The KitchenAid Artisan Plus has a 5-quart bowl, and comes in an array of colorways.
The Oon Halo Core has a 4.8 quart bowl and comes in either White or Black.
KitchenAid is famous for making some of the best stand mixers on the market. As a home writer who tests a mountain of kitchen appliances, it’s one of the few brands I know I can consistently rely on.
I recently tested one of its newest models, the KitchenAid Artisan Plus, and no surprises, I love it. But straight after giving it a glowing 5-star rating, the Ooni Halo Core spiral stand mixer landed in my kitchen.
While the price tag on both appliances makes my eyes water, I’m wasn't sure what to expect from a brand best known for pizza ovens. Could Ooni really rival KitchenAid? Both are excellent mixers, and I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend them — but which one is the standout winner?
KitchenAid Artisan Plus vs Ooni Halo Core: Price
A good benchmark when comparing products is the price. Usually, you can weigh the pros and cons of each appliance and then decide whether the more expensive product is worth the upgrade. But it’s a bit tricky with these two stand mixers, since they hit the same price point — unless you find one on sale.
The KitchenAid Artisan Plus is $599 at Crate & Barrel, although certain colorways are reduced to $429, including Mint Juelp, Steel Blue and Oat.
Ooni’s Halo Core Spiral Dough Mixer is also $599 at Amazon, although it only holds the Foundry Black Colorway. However, you can pick the Polar White colorway directly from Ooni or Williams Sonoma.
Winner: Draw
KitchenAid Artisan Plus vs Ooni Halo Core: Design
These two mixers are at opposite ends of the spectrum when it comes to design. Ooni offers a much more contemporary style appliance, and its overall aesthetic gives the impression that it means business. It wouldn’t look out of place in a professional kitchen, similar to its big brother, the Halo Pro Spiral stand mixer, which will set you back $799 at Amazon, an extra $200 if you’d prefer the upgrade.
From testing these stand mixers, they both mean business and are sturdy, reliable appliances, but if you’re looking for an appliance to stay out permanently on your countertop, the KitchenAid Artisan Plus would be my choice — though my interior style is more modern cottage than modern urban. And if color is your thing, picking a KitchenAid is a no-brainer!
Winner: KitchenAid
KitchenAid Artisan Plus vs Ooni Halo Core: Functions
These mixers both do the same thing—they can beat, whisk and knead —but the Ooni Halo Core is designed with dough in mind. Although it’s still adept at mixing cakes and whisking (it has a double whisk), it really shines at mixing and kneading dough.
While the KitchenAid has a standard dough hook, the Ooni takes it a step further by including a breaker bar. This dual-kneading design develops stronger gluten networks in your dough — perfect if you like to bake homemade pizza in one of Ooni’s pizza ovens. You can see in the above photo how the breaker bar sits centrally in the mixing bowl, and a spiral pattern is made within the dough.
The bowl shield also has a handy feed that ensures that any liquids hit the central point and get quickly incorporated into the mix.
Although both machines can knead a lot of dough, I found the Ooni sat slightly above the KitchenAid in terms of power, but don’t let that put you off buying a KitchenAid if you want to make bread — it’s still an exceptional machine.
The KitchenAid is an excellent all-rounder, and apart from kneading dough without shifting on your countertop, it beats and whips to perfection. I found that the shaped bowl and double flex-edge beater mean that there’s hardly a morsel of cake batter left on the side of the bowl, and you don’t have that annoying problem of having to stop the mix to scrape the sides. You’ll find yourself doing this with the Ooni.
For me, the KitchenAid Artisan Plus wins on cakes and pastry, but it doesn’t quite match the Ooni’s speed on dough.
But there is one area where it’s hard to split them. They both have exceptional controls. The KitchenAid uses a sliding scale of 11 speeds, including a slow speed that’s worth using when making powdered-sugar icing. Even a bowl shield can’t protect you from the fine sugary cloud, and this extra slow start is super helpful.
Unlike the KitchenAid, which has numbered levels, the Ooni is based on percentages, and a light illuminates on the speed dial to indicate the setting. What’s more, if you want to pause the appliance, you don’t need to go all the way back to zero; you can just press the control and the machine will pause; press it again, and it will return to the same setting. That’s smart!
Winner: Draw
KitchenAid Artisan Plus vs Ooni Halo Core: Verdict
I hate to disappoint you after you’ve read through my thoughts on whether the KitchenAid Artisan Plus or the Ooni Halo Core Spiral stand mixer is the better buy, but I can’t declare a single winner.
The truth is, I kept them both. The KitchenAid has taken a permanent spot on my kitchen countertop, while the Ooni sits on a nearby utility shelf.
When I’m in the mood to whip up a cake, cookies or pie, I’ll turn to my KitchenAid. But when I’m baking bread, I’ll pull out the Ooni. I realize that you probably don’t have the space (or the budget) for two stand mixers, but my reasoning is that one isn’t better than the other, they just excel at different things.
So, how do you choose? If bread is your main priority, go with the Ooni. If you mostly bake cakes, cookies, and other sweet treats, pick the KitchenAid.
Follow Tom's Guide on Google News and add us as a preferred source to get our up-to-date news, analysis, and reviews in your feeds.
More from Tom's Guide
- How to choose the best KitchenAid stand mixer
- Ninja Crispi vs Cuisinart ClearView: Which glass air fryer should you get?
- KitchenAid's 2026 special edition stand mixer is an icon in the making — its crystalline glass bowl and speckled texture are oh-so-chic, and it's the perfect baking assistant from bread to meringues
