Smeg Forte Stand Mixer Review: Great Power, Mixed Results

The Forte, which comes in seven models depending on where you buy it, has a Direct Drive motor that offers 10 speeds for mid-range shifting, as well as a smooth starting system. With these settings, the stick is made to reach the speed you choose instead of jumping into hyperdrive. While I wasn’t expecting a snail’s pace to start up, I found it to be more of a slow start than a smooth ride. The Forte’s speed can be adjusted via a chrome knob on top of the mixer and not on the side. I found that this was just a look, not a goal.

With tilt mixers, you’ll often see the top of the mixer shake with larger batters – the Forte is no exception to this. The Smeg team informed me that they had to do this, and the move was well adapted to the “scratching of hands” on the cross. This seemed strange to me, since most mixers that tilt move while scratching. However, with a modified bread hook, the Forte always throws down hard – more on that in a minute.

What I found most touching was the mixing bowl spinning around, even at low speed. I always double checked that the plate was closed and the tilt head was engaged, but it kept happening. This is not something I have experienced with any other mixer. In the end, what I found is this: The Forte’s main power, the 750-watt motor, may be the most powerful of all mixers, especially because of its 5-quart capacity. Perhaps if it could provide more output with its mixing bowl and body, such as Ooni Halo Pro with its 650-watt power and 7.3-quart capacity, it would be the same.

Press to Start

Photo: Julia Forbes

To move the head of a Smeg mixer up and down, you press a button on the back of the head instead of moving a latch, like with a KitchenAid. When operating the head, the button also has a safety lock that closes the mixer and prevents the head from shaking. The heavy weight of the 28-pound die-cast aluminum body, along with anti-slip feet to keep your computer in place, is also meant to promote stability. All mixers have heft, but the Forte had an extra two to three pounds compared to my KitchenAid Artisan and Artisan Plus mixers.