Author: Eric King

You’ve probably used to seeing cookie recipes that call for lining your half-sheet trays with parchment paper, so what gives with the rise in popularity of silicone baking mats over the last few years? Are these two nonstick surfaces interchangeable in recipes? And, are they equally good at baking cookies, or cooling thick caramel, or releasing delicate macaron shells? Or a litany of other common baking and cooking tasks?

Let’s get into it. 

What Is Parchment Paper?

Also known as baking paper, parchment paper is simply paper that has been treated with either silicone or Quilon (a chemical made up largely of isopropanol) to render it nonstick and heat-resistant. Silicone-treated parchment is slightly more expensive to produce, but also more common in grocery stores. Unlike Quilon-treated parchment, you can reuse silicone-treated parchment a few times, and there seems to be some disagreement about Quilon’s health safety for baking applications. 

Parchment paper is most commonly sold in stores by the roll or in boxes of pre-cut sheets that would fit on most cookie trays. I prefer the rolls of parchment to the pre-cut sheets because I find that most of the sheets are too small for the pan, and I’d rather trim off or fold up any excess paper to get more coverage. However, pre-cut parchment paper has its fans (including senior commerce editor Riddley Gemperlein-Schirm, who swears by King Arthur Flour’s). Many specialty stores also sell pre-cut parchment liners for cake tins of all sizes, but you can also cut out your own. (As an aside, parchment paper can even be turned into piping bags.) 

Bleached and unbleached parchment paper (which are white and light brown, respectively) are available in most stores, and I’ve found no difference in performance. So if you don’t have any reservations about the added step of chlorine treatment, just buy whichever is cheapest. 

What Are Silicone Baking Mats?

Silicone baking mats are non-stick sheets, much thicker than parchment paper, that are manufactured to fit into standard sheet trays (half, quarter, etc.). They are made from food-grade silicone, and some are reinforced with a fiberglass mesh to make them more durable. They are oven-safe up to 450°F for some brands, or as high as 550°F for others—although you should always check the manufacturer's specs. Like pre-cut parchment paper, silicone mats are sold in all shapes and sizes. 

What Is Parchment Paper Best For? 

In my kitchen, the most regular task for parchment paper is lining half-sheet trays for a batch of cookies. (I also like to cut off a small rectangle to line quarter-sheet trays and dole out balls of dough for easy chilling.) Not only does parchment provide a surface that even the sugariest cookie dough won’t stick to, but it also adds a layer of slight insulation, helping to prevent scorching (especially if using darker pans). It won’t stick to your cookies, but it also isn’t so slippery that your cookies flatten out faster than they can bake up. 

Silicone mats can’t compete in this arena. As Stella Parks notes in her piece on the troubles of baking cookies on silicone, it doesn’t absorb moisture or fat like parchment does, leaving cookies a tad greasy—and also sweaty, if cooled on their trays. Also, they are a bit too nonstick, causing cookies to spread too much in the oven, which leads to the wrong texture, overcooked edges, and/or not enough rise. The thickness of these mats can help conduct heat more gently, but they insulate the cookies too much from the direct heat from the tray below, which could also be why they don’t set fast enough and spread too much. 

Another great use for parchment that can’t be replicated by silicone? Lining cake tins. Greasing the tin, and then placing a sheet cut to the pan’s shape on the bottom means the cake will release with ease and little to no breakage. Of course, they sell cake tin-size silicone mats, but then you have to have two to three of them for every size cake pan you have. 

For delicate piping work like buttercream flowers, royal icing transfers, or tempered chocolate designs, I like to use parchment because it’s easy to peel off while being very careful not to damage your creation. Silicone mats can be a bit too thick to gently peel them off. Plus you can cut the parchment into whatever size you need and easily move them around, like to the fridge or a showstopper cake. 

Lastly, I love rolling out dough for cut-out cookies on parchment instead of a silicone mat. I just lay another piece of parchment on top of the dough and roll the dough between the two pieces, which also helps my rolling pin from becoming a sticky mess. This way, it’s super easy to determine the correct thickness for rolling, transfer the slabs to and from the fridge, and pry the delicate cutouts out of their dough prisons. 

What Are Silicone Mats Best For?

Although parchment is also great for baking another cookie, macaron shells, some bakers swear by using silicone mats. Many of them even come with macaron templates of different sizes conveniently printed on them. This might boil down to personal preference. And while silicone mats make some cookies, for example, the classic chocolate chip, spread too much, other types of cookies such as florentines and tuiles benefit from a lot of spread. 

Bread bakers love using silicone mats that are exactly the size of a bread oven. With them, they can turn out their shaped loaf onto an oval of silicone, spray it, coat it in flour, score it with a lame, and easily transfer it with their two little tab handles to the pre-heated bread oven. In my experience with baking sourdough, parchment tends to scorch at the high temperatures required for a tall rise and open crumb. 

Another genre of baked goods I will whip out my silicone mats for is anything super sticky. I have found that with hot, molten caramel, silicone is much more forgiving. When I’m dipping caramel apples, I like to place them on silicone to set. Or when I’ve made a hard-crack caramel like for peanut brittle, I like to pour it out onto a silicone mat on a sheet tray. Parchment can get caught on the caramel a little easier and, because it’s paper, it's prone to tearing. (A good silicone mat will almost never tear.) The same goes for a batch of syrupy granola. It’s annoying to have to try to peel off parchment stuck to something sticky, trust me. Of course, you could always lightly grease any parchment you’re using, but then you’ll get a sheen on the finished product, and why go through the extra step?

They also make silicone mats for worktops that are a great non-stick surface for rolling out pie crust, brioche dough for cinnamon rolls, or other sticky pastries. They often come with ruler markings on the sides, handy baking conversion charts, and concentric circles showing you the correct diameters for pie crust, too. 

Pros and Cons of Parchment Paper, at a Glance

Pros

• Disposable for easy clean-up
• Very thin for even cooking and optimal heat transference
• Nonstick, but not slippery, leading to optimal spread for cookies
• Much more versatile—good for lining any size pan, or even making pastry bags
• Some brands (Reynolds, If You Care) are compostable 

Cons

• Single-use paper, even if you can get a few uses out of it, isn’t as sustainable

Pros and Cons of Silicone Mats, at a Glance

Pros

• Cost-effective in the long term—buy it once and you’ll have it for years 
• Reusable—less waste and environmental impact
• More heat-resistant than parchment paper
• Easy to throw in the dishwasher
• Less fragile than parchment paper
• Evenly distributes heat

Cons

• Too slippery, leading to too much spread on cookies
• Tricky to clean and dry by hand
• Tend to hold onto powerful smells and stains 

So, Which Should You Buy?

All this to say, it’s a boon to have both a roll of parchment paper as well as one or two silicone mats in your kitchen, for all the times when you don’t *need* to use a single-use paper product. 

Why We’re the Experts

• Eric King is a recipe developer, photographer, food stylist, and content creator.
• He has a B.S. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University.
• He runs a baking blog called easygayoven and has developed, styled, and photographed recipes for Netflix Family.
• He has reviewed many items for serious eats, including bench scrapers, a smart stand mixer, wine tumblers, and more.
  

