Big Power, Mixed Results

’Tis the season of revamped tilt-head stand mixers .

In March, KitchenAid launched its upgraded Plus model , featuring an LED light and precision speeds.

However, it wasn’t alone in reimagining what stand mixers could be.

On April 20, Smeg launched a new generation of its 1950s-inspired, retro-style tilt-head stand mixers: the Forte and the Classico.

A 750-watt motor is some serious power for a stand mixer.

It’s meant to churn through the densest doughs and the heaviest batters without risking engine burnout from strain or overuse.

This burnout is an issue that plagues tilt-head stand mixers across brands, but a heavy-duty motor is meant to negate that.

That’s why I defer to breadmaking as my go-to test with tilt-head mixers.

The Forte, which comes in up to seven colors depending on where you buy it, has a Direct Drive motor that offers 10 speeds to switch between, along with a smooth-start setting.

With this setting, the attachments are meant to gain momentum to reach the speed you’ve selected rather than jumping into hyperdrive.

While I wasn’t expecting the setting to begin at a snail’s pace, I found it more of a half-speed start than a smooth ramp-up.

The Forte’s speed settings can be adjusted via a chrome knob on the top of the mixer rather than on the side.

I found this was just for looks, not convenience.

With tilt-head mixers, you commonly see the top of the mixer bouncing around with thicker batters—the Forte was not exempt from this.

Smeg's team actually let me know it was supposed to do this, and this motion better mimicked “hand-kneading” for doughs.

This seemed a bit gimmicky to me, as most tilt-head stand mixers move while kneading.

However, with the revamped bread hook attachment, the Forte consistently threw down some solid doughs—more on that in a minute.

What I found most concerning was the mixing bowl jiggling around, even at lower speeds.

I constantly double-checked that the bowl was locked into place and the tilt-head was engaged, but it kept happening.

This isn't something I’ve experienced with any other stand mixer.

Ultimately, what I deduced is this: The Forte's greatest strength, the 750-watt motor, may actually be too powerful for the rest of the mixer, especially given its 5-quart capacity.

Perhaps if it offered more output with its mixing bowl and body, like the Ooni Halo Pro with its 650-watt motor and 7.3-quart capacity, it would be evenly matched.

To move a Smeg stand mixer’s head up and down, you press a button at the back of the head rather than move a latch, as with KitchenAid.

While maneuvering the head, the button also engages a safety lock that shuts off the mixer and keeps the tilt-head from jostling.

The sheer weight of the 28-pound die-cast aluminum body, coupled with anti-slip feet to keep it in place on your countertop, is also meant to promote stability.

All mixers have heft, but the Forte had an easy two to three extra pounds compared to my KitchenAid Artisan series mixer and the Artisan Plus.

The Forte uses planetary mixing with a spring-load system to securely lock in attachments.

There are two new additions to Smeg’s assortment of included attachments, which include a wire whisk, pour shield, and flat beater: the flex-edge beater and the dough hook.

The flex-edge beater did the best job of evenly incorporating wet and dry ingredients and quickly became my favorite for ensuring eggs, butter cubes, and sugar particles weren’t left behind.

I didn’t have to break my baking flow state to stop and scrape down the splatter on the sides of the stainless steel mixing bowl.

The dough hook also held its own, easily folding together doughs at lower speeds and quickly.

It has a wider profile than my other KitchenAid stand mixer dough hooks and ultimately outperformed them in terms of efficient kneading.

The rest of the attachments were pretty average.

The flat beater was efficient for mixing, but the flex-edge beater was very similar and had the handy silicone scraping feature that had me reaching for it more often.

The pouring shield got the job done and could be placed atop the mixing bowl without budging, but it wasn’t life-altering for me.

Lastly, the wire whisk wasn't as meticulous in incorporating dry ingredients as I would have liked.

Some things in life are unavoidable, like cleaning up your kitchen after a whirlwind baking session.

I’m usually wiped after labor-intensive recipes, and prefer to wash used attachments on the top rack of the dishwasher to move things along.

The Forte and its attachments can be put in the dishwasher—except for the wire whisk, which is hand-wash only.

If you prefer hand-washing everything, the attachments and 5-quart stainless steel bowl aren’t difficult to clean, nor is the Forte stand mixer itself.

Its outer shell is plastic, which could be quickly wiped down if I spilled something, but I was wary—all it would take was one small scrape with the wrong kitchen tool or a bump in storage.

Plastic gives me pause for any kitchen tool, as it doesn’t bode well for long-term durability, and in the Forte’s case, especially not with its $675 price tag.

Another area of concern was the attachment hub beneath the chrome cover on the tilt-head's side.

There are many nooks and crannies where liquid can seep in and get trapped, since this cover isn’t watertight.

Where KitchenAid mixers have a metal screw-on cap to cover the front port hub for attachments, the Forte’s plastic felt rather flimsy.

However, it’s far quicker and easier to pull off than KitchenAid’s—just don’t forget the necessity of deep cleaning here.

Regarding the warranty, there is a QR code you can scan at the base where the mixing bowl locks in.

It's a handy way to register your mixer and access tips and recipes.

Use the platform's AI scanner to confirm your model, then interact with the AI agent to get your questions answered.

It's a tech-forward fail-safe, but don't overlook it—I thought it was a random decal when I first unboxed the mixer.

If you regularly rely on a stand mixer, the Forte may not be the sous-chef appliance to lean on.

However, if you emphasize aesthetics while still needing occasional stand-mixer assistance, the Forte’s a solid choice.

Its retro look draws the eye, and efficiency makes it easy to work with.

I’d use it as a topic of conversation while hosting and in preparing for the event, as it really is outside the status quo when it comes to kitchen appliances.