Ankarsrum Mixer Review: Is It Worth The Price?

Ankarsrum is a stand mixer that is taking the baking world by storm in recent years with its very hard-to-pronounce name and strange appearance. Yet, this stand mixer has been voted one of the best stand mixers, winning a Plus X award for most innovative technology.

This stand mixer is quite pricey, so I get why you want to find out a bit more about this innovative stand mixer before you make your purchase. This is my honest Ankarsrum mixer review. 

Keep reading to find out if this is the mixer for you!

Ankarsrum Assistent Original Summary

If you’re looking for a quick summary of this brilliant Scandinavian mixer, then here it is.

Ankarsrum History

Anakrsrum has roots in the beautiful Scandinavian country of Sweden. Originally built for commercial use, it was given a redesign by Alvar Lenning in 1939 after Ankarsrum was taken over by Electrolux. The redesign made it available for home use and became a close companion for many bakers in Swedish homes. 

Nowadays, Ankarsrum is fast becoming known for its ridiculously high-quality build quality and unusual, yet beautiful, appearance. It has remained untouched since the 1940s and still looks like a vintage model. 

Ankarsrum Original Stand Mixer Features

Stand Mixer Range

Ankarsrum only has one type of stand mixer, the Ankarsrum Assistent Original. As far as stand mixer rangers, Ankarsrum doesn’t give you much of a selection. 

Many other stand mixer brands will give you a few options to choose from. For example, with KitchenAid, you can choose between 13 different models. Cuisinart also offers a few too, as well as Kenwood.

Maybe Ankarsrum doesn’t need to show off with different models and stand mixer sizes. I guess we’ll find out!

Motor Motion

Nowadays, almost every stand mixer out there has planetary motion. This means that the attachment spins in one direction and the head of the mixer spins the other way. Planetary motion ensures that all the ingredients are mixed evenly. 

Ankarsrum on the other hand is considered a spiral mixer. This is completely different from what we are used to from a typical stand mixer. Spiral mixers are built to withstand tougher ingredients and instead of the motor being on the head of if mixer, it is placed in the base, under the bowl. Unusual for a mixer, but there are a few brands out there that have spiral motion, including Bosch. 

The spiral motion doesn’t just spin the attachment, it also rotates the bowl around for optimum mixing. 

Appearance

When you first set your eyes on the Ankarsrum stand mixer, it might not be obvious straight away that it’s a mixer. I have to admit, it looks strange and for ages, I ignored its existence because it wasn’t what I would consider a ‘normal’ looking stand mixer.

Most of us are used to the tilt head or bowl lift stand mixers which are the more traditional type of stand mixers. These types of mixers have the motor located inside the head of the mixer with the bowl placed below.

What makes the Ankarsrum unique is that the motor is housed in the bottom of the stand mixer, under the large 7.3 stainless steel quart bowl. The control dials are located just under the bowl, with the right-hand dial used to control the speed and the left dial used to turn the mixer on, and off and to set the timer. 

The actual mixer is made from strong, die-cast Swedish aluminum with the main bowl made from strong stainless steel. The spring-loaded arm, which is used to attach accessories, is also made from stainless steel. The two control dials are chrome-plated zinc. True to their sustainability mission, Ankarsrum mixers are made from 100% recycled material.

Motor size

You might not be overly sold on the appearance of this stand mixer and I don’t blame you. It looks like something out of an old sci-fi film where they hadn’t quite got to grips with modern special effects and costumes yet.

That said, you really shouldn’t be too quick to write the Ankarsrum off. Once you start looking at the specs and features of this mixer, I think it will win you over. The motor is powerful. Like really powerful. This baby runs on a 1500-watt DC motor which is a lot for a stand mixer. If you know anything about AC and DC motors, you will know that this is a big deal. 

The DC motor allows the mixer to produce more torque by having a steady and continuous flow, making the motor strong enough to deal with the toughest of doughs. The multiple worm gear lets the Ankarsrum run for a ridiculously long time without showing any signs of slowing down or overheating. 

It’s hard to express how impressive the Ankarsrum motor actually is. Its powerful motor, combined with that reliable Swedish engineering, put it leagues ahead of any other mixer currently available. Don’t believe me? Take a look at this unbelievable video where the Ankarsrum is pulling a plane with its motor.

Pretty crazy, right?! Unsurprisingly then, with the Ankarsrum, you can mix and knead until your heart is content. This is a huge advantage especially if you are making bread dough. Most stand mixers need to rest for at least 30 minutes and can only run for 10 minutes at a time before they start to overheat and conk out. The Ankarsrum’s motor is also surprisingly quiet considering the size of this amazing motor.