You probably have an ice cream scoop at home, but if it’s just a simple, standard dipper made out of uninterrupted metal, then it’s perfect for mainly one task. That task is digging vanilla ice cream out of a tub, curling it into a sphere, and then hoping it pops out into a bowl or cone without a fight. And they’re great—there’s a reason that ice cream shops all over use them! But what if I told you that you might also need a *portion scoop* (or several) in your kitchen? 

Sort of like the whole “rectangle-square” principle, all portion scoops *could* be ice cream scoops, but not all ice cream scoops are portion scoops. These tools have also come to be known as cookie scoops, and in more professional settings, they’re referred to as dishers. They’re popular in restaurants and cafeterias because each scoop scrapes up an exact amount of food (important for anyone keeping inventory of ingredients and servings in a given batch). In fact, they have a range of numbers and a rainbow of corresponding colors that help the user identify how much each scoop scoops (and can also help servers keep track of what food goes with each to avoid cross-contamination.) These numbers range from four all the way up to 100 and indicate how many scoops are in one quart. This colored numbering system is supposed to be universal, but I have seen different brands have different values for each scoop, so be sure to double-check. 

Perhaps most importantly, these scoops make portioning and serving faster and neater with a rim that’s perfect for scraping off excess and a spring-loaded trigger that runs a thin metal blade alongside the bowl, releasing the food inside. And there’s something to be said about the presentation of a perfectly smooth dome of mashed potatoes. 

How Do I Use Portion Scoops At Home? And Why Do I Own Six? 

As a baker and recipe developer, the number one task I use this tool for is doling out cookie dough. The thought of a past me caking my hands in the gloppy dough to form balls…makes me shiver. Now, I use a press disher to either scoop cookie dough right after mixing straight onto a sheet tray lined with parchment, then chill it or bake it—or I chill the dough in the bowl for an hour, and then scoop it (if it isn’t rock hard). Since you can be sure that your cookies are all the same size, you can know exactly how much to dole out for a recipe, that they’re less likely to run into one another, and that they will all take about the same time to cook. Plus, when you start with a dome of cookie dough, you’ll (hopefully) end up with an aesthetically pleasing, circular cookie. 

Portion Scoop Sizes I Recommend

• Winco #40 Purple (7/8 ounce, or about 1.5 tablespoons): If I’m preparing little balls of ganache to plop inside chocolate cake batter for lava cakes, I’ll use this one. It’s also great for scooping out consistent, spherical cake pops, truffles, or rum balls with as little mess as possible.  
• OXO Medium Cookie Scoop: They say this is a #40 size scoop that doles out a 1.5-tablespoon size scoop, but it’s certainly bigger than the purple Winco and I’ve found that the true portion size is more like one ounce. I don’t use it very often since its gears tend to jam when faced with anything super thick (like cookie dough,) but I would use it to dole out small meatballs or falafel. 
• Winco #24 Red (1.5 ounces, or about 3 tablespoons): This is my go-to for scooping out perfectly medium-size cookies. I also love the size for topping or filling cakes with frosting (this can help you spread out the frosting evenly and prevent it from picking up any crumbs.)
• Vintage Brass Disher (1.5 ounces, or about 3 tablespoons): I found this on Etsy and despite being old, it is much sturdier than the other squeeze-handled OXO. It serves all the same purposes as the red Winco. 
• Winco #20 Yellow (2 ounces, or about 3.5 tablespoons): This is what I reach for when I want cookies to be on the larger side. 
• Winco #16 Blue (2.75 ounces, about 1/3 cup): This makes filling muffin and cupcake tins super easy and drip-free. Depending on the recipe, sometimes I can get away with one scoop or one and a half. I also love using it to evenly distribute batter between two or three round cake pans. 

What Can a Portion Scoop Be Used For? 

A quick list:

• Scooping out dough for perfectly shaped cookies
• Doling out meatballs or falafel 
• Evenly and cleanly filling muffin or cupcake tins
• Evenly and cleanly filling cake tins 
• Portioning out frosting onto cakes and cupcakes 
• Scooping out even servings of a sticky side like mashed potatoes 
• Serving ice cream, duh!

Portion Scoop Types, In Brief

Some portion scoops are known as press dishers. These have a handle with a bowl at the end, and a spring mechanism in the middle which, when the trigger is pressed, forces a thin piece of metal to scrape along the inside of the bowl, releasing whatever food is inside. Instead of pressing a trigger, squeeze-handle dishers work by….well, squeezing the handle. The gear mechanism that makes the blade rotate is a bit different on these, but they essentially work the same way.

I prefer press dishers (the ones with a trigger on the side) over squeeze handle dishers. In my experience, they are easier to use against hard foods like ice cream and chilled cookie dough. With squeeze-handle dishers, the teeth of the trigger tend to “skip” over the teeth of the gear that turns the blade, which takes it out of alignment and makes it useless. After that, it’s very difficult to get the blade back in alignment. That being said, for softer foods, these have no problem—and it could be argued that squeezing your hand is more ergonomic and faster than reaching your thumb up and pressing the trigger down.   

FAQs

What’s the best portion scoop? 

My favorite type of portion scoop is the press disher, the one with a trigger on the side. These have been the most sturdy and reliable in my kitchen over the years. I bought four different sizes at a restaurant supply store in New York, all of them from Winco, and they have never failed me.  

What’s the difference between a portion scoop, cookie scoop, press disher, and ice cream scoop?

A portion scoop and a cookie scoop are the same thing, some companies just market them for doling out cookie dough—but you can use them for so many other tasks. A press disher is a type of portion scoop that, unlike a squeeze-handle disher, has a trigger on the side that you press with your thumb. Any of these could be considered an ice cream scoop if they’re…scooping ice cream. But a plain scoop with a handle and a bowl, that’s also called a dipper, and often these have antifreeze fluid trapped inside to make it easier to scoop and release ice cream.

Why We're the Experts

• Eric King is a recipe developer, photographer, food stylist, and content creator.
• He has a B.S. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University.
• He runs a baking blog called easygayoven and has developed, styled, and photographed recipes for Netflix Family.
• He has reviewed many items for serious eats, including bench scrapers, a smart stand mixer, wine tumblers, and more.

For many home cooks, a manual can opener probably works fine. But if you’re someone who finds it difficult to use a manual can opener, or simply opens *a lot* of cans and would like to speed things along and give your hands a break, then an electric can opener can be a boon in the kitchen. Plus, most electric can openers have magnets that lift off the lid—no fiddling to pry it out of the can. 

To find the best electric can openers, we tested 10 popular options (including corded, stand-up, and handheld options. We opened 70 cans to evaluate their performance, how noisy they were, how smooth their cuts were, and more.

The Winners, at a Glance

Nearly every other stand-up model had trouble with at least one can, whether it couldn’t open the olives, dropped the unusually-shaped sweetened condensed milk can, or fell over when opening the largest can (whole peeled tomatoes). But not this one. It’s fast, powerful, and leaves a very smooth-cut lid that can actually be placed back on top of the can for storage.

The Kitchen Mama model sits right on top of the can and with the press of a button, latches on and whirs around. It had no problem with any of the cans, even the small tomato paste.

