Review
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I have used this mixer to make over 2000 biscotti so far and it has performed as expected. It's easy to use and easy to clean. If it included a wire wisk in addition to the regular beater, I'd have given it 5 stars, though, to be honest, the regular beater whips cream like a champ. It has plenty of power for everything I've thrown at it and it's heavy enough to stay put on the counter and not try to walk around while mixing. I definitely recommend it. As usual, the delivery was trouble-free.
I research everything I purchase as much as I can and this mixer was no exception. I checked out comparable mixers (Sunbeam and Kitchen Aid in particular) I did side-by-side comparisons on these three mixers and decided on this mixer because the reviews by experts and users were very good. I wanted something that could handle bread dough. One of the features that I liked on this stand-up mixer is that the motor cannot get overheated. If it is getting too warm the machine will stop itself until it cools off. I like the timer feature also. The ease of removing and inserting the different paddles and the fact I can use the dish washer to clean the bowl and paddles is a huge plus to me. The splash guard that attaches above the paddle fixture allows you to add ingredients as needed without anything getting on the counter or the side of the machine. A point of interest. I also had the misconception that a Cuisinart mixer would be more expensive than a Kitchen Aid....not so, in fact my purchase was a few dollars less. I felt at time of purchase and still feel that I got the maximum bang for my buck.
Every year at Christmas time my family makes cookies from a reciepe passed down for several generations. The cookie dough is very, very thick and has seen the dimise of several hand mixers. Every other hand mixer we have used would only mix half to two thirds of the flour and the rest had to be mixed in by hand, a very tiresome process. This is the first mixer I have used that worked right to the end! No hand mixing required! I purchased the dough hooks for mixing the cookies and have not used the other beaters but I see no reason why they won't work just as well.
I bought this mixer because Cook's Illustrated recommended it. I can see, after 3 months, that CI was spot-on. It is a substantial-sized kitchen tool, and I've used it at least once a week since getting it. Primarily I bought this for bread mixing, and it clomps along even on the firmest dough (though it does "hop" a bit on firm doughs). The powerful engine can handle anything I throw at it. It also does a fabulous job on whipped cream -- far better-textured than a hand-mixer could make. I've used it to make cakes and cream-cheese dips, frostings and herb butters, and there just doesn't seem to be much this mixer can't do to perfection. It's not a food processor, so don't expect it to chop and dice or to cut butter into biscuit dough, but it fulfills its function perfectly. It's heavy-duty and substantial, and so easy to hand-wash I haven't bothered putting its components through the dishwasher. 100% recommend.
This attachment pack was awesome - it was all the attachments I wanted for my new mixer. I am impressed with the quality of the plastic used - very thick and durable.
See my comment to "Y. Hughes", above. The jacket works as advertised. The comments all seem to relate to the method of attaching it. It's not flimsy and if one of the tabs become bent for some reason just pull it back into position with a pair of plyers.
The Water Jacket for the Kitchen Aid mixer was something I though was overkill until I bought one. Once you have it you will find more and more uses to make cooking and baking great.
I first used it to help cream butter and sugar for pastry dough and was amazed at how quickly it did the job. My next task was whipping cream for desserts and to fold into pudding. Last and certainly not least was keeping yeast warm and of course the dough. I am convinced that I saved twenty to thirty minutes of rise time when I made my famous kuchen (German cake).
This product is well worth the money if you love to cook and bake like I do.
Kitchen-Aid quality is matched by no other company. I am convinced that with care, my mixer and the accessories will outlast me and be able to be handed down to my children (they will probably fight over it). My oldest son is taking an interest in baking now !!
Thanks to Kithcen Aid for wonderful products
I thought I was ordering a color match to another cover I already had for my Kitchenaid mixer so when the new one came and it wasn't the same color as previous one, I was surprised. It blends with the other color so works OK. My food processer is a Cuisinart but this cover fits it perfectly even though not a Kitchenaid.
This attachment pack was awesome - it was all the attachments I wanted for my new mixer. I am impressed with the quality of the plastic used - very thick and durable.
I thought I was ordering a color match to another cover I already had for my Kitchenaid mixer so when the new one came and it wasn't the same color as previous one, I was surprised. It blends with the other color so works OK. My food processer is a Cuisinart but this cover fits it perfectly even though not a Kitchenaid.
I'm not sure what the negative reviews are for. This is a major improvement over the old style C-hooks for dough. I make a fair amount of breads from the lighter sweet breads to the heavier multi-grain and the spiral hook is sooooo much better. The dough doesn't climb and the kneading action actually kneads the dough instead of just mixing it. The difference was very noticable the very first time used.
I have a 6qt 525 watt pro model, and this hook does place quite a load on the motor. If you've got a smaller mixer, I'd be careful about overheating the motor.
Also, for a while, kitchenaid was using a molded plastic gear housing. This hook will put a major strain on the gear housing and mine cracked on the 3rd use of the hook. The replacement housing is all metal and seems much more up to the task. So, word of warning, check to see that you have an all metal gear housing before using this hook. If your's is plastic, absolutely replace it first. The replacement runs about and can be replaced easily if you own a screwdriver, in about 15 minutes total time.
My wife and I both love to cook and have never tried making fresh pasta before. I didn't want to purchase the more expensive cutter attachments (bundled with the roller) until we were sure this was something we wanted to continue doing. I must tell you there is no comparison to eating fresh pasta verses the dry boxed kind. It is so velvety smooth! We definitely will be purchasing the ravioli maker and cutter heads for making fettuccini & spaghetti in the future. It rolls out beautifully even sheets for making lasagna or for hand-making ravioli. We've also rolled and hand cut the sheets into strangoli or stroganoff sized pasta with good results. We've had no problems with dough sticking or cleaning the roller after use. The pasta recipes included in the user guide worked well and are tasty. I especially enjoy the spinach pasta. If you are like we were and want to try rolling your own fresh pasta, but are worried it might not be for you, this is an affordable alternative for a high quality machine rolled pasta maker. WE LOVE OURS!!
See my comment to "Y. Hughes", above. The jacket works as advertised. The comments all seem to relate to the method of attaching it. It's not flimsy and if one of the tabs become bent for some reason just pull it back into position with a pair of plyers.
Definitely an improvement on the model included with the professional series mixers. I ended up purchasing this due to the attachments on my mixer going through the dishwasher (oops); I was pleasantly surprised that, in addition to being exactly what I needed (a replacement whisk) that the shape and design of this whisk was a great upgrade. Despite the size, it does a fine job whipping even small quantities of cream (or anything else you throw at it), and doesn't slow down with bowl-filling monstrosities.
I'm not convinced it's worth buying just as an upgrade to the OEM whisk, but as a spare or replacement, the piece is top-notch.
I purchased this KA stand mixer cover & love it! It fits perfectly on my KA Artisan mixer. It keeps it neat, dust free & clean. The front pocket is also handy for storage of items. Larger than I expected, so measure available counter space. Even with that said, I still love it. It keeps my mixer out, yet covered. Now I use my mixer more vs. being tucked away in a cupboard & forgotten/not being used. Excellent KA quality of course!