Kitchenaid 9-speed hand mixer

[thomasortega]

A few days ago I purchased a Kitchenaid 9-speed hand mixer, the TOL version kitchenaid offers, Empire Red, or course to match my other KA products.

Last night I tried it with a batch of Ghirardelli triple chocolate diabetic killer cake mix.

What a POS!

at maximum speed, that thing mixes NOTHING! 5 minutes dealing with it, until I got pissed off and gave up.

Luckily I was already using the KA bowl lift bowl, so I just had another beater to wash.

The hand mixer has absolutely NOTHING to do with other KA products. If it was "ok, it's a chinese product badged as KA, it works but won't last longer" I could understand.

But no, it does NOTHING! It doesn't mix anything. 5 minutes and i had eggs + water + oil on the bottom of the bowl and the powder on the top being thrown everywhere and NOT mixing at all.

It also comes with a fouet, just like the hand blender. Even the fouet was "MEH" for beating one egg. The hand mixer is way better....

I bough this hand mixer because I gave my 5-speed architect series hand blender to my sister just because it wasn't Empire Red and I want everything matching. I don't need to say the hand mixer will be returned in a heartbeat and I'll write a HORRIBLE 1-star review.

I just wanted to share this experience with you guys, as it's appliance-related.[this post was last edited: 7/31/2019-00:18]

 

[fan-of-fans]

What is a fouet?

That's too bad, they are nice looking. I still see the older ones around at thrift stores once in a while. So far I haven't gotten one yet. I'd really like a bowl lift stand mixer. But so far get away with my 70s Mixmaster when I need to mix something. I don't ever make bread or cookies with one so it works fine.

 

[thomasortega]

This is a fouet

 

[thomasortega]

The 5-speed hand blender is AWESOME!

For decades I had Philips models (the best brand money could buy in Brazil) and Here in the USA I bought that Kitchenaid on sale at Macy's. Exceptional quality and reliability. The only mess was getting used to the three different bell blades, until I realized two of them were Meh and the standard "S" bell blade is everything i needed for perfect results.

The fouet attachment is also excellent. You can beat 4 egg whites to super hard snow in 30 seconds. Several times i used the fouet for pancake mix and it worked great. The mini chopper is not spectacular, but it also works very well (I liked the Philips better because the Sabatier blades were much sharper)

Now with the Kitchenaid hand mixer, the fouet accessory is silly. the design is somewhat similar but the mixer is underpowered. At maximum speed it was like using one of those battery operated mini milk frothers. it doesn't come even 50% closer to the hand blender's minimum speed.

The regular 4 wire beaters... omg... the wires are literaly thin as paperclips. and it was like using two paperclips to mix a cake... (maybe the clips would be better).

I definitely love the KA stand mixer Darryl gave me. It was exactly the model I wanted, but now I regret I got the bowl lift model because it's too big, so I almost never use it cooking for only 2 humans and two dogs (our daughters). I also have the all metal food grinder which is great (except that it's not DW safe) and the food shredder (new model) with is also excellent BUT not DW safe.

I also did the stupidity to buy the citrus press. My mom had one half century ago (all metal) and it was a disaster. The new model, all plastic is also a disaster with that stupid design. You end up with citrus juice all over the kitchen but in the pitcher. Don't forget to wear safety goggles and a raincoat! It was on sale at Hell-Mart for $9 so I grabbed it... for the price, i can't complain.

And of course, I have the pasta roller... Probably the very best attachment ever made for a KA stand mixer. Extremely useful, simple to use, sturdy, easy to clean, reliable and accurate. Expensive as hell but worth every cent. When I can I'll buy the other 2 pasta cutter set with different shapes. I missed having a pasta roller for 2 years when I moved to the USA... I learned how to make pasta using one of those pasta rollers and I'm glad KA continues with exactly the same design it had decades ago.

 

[thomasortega]

Ooooops.... Darryl just saved me and explained a fouet is actually known as whisk here in the USA.

 

[askolover]

I have a Sunbeam that will beat cookie dough!  It's a hand mixer and it's only about 20 years old.  I need new beaters for it but the mechanics are still going strong!

 

[foraloysius]

American handmixers are very anemic compared to European model. IIRC, the KitchenAid has only a 100 Watts motor. Cheap mixers here have a minimum of around 200 Watts, the medium segment around 350 Watts, TOL models vary from 550 Watts (Bosch) up to 750 Watts (Philips). I had a 1959 Philips model with 1 speed that had 110 Watts. So I guess the low wattage is the problem.

