Most of the time, a bag of Oreos or a loaf from the bakery is just fine. But sometimes, especially around the holidays, the urge to pamper and (admit it) dazzle can lead you to revisit Emeril Land.

Before you enter, make sure you’re packing a mixer with enough power to plow through cookie batter or knead a lump of dough faster and more easily than your hands can. Since some mixers sputter rather than whir, Real Simple put 20 stand and hand mixers to the test, on everything from mashed potatoes to meringues (from scratch — no faking here).

Read on to find out which ones can take a beating through years of muffin making and don’t require a detailed study of the manual.