KitchenAid Stand-Mixer - Classic vs Artisan

[jnash85]

I've decided that its time to pull the trigger and get a stand mixer. Is the Artisan worth the extra hundred bucks over the classic? I don't really care about the slightly larger bowl, but how does the 275 watt motor compare to the 325 watt motor? As far as I can tell this is the only difference.

[tirgoddess]

Wish I got the larger bowl, ingredients in doubled recipes get really crowded.

[David A. Goldfarb]

If you are looking at the price of new mixers, I'd consider a refurbed 5-quart HD series for $200--

http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/more-ways-to-shop-1/outlet-2/factory-refurbished-3/-%5BRKG25H0XMC%5D-400143/RKG25H0XMC/

Which is a 5-qt bowl-lift mixer with a 475-watt motor that has 10 real distinct speeds and slow start, so you don't get sprayed with flour when you turn it on. I bought exactly this model, and I've been very pleased with it over my previous KitchenAid, which was a 5-qt bowl lift model with a 350 or 375-watt motor that would complain about heavier tasks like sausage making or larger batches of bread. No question, I'd take a factory refurbished HD model over a new tilt-head model.

[tikidoc]

What do you want to do with it? If the answer is "make bread", do not buy a KA. Look at either a Bosch or an Electrolux mixer. As you can tell, I am not a fan of the KA mixer. I have gone through two (including a Pro 600) in under 5 years, and both died making fairly loose bread doughs, out of warranty, of course. No stiff doughs, and no huge batches or long kneading times. The Pro died making a 80% hydration dough. KA used to make great mixers when they were made by Hobart, but when they were bought out by Whirlpool, they started putting cheap motors with lots of plastic parts in them. They are no longer the mixers that are handed down from parent to child.

I now have an Electrolux DLX, a bit pricey and a bit of a learning curve to use, but it is a beast. Makes awesome bread dough, and whipped up a creamy pumpkin cheesecake with ease this morning. I also have a Bosch Compact, which costs less than the KA, and is much more powerful. The two drawbacks for the Bosch - it will not look as impressive on your counter as the KA, and due to the light weight, I sometimes have to hold it to keep from bouncing. But the motor does not even strain with a 2 1/2# batch of stiff bagel dough. I have also heard good things about the Bosch Universal - the big brother of the compact. Bigger capacity and bigger motor, priced similar to a high end KA, and will last many times as long.

If you are doing light duty with the mixer, either KA should work fine. I also preferred the bowl lift model. Before it died.

There is a yahoo group on mixers, which is a great source of info. I wish I had gone there before getting my last KA.

Edited November 24, 2011 by tikidoc (log)

[Panaderia Canadiense]

Or, you could always look for one of the legacy KA models. Mine is from somewhere in the 60's, when everything was made of steel, and I absolutely love it (I've got a 500 model). Ebay sometimes has them.

Other than that, I heartily second the reccomendation to look outside of Kitchenaid and get a) a real Hobart or b) an Electrolux. My next mixers (industrials) will be Hobarts with the cranking bowl-lift mechanism.

[tikidoc]

Good point, Panaderia. If you can get an older (Hobart-made) KA, even at the price of a new one, it would be money better spent. They last forever if cared for. The price of the KA has barely increased in 30 years. Why? They look the same but the insides are much cheaper to manufacture. You can also sometimes find used Bosch or Electrolux mixers on eBay.

I would spend some time on the Yahoo group I mentioned (http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Mixer-Owners/) before buying. Most there have a Bosch or an Electrolux, and a large number of them bought them after going through multiple KAs. There is lots of discussion about the "learning curve" of the DLX but I just watched a few videos about the DLX (on YouTube) before I got mine, and I have not really had an issue with it. It does not mix like a planetary mixer (except when using the plastic bowl and beaters) but I was able to do a great job on my first bread with it. The Bosch is quite a bit cheaper than the DLX, which just went up in price with the new model.

[jnash85]

I don't do a whole lot of baking. I was hoping to use it for the occasional loaf of bread. I was also hoping to get the pasta roller and meat grinder attachments. All for the occasional use, but know I'm not so sure. I guess everybody on Amazon uses these things to whip cream and nothing else.