 

[washingpowder]

KitchenAid

Never used their hand mixers but out of the 3 KA appliances I own, only the stand mixer is worth anything.
The blender keeps getting discolored and leaks; although I received the replacement carafe for free the first time, it started leaking in no time.
Don't get me started on the food processor - slices very unevenly, shreds ok - but leaves chunks of food stuck in the lid. Julienne disc never worked - the machine either stalls or chips shred-like pieces.
Has a slow start so pulsing is virtually impossible, and processing anything over 2 cups is ridiculously uneven. Let alone the awful discoloration on the bowls and lid, as well as 'chrome' coating literally falling off the safety lock.
Breville is the way to go, and once the processor and blender completely die, they'll be replaced fast. Have numerous gadgets from Breville, like their pressure cooker, waffle iron and egg pot/sous vide, and all are marvelous pieces of equipment that work amazing.

 

[henene4]

Looked at the specs of the German version and it is only 130W as well: pathetic!

Recently bought a Bosch MUM5 stand mixer with the 1000W motor.
Only used it once so far but man it does a good job even with batches beyond reasonable.

Grew up with Krups handmixer and the first versions of those lasted eternitys.
My mum's current one (about 10 or so years old) has a broke flex and as the flex ends in a molded plastic piece on the handle site there is no way to replace it with a generic one.
Part is in the 20€ range IIRC on a 40€ handmixer that never was exceptional, but in no way bad.
Got here the entry level Bosch MUM with the 500W motor and so far she likes it.
My grandma got her similar one about 5 years back and still likes it.

Looking at the offerings for a new handmixer you get something for half the price and 4 times the power over here.

I'm in the market for one and currently thinking whether to spend the 20-30€ extra for a 700W+ model or go with a 500W 40€ affair.
Not sure about the brand either. Don't need fancy attachments, maybe a stick blender attachment at most. It's between Bosch, Phillips and Krups.

 

[frigilux]

I hopped over to America’s Test Kitchen's website—my go-to for equipment and taste testing—to see what they had to say.

The KitchenAid 5-speed hand mixer ($35) is at the top of the rankings, testers noting its power and efficient execution of both light and heavy tasks.

The $100 9-speed is substantially further down the list. It is rated “Recommended With Reservations.” Testers found it lacks the “oomph” of the 5-speed and they had to scroll through all the middle speeds to get enough power. Even then, they found it somewhat lacking in efficiency.

I have the 9-speed, purchased on a whim a couple of years ago, but rarely use it. I use 30-year old K5 stand mixer —which is conveniently located on the kitchen counter—for nearly every mixing/kneading task. I pull the hand mixer out to whip a couple of egg whites or a small amount of cream. Works fine for those super-lightweight tasks. Have never used it for cake batter or cookie dough and after reading your disappointing experience when doing so, probably won’t ever bother to.

I threw the whisk attachment out immediately, because I’d rather whisk by hand than pull out even a hand mixer.

Another case in which a brand’s top-of-the-line model isn’t the best performer.[this post was last edited: 7/31/2019-09:32]

 

[ea56]

I have a KA Classic Stand Mixer that I almost never use, too much trouble to drag it down from the shelf its stored on. Also, I have found that even on it’s lowest speed will still throw dry ingredients all over the place when I’m trying to add them. And scraping down the bowl is much more of a hassle than with a Mixmaster. I really have never been all that impressed by KA Stand Mixers for convenience, an old Sunbeam Mixmaster is a better choice IMHO.

My go to mixer is 3 speed Kitchenaid hand mixer that is one of the older models when they first introduced their hand mixer. I bought it used on ebay over a year ago, in almost new condition and I use it for everything.

The heaviest butter cookie dough is no challenge, and making cakes, mashed potatoes at the stove, and everything else is a breeze, and clean up couldn’t be easier. I also have a Kitchenaid 5 speed hand mixer that is about 10 years old, and its great too, but the 3 speed is even better. I even use my hand mixer to cut shortening into the flour when making pie crust and it works like a charm, much easier than a pastry blender.

The older I get, the more I like to simplify things.

Eddie

 

[iheartmaytag]

I have a Kitchenaid  stand mixer that remains on my counter at all times.  About two years ago I bought a 5 speed Kitchenaid hand mixer to quick jobs, like whipping potatoes, brownies,  egg whites, etc. 

 

For what I need it does a great job, but it will never be versatile enough to replace the stand mixer, no matter how many attachments they put in the box.

 

[maytagbear]

Really now?

I have the 7 speed electronic control KA hand mixer, and a 5 speed KA hand mixer, a gift. They are both older, and both have worked well for me for years! Cookie dough, meatloaf, bread--but only up to the first cup of flour, whipped cream, whipped (Russet Burbank) potatoes.