Bowl Capacity

The Anakrsrum Assistent Original comes with two bowls. It has a huge 7.4qt stainless bowl and a 3.7qt Tritan plastic bowl. The stainless steel bowl is one of the largest you can get on the market and is great for bigger batches. The Tritan plastic bowl is a lot smaller, perfect for when you want to whip up something smaller. 

Each bowl has its purpose and can’t really be used interchangeably. The stainless steel bowl is exclusively used to make bread dough and can mix up to 11lbs (5kg) of dough without breaking a sweat or shaking about all over the place. The plastic bowl is mainly used to make anything else, like cakes, cookies and cupcakes. 

Personally, I think that the fact Ankarsrum gives you two different bowls says a lot about the company’s priorities. Most stand mixer brands give you one bowl, and if you need another one you need to purchase it separately. Ankarsrum understands that not everyone will be making bread for the masses and give a smaller alternative for all the bakers who also want to bake delicious treats. 

Speed Settings

Ankarsrum has 8 different speed settings for you to choose from. Many of the higher-end stand mixers have 10-speed settings, so 8 might not seem like a lot. 

But, what makes the speed settings of the Ankarsrum unique is the ability to set a timer. One of the dials at the bottom of the mixers lets you set a timer for up to 12 minutes. 

Most stand mixers require a level of babysitting which defeats the purpose of a mixer being hands-free, right? Well, with the Ankarsrum you can set your timer and put your feet up for 12 minutes. That’s not even the best part. The mixer will stop automatically as soon as the timer is up. Clever, right?

Accessories & Attachments

With the Ankarsrum you get a 7.4qt stainless steel bowl, dough roller, dough scraper, spatula, dough hook and lid (the lid can be used on both bowls). You also get a 3.7qt Tritan plastic bowl, balloon whisks and paddle attachments.

What really makes Ankarsrum accessories and attachments unique is their appearance. The dough roller is especially unique and something that I saw for the first time on Ankarsrum. It’s not a typical dough hook, but a roller that is meant to mimic kneading and stretching the dough by hand.

Attachments are also attached in the most untraditional way. At the top of the mixer, there is a spring-loaded arm that can be used loose or fixed. Pull the pin up to insert your attachment of choice and pull the pin back down.

In terms of their additional attachments, there are 16 attachments overall, including a coffee grinder, cookie extruder, and juicer. To use these attachments, you need to flip the Ankarsrum on its side. The attachments are then inserted where you would place the bowl. Weird, I know. But with the motor being at the base of the mixer instead of the head, it sort of makes sense.

I wouldn’t say that the attachments are the most user-friendly but points for innovation!

Color Availability

Ankarsrum only has 14 different colors to choose from. It’s not a bad selection as there are many other brands out there that don’t offer any colors, but it’s not great either. 

Nevertheless, you are bound to find at least one color that suits you and your kitchen. 

Weight and Size

The Ankarsrum is a little bit on the heavier side, weighing 29 lbs (13kg). In terms of dimensions, it measures 18.5 x 13.2 x 17.7 inches (47 x 33.7 x45 cm). 

It’s quite a big and bulky machine that might not suit everyone, especially those with smaller kitchens or limited storage space. 

Warranty

Purchasing any product with a warranty is important as it gives you peace of mind if anything goes wrong. 

Ankarsrum is so sure about their stand mixers that each machine comes with a 7-year warranty. Not only that, every single Ankarsrum stand mixer is tested before leaving the factory to make sure it is fully functional before being shipped out. 

Price

Price. The be-all and end-all. There is no hiding that you’ll have to fork out a fair amount to get your hands on this bad boy. 

The Ankarsrum stand mixer comes in at around $750. For a high-end stand mixer, it’s not awful, but it’s the sort of machine you want to be sure of before you buy.

With Ankarsrum, I honestly think you get what you pay for, and with this, you get quality, durability, a 7-year warranty, and more accessories in the box than any other stand mixer brand out there. 

So yes, $750 is a lot, but it’s worth it.

Is Ankarsrum Worth It?

I feel like Ankarsrum is the type of mixer you’ll either love or hate. If you love baking bread and need a helping hand in the kitchen, I would say go for Ankarsrum. 

As far as breadmaking goes, this is the best stand mixer you can get. It has a strong enough motor that can withstand tougher doughs and the dough roller will make the most supple dough. 

If you are big into your dessert making, perhaps the Ankarsrum isn’t the way to go. It’s very bulky and takes a lot of space and there are many other smaller mixers out there that can whip up cake batter and meringues just as well. 

Let me know in the comments below what you think of my Ankarsrum mixer review!