KitchenAid stand mixers

[pulsator]

For my 9th birthday, I recieved a Classic KitchenAid stand mixer, it's still running strong, but I recently came upon a Heavy Duty KitchenAid stand mixer in my garage, it's the kind that doesn't tilt. I have yet to use it, I tried it out with some water after a good scrub, and it seems to work well. I just wanted everyone's opinion on which they like better.

 

[mixfinder]

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

 

[hoover1060]

I have an Ultra Power with the tilting head

from 2001, got it for Christmas. It replaced a Sunbeam, and I like it very much. I think its plenty powerful for what I use it for, and the goodies it turns out are excellent!
I love the bowl with the handle too!

 

[bobofhollywood]

the one that doesn't tilt

..it's bigger, and more powerful, and more like the giant commercial ones that the kitchen ladies mixed our cakes with back in grade school.

It's also the same model I have and I just love mine dearly.

Bob

 

[jasonl]

My parents had a heavy duty one where you raise the bowl. Worked flawlessly until 2005.

Now I have the PANK one.

 

[sudsmaster]

I also prefer the type with the fixed motor head and lifting bowl. Some people prefer the tilt head because it can be easier to add ingredients, but I've never had much of a problem adding stuff to the lift bowl type.

Currently I have a crinkle finish "Imperial Grey" 6 qt lift bowl "Epicurean". It has the steel gearing of the professional and a 475 watt motor.

The KA tilt head types seem to be very well made with minial play in the pivot, so I think if one has the power and capacity you need, it should be fine too. I prefer models with steel gearing, and I think of the current lineup, only the lift bowl types have that. They should also have a reset button or reset setting on the speed control - this allows them to shut the motor off in case of overload without stripping the steel gears. The plastic gear models don't seem to have the reset button. They just strip the gears instead ;-).

 

[scott55405]

I've had the tilt head version for 23 years and have always been quite happy with it. Never really had the space or need size wise for the other one, though I know many like it. Sometimes I toy with getting a red one, just for fun, because it would work in my kitchen (LOL). I would never give up the original in any event, since it is a Hobart.

A church I attended had the bowl lift one, and the only thing I didn't like is even when the bowl was all the way lowered, the beater would still be partially immersed in whatever you were mixing. I suppose it's just getting used to two different methods.

 

[decodriveboy]

Got mine last year

Color: Ice, which I absolutely adore, it's like I want to paint everything in my house this color now!

The mixer is loud though--very grindey, especially the lower speeds, but since I have it more as a prop in my kitchen to complete the look I'm going for, I'm not too concerned. Hopefully it won't break; it cost $300.

Also, I have the KA blender, in PANK. Works fine, except I hate the plastic parts they used where metal should have been.

And the pitcher leaks all over the place from the bottom.

 

[scott55405]

Decodriveboy, just out of curiosity, is your blender the old style with the glass pitcher, or the new one with the plastic (polycarbonate?) pitcher?

In any event, KA does have pretty good customer service, so if you think swapping the container, blade assembly or whatever would help, they would probably work with you.

 

[decodriveboy]

Scott

I have the dreaded plastic pitcher.

I was a sucker. I bought the blender just for the color and look. This is actually the second blender, after KA replaced my first one. Blender #1 bit the dust while making a smoothie (can you believe it).

Those little plastic teeth which spin the blade just burned right off on its maiden voyage!

I will say I have been very pleased with KitchenAid's customer service. I would like to have the better pitcher that doesn't leak though, just haven't asked them.

 

[scott55405]

Plastic teeth! Wow...the drive block on my VitaMix is metal and quite substantial.

I put it to the test with my smoothies, so am glad it doesn't have plastic teeth! Hope it works out with your pitcher.

 

[DADoES]

I have a white Classic exactly like above. Only things that irk me are the bowl is a bit on the smallish side, and even tilting the head up there isn't much room to add ingredients.

I think the Classic looks more sleek and the Heavy Duty version with lift-bowl is more "industrial" looking. Either one works nicely!

 

[tolivac]

I have two of the KA fixed head stand mixers like them and the Kenwoods-have three of those.Hate the KA blenders though-have two in my collection-the most useless blender-a disappointment.the blunt blades just BUMP the ingredients around in the jar.VM and Blendtec are the best.Oster next.

