Let's Dive In...
I’ll be honest—when I first saw this mixer, I wasn’t exactly sold. In the current sea of sleek product launches, influencer-backed releases, and endless crowdfunding campaigns, it’s hard not to be skeptical. It feels like for every well-executed innovation, there’s a dozen products that just don’t live up to the hype.
But as I started digging deeper into the Ooni Halo Pro, my skepticism shifted to cautious optimism. Because while we’re not exactly short on mixers, there is a noticeable hole in the market for serious home bakers—especially those focused on dough. Sure, you’ve got your KitchenAids, but planetary mixers have a narrow sweet spot. Too little dough and the hook barely engages; too much and you’re dealing with a flour storm.
Then there’s the Bosch and Ankarsrum camp—direct-drive systems with loyal fans, but for me, they’ve always felt like a compromise. And while spiral mixers are the gold standard in professional bakeries, they’ve long been out of reach for home bakers—either due to cost, quality, or lack of versatility.
The truth is, most home mixers aim to be all-rounders: they’ll cream butter, whip meringue, knead dough, and everything in between. But the trade-off is that none of them are truly exceptional at any one task—especially dough handling.
And that’s where the Ooni Halo Pro caught my attention.
A Spiral Mixer First
This isn’t just a spiral mixer—it’s a spiral mixer with a tilt head, removable bowl, and swappable attachments. You can pop out the breaker bar, drop in a flat beater or geared whisk, and suddenly you’ve got something that starts to resemble a true all-purpose machine. The concept alone is intriguing. But the big question: could it actually deliver?
Out of the Box
Right away, I was impressed. Packaging was solid, and the build quality came through immediately. The bowl is thick stainless steel—substantial without being unwieldy—and both the spiral hook and breaker bar are built like they mean business. Even the flat beater and whisk are robust—no flimsy parts here.
The mixer itself is cast aluminum, which gives it a clean, premium look and a sturdy feel. Surprisingly, it’s not as heavy as it looks—coming in at 43 lbs, which is about 35% lighter than other spiral mixers in its class. Still hefty, but actually manageable if you need to tuck it away between bakes.
A couple of nice usability touches: dual LED bowl lights and a head release on both sides, making it equally accessible for left- and right-handers. And that removable bowl? Seamless to lock and unlock. Clean, clever design.
Time to Mix
To get a real sense of how it performs, I went straight to my comfort zone: sourdough. I mixed up a 3kg batch of my Pain de Campagne—75% hydration, 15% whole spelt, 5% whole rye—with a bassinage toward the end. I used an improved mix method, split into two stages with a brief rest in between.
Results? Very good. I’ve got a Sunmix EVO 6, which is a solid comparison point, and while the Ooni took slightly longer to get to full gluten development, it still delivered a smooth, well-developed dough with a perfectly clean bowl release.
Compared to the removable-bowl Famag I used to own? No contest. The Ooni is better in every way—and at a significantly lower price point. Even when compared to my Sunmix, the removable bowl and thoughtful design give the Ooni a slight edge in day-to-day practicality.
But I wanted to push it further.
I tested a 4.8kg dough mix—just under the stated 5kg max capacity—and it handled it without breaking a sweat. Then, just to see what it could really do, I pushed it to over 6kg of 80% hydration dough. I staggered the flour and water additions, and while it took a little managing, the Halo Pro got it done.
As for minimum capacity? The manual says 1kg, but I mixed a 750g batch of Neapolitan pizza dough (three 250g balls at 62% hydration), and it worked fine—just a bit slower to incorporate. Even my stiff starter batch for customers (500g total at 50% hydration) mixed up beautifully.
How About the Attachments?
So it’s a beast with dough. But what about its all-rounder claims?
My first cookie dough test was a mess—literally. The flat beater did great with creaming, but the dry ingredients started climbing, and things got ugly fast. I reached out to Ooni and they suggested I try a lower speed, which might help—but I had another idea.
See, spiral mixers typically aren't recommended for cookie dough because you can’t cream with the hook. But with the Halo Pro, you can start with the beater, then switch to the spiral hook once the dry stuff goes in. Combine that with the removable bowl for easy scooping and cleanup? That’s a win in my book.
The whisk, though, is still a bit of a question mark. It’ll whip cream, and it can handle meringue if you’re making a large enough batch. But for smaller quantities, or more finicky mixes like whipped butter or buttercream? Not great. I still find myself reaching for my KitchenAid—or even a handheld mixer—for those.
Final Thoughts
At $799, the Ooni Halo Pro offers real value—especially for anyone who prioritizes dough. It doesn’t fully replace a traditional stand mixer, but it flips the script: instead of being a baking all-rounder that also handles dough, it’s a dough-first machine that can handle other tasks.
The build quality is solid, and the design is well thought out. Ooni also extends the warranty from one year to five if you register the product, which adds substantial peace of mind.
Storage is surprisingly efficient too: all attachments and the cord tuck neatly into the bowl, covered by the guard. If space is at a premium, that’s a big plus.
Bottom line? This mixer represents a huge step forward for the home baker who is primarily focused on dough, makes a great R&D mixer for production bakers, and is also a great stepping stone for those considering the leap into cottage baking territory.
It’s a real tool for people who work with dough regularly, and it finally brings affordable spiral mixing to the countertop—without the compromises we’ve come to expect.
Ready To Up Your Game?
You can snag your own Halo Pro direct from Ooni now!
The above link is an affiliate link and Ooni provided me with the mixer, but made no request that I write about it and opinions expressed are strictly my own.
