Pros
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Super powerful, but takes up a relatively modest footprint
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Intuitive operation and assembly
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Removable bowl
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Built-in timer
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Headlights
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Switch to prevent dough from sticking to dough hook.
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Large capacity
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Precise operation with dial to adjust speed.
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The electrical cord is completely detachable for easy storage.
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Easy to clean
Cons
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Expensive
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Heavy
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Available in 2 colors only
Presented by the brand that is best known pizza ovens, Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer is a full capacity stand mixer, the key functions of which are specific to dough. Not cookie dough, mind you. It's actually dough. We're talking about pizza doughBread dough is anything that requires serious exposure to gluten. For a stand mixer, this is a significant investment, but if you're hoping to take it with you pizza or sourdough sensitivity to the next level, here's everything you need to know about the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer before you buy it.
Both the bowl and the hook rotate to develop the gluten.
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Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer: Brief Review
- Style: Powerful stand mixer with 7.3 liter rotating bowl and dough hook. Optional attachments include a mixing paddle, whisk, and breaker.
- Dimensions: 13.5″ (H) x 9.9″ (W) x 17.2″ (D)
- Watts: 650
- Weight: 32 pounds
- Price: US$799
Working of the Ooni Halo Pro spiral mixer
The Ooni Halo Pro is a spiral mixer, which typically means the bowl rotates on the base while the dough hook or mixing paddle remains stationary. This is in contrast to planetary mixers, in which the hook or paddle rotates in the mixer head while the removable bowl remains stationary at the base. The Ooni Halo Pro does both, which is key to its gluten-producing potential: it manipulates the dough and pulls it at different angles while both elements rotate.
The head tilts back to grab two arms on either side toward the front, and the dough hook is interchangeable with several other attachments: a mixing paddle with built-in scraper, as well as a wire whisk if you decide to use the mixer for non-dough projects. The speed can be changed using the control on the top of the mixer. The digital display shows the percentage of the maximum available speed, which changes in 5% increments. The dial also doubles as an engine start/stop button and a timer. Smaller buttons on the front of the mixer allow you to switch between setting the speed and setting the timer. Long pressing the mixer speed button allows you to switch between percentage speed or rpm.
The large capacity bowl is ideal for large-scale projects.
What I liked about the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer
The Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer looks like a professional-grade appliance, but it works intuitively and easily. While the size and weight of the box was intimidating, the mixer is essentially two main parts, including the bowl, and you only need to deal with the attachments to make it work. Its footprint isn't as challenging as its weight might suggest, and I had barely checked the manual before the starter and water began to clump together in the mixing bowl. the recipe is presented on the Uni website. The backlight at the bottom made me wonder how I ever lived without this feature.
The bowl is gigantic, with a volume of 7.3 liters. The recipe made it easy to knead enough dough to make four boules. (I've made one large boule and a fairly successful pizza with some extra dough left over.) Unlike many spiral mixers, the bowl is also removable and locked in place. Included is a hinged splash guard that fits snugly into the bowl for easy access when the lid is raised or through the drain spout.
Sourdough and other bread doughs can be a labor-intensive process, but the Ooni control system allows you to achieve maximum fuss with minimal effort, given its fine speed control and built-in timer. (If OCD used to keep you from getting serious about bread dough, you can now rejoice.) Even if you're making dough using basic recipes, you'll likely see instructions like “beat on medium speed for 2 minutes,” followed by adding more ingredients and another instruction to beat for a certain amount of time. Having a digital timer at your fingertips while you monitor the mix is ​​as much functionality as it gets for a device designed for such instructions.
The switch, which can be installed in the head, acts as a single stationary element as both the bowl and dough hook rotate, preventing the dough from sliding up the dough hook. At the end of the process, I ended up with a shiny, springy dough that never required my hands to stick.
The removable breaker prevents thick dough from rising on the spiral hook.
The whisk attachments and paddles work accordingly, which is good because having this mixer eliminates the need for other appliances. Cleaning is also relatively easy: the flat top and flat surface underneath the head leave little room for flour getting stuck and are easy to wipe off.
What I didn't like about the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer
My starter turned out delicious.
To be honest, it's really hard to sell the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral because of its price. At nearly double the price of a reliable stand mixer from KitchenAid, it's a luxury item that can only really be worth it if you're really—and I mean really—serious about making bread or pizza dough on a regular basis. It's also very heavy—obviously it takes 32 pounds of machine to give it the power it needs to allow the gluten to really stretch, but it's a pretty hefty machine to be able to move onto your countertop every time you want to use it.
Despite its industrial look, it would not be out of place in many modern kitchens. Available in only two available colors, the Ooni Halo Pro Spiral is definitely about substance over style, which isn't a bad thing. But there are many reliable stand mixers on the market that provide more options in terms of aesthetics.
Final verdict on the Ooni Halo Pro spiral mixer
As someone who loves baking but hates having her hands covered in dough, the Ooni Halo Pro impressed me with its hands-free gluten development potential. Intuitive and fun to use, it produced amazing results even for the inexperienced baker. If you own (and use) a pizza oven, or if you actually bake bread regularly, then this machine is a worthy purchase to help you up your game. If price isn't a barrier to entry and you're serious about becoming a casual baker, it might even help you develop a dough making game to get started.
If you are considering typical stand mixer such as the KitchenAid and wonder if it's worth it for you to pay the extra $300-400 for this type of machine, however I would pause to seriously question what your primary use for a stand mixer is. The Ooni Halo Pro Spiral Mixer can do all the typical functions of a stand mixer for you, but the basic mixing and whipping will be better handled by a lighter, more maneuverable and potentially brighter mixer.
