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The Insider Pick:
The best KitchenAid mixers serve as an indispensable tool as you bake cakes, pies, bread, cookies, and other delicious treats. They can knead the toughest dough for long periods of time, and they are versatile enough to make pasta and sausage. The KitchenAid Artisan Tilt-Head Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield tops our list because it does all of these things and more.
Aside from the satisfaction of a job well done, making your own baked goods from scratch tastes better, is better for you, and it generally costs much less than buying products from the store. KitchenAid mixers make home baking a cinch.
Even if baking isn’t your thing, there are plenty of secondary uses for these mixers that make them well worth your money. If you have ever watched one of those prime-time cooking shows, you have likely noticed a KitchenAid mixer in the kitchen. They are the standard in the industry. Here are some things to consider when you are ready to ramp up your culinary experience.
Tilt head versus bowl lift
KitchenAid mixers come with a tilt head or a lever that lifts your bowl up to the mixing attachment. The one that is best for you depends on how much space you have. The lift models tend to be taller and wider, therefore they require more counter space. But, they generally perform better than the tilt-head units, which can bounce when handling larger batches of dough.
Accessories and attachments
One of the aspects of KitchenAid mixers that sets them apart from the competition is the array of optional attachments and accessories available. Most of the attachments work with any of the company's stand mixers. Here are a few of the most popular accessories:
- Ice Cream Maker ($63.96): In 20 to 30 minutes, this attachment will make up to two quarts of gelato, sorbet, or ice cream.
- Pasta Roller and Cutter ($134.68): Stainless steel cutters and rollers produce six-inch sheets of pasta with eight thickness settings and can be cut for fettuccine, spaghetti, and more.
- Food Grinder ($39.00): Use this to grind dried bread, meat, vegetables, cheeses, firm fruit, and use it with the stuffer set to make sausage.
- Food Processor ($99.99): This attachment will shred, dice, julienne, and slice any vegetables, cheeses, and fruits.
Although there are a lot of similarities between models — including high-quality construction and a one-year warranty — not all KitchenAid mixers are the same. Based on our assessment of the reviews and ratings of thousands of buyers and experts, we have come up with recommendations that will guide you in choosing the best KitchenAid mixer for your needs.
SEE ALSO: The best waffle makers you can buy
The best KitchenAid mixer overall
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The KitchenAid KSM150 Artisan mixer is designed for the serious home baker. It comes with a five-quart stainless steel bowl that can mix dough for four loaves of bread or nine dozen cookies in one batch. Also included are a six-wire whip, coated flat beater, one-piece pouring shield, and coated dough hook. There are 47 colors for this appliance available on Amazon, so you are sure to find an option that matches the décor of your kitchen.
Another feature of the KSM150 is the “59-point planetary mixing action.” This essentially means that for every rotation around the bowl, the dough hook, wire whip, or beater has 59 touch points for more thorough mixing.
Many of the home and kitchen appliance experts have reviewed the KSM150 Artisan mixer, and most were impressed with its power. Top Ten Reviews lists this model as the best mixer because of the solid motor, its versatility, and the color selection. The reviewer only dinged it for not having a timer, overload protection, or other more advanced features.
The Good Housekeeping Institute endorsed the KSM150 with a score of 93 out of 100 because of the broad range of speeds, ability to handle bread dough, and stylish, robust design. Foodal liked that this model comes with all you need to get started, and ranked it number one on its list.
On Amazon, there are more than 7,200 positive reviews of the Artisan mixer. Buyers like how sturdy the mixer is. It doesn’t try to walk off your counter when it’s working on a tough task. The biggest complaint was that the mixing bowl sometimes leaves a gray residue on the food you are preparing. KitchenAid recommends scrubbing your mixer bowl with baking soda or lemon and salt to remove the polishing material used on the bowl. Also, buyers complained about having trouble choosing which of the ten available shades of blue to go with for their KitchenAid.
