KENMORE62----------
I bought my K45SS around 1978-1979.
I bought my K45SS around 1978-1979.
KitchenAid stand mixers
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And I got my K45SS
in the very early 80s. Maybe '81.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
in the very early 80s. Maybe '81.
Lawrence/Maytagbear
thor
Well-known member
I have the larger 5KSS and I feel it is much more convenient to use than the smaller tilting head unit, since the fixed head larger unit can be operated under the kitchen cabinets, since the body is fixed and it does not tilt up like the smaller units, which actually need more overhead space.
Emilio
Emilio
eluxomarty
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- Feb 16, 2006
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Tilt Head
I like the tilt head model. I bought my Mom her Artisan for her birthday about two years ago. It replaced the Sunbeam 60th Anniversary Plastic Master which is still in the cabinet with all the other appliances. My Mom likes it because of the handle on the bowl which is also lighter in stainless steel rather than glass. Every Christmas my Mom turns into Mrs. Fields and it's Cookieland at the Rocha House! My Dad likes that! LOL! One thing that my Mom did say to which i agree is that the diameter of the bowl is smaller to the Sunbeams and its harder to add dry ingredients while the mixer is running. The Sunbeam mixer head was off set which made adding things easier. It's also much heavier than old Sunny so KA stays right on the counter facing out ready to go!
I like the tilt head model. I bought my Mom her Artisan for her birthday about two years ago. It replaced the Sunbeam 60th Anniversary Plastic Master which is still in the cabinet with all the other appliances. My Mom likes it because of the handle on the bowl which is also lighter in stainless steel rather than glass. Every Christmas my Mom turns into Mrs. Fields and it's Cookieland at the Rocha House! My Dad likes that! LOL! One thing that my Mom did say to which i agree is that the diameter of the bowl is smaller to the Sunbeams and its harder to add dry ingredients while the mixer is running. The Sunbeam mixer head was off set which made adding things easier. It's also much heavier than old Sunny so KA stays right on the counter facing out ready to go!
Bench Press
Jaime,
My entire life has involved the cooking industry. I had worked for Sunbeam and was an ardent supporter until 2002. I bought an Artisan which is a 5 quart tilt head model. My exwife has it now. I have finally come to use the Pro6, Kitchenaid's loud and proud, six quart monster.
I was frustrated that Hobart and Kitchenaid made mixers that would not adequately mix the bottom 1/2 inch of ingredients into the final mix. I would have to turn the mixer off, remove the paddle and manually turn the dough upside down, re-attach the paddle and the bowl and then mix again to be sure there was a even blend. It also annoyed me that no matter how carefull I was, gunk always managed to hit the side of the mixer body while adding ingredients. The Pro6 and the Pro5 have a wider, flatter bowl and paddle, which magically, without any assitance, mixes top to bottom and side to side. Because of this, Kitchenaid has finally become my daily driver.
Kelly
Jaime,
My entire life has involved the cooking industry. I had worked for Sunbeam and was an ardent supporter until 2002. I bought an Artisan which is a 5 quart tilt head model. My exwife has it now. I have finally come to use the Pro6, Kitchenaid's loud and proud, six quart monster.
I was frustrated that Hobart and Kitchenaid made mixers that would not adequately mix the bottom 1/2 inch of ingredients into the final mix. I would have to turn the mixer off, remove the paddle and manually turn the dough upside down, re-attach the paddle and the bowl and then mix again to be sure there was a even blend. It also annoyed me that no matter how carefull I was, gunk always managed to hit the side of the mixer body while adding ingredients. The Pro6 and the Pro5 have a wider, flatter bowl and paddle, which magically, without any assitance, mixes top to bottom and side to side. Because of this, Kitchenaid has finally become my daily driver.
Kelly
Classic
The Classic with it's 4 1/2 bowl is the smallest and quietest in the Kitchenaid stable. It will perform any task you ever want to perform if you know how to finese it's limits. Perfect for a household that mixes single recipes batches and an occasionaly simple bread dough.
The Ultra is the 50 watts stronger with a 4 1/2 quart bowl. It clicks slightly in heavy dough and is a touch more loud than the Classic.
The Artisan is a 5 quart model although the body size is no larger nor are the attachments. You just have another 1/2 quart of dough to sit above the paddle. The bowl is also closer to the mixer head exacerbating the ingredient adding. The motor is notable louder than the Classic, has the clicking of the Ultra and a growling undertone. It is good for double batches and has more torque for heavy icings. It has a plastic worm gear that strips in an instant if you press to hard on the shredder attachment or grinder.
The 5qt HD has morphed in the latest incarnation as the bowl lift line up all share the newer motor. It also has the spiral dough hook which is much more aggressive. The bowl is still the deep and narrow and it still leaves the unmixed bits.
