Bosch MUM Serie 2 (MUMS2EW00G)

The MUM Serie 2 is the sensible budget entry point for occasional bakers who want a known brand rather than a no-name machine. It pairs a 700W motor with a 3.8L stainless bowl, planetary mixing action and four speeds, and comes with a patisserie set (whisk, stirrer and kneading hook). Reviewers say it handles the core jobs, creaming butter and sugar, whisking, cake batters and lighter doughs, well for the money, and it is Bosch's most compact kitchen machine. The trade-off versus the kMix above is power and heavy-dough ability: at 700W with four speeds it is happier with cakes and batters than with large, stiff bread doughs, where higher-wattage machines pull ahead. At around £100 it is a lot less machine than the premium picks, but it is also a fraction of the price and from a brand with a solid service reputation, which is why it beats cheaper unbranded rivals in our ranking.