Kitchen Aid Mixer Yeah or Nay?

**Vanilla** · 12-04-2010, 12:27 AM

I love mine too, it is on the counter, using it frequently enough. The attachments I've are: meat grinder & ice cream maker
Saving up to get the pasta making attachment.

**frugalfranny** · 12-04-2010, 12:29 AM

Everyone I know that has one, loves it.

But get the higher watts (power)........though more $.

**Grayce** · 12-04-2010, 01:45 AM

I bought my kitchen aid last year. I don't have a lot of counter space but I leave it out all the time because it's heavy! I use mine for everything from bread to cake mixes. I have the food grinder and shredder attachment. I use the shredder all the time for shredded cheese.

**stinkbug** · 12-04-2010, 07:49 AM

I've had mine for....ummm....about 25 years! I got it as a free gift when I bought a KitchenAid w/d set. It's cream colored, and I keep it in my baking closet, so it has to be moved to use it. But I hate counter clutter, so it's okay. If it ever dies, I will buy another one!

**fleamarketvendor** · 12-04-2010, 08:08 AM

My Kitchen Aid is an older tilt head model from the 1960's in the lemongrass color. It's under 300 watts but easily kneads enough dough for two "1 pound plus" loaves of bread. It seems most folks who "kill" their mixers do it with cookie dough.

I really love mine. I have the slicer shredder and meat grinder/sausage stuffer. The only attachments I'm really looking for are the pasta rollers. The meat grinder has its quirks but works pretty well. The sausage stuffer really requires 2 people to use effectively but they all do.

I like the tilt heads (artisan series). Some people swear by the bowl lift models. Its best to go to a store and try them. If you kitchen has non-standard height kitchen cabinets, measure the distance from the counter top to the bottom of the upper cabinets. I don't recall measurements offhand but the bowl lifts are taller than the tilt heads.

If you live anywhere near, or plan to pass within a couple hundred miles or so, a stop at the Kitchen Aid Experience store in Greenville,Ohio is worth the trip. The bargain basement refurbished units are cheaper than you'll find the products anywhere. The main showroom is just unreal. If you love to cook, it is a required pilgrimage. Julia Child's cobalt blue artisan was on display in the mini-museum off the bargain basement a few years ago along with all sorts of vintage machines.

When I was there with an internet group and we had a special orientation/ history lesson from some Kitchen Aid bigwigs and a free factory tour. We also got some free food made in the demonstrator showroom kitchen by Kitchen Aid's "Mr Culinary". And we saw the prototype of the new (about $160) pasta extruder operated by Kitchen Aid Kelly (she's the one usually in their videos). It seemed to work pretty well. At least FAR better than the old $40 unit. Single purpose pasta extruders are under $10 in second hand stares all over. They do work as well as the new Kitchen Aid unit for a fraction of the cost if you have the room. Rolled pasta is much easier and far better than the home extruded variety anyway. Manual roller/ cutters units are also usually less than $10 secondhand.

At the time there were, occasionally, classes offered in the showroom kitchen. If you're making a special trip that might be something to consider. The factory tour is usually $10 or so but really worth it. The people there and in the store are really nice, helpful, and knowledgeable.

I suppose I look like a KA spammer but I really do love my mixer. As far as I know I'm not in any of their commercials. And if I am, I wasn't paid for it! They did have a video crew there for our tour and Experience Store visit. I've purchased only small accessories new, like bowls, beaters, wisks and the stuffer for my meat grinder- each under $10. My mixer was was about $25 at a fleamarket!

fleamarketvendor

**fleamarketvendor** · 12-04-2010, 08:55 AM

Even though it says at the bottom that I may edit my posts, there doesn't appear to be a way to do so.

One correction: The Julia Child mixer in Greenville is a bowl lift model. In cleaning up the post I messed up. I was trying to include that, the last time I checked, only the Artisan mixers were available in Cobalt blue. I got my cutting and pasting ferhoodled.

