Spiral vs. planetary mixer for pizza dough
If you mostly make dough, a spiral mixer is the better tool. If your kitchen also whips, beats and blends, a planetary earns its place. Here's the difference, and how to choose.
Who’s behind this: the team at TheLoveOfDough, the eBay store that sells these Sunmix machines. Links to eBay go to our own listings.
Short answer: for pizza and bread dough, buy a spiral. It kneads more dough for its size, works the dough gently, copes well with wet doughs and gives the same result every batch. A planetary is the better pick only if you need one machine for everything, batters, creams and dough alike, and your dough batches are small.
How a spiral mixer works
In a spiral mixer the bowl turns while a spiral-shaped hook spins in place, close to a fixed breaker bar in the middle of the bowl. As the bowl rotates, it keeps bringing fresh dough to the hook, which stretches it and folds it over the bar. It's the closest a machine gets to kneading by hand: steady, even work on the whole mass of dough at once.
That design does one job. There's no whisk and no paddle. But because the whole bowl is working, a spiral can knead a large amount of dough for its size, and it does it without beating the dough around. Many models, including Sunmix's, also run the bowl in reverse, which helps bring a shaggy dough together and clean the sides.
How a planetary mixer works
A planetary mixer keeps the bowl still. The attachment, a hook, a flat paddle or a whisk, spins on its own axis and at the same time travels around the bowl, like a planet orbiting the sun. That's what makes it so versatile: the same machine whips cream, beats batter and kneads dough.
Dough is where it works hardest. The hook has to push a heavy mass around a stationary bowl, which loads the motor and gearbox. That's why planetary manufacturers usually publish a separate, much lower capacity for stiff doughs than for batters, and recommend a low speed for dough. Always check the dough capacity chart, not the bowl size, before you buy one for pizza.
Side by side
| Spiral mixer | Planetary mixer | |
|---|---|---|
| What moves | Bowl turns, hook spins in place | Attachment spins and orbits a still bowl |
| Attachments | One fixed spiral hook | Hook, paddle, whisk |
| Best at | Pizza and bread dough, daily volume | Batters, creams, fillings, small dough batches |
| Dough for its size | High | Lower; check the maker's dough chart |
| Wet, high-hydration dough | Handles it well | Dough tends to slide around the hook |
| Heat added to the dough | Generally less: gentle, even work | Generally more on long, heavy mixes |
| Versatility | One job | Many jobs |
When a planetary makes sense
- You run a café or pastry kitchen where dough is a small part of what you mix.
- You make dough occasionally and in small batches.
- You already own one and make a handful of pizzas a week. Keep using it.
Household stand mixers are small planetary mixers. They're fine for a few dough balls, but they aren't built to knead several kilos of dough every day. If yours sounds strained or the bowl gets warm, that's your sign you've outgrown it.
When a spiral makes sense
- You make pizza or bread dough most days.
- You make wet, high-hydration doughs, such as Neapolitan pizza or open-crumb bread.
- You need the same dough every batch, whoever is mixing.
- You want the most dough per square foot of counter.
If you go spiral: three decisions
- Size. Pick by dough per batch, not bowl quarts. Our mixer size calculator does the math.
- Power. Sunmix's 6, 10 and 15 kg machines run on a regular 110V outlet; the Easy 20 and Smart 40 need 220V.
- Controls. The Easy line has simple knobs; the Evo line adds a touch screen with saved recipes and a dough temperature sensor.
Bottom line
A planetary mixer is a generalist; a spiral is a dough specialist. If dough is what pays your bills, or what you care about at home, get the specialist. If you're unsure which size or version fits, message us through our eBay store with what you make and how much.
Questions people ask
Can a planetary mixer make pizza dough?
Yes, especially in small batches. Use the dough hook at a low speed and stay within the manufacturer's dough capacity, which is usually much lower than the bowl size suggests.
Why do pizzerias use spiral mixers?
A spiral kneads large batches of dough evenly and gently, handles wet doughs well, and gives the same result batch after batch, which is exactly what a pizzeria needs every day.
Does a spiral mixer come with a whisk or paddle?
No. A spiral mixer has one fixed spiral hook and a breaker bar. It only kneads dough. For whipping, beating or blending you need a planetary mixer.
Is a spiral mixer worth it at home?
If you bake several kilos of dough a week or love high-hydration pizza, yes. Compact models such as the Sunmix Easy 6 take up to 6 kg (13 lb) of dough and plug into a regular 110V outlet.