Kenwood Chefette compact stand and hand mixer, a review.

To buy or not to buy?

The Kenwood Chefette is marketed as a flexible, hand and stand mixer giving freedom to the home baker without the daunting price tag associated with larger stand mixers like the KitchenAid which demand over £500. This review will assess the triumphs and compromises with Kenwood's affordable mixing hero.

Quick Overview

·       Combi Hand mixer Chefette HMP54.000SI

·       3.5 Litre stainless steel rotating bowl

·       Stainless steel twin dough kneaders

·       Stainless steel twin whisk beaters

·       Plastic splash guard

·       Weight: 2.55 kg

·       5 speeds + Pulse

·       Dishwasher-safe stainless steel parts

·       Price: ££ (£94.99 as of December 2023)

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First Impressions

The duality of the Chefette is by far its most marketable quality. Essentially getting two for the price of one. With the hand mixer, you can use any bowl you choose and it is lightweight with an easy grip. The 6 speeds are plenty alongside the slow speed start which helps reduce the mess of ingredients spluttering everywhere after the first mix.

The stand mixer, with a 3.5L bowl, effortlessly handles around 500 grams of mixture and could easily accommodate a kilo of dry ingredients. The rotating bowl ensures thorough mixing near the edges. There are multiple buttons serving various purposes, (an eject button to release the beaters, a button to open the top of the stand mixer, and a button to eject the hand mixer from the stand) so a learning curve exists. And I must admit, first time use there were multiple moments where I thought I had broken the machine, as without thinking I would open something, or remove the hand mixer without using the right button but alas everything was okay – the mixer handled being opened without using the right buttons. And by the second use, you’ll know what everything is doing. However, it probably would have been easier to just not have the extra buttons and just allow the baker to click things into place and only leave the eject beaters button (which although helpful was in an awkward place).

The back of the box describes the Chefette as a powerful mixer but quieter – I will assume that means quieter than previous models as it certainly isn’t anywhere near silent. But is more than manageable with the door closed. For my first use, I made soft pretzels, (which can be found under the recipes tab) the twin kneaders did the job but the hand mixer got quite warm after 5 minutes and would struggle with a larger dough but certainly, for small doughs, it incorporated the ingredients well enough as the pretzels were soft and you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between hand kneading and the Kenwood mixer. The plastic splash guard, though well-intentioned, proves cumbersome for adding ingredients at different times so unless you are making an all-in-one cake you end up having to take it off anyway defeating the purpose of being able to protect the cleanliness of the kitchen from ingredients going everywhere. A hole in the guard could address this inconvenience in future models, and can be found on other stand mixers.

The Chefette, a mere 2.55kg, is remarkably light, a stark contrast to the hefty 10kg of most KitchenAids. This gives it a mobility that is a plus, but it walks the fine line of feeling perhaps a tad too light, almost fragile. Despite a slight cheapness in the stand body, the twin beaters exude quality and the hand mixer was also solidly made.

The Final Score

The Kenwood Chefette earns my recommendation as a versatile entry-level stand mixer and a reliable hand mixer. Its dishwasher-friendly stainless steel components and rotating bowl are helpful additions. Despite its slight size drawback, it's impressively lightweight, offers various speed levels, and handles the typical baking load effortlessly. While it might lack the aesthetic charm of pricier counterparts, this mixer, priced under £100, delivers exceptional quality and ample power for the average baker's weekend escapades. A practical and budget-friendly choice for the casual baker. (Just give me a splash guard with a hole please Kenwood!)

8.5/10 – To buy!

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