[David A. Goldfarb]

There were a number of KA models made with nylon gearing, and those are the ones to avoid. As I understand it, they've ended that practice, because they had too many service problems. The HD series used metal gearing (and note that not all of the 5-qt bowl lift models were HD series).

[jnash85]

There were a number of KA models made with nylon gearing, and those are the ones to avoid. As I understand it, they've ended that practice, because they had too many service problems. The HD series used metal gearing (and note that not all of the 5-qt bowl lift models were HD series).

How long have you had the HD model? How often do you use it for bread or meat grinding?

[David A. Goldfarb]

I've had this one for around two years now. Usage goes up and down, depending on the demands of my day job. When I'm making bread regularly, it might be twice a week. Less regularly every couple of weeks. Meat grinding less often--maybe every few months. I've had no problems with bagel or pasta doughs, which are pretty heavy. When I had the lighter model, the auto cutoff switch would kick in occasionally with a heavier task.

[pep.]

The Artisan has exactly one nylon gear (the wormgear), exactly like the previous model (Ultra Power). It is meant to protect the motor in case something blocks the movement of the attachments/beaters. It is easily replaceable by someone unskilled in machinery (i.e. me), but the operation is somewhat messy due to the grease.

[lindag]

The KA 7-quart mixer is available thru Sunday at Williams-Sonoma at 10% off. Reg. price is $549, so a $55 discount. This may be more than some want to pay but for a hefty mixer it's a great deal.

[Icanmakeit]

I have one of those proablematic KA 'Pro' stand mixer. I have paid almost $300 dollars in repairs and am ready to put the piece of junk on ebay for parts only. The plastic gear was replaced with a metal one and it still broke.

My husband insists on buying an Electrolux for my next mixer. I had an artisan for almost 20 years and worked it like a beast grinding meat, making bread etc.

This newer model is crap.

[kayb]

I have a pro that I bought, refurbished, via the Kitchenaid site for about $200, last year. I have no problems with it at all. I make bread once a week, and sometimes a loaf or two of quick bread in between. I do like the bowl lift feature; seems more sturdy to me than the head tilt. Just bought the meat grinding attachment, and haven't put it to use yet.

[tikidoc]

I have one of those proablematic KA 'Pro' stand mixer. I have paid almost $300 dollars in repairs and am ready to put the piece of junk on ebay for parts only. The plastic gear was replaced with a metal one and it still broke.

My husband insists on buying an Electrolux for my next mixer. I had an artisan for almost 20 years and worked it like a beast grinding meat, making bread etc.

This newer model is crap.

Agreed. I was told mine would cost over $200 to fix, so it sits in my shed because I may eventually fix it to sell it, if I can get it done cheaper. I also have attachments for the damn thing, which I need to get sold on eBay. I made the mistake, years ago, of getting rid of my old basic KA mixer in order to "upgrade" to a bigger model. Bad idea. I have owned two crap KA mixers since then and would love to have my old one back.

You won't regret going with the Electrolux, as long as you spend a little time learning about how it works first. It is not a planetary mixer, so if you are used to a KA, it takes a little adjustment to get used to how this thing works, but it does an awesome job with bread doughs. I have had mine a week and love it. It is SOLID. I also got one attachment for it, a used flaker mill, and it works wonderfully. I love the freshly flaked oatmeal it produces. I'm going to be on the lookout for more used attachments for it, as the new ones are pretty pricey.

[Alex]

FYI, Amazon's "Deal of the Day" today (November 28) is a KA Professional 600 (575 watts, 6 qt. bowl), in silver or red, for US$259.99, plus a $50 mail-in rebate from KA (which includes a two-year subscription to Food & Wine or Travel + Leisure).

[rotuts]

KA had similare deals last year: one before Xmas and one in jan. people i know got the tilt glass bowl model at a very good deal.

My 6 qt professional withj a gazillion watts has done fine. I do dough though in the cuisinart based on "THe Best Bread Ever" book

had to do with minimizing oxygen in the mix which is what makes bread stale.