The Tests

We timed how long it took each can opener to open a can of:

• Tomato paste (6 ounces, 2 1/8-inch diameter )
• Pitted olives (6 ounces, 3-inch diameter)
• Tuna (5 ounces, 2 3/8-inch diameter)
• Green peas (15 ounces, 2 15/16 inch diameter)
• Sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces, 2 7/8-inch diameter)
• Whole peeled tomatoes (28 ounces, 4-inch diameter)

We recorded how easily each opener latched onto the can, the time it took to open each can, how smooth the cut was, if there was any leakage, or if the opener ever dropped the can or tipped over. We also noted when an opener struggled to open a can or totally failed to open it.

What We Learned

Stand-Up vs. Handheld (Cordless) Electric Can Openers

Overall, stand-up electric can openers were just…finicky: Fiddling with the correct placement of the can on the locator post, ensuring the blade dropped at just the right angle on the can’s lip, praying that the machine latched onto the can correctly so it wouldn’t drop the can onto the counter and splash tuna all over you. 

The handheld models, however, were way more intuitive to use. They were as simple as placing the opener on top of the can, aligning the lip in between the blade and the gear, and pressing a button. Even if the button had to be pressed again to go *all the way* around bigger cans, using them was easy and usually less messy. The one stand-up model that we found to be as intuitive as the handheld models was our winner from Hamilton Beach, which was as simple as sticking the can lip in between the gear and the blade (this machine’s cutting mechanism functioned like that of the handheld models) and pressing down on the top bar until the cut was complete. Another exception to this rule was the handheld yet tricky to use Hamilton Beach Walk n’ Cut, which functioned more similarly to a stand-up model, hanging onto the side of the can while a blade pierces through the top.

For big, bulky 28-ounce cans of whole peeled tomatoes that sent many stand-up models tumbling over, the handheld models (Kitchen Mama, Bangrui, Handy, and Hamilton Beach Walk n’ Cut) simply sat on top of the can and whirred their way around automatically. Only a couple of stand-up models (AmazonBasics and Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch), were powerful and sturdy enough to open large cans without tipping over, thanks to their wide, heavier bases. 

On the whole, handheld/cordless models were louder and slower than stand-up models. But for how much smaller they are, and the fact that they take up no precious counterspace, it’s an easy tradeoff to make. 

Speed Wasn't an Issue 

Most of the can openers opened the largest can, a 28-ounce can of tomatoes, in under 45 seconds. So unless you’re opening *a lot* of cans and really need to shave down your time, this variable isn’t going to separate the winners from the losers. 

That being said, we timed them anyway. On the whole, stand-up models were faster, powering through tomato paste cans in four to six seconds, tuna cans in about 10 seconds, cans of peas in six to eight seconds, cans of sweetened condensed milk in about nine seconds, diced tomatoes in seven to nine seconds, and large cans of whole peeled tomatoes in about 11 to 13 seconds. Meanwhile, the handheld models took longer, sometimes three times as long. It’s difficult to quantify exactly because some of the handheld models required re-pressing their start button halfway through, and most of them kept turning around the can even after they were done cutting. For example, the Kitchen Mama took 21 seconds to open the tomato paste and 41 seconds to open the whole peeled tomatoes. But another handheld model, the Handy Can Opener, took about seven seconds for the tomato paste (but kept running for another 10 seconds), but for the whole peeled tomatoes, it had to be restarted twice, taking about a minute to cut through the whole lid. 

Blade and Cutting Mechanisms Made a Difference

Two factors made a really big difference in choosing the best electric can opener: Does this opener work on a wide variety of cans? And is it easy to use? 

Each of the openers we tested functioned in one of two ways. Either they opened cans by puncturing the lid with a blade and rotating the can (almost all of the stand-up openers, besides our winner the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch, worked like this.) Or they worked by placing the opener on top of the can, aligning the lip of the lid in between two gears that then clamped together, rotating and cutting the *side* of the lid all the way around. The latter type of opener was able to tackle more types of cans than the former, even unusually designed ones like the 14-ounce sweetened condensed milk or cans with pop tabs that got in the way of traditional models. Not only that; this opener style also produced smoother edges on the cut lid and can that are less likely to hurt the user. And since the lids are cut from the side, they fit back on top of the can for easier storage. 

The Criteria: What to Look for in an Electric Can Opener

Our favorite electric can openers ditched the original design (a triangle-shaped blade attached to a lever that presses down to puncture the top of a can). Instead, they opted for designs with two gears that clamp together and cut along the *side* of the can—sort of like scissors. The models with a traditional blade design were often finicky. It was difficult to align the blade with the right location on the can (just inside the lip) and, for some more unusual can shapes, these openers took several tries to latch on and get started. Overall, there was no good way to tell if the can had latched in, which made us concerned it would drop. And we were right to be concerned…because some did drop a few cans. 

On the other hand, models with the two-gear cutting mechanism (like our winners from Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch and Kitchen Mama) were able to avoid trouble because they cut around *the outside* of the lid. This type of opener also produced a smoother, less jagged lid that could actually be placed back on top of the can and was able to handle cans that were oddly shaped or even had pop tabs.

The Best Electric Can Openers

What we liked: Hamilton Beach makes a lot of can openers, and we tested three—more than any other brand. This one stands out from the other stand-up, corded models because of its unusual, bladeless design. Unlike the others, which have sharp, triangle-shaped blades that you have to line up to puncture the lid, the Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch uses a cutting mechanism where two gears clamp down on the lip of the lid. One, on the inside of the lip, rotates the can, while the other cuts through the side, not the top. All the user has to do is place the lip in between the two gears, press down the bar on top to lock it in place (a note on the lever will say it’s “Locked”), and then press down and hold to make it go. 

Every other stand-up can opener either failed to open one can, fell over when opening the 28-ounce can of tomatoes, or, worse, dropped cans. This model managed to avoid doing any of that. It was much, much more intuitive to use than the other stand-up models. Thanks to its locking mechanism and a guidance bar that aligns the can for you, at no time did we struggle to place the can or feel unsure if the can was latched on correctly. 

What we didn’t like:  This model was only slightly tripped up by one can: the sweetened condensed milk (14 ounces). The lid was a bit unusual, which is why several openers either had trouble latching onto the can and starting or simply couldn’t open it at all. We had to adjust the sweetened condensed milk in the opener twice after the opener had started, which was admittedly annoying. Still, the model eventually worked. The cut was smooth, but we also found a few metal shavings on top of the can post-opening. 

The other stand-up models run automatically when the lever is pressed down, but this one only runs when you press down on the top lever. Luckily, thanks to its speed (none of the cans took more than 11 seconds to open) it wasn't really a bother. 

Price at time of publish: $36.

Key Specs:

• Materials: Plastic, metal, stainless steel blade
• Dimensions: 4.7 x 10.5 inches
• Cord length: 24-inch cord
• Features: Cord storage in the back
  

What we liked: This handheld, battery-operated model absolutely breezed through opening each can: large, small, with a pop-tab, or otherwise unusually shaped. Its cutting mechanism, two gears that clamp together on the lip and cut through the side of the lid, left very smooth edges on almost every can. It was very easy to align on top of the can’s lip, and once you got used to its one-button function, all you had to do was press it to start, allow it to whir around the can, and press again to release. A magnet on the bottom attaches to the cut lid so you can lift it off easily.  

We love its size. It’s no bigger than a TV remote, meaning it doesn’t take up precious counter space and can easily fit in a utensil drawer. 

