Any Kitchenaid stand mixer owners?

My wife has hinted that she would love to have one and I was thinking of saving up for one. I don't mind paying a lot as long as I get my money's worth. So what features are good on these? Any complaints about them?

We got our Heavy Duty as a wedding gift 14 years ago and it has seen plenty of use. In fact, today I used it to make English muffin dough and grind breakfast sausage. Tomorrow, it will be making dough for baguette and whatever else we decide to throw at it.

My only complaint is that it is a 5 quart model. I would prefer a larger model. They just came out with a 7 quart model that we will hopefully upgrade to later this year.

We love our 5quart model heavy duty. It's mostly used for cookies and what not. I only do bread in it once in a great while. And find that it is plenty big enough for our usage.

These things are bomb-proof. My gf just bought one and loves it. My mom has had her kitchen aid for over 25 years.

We love ours... Bulletproof. Your mention of "I don't mind paying a few $ for quality" sums this up perfectly., this thing is a workhorse - you'll be surprised how much you'll use it over the next several decades . We have the standard red model

Butcher said:

My wife has hinted that she would love to have one and I was thinking of saving up for one. I don't mind paying a lot as long as I get my money's worth. So what features are good on these? Any complaints about them?

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Although they are more money and have limited color options, if your wife intends to do a lot of baking, get the professional model. Much stonger motor. I researched these quite a but before buying (about 5-10 years ago). I will post the model when I get home.

I love mine, even though I don't use it as much as I would like. My one complaint is that I have one where the bowl cranks up and down and I wish I had one with with a mixer head that tilted so that it would be easier to add ingredients on the fly.

Yeah, I love mine and us it all the time. I bake bread with it frequently, and also use it for various sweet stuff like cookie dough, cakes, and making whipped cream.

I have considered getting the grinder sausage stuffer attachment for it, but i have read some complaints in various places (including here on HBT) about that being a pain in the butt.

I have the professional series model and I love it, easily worth the money spent.

The only small appliance used more in our kitchen is the coffee pot. These things are tough as nails. We have had ours for 15 years and uses it a number of time every week. The ice cream attachment is one of our favorite accessories, there is nothing better than homemade frozen custard. The only advice I would give is similar to when buying a brew pot buy more than you think you will need. And if you up for a road trip you can visit the their factory store in Greenville.

weirdboy said:

Yeah, I love mine and us it all the time. I bake bread with it frequently, and also use it for various sweet stuff like cookie dough, cakes, and making whipped cream.

I have considered getting the grinder sausage stuffer attachment for it, but i have read some complaints in various places (including here on HBT) about that being a pain in the butt.

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I love ours. My wife owned it before we got married and it probably gets used atleat once a week. I got the meat grinder and sausage stuffer as a wedding gift. I use the meat grinder quite a bit as nothing tastes better than a freshly ground hamburger. The sausage stuffer hasn't gotten a ton of use yet. I am a butcher and if I want to make sausage I just go up to my shop and use the 50 lb hydraulic stuffer. The sausage I did make with it was great though. You're not going to make sausage all that much so it works fine for home use

Ours is about 20. We use the sausage attachment and the pasta rollers, as well as the mixer. I replaced the brushes once about 6 or 7 years ago. Top notch.

I got the 6qt pro model about 7 years ago and it has handled anything I have thrown at it without so much as a strain. I love it. The meat grinder is perfectly fine and get tons of use too but the sausage stiffing tubes about about worthless.

The thing about kitcheaid is that they stand behind their products. My parents had one that was out of warranty and they killed the motor on. They were still send a replacement no questions asked.

I have quite a few of their products and the only thing I ever had a problem with was a blender. It was a return when I got it and only had a 90 day warranty. About a year after I got it the couple between the base unit and the jar got messed up. I called them and they sent me a whole new blender.

I really can't say enough great thongs about their mixer and everything else o have of theirs. It is expensive but it is an investment and it will last and work like a champ.

I was given one of the Artisan models a few years back. I used the meat grinder attachment on it (with the sausage tubes) a few times before burning out the motor. I had never registered it, but I did so online that day (was still under a year old) and then contacted customer service a day or two later. They shipped out a replacement unit, and picked up the dead one.

