Baking is an art form many people underestimate or undervalue. Baking is so exact that you need to approach it with the right techniques and equipment for every unique style of the project; otherwise, your product won’t come out the way it should.

As such, there are different types of commercial dough mixer machines that can help you with all your different baking needs. Know what you’re looking for before making a purchase.

Planetary Mixers: The All-In-One

In most cases, commercial bakers tend to go with planetary mixers as they are, across the board, the standard for professional dough mixers. You can get them in the countertop variety or a standing model for larger applications.

These are the most versatile of all mixers, which is why so many bakers prefer them. They come with interchangeable mixing bowls in a variety of sizes, depending on the dough, along with hook, spiral, and whisk attachments.

Spiral Mixers for Artisan Bakes

These are for the more specialized, artisan bakers, particularly entrepreneurial types who want to give alternatives to traditional baking.

These spiral mixers operate with a gentle and less invasive knead that forms a properly matured gluten bond without the heat present that you might find in other mixers. You can also see the effect of it, as this style of mixer does not overwork the dough.

Diving/Twin Arm Mixers for Specialty Baking

Much like the spiral mixers, these machines have a finesse about them that takes the element of heat out of mixing altogether by reducing or eliminating friction. It supersedes anything else as the most efficient way to form the highest gluten bonds possible in low-impact, high-hydration doughs. These take much longer to form the bonds and dough, generally, but with much better results.

A baker needs to know the difference between gluten levels and mixing styles so that they get the right form and generate the correct product in the right amounts. For this reason, understanding the different types of commercial dough mixer machines can dramatically improve a baker’s efficiency, effectiveness, and overall business success.