The Pro5 has the wider bowl which makes it possible to add ingredients without showering the mixer. Mixes more evenly and whip faster without splattering.
The Pr600 is the largest. For a while the bowl lifts had an internal thermal protector which shut down the mixer before stripping gears, but required a trip to the KA hospital. You see the hew and cry raised on many sites about how the mixer failed under a load. The latest has a thermal reset which starts the mixer after a cool down. The bowl lift models as well as the discontinued 5qt Accolade have a shrill motor, with a soft start feature that will make your ears bleed after extended usage.
5qt on the left, Pro6 on the right
Kelly
The Classic with it's 4 1/2 bowl is the smallest and quietest in the Kitchenaid stable. It will perform any task you ever want to perform if you know how to finese it's limits. Perfect for a household that mixes single recipes batches and an occasionaly simple bread dough.
The Ultra is the 50 watts stronger with a 4 1/2 quart bowl. It clicks slightly in heavy dough and is a touch more loud than the Classic.
The Artisan is a 5 quart model although the body size is no larger nor are the attachments. You just have another 1/2 quart of dough to sit above the paddle. The bowl is also closer to the mixer head exacerbating the ingredient adding. The motor is notable louder than the Classic, has the clicking of the Ultra and a growling undertone. It is good for double batches and has more torque for heavy icings. It has a plastic worm gear that strips in an instant if you press to hard on the shredder attachment or grinder.
The 5qt HD has morphed in the latest incarnation as the bowl lift line up all share the newer motor. It also has the spiral dough hook which is much more aggressive. The bowl is still the deep and narrow and it still leaves the unmixed bits.
The Pro5 has the wider bowl which makes it possible to add ingredients without showering the mixer. Mixes more evenly and whip faster without splattering.
The Pr600 is the largest. For a while the bowl lifts had an internal thermal protector which shut down the mixer before stripping gears, but required a trip to the KA hospital. You see the hew and cry raised on many sites about how the mixer failed under a load. The latest has a thermal reset which starts the mixer after a cool down. The bowl lift models as well as the discontinued 5qt Accolade have a shrill motor, with a soft start feature that will make your ears bleed after extended usage.
5qt on the left, Pro6 on the right
Kelly
Cream it Good
In making a fine textured cakes, creaming the butter and sugar until the sugar granules dissolve, before adding the eggs, is a crucial step. It is not uncommon for this to take 25 minutes depending on the temperature of the butter. This is when the shrill sound of the Pro6 gets on your nerves. The paddle creams, but it doesn't aerate. When making butter cakes with a Kitchenaid, I cream with the whip and then switch to the paddle for adding the dry ingredients. The all purpose beater, like Gyrafoam has with his 4c, does a superb job of creaming and is very quiet. Kitchenaid has just introduced a 3 quart bowl for the Pro5 and 6 which uses the classic all purpose beater. I am finally, completely content with Kitchenaid and have no reason to hang on to the Sunbeam for cakes.
Kelly
In making a fine textured cakes, creaming the butter and sugar until the sugar granules dissolve, before adding the eggs, is a crucial step. It is not uncommon for this to take 25 minutes depending on the temperature of the butter. This is when the shrill sound of the Pro6 gets on your nerves. The paddle creams, but it doesn't aerate. When making butter cakes with a Kitchenaid, I cream with the whip and then switch to the paddle for adding the dry ingredients. The all purpose beater, like Gyrafoam has with his 4c, does a superb job of creaming and is very quiet. Kitchenaid has just introduced a 3 quart bowl for the Pro5 and 6 which uses the classic all purpose beater. I am finally, completely content with Kitchenaid and have no reason to hang on to the Sunbeam for cakes.
Kelly
Kitchenaid Urban Legends
Kitchenaid has always had an Achille's tendon designed into their mixer to account for user error. For years it was a nylon worm gear that stripped, saving the gear box and motor. When the new generation of uber mixers hit the market, a bunch of completely untrained home cooks approached using the Kitchenaid like operating a DC-10 Caterpillar. Failure was showing up all over. The mixer has been re-engineered for the lowest common denominator with a self activated Thermal reset. Like many of us here who are one with our machines, I have a Sunbeam MixMaster, I bought new in 1968, that has never had a repair. I would not be exaggerating to say it has mixed a ton of flour. I have a Pro6, which has never stopped. It is imperitive to listen to the machine. If it is slowing or smelling hot, it's time to ease up on the load. I bake 500 cookies a week for Gilda's Club, pastries for 1,500 once a month at church and entertain every chance I get. I also continue to do contract recipe developement and product testing for some of the food lines I used to represent. I do not use my Kitchenaid to run attachments since that is when the greatest chance of gear box damage can occur. I use the processor for that. But, remember, I am the guy who mentally remembers which burner I used last so I use a different the next time I cook. I want all things to wear equally.