I AM disappointed with how Whirlpool seems, in my opinion, to be mismanaging KitchenAid, and the 100 years of goodwill many of us feel toward the brand, but Whirlpool will do what Whirlpool will do and who are we to say otherwise?

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[chachp]

Hand Mixer

 

<span style="font-family: 'courier new', courier;">I've never been a hand mixer person.  I've always preferred a stand mixer.  My Mom had a couple of KA hand mixers that she bitched about all the time.  At her age she needed something light and easier to handle than her big KA mixer.</span>

 

<span style="font-family: 'courier new', courier;">This little number came on closeout somewhere, don't remember where.  It's a beast.  I use it more often than I thought it would.  Goes through anything it seems. It has nine speeds but is a little awkward to operate all with the same hand because its so powerful so I find myself adjusting the speed with one hand and holding it with the other.</span>

 

[ea56]

Oh, and lest I forget, one of the main reasons I like the KA 3 speed hand mixer so much is because the low speed is actually LOW and still has full torque and power for mixing well at low speed. I have a couple of vintage 3 speed hand mixers too, a Sunbeam 5 speed from the late 80’s and its better than most at low speed and a GE 3 speed from the 60’s and its really hard to tell the difference from one speed or the other, it’s fast, faster and hella fast. My KA 3 speed is excellent for speed control.

And when I make bread, every week, I just use an 8 quart SS bowl, and a large wooden spoon handle to mix the dough. And since I make No Knead bread, there is no need to drag out the KA Classic Stand Mixer to knead by machine and throw flour from one end of the counter to the other. I just made some bread dough 30 mins ago, and it took me all of 5 mins, from measuring out the flour, salt, yeast, oil and dark molasses and mixing it using the wooden spoon handle like a manual dough hook. In 3 hours it will be ready to form into 2 loaves and let them rise for an hour, then bake for 30 mins., DONE, and no big mess or tedious kneading.

I’d sell or give away the stand mixer, but my husband bought it for me as a gift several years ago, and I would never part with something he worked hard to pay for and give to me. Occasionally I drag it out to use the grinder attachment, and thats really the only use it gets anymore.

Eddie

 

[xraytech]

A few years back I bought a 7 speed KitchenAid with digital control, even on speed 7 it didn’t seem to have much power, I ended up giving it to mom and I went back to my old 10 speed General Electric M68 handmixer with thumbwheel speed control.

I recently bought a 350 watt Braun MultiMix 5 hand mixer to give my brother when his home is ready.
I ordered it on Amazon for about $50, and it had higher ratings than any of the KitchenAid models

 

[yogitunes]

I have a kitchen aid hand mixer 5 speed....decent enough for most things, the wire beaters could be a bit thicker, but does the job...

preference goes to a Black & Decker 5 speed with Power Boost....in fact I have 4 of them should one ever fail, which hasn't in years...these will chop through cookie dough and ground beef with ease....

usually best to mix stuff in the sink, these mixers will throw stuff....

 

[frigilux]

Hi Eddie-

I totally get where you're coming from with the convenience factor of the Mixmaster; if I had to move the K5 to the counter from a remote location, it wouldn't get used often either. Thing weighs a ton! A couple of well-known bakers in the AW family have also praised the Mixmaster for how well it whips/aerates cake batter.

My K5 has the "bowl lift" mechanism rather than the tilting power head of the Classic. Videos from ATK and Bon Appetit show staff using the Classic almost exclusively these days. A review at ATK mentioned that the head lock on theirs broke after kneading a lot of bread dough, so I hesitate to get that style since I use mine for kneading bread/roll dough all the time. I've noticed the power head moving around a bit when kneading in their videos, so the lock issue they referenced doesn't surprise me.

One reason I prefer the "lift" system: With the bowl in the lowered position, I turn the mixer on to the slowest speed, then slowly lift the bowl. The paddle comes into contact with the ingredients gradually, virtually eliminating the flour shower. No need to use the plastic shield/flour chute shown below, either.

 

[dustin92]

We have the Standard 5 speed Kitchenaid hand mixer and wouldn't trade it for anything. It's super quiet, super powerful (yes, it will mix cookie dough) and just works! Even on the lowest speed it almost never bogs down, and I've never stalled it yet. The motor doesn't get hot even after mixing heavy dough. Ours is white but I'm sure they are available in other colors! Years ago we bought one for our church kitchen after burning out 3 hand mixers in 3 weeks, and once it even inhaled some milk (poured into a pan carelessly!) And as far as I know it's still working just fine. I bought ours about 5 years ago at a yard sale for $5 and it's been worth every penny. If it dies I'll just go buy another one.