Planetary vs. Spiral Mixers: What is the Difference?

What is a planetary mixer?

The name "planetary mixer" refers to a type of mixer that revolves around the bowl's center like a planet does around the sun. The bowl remains in place as the mixers rotate quickly. These are typically single-motor, non-rotating bowl mixers with various attachments that can be interchanged to shred, chop, or grate other ingredients like cheese, meat, and vegetables. For bakers who need a variety of options for high-volume food preparation, planetary mixers are a great choice.

What is a Spiral Mixer?

A spiral mixer's job is to mix dough efficiently and gently, allowing proper gluten development without overworking the ingredients. Spiral mixers rotate the bowl in both directions, ensuring proper dough consistency and thoroughly blended ingredients, each time. Spiral mixers usually work best when producing high-quality dough is a priority. Spiral Mixers are known for producing a higher-quality product that is perfect for bakeries and pizzerias.

Planetary vs. Spiral Mixers

A planetary mixer is best in general when kneading and versatility of use are desired. When mixing more delicate and airy dough, a spiral mixer is the best choice. Planetary mixers offer greater flexibility and are often times referred to as "all-purpose" mixers. Planetary mixers are capable of making anything from dough for cookies, pizza, and bread to sauces, frosting, and mashed potatoes. Although Spiral Mixers are less versatile as planetary mixers, they do produce higher-quality and consistent dough, making them the perfect option for bakeries and pizzerias.

Which Mixer do you need?

You will want to consider the foods you intend to prepare most frequently when choosing between the two types of mixers and consider whether you need the versatility of a planetary mixer or the more specialized option of a spiral mixer.