The Breville 5-Quart Scraper Mixer Pro: A Pleasure to Use for Everyday Duties

Do you enjoy the stress-free baking that comes with a well-designed stand mixer? And do you appreciate having a few extras included when you make an investment in a kitchen appliance?

If you answered yes (and who wouldn’t?), then you’ll want to put the Breville 5-Quart Scraper Mixer Pro Stand Mixer in your review file.

Breville BEM800CBXL Scraper Mixer Pro Stand Mixer, Cranberry Red available at Amazon

An internationally known manufacturer of kitchen appliances from Australia, Breville began creating electronic cookware in the mid 1950s. And with the introduction of the “toastie” in 1974, the name became associated with the toasted sandwich maker – at least in the UK and down under.

Breville launched their brand in North America at the beginning of the 21st century, bringing with it a whole new presence in small kitchen appliances – one that includes stand mixers, and makes a very viable alternative to the big name manufacturers.

In this post, let’s dig in to what makes the Scraper Mixer Pro such a contender in the ranks of its contemporaries.

Overview

Without a doubt, getting features that are additional on other mixers is always a bonus, and with Breville the quality of these “extras” is crafted with a level of attention to detail that makes them a true pleasure to use.

The stalwart in the Breville line of stand mixers, the Scraper Mixer combines sleek, attractive form with function and innovative technology. It offers plenty of strength for tough tasks, the performance of a professional model, and the convenience of use that endears it in the hearts of many a baker.

Breville BEM800BSXL Scraper Mixer Pro Stand Mixer, Black Sesame available on Amazon

A highlight is the included scraper paddle, which scoops up every iota of butter, batter, or icing from the sides and bottom of the bowl. It makes short work of creaming butter and sugar together, mixing sticky ingredients, or folding in fluffy egg whites, and virtually eliminates the need for scraping with a spatula.

And, it also performs all the basic tasks admirably, from simple stirring to “poof-free” addition of flour, to kneading sticky dough without strain or motor fatigue.

The Nuts and Bolts

Constructed of heavy duty die-cast metal, this unit is not only robust but has exceptional balance as well, which keeps it in place on the counter and prevents “walking” with heavy mixtures.

In addition to the well thought out design, the precise alignment of the mixer head, attachments, and bowl, and the orbital motion of the agitator, ensures you get consistently and thoroughly mixed batter and dough every time.

Breville BEM800XL Scraper Mixer Pro 5-Quart Die-Cast Stand Mixer, Silver available on Amazon

The smooth running motor also has load sensors for motor protection, and will detect heavy mixtures and maintain a precision speed while mixing, regardless of the density. And if an overload does occur, the unit will shut down and display an error message indicating the necessary solution – such as cool down time.

A tilt-held model, the Scraper Mixer head locks into place both when in the mixing position and when lifted – so you don’t have to worry about it accidentally crashing down when adding ingredients.

It also features convenient handholds on the bottom and a lift-assist handle on the front of the motor head to make it easier to lift and transport. And the electrical power cord tucks neatly away into a nook on the base when not in use, for clutter-free storage.

The Numbers

The 5-quart stainless steel bowl can easily accommodate standard household recipes, even large batches of seasonal or holiday baking. And the large loop handle on the bowl provides comfort when lifting, and a secure grip when locking the bowl into place on the stand base.

The Breville Scraper Pro comes with a burnished aluminum flat beater, a burnished aluminum C-shaped dough hook, a wire whisk, a 2-piece clear pouring shield, a thin silicone spatula, and a scraper beater attachment.

The featured scraper beater attachment makes it simple and easy to thoroughly mix all ingredients without stopping. The edges are flexible and it continuously folds and scrapes the sides and bottom of the bowl, as well as the dimpled bottom, for superbly thorough mixing.

It essentially eliminates the need for hand scraping altogether, which is definitely a time saver.

The Scraper Mixer has 12 different speeds, which are easily controlled with a large dial. As it’s turned, a clear LED light strip situated vertically on the base shows the speed for easy reference. And it also indicates which speed is optimal for specific tasks, such as Aerate/Whip through to Fold/Knead, making it very user friendly.

It’s a small item, but another welcome feature is the programmable timer with LED display on the base to count up and count down, and it can be paused at any time. Handy and useful, it takes the guesswork out of mixing times, and you don’t have to go to a different appliance to set a timer.

It also comes with three unique safety features. The motor head safety cut-off will automatically shut the power off and place the unit in standby if the tilt head is lifted during operation.

The current overload protection will activate if the motor is stalled or overloaded, and it will beep with an error message. And the thermo cut-off safeguards against the motor overheating, shutting down when temperature limits are reached, and again, displaying an error message.

This machine measures approximately 9 x 15 x 14”, weighs 20 pounds, and runs on a powerful 550 watts.

It also comes with Breville’s 1-year warranty, and a very well written and comprehensive User’s Manual with many recipes and tips.

Optional Accessories

Not nearly as many additional attachments are available as for its KitchenAid rivals. But, an extra bowl is available, as well as an ice cream maker.

Breville BIA500XL Freeze & Mix Ice Cream Bowl for use with BEM800XL/A Stand Mixer

Though, for the price of a “frozen bowl” style ice cream maker, you could buy a quality stand-alone unit for about the same price, and this wouldn’t necessitate tying up your mixer.

What Others Are Saying

The following comments are based on the most frequently repeated insights from verified purchasers on Amazon, both good and bad:

• Happy shoppers report that the featured scraper beater attachment works as claimed, and cleanly scrapes the bowl when creaming ingredients and making frosting. It’s particularly good for those batches that like to “climb” the bowl when mixing. And, it saves time and prevents unnecessary frustration since you won’t have to stop and scrape it down with a rubber spatula every few minutes.

• Another favorite point is the sturdy construction, with well-balanced heft and a weighted base that provides stability, and anchors the machine down on the counter, even at high speeds. Very little wobble and no hopping, even with double batches.

• The digital timer gets kudos as well, as does the speed control dial which is “very cool” to use, with a solid feel to it. And the LEDs that mark the speed are nice and bright, making everything easy to read.

• On the critical end of the spectrum, the splash guard is awkward to get on and off regardless of whether the attachment is in place or not, and requires a bit of jiggling to get it settled into place.

• And there are several complaints of the machine overheating with rancid smoke, the cut-off features apparently not kicking in when they should. And when they do work, the machine frequently shuts down when mixing stiff cookie dough or kneading bread dough, and it then has to sit for several minutes to cool off.

Conclusion

A pleasure to operate with unique features, the Breville Scraper Mixer Pro is great for light to medium usage and textures such as butter frostings, cake mixes, cookie dough, and the occasional bouts of dough kneading.

However, it does seem to fall short for the dedicated bread baker, with the motor giving up too easily for making repeat batches of bread. But for general purpose baking duties, it proves to be a well-built and reliable performer, giving very good value for the price.

See all of the available colors and read customer reviews on Amazon

For a just little more cash, we’d recommend the Bosch Universal Kitchen Machine for folks that like to use thick dough.

For the serious bread bakers, you really need to look into upgrading to the KitchenAid 7-Quart Pro Line for a traditional unit, or the Ankarsrum Original for one of the most powerful home models on the market.

Want more options? Take a look at Foodal’s Stand Mixer Buying Guide or see all of our reviews here.