During the Amazon 'black Friday' lightening deals, I scored one of the Professional 600 6qt (575W motor) models (you crank up the bowl). I have yet to get it out of the box, but plan on selling my Artisan model to make room for this one. I wanted the larger bowl for when I make bread, or dog treats, from/with spent grain. I expect this one to last for a long time. I might even try using it for making sausage again. Although I do have a dedicated grinder and stuffer (two items) now.

My mother is still using the same old Kitchenaid mixer my father bought over 20 years ago. It is [essentially] the professional model, with a lower wattage motor in it.

I have the 6 quart pro model. I bought it from amazon it was an amazon exclusive color (silver) for only $280. Totally worth it.

http://www.kitchenaid.com/flash.cmd?/#/product/KP26M1XWH/
I found the professional 600 series 6 quart model at the local kitchen store for $400 and they do layaway which works well since its a heck of a lot of money and my wife's birthday isn't till September. The one that is $25 more expensive on the site isn't as powerful and the next step up is just rediculous. Im pretty sure this is the one I am wanting.

Wow, I checked out Amazon before hitting submit and found one for $280 and free shipping with minimal searching.

Don't you just LOVE having the Amazon Prime membership?? Free 2 day shipping and overnight for 3.99 for anything that qualifies... I've saved more than the membership cost in shipping since signing up just before Thanksgiving. :rockin:

My mom has always had a Kitchen Aid, and my grandmother did too. We have one of the Artisan models. I'm not 100% happy with it. It groans if I try to put a big batch of bagel dough in it - and who wants to knead bagel dough by hand!! One other problem is that if you put too much dough in it (even a moderate amount, in my estimation) the dough creeps up the hook and you really have to keep an eye on it. However, that might just be that I'm over estimating its capabilities and putting too much in. I've never read how much dough you're supposed to be able to knead.


I like it otherwise, though. We use it a lot and as long as it stands up like older models have (my mom's, for instance), we'll be using it for a very long time!!

I could kick myself. Years ago, my mom gave me her old KA mixer complete with all the attachments. At the time, we didn't do much baking and we had a little hand-held that did the job. So, one day when my wife was bitching about the lack of space in the kitchen, I threw the mixer in the trash and kept the bowls. Kick!
Anyway, now I make lots of pizza dough almost every week, so I bought a Bosch Universal Plus. Nice mixer.

I love ours. I don't use it for anything really heavy, but for general use it's great. I highly recommend buying the HD model if you plan on really working it. They can last a lifetime and then some!

BonnieJ said:

My mom has always had a Kitchen Aid, and my grandmother did too. We have one of the Artisan models. I'm not 100% happy with it. It groans if I try to put a big batch of bagel dough in it - and who wants to knead bagel dough by hand!! One other problem is that if you put too much dough in it (even a moderate amount, in my estimation) the dough creeps up the hook and you really have to keep an eye on it. However, that might just be that I'm over estimating its capabilities and putting too much in. I've never read how much dough you're supposed to be able to knead.

I like it otherwise, though. We use it a lot and as long as it stands up like older models have (my mom's, for instance), we'll be using it for a very long time!!

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When I was looking for mine years ago, I decided against the artisan model and went for the boring silver color pro model because of the differences in the motors and the resulting difference in how well they handle dough.

I love ours. My only issue is having the space to store it when it is not in use.

Enjoy!

Like everyone else the thing is practically indestructible. Didn't know what we were missing until I used my MIL's. I highly recommend the investment for anyone who likes or wants to cook.

It's the best mixer made. We've had ours for years and own a few attachments, my favorite being the meat grinder. I've used it to grind up venison for jerkey and it worked great. Only downside is it's large so you have to be able to store it.

mkw87 said:

It's the best mixer made. We've had ours for years and own a few attachments, my favorite being the meat grinder. I've used it to grind up venison for jerkey and it worked great. Only downside is it's large so you have to be able to store it.

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The older ones, with metal gears, were much better made. I've read things on another forum regarding the poor quality of the newer ones, with plastic gears. For things like making cookies, perhaps they're still good, but for kneading bread, others point to the Bosch universal as the "go-to" machine.

I have a KA that I've had for about 10 years now... Still going, but sounding a bit rough. Not too sure what I will do when it comes time for replacement...

