Kitchen aid stand mixers; are they really worth it?

If your a cook, like me, most likely this will be sitting on your counter

Now some of you know what this beautiful piece of contraption is and others are thinking ‘what the damn am I looking at”, but I’m sure most of you know what a stand mixer is especially if your a passionate cook.

Stand mixers are made to assist consumers and cooks for they are able to mix large quantities of batter, knead dough, whip egg whites, and much more. Pretty much like a third hand in the kitchen.

Many companies have produced stand mixers such as Cuisinart, Breville, Vonchef, Europrep, Hamilton beach, etc. But what is it about Kitchen-aid stand mixers that’s so popular? Why so praised? Why often bought? Obviously there needs to be something special about it besides its 200$ plus price.

Story Time!

Once upon a time, I really badly wanted a Kitchen-aid stand mixer. So I asked my dad if I could buy one since I’m constantly baking something. We came to a agreement and decided to purchase a Kitchen-aid mixer.

Now ,you have to know that Kitchen-aid has 4 different modeled stand mixers: Classic, Artisan, professional 5 plus, and professional 600. There are like 6 million other kinds, but those 4 mentioned are the most popular. The pictures below show the mixers in order of list (first picture is a Kitchen-aid classic(black), second artisan(red), third picture 5 plus (red), fourth picture professional 600 stand mixer(yellow))

                   

               

 

continuing with story, My dad of course went for the cheapest option, a kitchen-aid classic. I was happy at first because I was getting a stand mixer, the classic was’t too different then the artisan, and because we found a good deal to get a new black kitchenaid classic for $199 considering most classic mixers are $250. Amazon gave us a great deal.

Skipping ahead and reminding myself this is a reviews and opinions page, not personnel experiences, I got my mixer. Behold, that’s how it looks un-boxed, amazing and awesome. Now lets talk about some pros and cons.

      

Obviously the mixer looks amazing and if you purchase any stand mixer in your life, they all will come with three attachments: dough hook, flat beater, wire whisk.

Pros:

• The classic mixer is well capable of mixing together ingredients for cake batters, cookies etc
• Whisk attachment properly beats air into mixture while whipping
• 4.5 quart bowl allows making large quantities
• Easy to clean and dishwasher safe bowl and parts
• easy to operate and lock/adjust bowl into place

Note all these pros even apply to a kitchen aid artisan in case you were planning to buy one, with the exception that the artisan bowl is 5 quart and can yield more. Cons do no not apply to the artisan.

Cons:

• Classic model bowl comes without handle
• Mixer shakes and heats up quickly when making bread dough
• 25o watt motor is not capable of dense mixtures
• Struggles to make bread dough, sugar cookie cough, etc

If your more into making cakes or anything besides making bread, definitely go for the Kitchen-aid classic mixer, its not too expensive and it makes a great appliance for any cook. Even though the mixer on me I must admit it’s a very good machine and will last you a very long time, unless that is you are constantly making bread, which brings me to my next piece.

Bread I made using my kitchenaid mixer

Kitchen-aid’s can get really expensive but it’s not worth paying for one that can’t knead dough, though this is a problem many stand mixers face. After making bread once in my mixer, the top began shaking even when I had locked it in place and the machine got so hot I almost got heat stroke!

If you plan on making bread this is not your mixer. Instead I would recommend buying a artisan stand mixer. The artisan mixer comes with a bigger bowl with a very comfortable handle, powerful 325 watt motor that can knead bread more easier, comes with a pouring chute that allows to swiftly add ingredients while mixers on, bigger machine in general. Also, you can get it in more than 20 colors! a classic stand mixer only comes in black or white…

     

The artisan could cost you up to $350 dollars if you are buying from kitchen aid website or store and could cost the same if purchased from Walmart, sears or Target.

That’s why I recommend buying it from amazon for $270 dollars or at Sur la table for $350 but by using a 20% coupon they provide to every customer online and in stores, plus if you buy an Artisan from Sur la table, they add in a free food grinder attachment to go with it, now that’s a good deal!

The only time I would recommend buying one of those heavy duty professional stand mixers (such as the professional 5 plus or professional 600), is if you are use to making large quantities and are constantly baking or starting a bakery.

Currently I have ordered a professional 600 kitchen-aid mixer and it has yet to arrive, but this is a picture of the package that was sent to me. Usually a Kitchen-aid professional 600 would cost $450 … even on Amazon or Walmart! But I was able to get a split deal for a new one for only $60!

Up close, a Kitchen-aid professional 600 looks as so. Note that the handle with black tip is used to raise bowl into place since the mixer is a bowl lift model vs. the Kitchen-aid classic and artisan styles that are tilt head.

Answering our big question, is a Kitchen-aid mixer really worth it?

I’ll make it simple since I had been looking for an answer for that question 3 months ago when I was purchasing my first mixer.

If your only going to bake once a week or not too often, it wouldn’t be a good idea to pay so much for any stand mixer regardless of company or brand.

Stand mixers are very useful and advised if your constantly cooking. If you do end up planning to buy one, get a Kitchen-aid stand mixer. 

There’s a reason Kitchen-aid stand mixers are bought more than any other stand mixer brand and are very popular. These mixers are great quality and are made of pure metal and are sure to last you a long time.

Besides Kitchen-aid’s great quality in mixers, they look very attractive on a counter and really do help with kitchen needs and are far more majestic compared to other mixers.

So the Answer to the question is: Yes, a kitchen-aid stand mixer is worth it. With the exception of being a inactive chef or rarely cooking, then it’s not worth the money, These things are pricey! Also if you do end up deciding to buy one of the 4 mixers I discussed above, I highly recommend the artisan or professional 600 models, they are strong and even able to knead dough compared to the professional 5 plus or especially classic model.

Last thing, If you think you cook every now and then and really think you want a great stand mixer that’s nice and cheap but still gets the job done nicely, I highly recommend buying a Hamilton Beach stand mixer. It’s small, nifty, can accomplish many stuff the Kitchen-aid can, an average of only $80, mixes properly, and comes with many key features that will make this mixer last you a good 10  years.  Below are pics of the Hamilton Beach.

       

 

P.S. if you want a detailed review and video demonstrating Kitchen-aid stand mixers along with reviewing other great brand stand mixers, Visit and watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5mBOGte5Zo

1. Kitchen-aid classic: 6 out of 10
2. Kitchen-aid artisan: 8.5 out of 10
3. Kitchen-aid professional 5 plus: 8 out of 10
4. Kitchen-aid professional 600 : 10 out of 10

 

–  Your chef/Author, Zubair