The Cuisinart Precision SM-50BU is the answer to a common problem: wanting a generous mixing bowl without a sprawling machine. It pairs a roomy 5.2 L bowl and a fine 12-speed dial with a tidy footprint and quiet running. Here is who it suits, and where its modest motor sets the limit.
Cuisinart is a well-known name in home kitchen kit, and the Precision is its sensible, do-most-things stand mixer. It does not try to be the most powerful or the most glamorous machine on the worktop. Instead it focuses on being easy to live with, especially where space is tight, which is exactly why it is our best compact pick.
| Model | Price | Bowl capacity | Motor | Attachments | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Cuisinart Precision SM-50BU Stand Mixer | £366.02 | 5.2 L | 500 W | Flat mixing paddle, dough hook, whisk | ★ 4.3 | View → |
£366.02
5.2 L · 500 W · Flat mixing paddle, dough hook, whisk
The verdict from Eleanor Pike, kitchen appliance tester
The pick for smaller kitchens that still want a big bowl. The Cuisinart Precision squeezes a roomy 5.2 L bowl and a fine-grained 12-speed dial into a relatively compact, tidy-looking body, and it runs more quietly than much of the competition. The 500 W motor is happiest with cakes, batters and lighter doughs rather than daily heavy bread, but for most home baking it is smooth, controllable and easy to live with. A sensible all-rounder if worktop space is tight.
Calm and controllable across its 12 speeds, with a gentle hum rather than a roar.
The Precision is the right mixer if you have a smaller kitchen but still want a proper, big-bowl machine rather than a cramped one. It manages a generous 5.2 L bowl in a relatively compact, tidy-looking body, so you get capacity without a machine that dominates the worktop. With 12 speeds it offers more fine control than most rivals at this price, and it runs more quietly than much of the competition. It suits the everyday baker of cakes, batters and lighter doughs who values control and a sensible footprint.
It is less suited to the dedicated bread baker, where the 500 W motor is more modest than the bowl size suggests and a bowl-style machine like the Bosch MUM5 is a better tool, or to anyone who wants the premium feel of a die-cast machine. For most home baking, though, the Precision is a smooth, controllable and genuinely convenient all-rounder.
The 12-speed dial is the Precision's standout feature, and it is genuinely useful. It lets you start a mix slowly to avoid a flour cloud, fold delicately, and step up smoothly to a fast whip, with finer gradations than the six speeds most mixers offer. For careful jobs like bringing together a meringue or gently incorporating dry ingredients, that range gives you real command over the result.
The 5.2 L bowl is the largest here, which is impressive given the relatively compact body, and a splash guard with a pour spout is included to keep things tidy. Just as welcome is how quietly it runs: the Precision is calmer in use than many machines at this price, working with a gentle hum rather than a roar. For an open-plan kitchen, that quietness is a real everyday plus.
On cakes, batters, whipped cream, meringue and lighter doughs the Precision is smooth and capable, and the big bowl means you rarely run short of room. The 500 W motor is its honest limit: it can handle the occasional loaf and lighter doughs, but it is not built for daily heavy bread kneading, and pushing it hard with stiff dough is asking more than it is designed for. Treat it as a capable cake-and-batter machine with a big bowl, and it will not disappoint.
The Precision's compromises are clear and predictable. The motor is modest for the bowl size, so it is not a bread workhorse, and it feels less premium than the die-cast machines in the line-up. But neither is a flaw for its intended buyer: someone who wants a roomy, controllable, quiet mixer that does not hog the kitchen and does not cost a fortune. Judged on that brief, it does very well.
Yes. It packs a generous 5.2 L bowl into a relatively tidy footprint, so you get a big bowl without a sprawling machine. It also runs more quietly than many rivals, which helps in an open-plan kitchen. The trade-off is a modest 500 W motor better suited to cakes than daily heavy bread.
Twelve, which is more than most mixers at this price and gives you fine control from a gentle fold up to a fast whip. That range is genuinely useful for delicate jobs like folding in flour or slowly bringing together a meringue.
It can handle lighter doughs and the occasional loaf, but the 500 W motor is happiest with cakes, batters and softer doughs rather than daily heavy kneading. If bread is your main reason for buying, the Bosch MUM5 or Kenwood kMix are stronger choices.
The Precision is our best compact pick because it delivers a big 5.2 L bowl, fine 12-speed control and quiet running in a tidy body that suits smaller kitchens. For cakes, batters and everyday baking it is smooth, controllable and easy to live with. Just keep its 500 W motor in mind: if you bake bread regularly, the Bosch MUM5 or the powerful Kenwood kMix are stronger choices. For space-conscious bakers who want capacity and control without the bulk, though, the Cuisinart is a smart buy. Weigh it against the field in our buying guide.