What we didn’t like: On the tomato paste can, it left a spike that poked out a bit from the lid, which we will chalk up to the unusually small diameter of those cans (2 1/8 inches).  Like the other handheld models, it was noisier than a stand-up opener. And it is the priciest option we tested at $40. 

Price at time of publish: $40.

Key Specs:

• Materials: Plastic, stainless steel blade
• Dimensions: 2.76"W x 7.08"H
• Cord length: Cordless, uses 4 AA batteries
• Features: Magnet lid lift

The Competition 

• Hamilton Beach Electric Automatic Can Opener: This model failed to open the sweetened condensed milk can, struggled with the diced tomatoes, and tipped over when opening the 28-ounce can of tomatoes. It’s also the largest model, which isn’t great for crowded countertops. 
• Cuisinart Deluxe Stainless Steel Can Opener: While it stayed upright when opening the 28-ounce can of tomatoes, it did stop about a quarter of the way around, and was difficult to pry up the blade lever and restart. Otherwise, despite some slight trouble latching onto the small can of tomato paste, it quickly opened the other cans, but the blade did seem to create some fine metal shavings.
• Handy Can Opener Electric Can Opener: This handheld model struggled with a few cans. It began shaking and stopped halfway around the olive can, struggled to latch onto the tuna can, and needed to be restarted twice while opening the 28-ounce can of tomatoes (and still couldn’t get the lid clean off). And while it produced a clean, smooth cut, it was pretty noisy. 
• Bella Electric Can Opener: Overall, this stand-up model was pretty easy to use, but it failed to open the can of olives (with a pop tab), had trouble latching onto the sweetened condensed milk can (and dropped it), and tipped over while opening the large can of tomatoes. With normal cans, though, it was fast, powerful, and quiet.
• Hamilton Beach Walk n’ Cut Electric Can Opener: The only rechargeable model we tested, this unusual, handheld opener works like many of our stand-up models: It’s activated by bringing a lever with a blade attached down onto the interior rim of the lid. But instead of rotating the can, the opener “walks” around the edge, slicing open the top. For cans like the tomato paste, which the opener was bigger than, it was easier to let the opener lean back on its hind legs and rotate the can. This was fine with the tomato paste, but when it tilted back with the tuna can, the tuna juices spilled out. It also wouldn’t open the pop tab olive can. 
• Bangrui Automatic Safety Can Opener: With almost the exact same design as the Kitchen Mama handheld model, this model had a poorer performance that surprised us. This likely has to do with their one difference: a slightly different outer gear, which gave the model trouble when opening the 15-ounce can of peas (no other model in the test had trouble with this very standard can) and prevented it from opening the sweetened condensed milk at all. We also had a problem with the batteries fitting too loosely in their compartment, so sometimes the opener wouldn’t power on.
• AmazonBasics Electric Can Opener: This stand-up opener made a good attempt at opening the olive can, but ended up dropping it. It also was the only opener to drop the tuna can. Despite feeling cheap and flimsy, it did open the large can of tomatoes without tipping over. 
• Proctor Silex Power Electric Automatic Can Opener: Other than tipping over when opening the 28-ounce can of tomatoes (which, you can just support the top of it to keep it upright) it had no trouble opening any of the other cans. And it was fairly quiet! It does take a while to get used to; the lever rests in the down position and obscures the blade, making it hard to see if you’re placing the can right. And we will say, it produced some jagged edges on the cut lids. 

FAQs

Should I buy a handheld or electric can opener?

An electric can opener makes this common kitchen task way easier on the hands, and they’re ostensibly safer thanks to their overall smoother cuts (some still produce jagged edges, though) and magnetic lid-lifters. If you’re someone who has arthritis or other hand mobility problems, or even if you happen to be opening a lot of cans, it’s worth spending the money on an electric model and any counter or drawer space it may take up.

That being said, manual openers (which you can find our review on here) take up less space (some are as small as business cards). Another thing to consider: While some electric openers are battery-operated, a manual one will always work, even in a power outage, emergency, or on a camping trip. 

How do you use an electric can opener?

For most stand-up models, lift the lever with the blade and place the can so its rim is under the locating post. Tip the can forward so that the lip of the can goes behind the blade, then press the lever down so the blade punctures the corner where the lid flares up. Most models will automatically begin to run, turning the can all the way around. When the cut is complete, the opener will stop automatically, hold the can in place, and lift the lid with the magnetic arm. Grasp the can and lift the lever to release it. 

For most handheld models, place the opener on top of the can so that the lip is between the blade and the metal gear. Push the button and let it rotate around the can on its own.

After one rotation around the can, it may stop on its own. If it doesn’t press the button again to stop. The gear and blade will separate and release the edge of the can. Lift the can opener off (if it has a magnet on the bottom, the lid should pop off with it.)

Which electric can openers have smooth edges?

In general, models that rely on two gears that clamp together produced the smoothest edges. Our winners, the stand-up Hamilton Beach Smooth Touch and the handheld Kitchen Mama, functioned like this—as well as the Handy Can Opener, and Bangrui Automatic Safety Can Opener. Overall, models that use a sharp triangle-shaped blade to carve through the metal tended to produce lids that were bendy and/or jagged—and sometimes created metal shavings.

Why We're the Experts

• Eric King is a recipe developer, photographer, food stylist, and content creator.
• He has a B.S. in magazine journalism from Syracuse University.
• He runs a baking blog called easygayoven and has developed, styled, and photographed recipes for Netflix Family.
• He has reviewed many items for serious eats, including bench scrapers, a smart stand mixer, wine tumblers, and more.
• For this review, Eric tested 10 electric can openers, opening 70 cans of various sizes to land on the best ones.

The best knife set is the one you make yourself, the best cooking utensil set is no set at all, and the best piping tip set is one that has been carefully curated to not waste space or money. As a lifelong baker and professional recipe developer, I have amassed many tools that, despite my best hopes when I bought them, I never use. And out of all the piping tips I have (probably hovering around 100) I employ a dozen regularly.

I wish I could highly recommend a large set that has every tip you could need, but the truth is, the tips that I love and use most often come from three different sets. The sets I have bought are either way too big, carrying hyper-specific tips for basket-weave or grass patterns (which have their place!), or have tips that are so obscure I don’t even know what they do.

That being said, I’ve narrowed down a few sets below that would bring you pretty close to a great, trim collection. And I’ve ranked all my favorite piping tips that I’m always reaching for. (I have primarily Wilton or Ateco tips. Sometimes their size/shape numbering system is the same and sometimes it’s not, so I’ve given names for both.) I also included my go-to small and large piping bags, which should cover all of your needs.

Must-Haves

• Large star (Wilton or Ateco 1M): This is one of the most popular piping tips for anyone, doing any level of baking. And for a reason! You can do a lot with it: make simple stars, pipe in a spiral to create a rose shape, swirl it into a pile on top of a cupcake, or run it around a cake to create a fun shell or helix border. These tips can also neatly pipe out butter cookies or churros.
• Large star (Wilton 4B-8B or Ateco 864): Nearly as versatile as the 1M, this tip, or range of tips, is also great for a swirl on top of a cupcake, creating a beaded border along the bottom edges of a layer cake, or just dropping dollops to create big stars.
• Large drop flower/closed star (Ateco 852 or Wilton 2D): This one is like the 1M, but because its tines curve inward, the “ruffles” that are created are thinner and more delicate so they fall more like fabric or petals. 
• Large round (Ateco 809 or Wilton 1A): I use this tip to pipe frosting onto layer cakes, which gets you really even coverage—or for piping a ring or a “dam” of frosting to hold in fillings. They’re also great for piping a thick swirl (or just a big ole dollop) of buttercream on top of a cupcake—or piping out meringue kisses. 
• Detail round (Wilton or Ateco 2 or 3): For writing in buttercream, or doing detail work like the centers of flowers, I love to use this size. This is also the perfect tip for piping the borders of thick royal icing on cookies, before flooding them with a thinner icing. 

