The Smeg SMF13 is the mixer people buy with their eyes first, but it has the engineering to back the looks: a heavy die-cast body, a smooth, quiet action and a 4.8 L bowl. Here is whether the performance lives up to the styling, and what you really pay for.
Smeg built its reputation on appliances that turn a kitchen into a statement, and the SMF13 brings that 1950s aesthetic to the stand mixer. The obvious question is whether it is style over substance. Having baked with it, the answer is no: this is a genuinely capable machine that also happens to be the best-looking one here, which is exactly why it is our design pick.
| Model | Price | Bowl capacity | Motor | Attachments | Rating | Link | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ★ Top pick Smeg SMF13 50s Retro Style Stand Mixer | £449.00 | 4.8 L | 600 W | Flat beater, dough hook, wire whisk | ★ 4.5 | View → |
£449.00
4.8 L · 600 W · Flat beater, dough hook, wire whisk
The verdict from Eleanor Pike, kitchen appliance tester
A polished premium alternative. The Smeg SMF13 pairs a heavy die-cast body and a smooth, quiet planetary action with the brand’s unmistakable retro styling, so if the mixer is going to live out on the worktop, this is the one that earns its place there. It mixes confidently and runs noticeably quietly for the power. It is not the cheapest route to good baking, but if you want a machine that performs and looks the part, it delivers both.
Smooth and quiet, with the heft to stay still while it works through a stiff bread dough.
The SMF13 is the right mixer if the machine is going to live out on the worktop and you want it to be a centrepiece, but you are not willing to sacrifice performance to get the look. With a heavy die-cast body, a 4.8 L bowl and a smooth planetary action, it mixes and kneads confidently across the range of home baking. It suits the baker who cares about how their kitchen looks and feels, and who is happy to pay a premium for design as well as ability.
It is less obviously the choice for a purely practical buyer who only cares about pounds per watt, where the Kenwood kMix delivers more raw value, or for someone who wants the very widest attachment ecosystem, where the KitchenAid Artisan leads. But unlike many style-led appliances, the Smeg does not ask you to compromise on the baking to enjoy the design.
The SMF13's planetary action is smooth and thorough, reaching the bowl well so you rarely need to scrape down. It creams, whips and folds cleanly, and the 600 W motor combined with the machine's weight gives it the composure to knead a stiff bread dough without wandering across the counter. It is not pitched as a high-capacity bread machine, but within its bowl it handles dough comfortably and feels unhurried doing it.
One of the nicest surprises is how quietly the SMF13 runs. Its weight and build damp the vibration well, so instead of the rattle some mixers produce, it works with a smooth, low hum. That refinement makes it pleasant to have running in an open kitchen and is a real, if intangible, part of what the premium buys. Day to day, it simply feels and sounds like a more expensive machine, because it is.
The styling is, of course, the point: a curvy, retro body available in a wide palette, finished to a standard that justifies leaving it on display. There is a front accessory port for optional add-ons such as a pasta roller, mincer and slicer, though the range is narrower than KitchenAid's. For most bakers the included beater, dough hook and whisk cover everything, and the SMF13 is more about doing the core jobs beautifully than about endless expandability.
The SMF13's one real catch is price. You can get equal or greater raw mixing ability for less from a die-cast machine without the designer styling, so a meaningful slice of the cost here is for the appearance and the refinement rather than extra performance. If looks are irrelevant to you, that is money you do not need to spend. If a beautiful, quiet machine on the worktop genuinely adds to your enjoyment of baking, the premium is easier to justify than with most style-led appliances, because the Smeg actually delivers on the baking too.
No. The retro styling gets the attention, but underneath it is a heavy die-cast machine with a smooth, quiet planetary action and a 4.8 L bowl. It mixes and kneads confidently. You do pay a premium for the design, but the SMF13 performs as well as it looks.
Quieter than most mixers at the same power. Its weight and build damp the vibration well, so it runs with a smooth hum rather than a rattle, which makes it pleasant to have on the worktop. That refinement is part of what you pay for.
It has a front accessory port that takes optional add-ons such as a pasta roller, mincer and slicer, though the range is smaller than KitchenAid's. For most bakers the included beater, dough hook and whisk cover everything you need day to day.
The SMF13 is our design pick because it is the rare style-led appliance that performs as well as it looks: a heavy, quiet, capable die-cast mixer wrapped in genuinely lovely retro design. If the mixer is going to be on show and you want it to be a pleasure to look at and to use, it is well worth the premium. If you are buying purely on value, the Kenwood kMix gives you more machine for the money, and the KitchenAid Artisan offers a deeper attachment range. But for combining looks and ability, the Smeg stands alone here. See how it scores against the rest in our buying guide.