01The short answer: which one and when

If your kitchen's main product is yeast dough in large quantities — pizza, bread, bagels, dumplings — you need a spiral dough mixer. If dough is just one of many tasks and every day you whip, beat and blend, you need a planetary mixer. If both matter, the best solution is almost always two machines rather than one “universal” one.

02How each machine works

Planetary mixer: moving like a planet around the sun

The bowl stays still while the tool spins on its own axis and at the same time travels around the inside of the bowl. That way it reaches every part of the bowl with no “dead zones”. Three tools usually come as standard, each with its own job:

• Whisk — incorporates air: whipped cream, egg whites, meringue, sponge batter, soufflé.
• Flat beater (paddle) — mixes and emulsifies: buttercreams, cake and cookie doughs, mashed potatoes, meatball mixtures, fillings.
• Dough hook — for small batches of yeast dough.

Many professional models also have an attachment hub for a meat mincer, vegetable slicer or pasta attachment. That is why in a canteen a planetary mixer often replaces several separate machines.

Spiral mixer: imitating kneading by hand

Here both the bowl and the spiral hook rotate, while a stationary breaker bar stands in the centre of the bowl. The dough is stretched between the spiral and the bar, folded and stretched again — exactly how a baker kneads by hand. At any moment the spiral works only part of the dough while the rest “rests” and turns with the bowl. As a result the dough heats up less and the gluten network develops evenly.

There are usually two speeds: first for combining and hydrating ingredients, second for developing gluten. In a typical spiral mixer the spiral turns at around 160 rpm and the bowl at around 15 rpm. Models come with a fixed or removable bowl and a fixed or tilting head.

03Comparison in one table

04How much dough you can really mix

This is where people go wrong most often. Bowl litres are not dough kilograms, and a “20-litre” planetary mixer does not mean you can mix 20 litres of pizza dough in it.

The key concept: absorption ratio (AR)

Manufacturers rate mixer capacity by dough moisture, expressed as the absorption ratio: water weight divided by flour weight. If a recipe uses 6 kg of flour and 3.6 kg of water, the AR is 60%. The less water, the stiffer the dough and the greater the load on the motor and gearbox.

• Most manufacturers' capacity charts are based on 60% AR dough.
• For dough at 40% AR (thin pizza dough, bagels), reduce the batch by about one third.
• With strong (high-gluten) flour, reduce the batch by a further ~10%.
• With chilled flour, iced water or ice — another ~10% less.
• Mix stiff dough (below 50% AR) in a planetary mixer in first speed only; never mix dough above second speed.

Indicative figures based on typical manufacturer specifications. Always check the maximum for your specific model in its manual. For example, a manufacturer may rate a 20-litre professional planetary mixer at 6 kg of flour at 50% water — roughly 9 kg of finished dough.

A simple bowl-size calculation for a spiral mixer: 1 kg of dough takes up roughly 1.5–2 litres of bowl volume. Add 25–40% headroom for seasonal peaks and you have your real size.

05Dough temperature — the invisible quality factor

Friction warms the dough during mixing. If the dough is too warm after mixing, the yeast works too fast, the flavour turns flat and long cold fermentation becomes unpredictable. For most yeast doughs the ideal temperature after mixing is 24–26 °C, and 26 °C is a limit best not exceeded.

This is where the two machines differ most. A planetary mixer works the entire mass continuously against a stationary bowl, so it generates more friction heat. A spiral mixer works only part of the dough at any moment, so the dough warms more slowly. For a pizzeria using 48–72-hour fermentation, that is decisive.

Indicative mixing times: in a spiral mixer typically 3–5 minutes in first speed and 5–8 minutes in second. In a planetary mixer the same dough takes longer, often 15–20 minutes in total, which warms it even more.

06Pizzeria, pastry shop, canteen, restaurant: what suits whom

The choice depends not on what the business is called but on what the kitchen makes most. Below are typical situations we meet when equipping HoReCa kitchens.

07Other mixer types worth knowing

08Choosing in 6 steps

1. Write down what makes up 70% of the work. Dough — spiral mixer. Everything else — planetary mixer. Equal — two machines.
2. Calculate your largest batch in kilograms. Choose a spiral mixer by dough weight (1 kg ≈ 1.5–2 L of bowl). For a planetary, check the manufacturer's capacity chart for your dough's AR.
3. Assess the intensity. A couple of times a week, or all day every day? Intensive work needs a professional model with metal gears and a robust motor, not a semi-professional one.
4. Check power and space. 230 V or 400 V, bench-top or floor model, room to remove and clean the bowl, floor load capacity for large models.
5. Choose the controls. Mechanical gearboxes are durable, but speed is changed only with the machine stopped. An electronic variator (inverter) lets you change speed while running and gives finer control.
6. Ask about service before you buy. Are spare parts available locally? How fast does a technician arrive? Is a maintenance contract possible? A cheap mixer without service can cost more than a quality one with local support.

09Service, spare parts and maintenance

A mixer that stops on a Friday evening costs not only the repair but also the pizzas not baked and the cakes not made. Regular maintenance is the cheapest way to avoid downtime in the middle of the season.

Most frequently replaced parts

When ordering parts, always give the manufacturer, model and serial number from the machine's rating plate. Use original or manufacturer-approved parts. All spare-part categories — YOUR HORECA spare parts.

Maintenance schedule

Signs you need service

• Unusual noise, knocking, whistling or whining.
• Belts slip, speed drops under load.
• The machine vibrates or “walks” across the bench.
• The motor or housing overheats, a burning smell.
• Oil or grease appears around the shaft or in the bowl.
• The tool starts touching the bowl, the bowl won't lock or the lifter moves unevenly.
• The machine switches itself off or won't start after the guard is closed.

10Models in the YOUR HORECA range

We offer more than 100 planetary mixers and more than 100 dough mixers — from 5-litre bench-top models to industrial 400-litre machines. A few popular examples for different tasks:

Prices excl. VAT as of October 2026 and subject to change. See all models in the electromechanical equipment category.

11Frequently asked questions

Capacity, temperature and maintenance figures are indicative and based on typical manufacturer specifications and industry practice. Operating rules for specific equipment are set by its manufacturer's manual.