KitchenAid Stand Mixers

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 3:57 pm

Alright fellow food people, I have a question.

What is the best model of KitchenAid stand mixer, and why!?

I have $200 in gift cards to Westfield to use, and I would REALLY like to get a new mixer & the pasta roller attachments.

I went over there yesterday and the kitchen gadget store (holiday only store) had a couple of the professional 600 series mixers for $349. There is also a mail in rebate for $50 bringing the price to $299. I really don't think I need anything that large, but that is a really good deal on those mixers. This thing is 6 qt. with 575 watts of power...definitely more than I need, but also the best deal I've found. These are the bowl lift style.

Williams Sonoma also has a couple. They've got the Artisan series at $299, but there is no rebate on that. They do have the butt ugly green one on sale for $229 because they want to get rid of them. I don't think I want the butt ugly one though. These are 350w and use the tilt head style, only 5 qt.

Costco also has their own KitchenAid exclusive. This one is also $299 and is an inbetween of the other two models. It's a lift bowl style similar to the pro 600 series and has a 5 qt bowl; however they are 475 watts. Like the Artisan this one also does not qualify for the $50 rebate.

Being the kind of deal shopper I am I'm somewhat inclined to grab the pro 600 because it's such a great deal, but I really don't need that much power or capacity. I wish they had the other models on sale, I don't like buying things at normal price

That also brings up another question, which is better the tilt head or the lift bowl style? The Costco ones advertise all metal construction, does anyone know if the Artisan is as well? I thought some of them had issues with plastic gears breaking?

I think for now I'll just hold back hoping that Williams Sonoma eventually puts the Artisan series on sale, or Costco puts theirs on sale and I can get the cheaper model, but does it really matter which one? The Costco one, of course, would not help me use my gift card, but the attachments I want would quickly use them up, so that's no biggie.

Any mixer experts out there?

TG1996 · Post by **TG1996** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:16 pm

You'll obviously use yours tons more than I'd figure to use one, but we were looking at the Artisans at W&S as well. Have some wedding gift cards (

) to drop there, and getting a good solid mixer made more sense than loading up on over-priced marinades or trendy little kitchen gadgets we'd use once.

Let me know if you happen to spot a deal on 'em at W&S.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 4:44 pm

Yeah, I'm not sure how much I'd use one yet either. I have one that my mom gave me. It's a hand me down, it was a wedding gift 30 years ago. The problem is that it doesn't have a dough hook, and the motor starts to strain under heavy work, so I don't think it'd do well with dough anyways. None of the newer attachments fit the one I have either. The result is that it doesn't get a lot of use because it's really only good for cookies/cakes type stuff which I rarely eat/cook.

I have a bread machine, but I think a good mixer/dough hook would give me a lot more versatility for bread & pizza dough making. I also love fresh pasta, but don't like rolling/cutting it by hand.

I've been doing a little more reading this morning, and it looks as though the tilt head ones don't do as well with the bread doughs as the lift bowl models do; that would probably be one of my main uses. I'm thinking I may just get the 600 pro model since it's such a good deal.

Like I said, if you don't care about color our Williams Sonoma currently has the ugly green Artisan for $229 right now. Thing is ugly as hell (think ugly 70's olive green color), but it's a good deal

Rightupinthere · Post by **Rightupinthere** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:20 pm

Get the 600.

There will be a day when you need the power and the capacity. This is going to be an item you're taking to the grave. Get the best you can now and the KitchenAid is - without a doubt - the best.

Besides, there are the ATTACHMENTS which are golden on the KitchenAid as well.

Regards,
Owner of a KitchenAid Pro Series (5qt) in gray since 1997.