Nice-to-Have’s

• Medium round (Ateco 804 or Wilton 2A) and small round (Wilton or Ateco 12): These are great for creating borders that look like strings of pearls, or for just plopping on some dots. You can also use it to create big, spherical domes of buttercream on top of cupcakes by holding it just above the center, squeezing, and slowly lifting it up. They’re also great for filling the interior of cupcakes, thumb-print cookies, sandwich cookies, or vol-au-vents. The small round tips are especially good for piping out macaron shells. 
• Small star (Wilton or Ateco 32): For shell borders, smaller stars, or dainty rosettes, reach for this tip. 
• Small petal (Wilton or Ateco 104) and large petal (Wilton or Ateco 127): Use these to pipe thin petals around a mound of buttercream, slowly building a flower from the inside out. Or, pipe in a line, moving left to right slightly (or up and down if you’re piping along the side of a cake) to create ruffles. 
• Small leaf (Wilton or Ateco 352): Probably the least versatile tip, but held one way, it makes piping professional-looking leaves super easy. Held the other way, it pipes thin ribbons. 

Sets

• For large tips: This set has four of my “must-haves"—sans the detail round—and also comes with eight disposable bags. 
• For medium tips: With two small stars (21 and 32) and small round tips (10 and 12), this set has two of my “nice-to-haves.”
• For leaves and petals: This set carries two small petal tips (102 and my recommended 104), a small drop flower tip (224), and a small leaf option (my recommended 352). 
• A little bit of everything (but not everything!): This one is missing a finer-sized detail round tip (it only has a size 5, when I prefer 2 or 3). There’s no large star tip with more tines than 1M (such as 4B-8B), and there’s no large round tip like Ateco 809 or Wilton 1A. It does come with all of the others (or a close-enough version) and 10 disposable bags. 

Piping Bags

I like to have smaller bags for piping royal icing onto holiday cookies or detailed buttercream work, and also some large pastry bags for quickly covering large layer cakes. There are also reusable nylon and silicone pastry bags available for purchase that are more sustainable, but they are slightly less convenient if you’re using multiple colors or tips at once—and you have to wash them. I also find that plastic bags give more control over the flow of icings, filings, etc. than nylon or silicone. 

Small Bags

These are called tipless bags because you don’t need a piping tip to use them. Many cookie decorators will simply snip off the very end and that gives enough precision to outline even the most complicated cookie shapes. Of course, you can also use them with smaller tips—but I wouldn’t recommend using large tips in them.

Large Bags 

Any of the large tips listed above fit much better into these bags, which are thicker and more substantial feeling, giving you more control with thicker buttercreams and fillings.

FAQs

What are piping tip couplers?

When you want to pipe from one bag of frosting, but use multiple tips, couplers make that possible—and easy. They have two parts: one that looks like the bottom of a piping tip and another round piece that simply screws onto the bottom piece. You place the bottom piece into the piping bag (cutting it to size so it just sticks out on the smooth part), add any small piping tip onto it, and secure that in place with the fastening piece. Then, you can change out tips whenever you want without having to change bags. Large couplers for larger piping tips are also sold. 

How do you fill a piping bag or pastry bag?

Place the tip or coupler into the bag, pointed side down, and mark where you need to snip the bag's end off. Move the tip away, snip the bag, and move the tip down into the opening. (The plastic should end right in the middle of the tip, not too close to the top or bottom.) 

To fill the bag, twist the tip several times to prevent any icings or fillings from seeping out while filling. Then, place the bag (tip side down) in a large drinking glass, and pull the sides of the bag down so they hang over the glass’s rim. Scoop or pour the filling into the bag, trying to get as much down to the bottom as possible, and compressing it so there are as few air bubbles as possible. Lift the bag out of the glass, twist the top of the bag, and secure it with your thumb, a clip, or a rubber band.

Why We're the Experts

• Eric King is a recipe developer, writer, and social media creator who has run the baking blog easygayoven for four years.
• Eric has written many equipment reviews for Serious Eats, including rolling pins, wine tumblers, and meat pounders.

Of course, you know Le Creuset for their range of brightly-colored Dutch ovens (and don’t worry, one is on this list), but they also make plenty of other great cookware, serveware, utensils, and other kitchen necessities. Whether they performed exceptionally well in extensive equipment reviews or staff just love using them in the test kitchen and at home, the below Le Creuset products are the tops of the top. And before you say, "This is an ad!" No, it's not. We've gathered up our favorites for other brands before, including Staub and OXO.

(One blanket note that applies to almost all of these, Le Creuset products can be pretty pricey, and while we genuinely think these are all worth the cash, head to our full reviews for our budget-friendly picks.)

A highly versatile workhorse in many kitchens, not only do these perform extremely well, but if taken care of and used according to manufacturer directions, they can last decades. In our test of 20 cast iron Dutch ovens, the Le Creuset tied for first with Staub. However, Le Creuset has wider looped handles and a beige interior (as opposed to black), which makes it easier to gauge fond development. At 5.5 quarts, this size is typically the best for most home cooks—perfect for about four to six servings and dishes like one-pot meals, chili, short ribs, or a 5-pound chicken.

Key Specs

• Dimensions: 10.25 by 6.25 inches
• Weight: 11.4 pounds
• Capacity: 5.5 quarts
• Cooking surface: 7.8 inches
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Warranty: Limited lifetime
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, though we recommend hand-washing
• Price at time of publish: $420

Braisers are like Dutch ovens but with shorter, sloped sides that are perfect for shallow-frying, searing and simmering meatballs, cooking a skillet chili, and/or other low-and-slow meat and vegetable recipes. With a large cooking surface that resists chips, scratches, and stains; wide looped handles, and a large lid knob that was easy to grip, Le Creuset’s model placed first in our review when up against seven other braisers. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 12 lbs, 11.5 oz
• Dimensions: 16 in x 12 in x 5 in
• Cooking surface diameter: 9.5 in
• Capacity: 3.5 quarts
• Induction compatible: Yes
• Care Instructions: Dishwasher-safe, but we recommend hand-washing
• Price at time of publish: $368

More excellent cast-iron cookware from this brand. This model came in second to Staub’s offering in our enameled skillet review simply because it didn’t heat up quite as fast. But when it does so, it’s able to reach very high temperatures, heat evenly, and sear steaks beautifully. We loved the long handle with its rounded edges that made it easy to grip, and its flared sides allow for steam to get out and utensils to easily get in. 

