRUK), pastel blue (SMF02PBUK), red (SMF02RDUK) and pink (SMF02PKUK).
It comes with three standard attachments - a dough hook, flat beater and wire whisk - as well as a 4.8l mixing bowl and a deck of recipe cards.
Pros:
- Extremely stylish
- Great size
Cons:
- Not as efficient as some of its competitors
Rating: 4/5
Smeg stand mixer: Quick summary
- Smeg SMF02 50's Style stand mixer, from £354 at Amazon - buy here
What accessories does it come with?
- 4.8l mixing bowl
- Pouring shield
- Dough hook
- Flat beater
- Wire whisk
Is it easy to use?
The Smeg stand mixer is easy to set up and assemble.
There’s a button at the back that you press to tilt the attachment arm and then the mixing bowl goes in with a twist.
The attachments are installed via a pin that locks into place with a twist as well and there’s a spring mechanism to keep them in place for extra peace of mind.
The only awkward moment is when you come to lower the attachment arm again.
Unlike other stand mixers where you can press the button and lower it straight down, on the Smeg SMF02 you have to tilt the arm back a bit before you can lower it. It’s an extra safety feature but it does get in the way during use if you forget.
At the top of the machine, you have the speed dial, which goes from zero to 10, with a marker showing you where you should stop when kneading dough.
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Is it good for kneading dough?
I tested a brioche recipe on the Smeg SMF02 stand mixer, which was a fairly wet dough.
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The machine coped well, lifting the dough where others had left it stuck to the side of the bowl.
However, I did find that the machine took longer to incorporate all the ingredients compared to similar models I tested.
This is perhaps because the manufacturer recommends running the machine at no higher than three in terms of speed and this was a little slower than its competitors.
On the plus side, it was a very sturdy machine and I saw zero rocking during use.
- Smeg SMF02 50's Style stand mixer, from £354 at Amazon - buy here
Is it good for whisking?
I tested an angel food cake recipe on the Smeg SMF02 50's Style stand mixer and it turned out gloriously light.
The whisk attachment frothed up the eight egg whites in no time and less than a minute they turned into soft peaks.
Once I added the sugar, it was just a couple more minutes before the mixture was smooth and velvety and ready for me to fold in the flour.
It definitely helped that I could whack the speed up to 10 for this one.
Is it good for mixing?
The Smeg SMF02 was super efficient at combining soft mixtures.
I tested a cornbread recipe in it and the flat beater brought together all of the ingredients I had in the bowl before I even had a chance to add the rest of the liquid.
Once I added the liquid, it took just another couple of minutes for it to produce a well-combined mixture.
I think this was its best feature.
What else can it do?
Smeg also makes a small range of accessories you can buy to expand your stand mixer’s functionality.
These include a three-piece pasta set, a slicer and grater, a multi-food grinder, and an ice cream maker.
Smeg SMF02 stand mixer review: final verdict
It’s hard to find a more stylish stand mixer than the Smeg SMF02 and if that’s the most important factor for you then this is a great machine.
Although SMF02 was great at whisking and mixing at speed, I think there are more efficient alternatives if you’re more likely to be baking bread than cakes.
That said, I got great results from all of the attachments, it’s just a matter of a couple of extra minutes.
- Smeg SMF02 50's Style stand mixer, from £354 at Amazon - buy here
Where can I buy the Smeg SMF02 stand mixer?
The Smeg SMF02 is available from the Smeg website, along with a selection of attachments to buy separately. We also found the mixer on sale at department stores and specialist electrical retailers, as well as online.
Check out the Smeg SMF02 stand mixer at:
- Amazon
- AO.com
- Currys
- JD Williams
- La Redoute
- QVC
- Wayfair
Is there an alternative to the Smeg SMF02 stand mixer?
There are several alternatives to the Smeg SMF02, some are more expensive and some are less expensive. Smeg also offers the SMF03 stand mixer, which has an all-over colour, rather than the stainless steel/ colour mix.
The KitchenAid Artisan, beloved of TV chefs, is probably the most familiar stand mixer to many people – and it’s also the most expensive. Like the Smeg model, it’s available in a range of colours and has a retro look.
If you’re after looks on a budget then consider the Swan retro stand mixer – it will set you back less than £100 – or the Lakeland Digital Stand Mixer for just under £200.
For a budget-friendly option, read our Morphy Richards Mixstar Compact stand mixer review.