Rightupinthere · Post by **Rightupinthere** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 5:22 pm

Besides, you can always have it painted at the local custom bike shop:

Ineedbotox · Post by **Ineedbotox** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:05 pm

I have the standard Kitchen Aid and have thought about buying the larger one but have resisted. I have never needed more power than the one I have, and I don't really want something taking more space on my counter. Whichever one you get, you will love it. They are awesome!

jacojdm · Post by **jacojdm** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 6:45 pm

I have the Artisan. I prefer it to the bowl lifting types (which my mother has) because, for me, it's much easier to deal with dropping in ingredients in the tilt head model.
We actually ended up with two after the wedding this summer. The one for which we registered, in gray, and one in orange that my sister bought for me. I lost. We kept the gray one.
I have a bunch of attachments, but we haven't yet used them. I received the pasta attachment, but promptly returned it. I prefer to make my pasta the way my mother, and grandmother, and great grandmother, and many others before they came over on the boat did.

Falcon30 · Post by **Falcon30** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:14 pm

Rightupinthere wrote:Besides, you can always have it painted at the local custom bike shop:

Or you can do it yourself.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 8:31 pm

Thanks for the tips guys. I think I will probably just take RUIT's advice and get the big one

My brother has that exact same model and loves it. He agreed that I likely wouldn't need anything that big, but at that price it makes sense to go that route. Now I'll probably get there and find out that they're sold out

BTW, if anyone is curious KitchenAid is running a $50 rebate on the professional bowl lift style mixers until 12/31/07. They're also giving 25% rebates on all attachments purchased before 12/31/07.

RobbyFalcon · Post by **RobbyFalcon** » Fri Dec 28, 2007 9:27 pm

If you have the time and want a road trip, visit the Kitchen-Aid factory store in Greenville, OH. You can get anything you want there and talk to a staff that deals with nothing but Kitchen-Aid. http://www.kitchenaid.com/custserv/experience.jsp

Then go to Maid-Rite for a Maid-Rite loose meat sandwich and a beer.

Central Ohio is such a lovely shade of gray-brown this time of year, it will be a nice drive.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 1:51 pm

After using a kitchen-aid stand mixer for several years, I would now prefer to use the tilt up style of mixer instead of the lifting bowl style. You cannot go wrong with more power though. At the time that we received ours the 6 quart lifting bowl model was 375 watts and it will bog down on some heavy dough.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 2:03 pm

oaklane2 wrote:After using a kitchen-aid stand mixer for several years, I would now prefer to use the tilt up style of mixer instead of the lifting bowl style. You cannot go wrong with more power though. At the time that we received ours the 6 quart lifting bowl model was 375 watts and it will bog down on some heavy dough.

I ended up with the Professional 600. It's got the bowl lift & 575 watt motor. Many people seem to prefer using the tilt head model, but from what I've gathered the bowl lift is preferable for mixing doughs. Apparently the tilt head ones have a tendency to "walk" around the counter.

Made both pizza & bread dough Sunday and both turned out excellent. Made some pancakes for breakfast yesterday as well. So far I'm quite pleased with the mixer.

Pete Segaard · Post by **Pete Segaard** » Wed Jan 02, 2008 2:51 pm

Good call on the tilt head models and dough,I never looked at how rigid the bowl attachment to the stand was. My wife made a big batch peanut butter and sugar for a confectionary that is shaped like an Ohio nut that really put the boots to our mixer, it mixed it up well but it was spinning pretty slow. In the mixers favor though it was a LARGE batch.

Rightupinthere · Post by **Rightupinthere** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 1:00 am

hammb wrote: Made both pizza & bread dough Sunday and both turned out excellent. Made some pancakes for breakfast yesterday as well. So far I'm quite pleased with the mixer.

A true test of the new Kitchenaid owner: Cheesecake!

You'll thank me.

hammb · Post by **hammb** » Thu Jan 03, 2008 2:41 am

Rightupinthere wrote:
hammb wrote: Made both pizza & bread dough Sunday and both turned out excellent. Made some pancakes for breakfast yesterday as well. So far I'm quite pleased with the mixer.
A true test of the new Kitchenaid owner: Cheesecake!

You'll thank me.

Lol...don't really like cheesecake...blasphemy I know.