Key Specs

• Weight: 5 lbs, 6 oz
• Diameter: 10.25 inches
• Cooking surface diameter: 8.5 inches
• Max heat: 500°F
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, but we recommend hand-washing
• Price at time of publish: $200

As we say in our review, if you have a Le Creuset Dutch oven of the right size, then there’s really no reason you need this bread oven. After baking a dozen loaves in the bread oven, the good news was they were all great with crispy crusts and an open crumb. The bad news was they were identical to the ones made in a Dutch oven. So, is it worth the $300 price tag when it has only one use and a Dutch oven has several? Maybe not, but it is pretty.

Key Specs

• Materials: Enameled cast iron, stainless steel knob
• Dimensions: 12 3/4 inches wide with handles, 7 inches tall with lid, 9.5-inch diameter
• Weight: 9.7 Pounds
• Warranty: Limited lifetime
• Care instructions: Dishwasher-safe, though we recommend hand-washing
• Price at time of publish: $300

This set aced the accuracy test in our review, coming very, very close to the standard weight measurements of a tablespoon, teaspoon, half-teaspoon, and quarter-teaspoon—down to the decigram. Their rounded shape made them easy to clean and scrape out sticky ingredients like honey. However, the tablespoon and teaspoon both failed to fit into a standard one-inch spice jar opening, though the teaspoon squeezes into a 1.25-inch jar opening.  We also like how the handle is on the same level as the lip of the bowl, making it easy to sweep off excess ingredients in one clean swipe. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Stainless steel
• Bowl shape: Circle
• Set includes: 5 pieces (1/8 tsp, 1/4 tsp, 1/2 tsp, 1 tsp, 1 tbsp)
• Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe
• Features: Easily removable ring, US and metric measurements stamped into the metal, nesting bowls
• Price at time of publish: $24

Although Made In won our test of stainless steel skillets thanks to its affordability, Le Creuset’s model performed just as well. The price for the Le Creuset model is sometimes low enough, though, to be comparable to Made In. We love that Le Creuset stainless steel pans are induction capable, and, anecdotally, they have resisted warping for years in the kitchens of Serious Eats’ staffers. 

Key Specs

• Compatible with induction cooktops: Yes
• Oven-safe temperature: Up to 500°F
• Material: Tri-ply stainless steel with a full aluminum core
• Warranty: Limited Lifetime
• Dishwasher-safe: Yes
• Price at time of publish: $190

This unique spoon combines the functionality of both a silicone spatula and a wooden spoon. Kenji appreciates its deep bowl (great for scooping) and flexible head (excellent for scraping the bottoms of pots or scraping out mixing bowls). 

Key Specs

• Materials: Silicone, nylon
• Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe
• Price at time of publish: $30

In our review of 10 stovetop kettles, this model boiled both 1.5 quarts and .75 quarts the fastest, the latter a full 30 seconds faster than the second-place finisher. Its high, plastic handle meant it didn’t get too hot to grasp after boiling, and its wide opening made it easy to fill and clean. Its spout produces a steady, precise stream of water that doesn't come out too fast or splash into the cup. One thing we didn’t like: The handle design requires you to angle your arm and wrist slightly uncomfortably to pour. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Lightweight carbon steel, porcelain enamel
• Stated capacity: 1.7 quarts
• Weight (when empty): 3 lbs
• Weight (when at capacity): 6 lbs 10.1 ounces
• Compatible cooktops: Gas, electric, induction
• Price at time of publish: $115

Thanks to its flared sides and wide handles, you can carry this serving platter from counter to table securely while avoiding spills of juices, sauces, or the like. It’s nice and big and comes in a variety of gorgeous signature colors. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Enameled stoneware
• Length: 16 inches
• Weight: 4 lbs, 12 ounces
• Cleaning and care: Broiler-, oven-, and microwave-safe; dishwasher-safe
• Price at time of publish: $75

This ladle was our favorite non-metal model in our testing. While the 9.5-inch handle was slightly short, we loved how the silicone was flexible but also sturdy enough to scrape the bottom and sides of the pot. It scooped sturdily and was comfortable and secure to grip. 

Key Specs

• Materials: Silicone, nylon
• Bowl capacity: 100 milliliters (a little less than 1/2 cup)
• Handle length: 9.5 inches
• Cleaning: Dishwasher-safe
• Price at time of publish: $30

The pieces in this dinnerware set are very sturdy but lightweight, beautiful but also casual-feeling. Our tester remarked that her set of mugs from the collection have stayed looking new even after years of use. 

Key Specs

• What’s included: 4x dinner plates, salad plates, mugs, and pasta bowls or cereal bowls
• Material: Stoneware
• Care instructions: Dishwasher- and microwave-safe; oven- and broiler-safe up to 500°F
• Price at time of publish: $296

FAQs

How is Le Creuset pronounced? 

A French word for 'crucible' or 'cauldron’, Le Creuset is pronounced “luh-CROO-zay,” with the emphasis on “croo”.

Where is Le Creuset made?

Le Creuset’s enameled cast iron products are manufactured at their foundry in Fresnoy-le-Grand, France. Many of their ceramics and utensils products are made in Thailand or China. Their stainless steel products seem to primarily come from Portugal.

Can Le Creuset go in the dishwasher? 

It depends on the material! According to their site, all pans with integral cast iron, phenolic handles or stainless steel knobs can be washed in the dishwasher. However, they warn that constant dishwashing may dull the enamel finish, which they say does not impair performance. Their metallic-toned knobs have a coating that is not dishwasher-safe. 

Pans with black satin interior are dishwasher-safe, but the company warns that this reduces the development of a patina on the pan, which means grills and skillets will require oiling for a longer period. 

You can find a full list of the care and cleaning directions for all Le Creuset materials here.

Can Le Creuset go in the oven?

Yes, but their cookware and bakeware have different maximum temperatures. Products with integral cast iron handles or stainless steel knobs are safe for any oven temperature. The black phenolic lid knobs on their Signature range of enameled cast iron are heat-resistant to 500°F / 250°C, while the ones on the Classic range of enameled cast iron are heat-resistant to 390°F / 190°C.

Why We're the Experts

• Eric King is a recipe developer, writer, and social media creator who has run the baking blog easygayoven for four years.
• Eric has written many equipment reviews for Serious Eats, including rolling pins, wine tumblers, and meat pounders.
• We've tested many Le Creuset products, including in our reviews of Dutch ovens and stainless steel skillets.

They’re big, they’re bulky, and they take up a lot of counter space, but for some crucial tasks, they are an irreplaceable tool in the kitchen. We are, of course. talking about stand mixers. And with the GE Profile Smart Mixer, we are promised a stand mixer that streamlines the process with a few “smart” features. The first is an internal scale that senses weight in two places: on the circular base of the mixer as well as with the arms that hold the bowl. But the one feature that truly makes it “smart” is the app on your phone that sends directions, mixing speeds, and times to the mixer. The app also provides guided recipes that send directions step-by-step to the mixer, as well as “auto-sense” recipes in which the mixer monitors changes in viscosity and adjusts mixing speeds and times accordingly. 

We put this mixer through a variety of tests to see how well its scale and smart features worked, and if they actually made baking any simpler. We also examined how it functioned compared to analog-style mixers.