We've had ours for almost 25 years. We cook a lot, and it gets almost daily use. We use it for everything imaginable, dough, pasta, shredding, meat grinding, etc. I actually used the sausage stuffer for several years (it's just kind of a pain to try to add meat at a steady rate). Mine seems to be what they now call the "classic" model with tilt head. I've considered getting a newer and bigger pro model, but I don't want to give up that tilt head. BTW, in all these years of constant use, it has never given a hint of struggling or groaning to perform any task.

We got one last year at our engagement party. I really like it. I use it weekly to make spent grain bread but it also gets plenty of use making other batter,dough and sauces. I also have the pasta attachments. They make rolling pasta so much easier than when I foolishly used to try to do it by hand.

we have a standard one, I wish we had the big professional grade model but maybe after this one gets a few years older we will pick one up. it works great - my wife had it before we got married.

another piece of kitchen gear we can't do without: a vitamix blender. well worth the investment.

if you are going to get a stand mixer get the professional model.

I've got a KA Artisan tilt-head model, 325W. I've made just about everything with it. I've got the sausage grinder attachment - see pics below (works perfectly, but don't bother with the stuffer attachement).


The only problem I've had was when I was kneading a very dry dough once (for thin & crispy pizza crust). I walked away and when I came back a minute later the dough ball had jammed and the dough hook was stuck. There was smoke starting to come from the motor housing. I shut it off (it was HOT), let it rest, and it has worked fine since. I'd definately go for the higher-wattage "Pro" series if you can afford it (500W)

Boudin Blanc!


Dog Treats!

I looked at the k/a but ended up deciding on a cuisanart. the wife loves it.

You definitely want to get this for the house. It will pay for itself many times over. If there was one thing I could get for my kitchen to improve my cooking, it would be this.

ISLAGI said:

I love ours. My only issue is having the space to store it when it is not in use.

Enjoy!

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But all of the attachments fit inside the bowl!

They have a grain mill attachment for the kitchen aid mixers. I looked around and called them. I was asking for specs on the crush spacing. They didn't have any useful information.

dudasaj said:

They have a grain mill attachment for the kitchen aid mixers. I looked around and called them. I was asking for specs on the crush spacing. They didn't have any useful information.

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I looked at those pretty seriously, and was reading a lot of reviews. The general consensus seemed to be that you needed the Pro model and even then, it was better suited to grinding a pound or two for making a loaf of bread than it was milling 10-20 lbs for brewing.

I have an Artisan that is about 9 years old. It is my pet cooking robot, but it does get bogged down on the real heavy stuff. When I buy again, I will go for more power, more capacity.

I am a fan of the hinged head instead of the "elevator" style. It is easier to remove the work bowl without taking off the attachment.

Oh, and include an extra work bowl in your budget. The two times every three years you need it (making xmas cookies, for example), it is well worth the money.

You can get the 5 qt version at Costco for under 300 bones. I got one about 6 years ago and it's like new. I will add that it is loud, but that's because all the gears inside are steel, some manufacturers use one or more nylon gears to reduce the volume, those gears almost always fail at some point.

I have my moms. Have replaced the brushes twice in 40 + years and it is still going strong.

Just bought the Pro model from Sam's not too long ago for the old lady and she loves it. She is really wanting all the pasta attachments so I'll be getting those soon.

I have several, one tilt top, and one heavier duty with a lift for many years they just don 't die. have several attachments including one that shreds vegetables for salads and the pasta maker. Both are well used and excellent. Very important is there super customer service. ANy problems and they replace it immediately. I got a new one and I thought the gears made a little too much noise. They sent replacement the same day.

Before you buy check their website. They often have sales. Also Ebay. They sometimes sell their own product at super prices. Also check Amazon . They sometimes have different prices for different colors.

Butcher said:

My wife has hinted that she would love to have one and I was thinking of saving up for one. I don't mind paying a lot as long as I get my money's worth. So what features are good on these? Any complaints about them?

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Rarely does a day go by that I don't use mine. I freaking love it. The first one I had burned out but kitchenaid has great customer service. They shipped a brand new one for free and free shipping. My favorite attachment is the food grinder (homemade sausage ftw). But more than anything I use it to knead bread. Best kitchen investment I've ever made. Period.

Also I'm a professional chef if that helps validate my opinion of it.