You’re likely to find both planetary and spiral mixers in a pizzeria or any eatery or restaurant with pizzas on the menu. While spiral mixers are the popular choice for large scale pizza outlets because of their better capacity for quickly and efficiently folding dough, small to medium scale outlets and even high-traffic pizzerias might opt for planetary mixers for their versatility – some of the largest planetary mixers, fitted with a dough hook, can double as heavy-duty dough mixers while switching out the attachments let you use the same unit for making sauces, grating cheese and more.
The choices are many, and ultimately dependant on a number of factors – how big of an operation you run, how many pounds of pizza dough you’ll be needing per batch or per day, the types of crust you’re working on, and more. Nonetheless, a good mixer is capable of accommodating most if not all of your preferences, be it a planetary or spiral mixer – in this list, we’ve rounded up our top picks.
KEN’S PICK
Globe SP62P Planetary Pizza Mixer
A heavy-duty commercial mixer specifically built for heavy-duty pizza dough mixing at large scale pizzerias, this planetary pizza mixer has a capacity of 60 quarts. A stainless steel bowl and aluminum dough hook can work through up to 50 pounds of flour and 3 gallons of water (note that the ratios vary depending on the type of crust you’re looking for, the flour type, water temperature and absorption ratios or AR), a power lift mechanism helping heft the bowl up and down and tip out the dough when it’s done mixing. Digital controls across a sleek and intuitive interface make operation of this behemoth a breeze. An in-built chute allows you to incorporate ingredients as you mix, while a rugged stainless steel guard both keeps you safe from the fast-spinning blades as well as prevents anything not intended to be added into the dough from falling in, like utensils or items of clothing.
A 60-minute timer mode lets you set how long a mixing cycle is to last, two available speeds letting you control how quickly and/or thoroughly your dough is mixed. A 3-HP unit, the mixer is powered by a gear driven motor to give you the degree of enduring performance we look for in a high-functioning pizza dough mixer for high-volume production, without the worry of the hiccups of a belt-driven system slipping. A sturdy cast iron body, thermal overload protection, and non-slip rubber grip feet make this a durable and rugged unit perfect for consistent and enduring performance to keep up with a steady stream of orders. Additionally, the unit also comes with a #12 attachment hub, so the mixer can be used with other mixing elements, for instance to whip together pizza sauce or grate cheese.
KEN’S BUDGET PICK
Thunderbird Food Machinery ARM-60 Mixer
Another 60 quart capacity planetary mixer, the unit makes for smooth, steady and solid operation for large scale pizzerias, equipped with stainless steel bowl and spiral dough hook for folding tough pizza dough, as well as a flat batter beater and wire whip compatible with the #12 attachment hub. With 6 available speeds, making for a highly versatile machine you can use not just for pizza dough but other things like sauces and batters, the rugged 4-HP gear driven motor and integrated thermal protection make for hitch-free performance for high volume production. A safety bowl guard meets safety and sanitation requirements, reducing the likelihood of injuries from the rapidly spinning blades as well as mishaps from unintended objects falling into the bowl.
A rugged cast iron construction with an attractive and scratch-proof powder-coated silver metallic finish makes this look right at home as a professional-grade addition to your kitchen. The unit is available with manual bowl lift, with a self-lock mechanism to automatically and safely lock the bowl in position once lifted. Helical hardened steel gears sealed with ball bearings make for enduring but quiet performance, wear-resistance and the necessary friction for smooth running. A control panel lets you operate the machine with ease, programmed with both continuous operation modes as well as a 1 to 99 minute timer.
RUNNER-UP
Hobart HL662-2STD Legacy Planetary Pizza Mixer
A sleek, sophisticated unit with a 60 quart stainless steel bowl and dough hook, the #12 attachment hub of this planetary mixer also lets you use this machine with other attachments for sauces, cheese and more. A power bowl lift and swing-out bowl mechanism makes loading and unloading safe and effortless, a self-lock system clicking the bowl into place. An additional security feature is the safety interlock mechanism, which prevents the mixer from running until the stainless steel bowl guard is locked into position.
The unit is operable at two available speeds, with a patented soft-start agitation technology which gently eases speed changes from one mode to the other to prevent splashes without having to turn the unit off and on again thanks to intuitive Shift-on-the-Fly controls, while a trademark 50-minute SmartTimer allows you to control the exact mixing time of your dough and other foodstuffs. The unit is gear driven, with a robust 2.7-HP motor delivering the high torque and low RPM speeds needed for smooth and consistent performance around the clock.
RUNNER-UP
Univex Corp SRM60+ Floor Model Mixer
The #12 attachment hub of this unit is compatible with several versatile attachments available from the brand, including vegetable slicers, shredders, and meat and food grinders, while of course equipped with the 60 quart stainless steel bowl and dough hook making this an ideal mixer for a high volume pizzeria. The standard wire whip and batter beater included with this unit make it an all-round commercial mixer, while other great features include an in-built chute to let you add in ingredients while the machine is running and mixing, while a power bowl lift makes the business of loading and unloading the bowl an easy business. A patented SwingRing bowl guard and interlock switch system allow for safe operation, preventing the mixer from starting up until the bowl and bowl guard are both locked into position. Powered by a 3-HP capacitor start motor, the unit has 4 available speed options to meet diverse mixing needs, allowing you to switch between speeds without having to turn the unit off. The unit is also programmed with a 15-minute timer.