The Tests

• Whipping Cream Test: We used the built-in scale to weigh out heavy whipping cream into the bowl, set a timer, and whipped the cream at medium-high speed, stopping the timer when the cream was fluffy and thick. We then noted how easy the bowl was to remove from the machine and to handle while emptying the whipped cream into a container. 
• Pound Cake Test: We used the “auto-sense” recipe for “Lemon Bliss Cake” in the app, which comes from King Arthur Baking, as all the other recipes do. We followed the directions for the guided recipe, measuring out ingredients using the built-in scale, mixing in ingredients when and how it told us to, and noting if it ever made “auto-sense” adjustments to timing and speed. Of course, we ate the cake to see if it was well-aerated. 
• Pizza Dough Test: We followed our recipe for Neapolitan pizza, using the app to set a timer, and the built-in scale to weigh ingredients. We noted whether or not the machine struggled to knead the tough dough, and if the dough rode up on the dough hook. We also recorded how difficult it was to remove dough from the bowl.
•  Usability and Cleaning: Throughout the course of testing, we noted how easy or difficult it was to use each of the mixer’s features or parts, and also how easy the bowl and attachments were to clean. 

What We Learned

The Smart Features were Glitchy

This stand mixer can function just like a normal stand mixer, but the real value proposition is in its accompanying phone app and “auto-sense” technology. Through the app, you connect your phone to the mixer via WiFi, and then send directions to it, such as setting a timer, turning it on to a certain speed, or setting it to run at a certain speed for a certain time. The app is also equipped with two kinds of recipes: “auto-sense” recipes and guided recipes. With guided recipes, the app takes you step-by-step through the recipe, sending all the timing and speed instructions to the mixer. “Auto-sense” recipes are just like guided recipes, but in this case, sensors in the mixer’s motor monitor the mixture’s viscosity and make changes to timing and speed for optimized emulsion and incorporation. At the time of writing, there are only 13 “auto-sense” recipes (one of which is simply creaming sugar and butter, which allegedly takes 68 minutes) and about 32 guided recipes. This seems like too few recipes overall considering the main selling point of the smart mixer is this feature. 

Built-in features like a timer and digital scales in the bowl arms and the base of the mixer, in addition to a timer function, add to its purported intelligence over other mixers. Other than that, the GE Profile Smart mixer works like a normal planetary-style stand mixer (meaning the beater spins while moving around the fixed bowl in a circle). Unlike a tilt-head mixer, where the whole top flips up or down, this is a bowl-lift mixer, where two holes on either side of the bowl hook into the mixer’s arms that are then lifted up and locked into place with adjoining levers. 

The app also works with Alexa or Google Home devices, so you can speak directions to the device if your hands are dirty or occupied doing some other task. This worked with my Google Home, but it only responded to three commands “Hey Google, set the stand mixer speed to [0-11]”, “Hey Google, set stand mixer direction to forward/reverse.” and “Hey Google, set the stand mixer to off.” To turn the stand mixer to any speed from off, you can use voice control, but it will only start if you press the button in the center of the stand mixer’s control panel. You can turn the speed down or completely off, or into reverse with just a voice command, no need to press anything. But for some reason, we weren’t able to turn the speed up via voice command at all. Overall, this was a clunky feature that required specific commands, so we don’t think it’s helpful. 

The Built-In Scales and Timers Were Convenient-ish

Two scales are built into this mixer: one in the arms that hold the bowl up, and one on the circular base of the mixer. The one on the base works with any bowl or vessel, not just the mixing bowl, but they are both programmed into the guided and “auto-sense” recipes. In all the recipes on the app, the directions tell you to add however much of an ingredient, and the mixer’s screen will show you how much you’ve added before beeping when you’ve hit the mark.

You can also use the scale independent of the app, but we found that this was slightly more finicky, and, surprisingly, there was about a 5-gram difference between the two scales when weighing the exact same object. The scale function only goes by intervals of five grams (it also shows pounds, ounces, and kilograms) which isn’t nearly as precise as any digital kitchen scale—and baking is all about precision. We had to reset the scale a few times as it kept flashing “overload.” Occasionally, when the arms were in the lowered position, the scale had trouble resetting to zero and just reverted back to the tared weight of the bowl.

While you’re mixing, it’s nice to not have to remove the bowl, dirty another measuring cup, or break out your own digital scale, but since you should really measure your ingredients out beforehand in any baking or cooking endeavor, we’re a little iffy on how useful this feature is. 

As for the timer, the app’s recipes send timing info straight to the mixer, but you still have to manually press the center button on the mixer to make it go, so it’s not truly remote. You can’t set a timer through the app unless the mixer is also stirring, which is annoying, but you can set a timer if the mixer is in analog mode. Also, when changing the timer remotely, you have to cancel mixing altogether and start over with new directions. 

It Mixed Well

Overall, this model handled its basic job well. The lowest (“stir”) and highest speed (11) are both slower and faster, respectively, than those of my KitchenAid Artisan. Having a very slow speed is great when adding powdery, dry ingredients or liquids that fast beaters could puff up in a cloud or splash out of the bowl. That being said, its fastest speed is very fast. When kneading thick pizza dough on speed two for 10 minutes, the mixer fitted with a dough hook never struggled or got warm from overheating. However, during kneading, the bowl kept popping up and down slightly, going in and out of its lock on the base of the mixer. Otherwise, though, the bowl stayed put.

The attachments are pretty standard: a paddle, a whisk, and a dough hook. The paddle reached the bottom and the sides of the bowl well, ensuring almost everything was incorporated. The whisk has a whopping 11 tines (as in, full loops) whereas my KitchenAid only has six. This made it extremely powerful (maybe too powerful) for tasks like whipping one cup of cream, as it had a tendency to overwhip. However, we liked that the whisk has an opening large enough for a hand to get in there to clean, unlike other whisk attachments. For tasks like beating egg whites and sugar into a meringue, it would be perfect. The dough hook was perfectly curved to wrangle pizza dough, and it avoided the common pitfall of the dough climbing up the hook and getting stuck at the top. It also released the dough well, with almost no sticking. Plus, the bowl height is adjustable, so if there is space at the bottom of the bowl where ingredients aren’t getting incorporated by an attachment, you can raise the bowl slightly by turning a screw on the base of the mixer. 

The attachments are all stainless steel, unlike some other brands that have enamel-coated paddles and dough hooks (whisks are almost always steel). Enamel-coated attachments often chip (mine began chipping after a few years of use), but stainless steel doesn’t have that problem. Another unique feature was the locking mechanism that affixes the attachments to the mixer. Unlike KitchenAid mixers, which have a push and twist spring-lock, these attachments just require one push to lock in. To eject them, you have to pull down on the cylinder above and they fall down into the bowl. The falling part was slightly annoying since they occasionally got more batter on them which then had to be scraped off, but it was nice not to have to lower the bowl arms to retrieve the attachments.

Who Is This Mixer For?

This is the question that loomed over most of our tests. If you’re a beginner baker, features like step-by-step directions in the guided recipes and the promise of “auto-sense” recipes where some mixing guesswork is eliminated, could be helpful. I could see how breaking it down into steps for the user, instead of just being bombarded by a wall of recipes, does make the learning curve of baking more manageable. Plus, if you’re always forgetting ingredients or steps, the app helps prevent that (that being said, the app’s recipe for Lemon Bliss Cake did neglect to tell the user to include the lemon zest in the directions). This feature may make baking easier if you’re just starting out, but most beginner bakers don’t need a high-powered, heavy-duty mixer with lift arms and a 7-quart bowl (most stand mixers have a 5-quart bowl, which is usually plenty for home-baking applications). And at $800, I can’t imagine anyone thinking this is a good “starter” mixer. 