 

[maytagbear]

I've had my tilt-head

in Almond Cream since forever (early 20s, at least,) and I have always been pleased with my results. It is a Hobart built one, maybe one of the last ones.....

I did a very smart thing when I got it...I got a second 4.5 quart bowl. The second bowl saves a lot of time when having to whip eggwhites separately. The 3 quart bowl was not available way back, or I would have gotten it then, too. I did get the 3 quart bowl when they started selling them.

There are times, particularly when I am in a bread baking frenzy when a bowl-lift KA would be nice. In the dark green, or in Tangerine. I would not want one of the powdercoat ones, though they are pretty.

I call mine my "steel dolphin." They are friendly like dolphins, and are made out of steel.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[gansky1]

Very nice, Jamie!

I have an Ultra Power 300 watt, tilt-head that has stood up to some mixing challenges very well. I bought a heavy-duty Hobart model (crank-up bowl) in almond that intend on stripping and having plated with chrome or copper.

The new models don't appear to be die-cast metal anymore, they seem to be stamped steel which would account for more gear-y noise when running. They do have a 6 quart model now which would be a nice size for those double batches of cookies & banana bread.

 

[gyrafoam]

I have the model 4C (in green) from my parents house----the head does not lock but is a tilt-back type. We used it more for a can-opener than anything else! After my Mother passed away, I got it (never could find the can-opener attachment).
It has both a SS bowl and a Heavy Glass Bowl---I perfer the glass. It has a funky shaped (metal) beater also that seems to do o.k. with cake batter. (I still prefer a Mixmaster for cake batter.)

The first mixer I ever bought is my K45SS. It is also a tilt-back type (that can be locked) with white nylon covered beater and hook. That thing has made countless cakes, but is o.k. for bread dough also. This machine converted me to those nylon coated beaters and hooks. This machine has always made strange motor noises, but never given any trouble---knock wood.

Back about five years ago I got a "Professional 6". Bowl raised and lowered by a lever. That sob (feels like it) weighs about 50#!
It does a great job with bread dough. I've used it for other things but feel like bread dough is its strongest suit.
I do make a (big) three layer white cake occasionally and use this machine because of the size of the bowl.
The few times I've cranked 'er up to high the motor sounded like a pool pump! LOTS of power! My biggest gripe with this machine are the all-metal attachments. I can live with the metal whip, but prefer those nylon coated beaters and hooks.I never checked but who knows-----maybe they offer nylon coated attachments as an option!

 

[sikiguya]

Professional 6

I have the Professional 6 in Onyx Black and LOVE it! There is nothing it cannot do. I love the fact that the head is stationary and the bowl moves up into the beaters. I have the plastic bowl shield and chute to pour in ingredients and it works great as well.
Plus, it looks fab on the counter!

 

[parunner58]

I prefer the one that you lift the bowl. I have had mine, a K5A for 25 years now and it has made many cakes, cookies and bread. At the time I bought it it had a larger bowl, 5 quart, than the tilt head model, 4 quart. I had to go the the commercial Hobart store to purchase it.
Mike

 

[rp2813]

I've been eyeing the K5's for a long time but my K45 already takes up a lot of counter space for a machine that can go for a month or more without being used. The K5 would be even more imposing with larger base and those extra arms that hold the bowl in place. I also prefer the smooth sided mixing bowls for the tilt-back models over the bowls used with the K5's that have the tabs sticking out. But really the machine size and bowl issues are just another mechanism I employ to keep me from going out and buying a K5 when I see one on sale.

 

[Kenmore62]

KITCHENAIDE MIXER

HII have a model # K45SS I bought at a thrift shopin excellent shape. Can somebody tell me its age.THANKS!!!!

View attachment 4-30-2007-17-14-26--KENMORE62.jpg

 

[gyrafoam]

KENMORE62----------

I bought my K45SS around 1978-1979.

 

[maytagbear]

And I got my K45SS

in the very early 80s. Maybe '81.

Lawrence/Maytagbear

 

[thor]

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

 

[eluxomarty]

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!

 

[mixfinder]

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

 

[mixfinder]

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

 

[mixfinder]

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

 

[mixfinder]

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.

 

[brettsomers]

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!

 

[gansky1]

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!