Kelly
5qt old style and 6 quart new style
Kitchenaid has always had an Achille's tendon designed into their mixer to account for user error. For years it was a nylon worm gear that stripped, saving the gear box and motor. When the new generation of uber mixers hit the market, a bunch of completely untrained home cooks approached using the Kitchenaid like operating a DC-10 Caterpillar. Failure was showing up all over. The mixer has been re-engineered for the lowest common denominator with a self activated Thermal reset. Like many of us here who are one with our machines, I have a Sunbeam MixMaster, I bought new in 1968, that has never had a repair. I would not be exaggerating to say it has mixed a ton of flour. I have a Pro6, which has never stopped. It is imperitive to listen to the machine. If it is slowing or smelling hot, it's time to ease up on the load. I bake 500 cookies a week for Gilda's Club, pastries for 1,500 once a month at church and entertain every chance I get. I also continue to do contract recipe developement and product testing for some of the food lines I used to represent. I do not use my Kitchenaid to run attachments since that is when the greatest chance of gear box damage can occur. I use the processor for that. But, remember, I am the guy who mentally remembers which burner I used last so I use a different the next time I cook. I want all things to wear equally.
Kelly
5qt old style and 6 quart new style
In conclusion
Jaime,
I far and away prefer using a tilt head if it is one of the older mixers. You can much more easily add, scrape and use the mixer. The power differential is so slight in actual operation it's not worth considering. The arm on the bowl lift, the channel it rides on, the bowl pins, and the clip in back, all love to grab flour, grease and liquids to make plaster of paris all over the mixer. Put the paddle on the 5 quart, raise the bowl and see how far down in the bowl it is. What good is a 5 quart bowl if it only gets 3 quarts of action? If I had to go smaller than the Pro6, I would use an Ultra. It seems to be the best of both worlds. At the end of the day, it just like having more than one washer. Line em up, load em up and take notes.
Kelly
Gansky, vinyl coated attachments, as well as stainless are available for your Pro6. There is also an 11 wire whisk that doubles the wires, which are thinner and cream and eggs whip in a heartbeat.
Jaime,
I far and away prefer using a tilt head if it is one of the older mixers. You can much more easily add, scrape and use the mixer. The power differential is so slight in actual operation it's not worth considering. The arm on the bowl lift, the channel it rides on, the bowl pins, and the clip in back, all love to grab flour, grease and liquids to make plaster of paris all over the mixer. Put the paddle on the 5 quart, raise the bowl and see how far down in the bowl it is. What good is a 5 quart bowl if it only gets 3 quarts of action? If I had to go smaller than the Pro6, I would use an Ultra. It seems to be the best of both worlds. At the end of the day, it just like having more than one washer. Line em up, load em up and take notes.
Kelly
Gansky, vinyl coated attachments, as well as stainless are available for your Pro6. There is also an 11 wire whisk that doubles the wires, which are thinner and cream and eggs whip in a heartbeat.
brettsomers
Well-known member
- Joined
- Dec 30, 2005
- Messages
- 1,993
thanks, Kelly, i loved your post. i bought my Classic when i was a teenager. one thing i liked about my previous Sunbeam was being able to scrape the bowl while the mixer was running. i only tried that ONCE with the KitchenAid.
posts like Kelly's breakdown of the KitchenAid models are why i LOVE this site so much!
posts like Kelly's breakdown of the KitchenAid models are why i LOVE this site so much!
Thanks for the great reviews and information, I was waiting most of the day yesterday for you to post on this thread and I wasn't disappointed! I can't believe my eyes that you have no reason to hang onto the Sunbeam - maybe just for sentimental reasons? Not to worry though, if you do decide you want another someday, you'll know whose garage to come looking for!
hoover1060
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2005
- Messages
- 3,309
ok now I am dying to know:
Kelly, is there an all purpose beater available for the Ultrapower series? OR will a 4C beater fit on the Ultra Power? I've been watching Julia Child on DVD use a model 4C, and that beater looks to be more efficient than the whisk and the flat beater.
I've had my Kitchenaid for 5 years, its made bread, cookies, cakes, and TONS of mashed potatoes. Being a Sunbeam person before I originally cursed the KA all over the place, but I perservered and practiced with it and today I love it.
David: it is possible to scrape the bowl while it runs, it just takes some practice.
Kelly, is there an all purpose beater available for the Ultrapower series? OR will a 4C beater fit on the Ultra Power? I've been watching Julia Child on DVD use a model 4C, and that beater looks to be more efficient than the whisk and the flat beater.