Pros: Powerful 325-watt motor, comes with pouring shield, dozens of colors to choose from
Cons: No overload protection
The best KitchenAid mixer on a budget
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Why you'll love it: The KitchenAid K45SSOB 4.5-Quart Classic Series Stand Mixer is the ideal mixer for beginner bakers since it is affordable and can handle most mixing tasks.
KitchenAid mixers are not cheap. Yet, the K45SS is the least expensive option available. It comes with a 4.5-quart bowl, a coated dough hook, 10-speed settings powered by a 250-watt motor, a wire whip, and a coated flat beater. And, as with other KitchenAid units, it has a multi purpose attachment hub that takes more than a dozen optional attachments that can be used to make pasta, grind meat, and much more.
Since the mixer has a relatively small motor, it is one of the quietest mixers you will find. You can control the speed using a shifting knob on the side of the unit. The K45SS does not have a slow start mixing option, so if you are mixing dry ingredients, such as flour, the fast start could send ingredients flying. You can combat this with a pouring shield, which this model does not come with, but you can pick one up for less than $20 on Amazon.
All of the expert reviews we looked at for this guide were positive. Mixer Reviews liked the K45SS because its small stature made it ideal for most countertops. The site did note that you may want to splurge on one of the Professional Series models if you plan on regularly making bread or have larger mixing loads.
Ratingle rated the K45SS highly for the dependability of the 250-watt motor and quality design. Mix It Bake It echoed Mixer Reviews’ concern about using this model for heavy duty dough, like bread dough. However, the reviewer commented that it is an excellent budget mixer for light to moderate mixing tasks.
An impressive four out of five customers on Amazon gave the KitchenAid K45SS five stars. Buyers liked the versatility of this mixer and found the attractive design fit well with just about any kitchen décor. There were a couple of complaints, though. In addition to the gray residue problem mentioned in the above review, users complained that the bowl that this unit comes with does not have a handle. So, you may want to buy a replacement bowl if that bothers you.
Pros: Affordable, 10 different speed settings, tilt-up mixer head
Cons: Least powerful motor on the list
The best KitchenAid mixer for making bread
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The KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus has a ten-speed motor with a slow start function and overload protection. The mixer comes with a five-quart stainless steel mixing bowl featuring an ergonomic handle. Also, the hinged hub cover flips up to make it easier to install attachments, including the spiral dough hook, wire whip, and flat beater that it comes with. The bowl is lifted to the mixer are using a simple lever that securely stays in place.
The Professional 5 Plus is available in thirteen colors on Amazon, including Metallic Chrome, Empire Red, Cobalt Blue, and Onyx Black.
For 15 years now, I have owned and regularly used the forebear of the Professional 5 Plus: the Professional 5. The Professional 5 Plus improves upon my model with a stronger motor (450 watts versus 350 watts), overload protection, and slow start. That said, my model has done a fabulous job making cookies, cake, pie, and everything else we ask of it. In fact, I bake two loaves of bread per week, and it has never had a problem kneading the dough, even with the weaker motor.
One of the expert sites that reviewed the Professional 5 Plus was Ratingle, and the site put it among its top four KitchenAid stand mixers. The reviewer liked the flexibility afforded by the 10 speeds of the 450-watt motor. However, the site noted that this unit is quite loud when in use.
Just My Two Cents, a respected site that covers a wide variety of appliances, liked the large capacity of the mixer and how it could handle large tasks with ease. The reviewer found that what set it apart from other KitchenAid products was an overload reset button and the slow start-ups, which keep your ingredients from flying everywhere. Cooking Upgrades also appreciated the size and reset button and gave the mixer 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Some 89% of the buyers who reviewed the Professional 5 Plus on Amazon gave it a rating of four stars or higher. Buyers liked that it packs a lot of power while taking up relatively little counter space, and at 16.5 inches tall, it fits under most cabinets. Reviewers found it especially helpful for making bread, cakes, and pies.
Pros: Advanced features, ergonomic design, 67-point mixing
Cons: Heavy, loud
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