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Hamilton Beach 7-Speed Review

This is a light-duty machine for those that use mixers infrequently
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Price:   $100 List | $100 at Amazon
Pros:  Planetary mixing action, inexpensive
Cons:  Limited power, dubious durability
Manufacturer:   Hamilton Beach
By Nick Miley and Michelle Powell  ⋅  Nov 12, 2019
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46
OVERALL
SCORE

RANKED
#10 of 11
  • Mixing - 30% 4
  • Ease of Use - 30% 4
  • Whipping - 25% 7
  • Kneading - 15% 3

Our Verdict

You get what you pay for with stand mixers, and the Hamilton Beach 7-speed is no exception. This machine has an appealing price point, yet when compared to other tilt-head mixers in the class, it's in the bush league. The mixer does have a planetary mixing action that whips with a degree of competence, yet it lacks the power to mix heavy doughs. Moreover, the clicking, whining noises issuing from the machine prompted concern of a complete motor failure.

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Our Analysis and Test Results

As the saying goes, buy cheap, buy twice. The Hamilton Beach 7-Speed is one of the least expensive standing mixers in the class. This machine does not offer consumers much beyond an inexpensive way to get a mixer into the kitchen and a little help on low-demand tasks. If you have plans to put your mixer to work, this is not the machine for you. A high-quality hand mixer will cost you less, take up less space, and will be more dependable.

Can a stand mixer look anxious? These ingredients may be too much for this machine's motor.
Can a stand mixer look anxious? These ingredients may be too much for this machine's motor.

Performance Comparison



Likes


In comparison to its peers, there isn't a lot positive to say about the Hamilton Beach 7-Speed. However, it is light-weight, and it is inexpensive. So, it might offer some consumers access to the mixer market that would otherwise be less than willing to spend the money to get a quality machine.


The 7-Speed's one success in our testing regiment was in the whipping exercise. This machine will bring together a decent whipped cream if the user is willing to scrap the sides of the bowl to guide the cream back in contact with the whisk.

Dislikes


There is a lot to gripe about with this machine. However, the wellspring of these critiques is a machine built for limited use on recipes requiring minimal torque from the motor.

The body of the machine is almost entirely constructed of plastic, so durability is an issue. From the first test on, the motor issued whining, clicking noises when mixing. When set to more demanding tasks such as mixing cowboy cookies or kneading dough, the machine vibrated violently, and the motor would issue a burning smell. In both cases we had to turn the mixer off and finish the tasks by hand.

Value


Despite the low cost of this machine we do not find it to be a good value. The machine can not reliably execute the tasks that warrant the purchase of a standing mixer in the first place. Based on our testing, the long (and short) term durability of this machine is in question.

The hard to reach speed dial.
The hard to reach speed dial.

Conclusion


The Hamilton Beach 7-Speed is an expensive stand mixer that will likely fail to perform the task for which it was purchased. Of the test recipes that it was able to satisfactorily complete, the user had to aid it with the spatula. More to the point, some of the tasks we used to test the machine required the user to manually complete as they would have broken the machine had we continued.

— Nick Miley and Michelle Powell