Here in the States, KA mixers can be had at domestic, reasonable prices. ALthough the price of the base model KA45 (4.5 quart bowl) is now over $200, for years the price was lower. Mine is about ten years old. AMazon sold it for $169, but with a rebate ($10 gift coupon for each $50 spent on kitchen items) so my net cost was $139. Within a year, my closest friends moved into a new house, the price was unchanged, Amazon had the same kitchen promotion ($10 coupon for every $50 spent) and I was able to purchase a rather lavish housewarming gift for them (the same mixer) for $139 net. In my case, I used the $30 in coupons to buy the $30 3-quart bowl (see below).
I routinely use it to make dough with up to seven cups of flour. No problem kneading whatsoever. I generally use this recipe to make two huge baguette-shaped loaves of French bread, and my 30" range oven wouldn't have room for a third loaf even if my mixer had capacity above seven cups. The only way I could make more bread at once would be to bake sandwich-bread loaves, in which case I could probably accommodate four loaf pans at once. When I make the two huge baguettes (often to bring when invited to dinner as a guest in someone's home), I place them on a jelly roll pan and there is only room for one pan. Of course I have two racks, but given that convection isn't used in baking bread, there might be significant heat differences between upper and lower racks in such an undertaking. I have a perforated baguette pan that makes three smaller baguettes, but I can do that from a single batch (3.5 cups flour) of dough.
What I particularly like about this machine:
1. There is an optional 3 quart bowl (sold for $30 here) that nests for storage inside the 4.5 quart bowl, and is great for small-to-medium jobs. If you buy a second beater, you can easily manage two parallel projects (or one recipe requiring two different mixer steps).
2. After-market beaters are available, some of which have silicone fins that "scrape" the sides of the bowl to make spatulas obsolete (until you have to empty the bowl). Additional standard beaters are $12 over here.
I own the above beater in a 4.5 quart design. Since I also own the original standard beater, I have two beaters for use and also two bowls (3 and 4.5), a nice upgrade for $46 in cost ($30 bowl, $16 scraper beater).
I prefer the tilt-head design, which is available on the 4.5 and 5 quart (Artisan is the latter size) models. Evidently the design can't be used on the larger 6 and 7 quart mixers because the motor is heavy enough that the mixer would be top-heavy/unstable if the head were lifted. Some people swear by the bowl-lift models, I don't care for them because it's hard to work with the bowl contents, even when the beat is raised to "up" position, without removing the entire bowl, since the beater is still in the way even when it's "up".
Many people here have KAs that are 20-30 years old with no servicing, ever. I've noticed that in Europe they are sold for 2-3 times the US cost and appear to have an element of retro style to them (for the European buyers).
They ARE heavy and deserve a permanent spot on the kitchen counter. They are not an appliance to be hauled out from a cabinet each time you wish to use it.
My only gripe about the KA45 is that its standard 4.5 bowl does NOT have a handle, which makes removal of the bowl difficult if you secured it tightly to the base. KA does sell a replacement 4.5 with handle (some heavy duty users might welcome having two 4.5 quart bowls) and, as others have mentioned here, evidently the 5 quart bowl (with handle) also fits the KA45.
Formerly the KA45 was offered in white and cream (when I bought mine ten years ago, those were the options)
The other issue I would investigate in SA is availability of parts and servicing. I would imagine Kenwood has a good support network, but if you go KA be sure there is a repair firm near you that can obtain parts (not an issue in the USA of course as it is our premium domestic brand). I don't know any KA user who's ever needed a repair, but.....
