Power:  250 watts / Speeds: 6 / Special features: Storage case, QuickBurst button, bowl-rest feature

The Hamilton Beach six-speed Electric Hand Mixer is an extremely affordable option beloved by home bakers and pros like Freya Drake, a pastry chef and veteran of Portland bakeries Bluehour, Castagna, and Pambiche. Drake, who lives in a small apartment, says, “I don’t have room for a full-size stand mixer. But this mixer is excellent for home baking and it doesn’t take up much space. It’s easy to clean, and comes with two beaters and a whisk.” The Hamilton Beach six-speed mixer packs plenty of thoughtful touches (a storage case, six speeds, a QuickBurst button, and a bowl rest feature), despite its very budget-friendly price.

Power: 220 watts / Speeds: 9 / Special features: 3 types of attachments, storage case

Allison Montana, a boutique private chef and caterer, recommends the Cuisinart as a hand mixer that’s powerful enough to achieve professional results. It comes with beaters, a chef’s whisk, dough hooks, a spatula — all dishwasher safe — and a case to store the mixer and accessories.

Power: 60 watts / Speeds: 5 / Special features: Cordless operation

A cordless mixer is a great option for those who want to use a mixer on a kitchen island or other spot with no power outlets. Laura Kanya is a pastry chef who has worked in the food industry for over 25 years. But it wasn’t until a recent stint as a recipe tester and developer that she was gifted a Cuisinart cordless hand mixer and found herself going cordless. Kanya says the cordless design makes it easy for her young kids to help in the kitchen, since there’s never a cord for them to get tangled in. As an added bonus, she also likes the sleek design and the grip on the handle. “I have pulled this out as much as my stand mixer since I have had it,” she says. “The key is to make sure you put it away fully charged, so it’s ready to go.”

Power: 400 watts / Speeds: 5 / Special features: 3 types of attachments, storage case

Although this mixer is very reasonable in price, it’s got a whopping 400 watts of power.Abi Balingit, the author of the cookbook Mayumu: Filipino American Desserts Remixed,uses the Lord Eagle hand mixer for a variety of her baking needs. “I originally bought the hand mixer because it was inexpensive and I knew it would come in handy,” she says. “Whenever I’m too lazy to bring out the stand mixer to whip cream or a meringue, I like to use it for these smaller tasks. Since it’s so lightweight, I can easily bring it with me if I have to use it anywhere that isn’t my apartment. It also has a plastic container for storing all five attachments, which is so helpful to keep everything together. Figuring out how to adjust the different speeds and work the actual mixer was very intuitive. I’ve had it for two years now, and it hasn’t failed me yet.”