I have the Aldi £40 stand mixer, but this is why I'd still recommend saving your money for a Kenwood Kmix

Aldi's stand mixer is one of the appliances that drops at the same time every year to coincide with the Great British Bake Off. This year is no different as the new Aldi stand mixer is dropping in-store on the 18th September.

At £40 it is an impressive price for a sturdy piece of kit, and I should know, I've had an Aldi Ambiano stand mixer for three years. However, despite serving me well, it is not the best stand mixer you can buy on a budget; for that, I'm still saving up for a Kenwood Kmix as the long-term investment for my baking needs.

Is the Aldi stand mixer any good?

If you've ever wondered if Aldi kitchen appliances actually work, and last, my stand mixer, which I have in pastel green, is proof that yes, they do. The Aldi stand mixer has had a little upgrade since I bought mine. It is available in two new colourways, moonbean and blue, but it has had a couple of performance updates too.

The new version dropping in time for you to cook along with the Great British Bake Off has a new digital control panel. It has six speed functions, a pulse function which can mix, knead and stir with its three attachments: a dough hook, beater and whisk. It has suction pads on the bottom to stop it dancing across the worktop and a 5L capacity stainless steel bowl.

Overall, the standmixer is very similar to the one I already own, so I think I'm well placed to say that if you're a fair-weather baker, I can wholeheartedly recommend the Aldi standmixer. It is perfect if you don't use a stand mixer all the time, but want it handy for quickly whipping up a banana bread or even a meringue if you're feeling fancy.

I have used it time and time again for these two bakes, and while it's not perfect, the beater doesn't quite touch the bottom, and the motor makes a racket at the high speeds, for £40, it gets the job done.

Why I'd still consider saving for a Kenwood Kmix

Now, I thought I was perfectly happy with my Aldi standmixer, then I tested a Kenwood Go standmixer after getting well and truly bitten by the baking bug. The power and ease that this little standmixer offered convinced me that true baking fans would be better off saving up and putting their money towards the Kenwood Go standmixer or a Kenwood Kmix, as I am.

The difference between those Kenwood stand mixers is basically size and portability. The Kenwood Go Standmixer, priced at £199 on Amazon, is the cheaper option. It has the same size bowl as larger stand mixers, but the stand part is more compact and has a handle to easily be pulled in and out of a kitchen cabinet. It is ideal if you small kitchen ideas don't have space for a stand mixer on the counter.

If you do have the space, that is when I'd recommend the Kenwood Kmix. This is the one I have my eye on.

While the Aldi stand mixer is one of the most affordable options available, if you are looking for a true budget alternative to a KitchenAid, it's the Kenwood Kmix. The Kenwood Kmix is priced at around £230 on Amazon, a fraction of the price of a KitchenAid, but it is still good-looking enough to sit out on a kitchen worktop.

Plus, when our panel of expert reviewers put a Kenwood versus a KitchenAid stand mixer to the test, the Kenwood was the winner in terms of power and ability.

I used the Aldi stand mixer as a gateway into baking and to work out if I'd actually use a stand mixer. But if you're already a keen baker, my advice would be to save your cash and wait for the Black Friday sales when the Kenwood Kmix is nearly always on sale at Amazon.

No standmixer is ever going to compete with Aldi on price, but before you dive into that middle aisle, think carefully about how often you'll use it and what you need it to do.

If you're a budding bake-off contender, my advice is to look into investing in a Kenwood that will last for years. But if you're just looking to whip up an easy Victoria sponge, the Aldi stand mixer will serve you well.