Much of the marketing is devoted to the idea that you can set it and forget it, walking away to do something else while the mixer adjusts its time and speed and stops when it’s done. However, you should always be keeping an eye on what’s happening in your mixing bowl lest your whipped cream curdles, your batter becomes overworked, etc. Second, if you’re not a pro, you’re probably baking for leisure, in which case you don’t really want the enjoyable experience of mixing to be fully automated. 

If you’re an experienced or even intermediate baker, you know that baking is about more than numerical values for times and speeds; it’s about knowing what cues to look for with your senses. That’s why good recipes say “Mix until the last streaks of flour disappear” not just “Mix for three minutes on low speed.” Different mixers have varying power settings and, depending on a number of factors, three minutes might be too much or too little time. So an experienced baker would probably find these bells and whistles superfluous, or worse, annoying and in the way. As an experienced baker, I can say that the “auto-sense” recipe for Lemon Bliss Cake produced a great cake, but I couldn’t help but wonder what would have happened if I had intervened when it beat the eggs for much longer than it took to combine them with the butter and sugar; or when it stirred too fast for alternating adding wet and dry ingredients; or when it mixed the final batter too fast and way past the point that it was fully combined.

The Verdict

The Pros 

This mixer was very powerful (540 watts) and didn’t struggle when kneading a thick, tough pizza dough on low speed. The GE Profile goes up to speed 11, while most mixers don’t go past 10, and its “stir” speed was significantly slower than my Kitchen-Aid Artisan, which gave me much more control when adding flour or liquids that can easily end up on your shirt and not in the bowl. At lower speeds like “stir,” even up to four or five, it was very quiet. 

Unlike some other brands’ enamel-coated attachments, GE uses a stainless steel paddle, whisk, and dough hook, which are easier to spot dirt on and clean—and also aren’t prone to wear and tear like chipping and flaking. They were also very easy to pop on and off with a simple push-and-pull lock mechanism. We also liked that you can adjust the height of the bowl (important to make sure everything is incorporated by the beater) with a screw that is located on the base of the mixer. As it mixed, the beater reached almost all the way to the bottom and the sides of the bowl, leaving just a thin layer of unincorporated ingredients, which is impressive for not having a bowl scraper attachment. 

The guided recipes made using the mixer much easier since everything is pre-programmed with the weight of ingredients, mixing speeds, and timers. This seemed to be the only time the scales and timers worked seamlessly, and it also meant that it was hard to forget any ingredients or steps. The “auto-sense” guided recipe for Lemon Bliss Cake resulted in a well-emulsified batter and a cake that was fluffy and tender — not tough from being overworked. 

When it worked, the digital scale function was convenient, and we liked how the gap between the mixer and the lip of the bowl was large enough to pour lots of ingredients in. We also liked how the high sides of the bowl prevented dry ingredients from puffing up and wet ingredients from splashing out. 

The app was easy to set up and pair over WiFi with the mixer and Google Home (for voice control). 

The Cons 

The smart features on this mixer were great in theory, but not in practice, and the learning curve on all the digital bells and whistles was steep. The scale and timer functions were both finicky and only worked under certain conditions. Also, the scale only recorded grams in intervals of five, and, depending on where the bowl was (on the base or in the bowl arms), the scale was off by about five grams when measuring the exact same amount. Sending directions from our phone to the mixer while the beaters weren’t moving required us to press a button on the mixer, which kind of defeats the purpose of having a remote control (unless you’re making a guided recipe). 

And speaking of the guided recipes, as I mentioned before, there are only about 45 on the app at this time, 13 of which are “auto-sense”. The auto-sense recipe for Lemon Bliss Cake turned out great, but we’re not prepared to say that was because of any adjustments made by the viscosity sensors in the mixer (we noticed no changes in timing or speed during mixing). We also noticed that the app’s recipe did neglect to tell the user to add the lemon zest. Surprisingly, there wasn’t an option to turn on a timer for baking in the oven while doing a guided recipe.

Another section of the app that made us scratch our heads was the “Active Stir Beta” mode that makes you switch from remote to manual to use it, but then it won't function and tells you to switch back to remote. Obviously, it’s in the beta stage, but sometimes it seemed like all the digital parts of this mixer were. 

As for the voice control, it worked, but only with very specific commands that we had trouble remembering. Plus, it only worked for certain tasks, like turning the mixer on (though you still have to press a button on the mixer), reversing the beaters, turning it down, or turning it off. We were not able to turn the speed up at all or set a timer via voice command. 

Also, this mixer is heavy—like really heavy. I’m 5’11” and 200 pounds and struggled to lift it, so I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone who wants to store a mixer somewhere other than your countertop. Though it was pleasantly quiet at low speeds, at higher than six or seven, it was louder than my 12-year-old KitchenAid (which desperately needs a service). Its maximum decibel level is 75, which is about as loud as a vacuum cleaner. 

Lastly, there’s no getting around it: with an $800 price tag, we aren't sure it's worth the $270 more than our favorite non-smart stand mixer that performed just as well.

Key Specs 

• Weight: Actual: 38.4 lbs; with bowl: 41 lbs; with bowl and all attachments: 43.4 lbs
• Dimensions: 11.33 x 14 x 17.07 inches
• Stated bowl capacity: 7 quarts
• Wattage: 540 watts
• Attachments: Paddle, dough hook, whisk, splash/pouring shield 
• Care instructions: Paddle, whisk, dough hook, shield, and bowl are dishwasher-safe
• Materials: Stainless steel bowl and attachments, plastic splash shield
• Price at time of publish: $800

FAQs

Do you need a smartphone to use the GE Profile? 

No, the mixer works just like a traditional mixer when not in remote mode. To use all of its features like setting timers and speed control remotely, using “auto-sense” and guided recipes, and voice control, you have to download the Smart HQ app, connect the mixer to your WiFi, and pair the app with your mixer. 

What does the GE Profile come with?

The GE Profile Stand Mixer comes with a paddle, dough hook, and whisk attachment, as well as a plastic shield that guards against splashes and features an opening for pouring in ingredients. 

What are stand mixers good for? 

Sometimes stand mixers are a requirement for recipes, and sometimes they just make things much, much easier. For example, a stand mixer is perfect for making a cake batter in which you must stream in liquid or dry ingredients while the mixer is running. One can also come in handy if you’re tasked with kneading a thick bread dough for a long time. Stand mixers are also great for Swiss meringue buttercream, where hot sugar and egg whites have to mix on high speed for 10 minutes (sometimes more) until they cool off and you can add the butter. Really, we’re talking about any recipe that requires one mixture to be mixed into another while the mixture is running, or any recipe that calls for mixing or kneading for extended periods of time. 

Why We're the Experts

• Eric King is a recipe developer, photographer, food stylist, and content creator. He runs a baking blog called easygayoven and has developed, styled, and photographed recipes for Netflix Family. He's been writing for Serious Eats for about a year.
• For this review, we used the GE Profile to make whipped cream, pound cake, and pizza dough. Throughout testing we also examined how easy the app and smart features were to use and if they added any value to the stand mixer's usability.
• We've reviewed stand mixers and even more KitchenAid stand mixers, so we know a thing or two about the appliance.