Sorry,
fleamarketvendor

**pat in east texas** · 12-04-2010, 09:15 AM

I love my 6-quart Kitchenaid pro model. DH made a shelf and lifter for it so I don't have to keep it on the counter. The meat grinder attachment has paid for itself, since I don't like commercially ground meat, and I can make meat loaf to my own recipes. I love it for kneading bread dough or mixing cookie dough! I have the slicer-shredder attachment, but the cutting surfaces are not sharp. Instead of slicing, they beat the onions or cukes to a pulp!
I also have my avocado Sunbeam stand mixer, given to me by my in-laws in the late '60's, and use it for lighter things - cake batter and whipped cream, etc.

**Judi Dial** · 12-04-2010, 09:29 AM

I do NOT have a Kitchen Aid mixer...I have a Bosch Universal Mixer. I like it fine. If Bosch hadn't discontinued it, I would still be getting attachments for it. The Bosch is almost all plastic so it weighs much less than 30 lbs. The problem with the plastic is that after a while it gets fragile, in the 25 years I've had the machine, the spindle on the orange juicer broke and the blender jar cracked. I mostly use the dough hook for making bread, and if I'm doing a lot I'll use the shredder discs for shredding cheese or whatever.

The idea of buying another tool that costs $200 or more, weighs 30 lbs and all the attachments frankly keeps me looking at the Kitchen Aid mixers and leaving them at the store.

Next time we're on vacation in the midwest (DH grew up there) I'll try and find the Kitchen Aid outlet/store. If I could get a refurbished one for fairly cheap, I suppose I'd try it.

Sunbeam stand mixers show up in thrift shops a lot, but the Bosch's stand mixer function works just fine, so I just leave them there.

Thank you one and all who commented in this thread, it has been very informative! And thanks to the OP for the thread!

Judi

**MaryCarney** · 12-05-2010, 05:54 PM

Originally Posted by Judi Dial

I do NOT have a Kitchen Aid mixer...I have a Bosch Universal Mixer. I like it fine. If Bosch hadn't discontinued it, I would still be getting attachments for it. The Bosch is almost all plastic so it weighs much less than 30 lbs. The problem with the plastic is that after a while it gets fragile, in the 25 years I've had the machine, the spindle on the orange juicer broke and the blender jar cracked. I mostly use the dough hook for making bread, and if I'm doing a lot I'll use the shredder discs for shredding cheese or whatever.

The idea of buying another tool that costs $200 or more, weighs 30 lbs and all the attachments frankly keeps me looking at the Kitchen Aid mixers and leaving them at the store.

Next time we're on vacation in the midwest (DH grew up there) I'll try and find the Kitchen Aid outlet/store. If I could get a refurbished one for fairly cheap, I suppose I'd try it.

Sunbeam stand mixers show up in thrift shops a lot, but the Bosch's stand mixer function works just fine, so I just leave them there.

Thank you one and all who commented in this thread, it has been very informative! And thanks to the OP for the thread!

Judi

They don't make Bosch Universal any longer???? Oh NO! I have one - got it three days before DS was born (so it's 17 years old) and I've used it to DEATH. I can make dough for 8 dozen rolls with no strain whatsoever - AND no flour splashed all over.
I also have a KA lift bowl - I had a tilt head which I gave away in Katrina relief. Wish I'd kept it and given away the lift bowl.

**Judi Dial** · 12-06-2010, 09:04 AM

called the Universal Plus. I have the original one I bought 25 years ago!

There's info here:
Bosch Mixer Bosch Mixers Models Bosch Universal Plus Mixer Dealer Pleasant Hill Grain

Judi

**Mamaw** · 12-06-2010, 01:09 PM

Thank to all for the replies. I am still a bit undecided based on my history of only wanting to bake in bits and spurts. But I will probably eventually decide to buy one. No clue what color. that is a decision for another day! I sometimes dont know if I love the actual baking (and eating) or if I fall in love with the IDEA of baking more. KWIM?
But with DH health issues I bet I could whip up HM bread that is healthier and less expensive that what I buy now. And it would be nice to shred cheese, etc without having to pull out yet another applicance. We have a commercial meat grinder that DH uses but at least I could easily grind for ham salad and the like.....hummmmmmm I think I am starting to sell myself
Thanks again all