I've had my Kitchenaid for 5 years, its made bread, cookies, cakes, and TONS of mashed potatoes. Being a Sunbeam person before I originally cursed the KA all over the place, but I perservered and practiced with it and today I love it.
David: it is possible to scrape the bowl while it runs, it just takes some practice.
All Pupose
Brett,
Thank you for the nice words.
Gregg,
The keen difference is want and need. I still have a stable full of Sunbeams.
Jeff,
I have been asking Kitchenaid to revive the 4C or make the All Pupose beater available for the 4 1/2 qt models. I would guess Kitchenaid would suffer a significant financial hit from all the replacements whips they would no longer sell after cooks try to mix cream cheese and cookie dough with the thin wires of the whip. The All Purpose doesn't fit on the Ultra because the opening to attach it to the drive is too small. Maybe someone ingenious like Nate in Arizona could weld the AP beater to a larger fitting from a Classic.
I will always keep a Sunbeam for the afternoons I want to remind myself of Bowl-Fit beaters, Mix-Finder dials and smell the ozone and gearbox grease as it gentle warms up. Then I'll perc a pot of coffee and mourn the loss of society lost in the rush of digital clocks and Mr. Coffee.
Kelly
Brett,
Thank you for the nice words.
Gregg,
The keen difference is want and need. I still have a stable full of Sunbeams.
Jeff,
I have been asking Kitchenaid to revive the 4C or make the All Pupose beater available for the 4 1/2 qt models. I would guess Kitchenaid would suffer a significant financial hit from all the replacements whips they would no longer sell after cooks try to mix cream cheese and cookie dough with the thin wires of the whip. The All Purpose doesn't fit on the Ultra because the opening to attach it to the drive is too small. Maybe someone ingenious like Nate in Arizona could weld the AP beater to a larger fitting from a Classic.
I will always keep a Sunbeam for the afternoons I want to remind myself of Bowl-Fit beaters, Mix-Finder dials and smell the ozone and gearbox grease as it gentle warms up. Then I'll perc a pot of coffee and mourn the loss of society lost in the rush of digital clocks and Mr. Coffee.
Kelly
Terry,
You are correct.
I remember seeing Kelly's buns posted here before too.....(LOL)
You are correct.
I remember seeing Kelly's buns posted here before too.....(LOL)
hoover1060
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 9, 2005
- Messages
- 3,309
major bummage
I would love to have the AP beater for my ultra power!
I think I have probably used my whisk more than any other beater on the KA, I think it does a great job and does not require the shield. I've never tried it with cold butter though.
I'd be too afraid to break it.
I would love to have the AP beater for my ultra power!
I think I have probably used my whisk more than any other beater on the KA, I think it does a great job and does not require the shield. I've never tried it with cold butter though.
I'd be too afraid to break it.
scott55405
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- Joined
- Oct 26, 2004
- Messages
- 1,831
I don't know if you all are aware, and I don't know about the bowl lift units, but the tilt head ones have an adjustment screw to lower the beater, much like Sunbeams and others had similar adjustments.
I have often heard of people having issues with unmixed ingredients on the bottom, but I've never, ever had a problem.
I use waxed paper to add dry ingredients, and whatever for the rest, and do it on low speed. The pouring shield is a PITA and has not seen the light of day in years. One thing I've always liked about the KA is you never have to worry about unruly bowl rotation behavior.
I have often heard of people having issues with unmixed ingredients on the bottom, but I've never, ever had a problem.
I use waxed paper to add dry ingredients, and whatever for the rest, and do it on low speed. The pouring shield is a PITA and has not seen the light of day in years. One thing I've always liked about the KA is you never have to worry about unruly bowl rotation behavior.
mixguy
Well-known member
Unmixed ingredients on the bottom of the bowl?
I have the same problem of not getting a complete mix of ingredients with my KitchenAid KSM5. I have no way to adjust the beater bowl clearance. I have used the mixer without locking the beaters in place but that wears the nylon coating away and bottom of the bowl. I do like the new KitcheanAid spatulas formed to the curve of a KitchenAid bowl. New bowl lift models have an adjustment screw to adjust the bowl-beater clearnace and insturctions are written in detail in the instruction manuals.
I have the same problem of not getting a complete mix of ingredients with my KitchenAid KSM5. I have no way to adjust the beater bowl clearance. I have used the mixer without locking the beaters in place but that wears the nylon coating away and bottom of the bowl. I do like the new KitcheanAid spatulas formed to the curve of a KitchenAid bowl. New bowl lift models have an adjustment screw to adjust the bowl-beater clearnace and insturctions are written in detail in the instruction manuals.
