Kitchen Aid mixers - who has one and how would you rate it?

[Sequin]

Hoping this thread fits in here. My husband offered to get me a kitchen aid mixer and I am really thrilled about it. However, I am wondering if it is really worth the money? I have never used one, but they seem to be pretty popular. I have started baking more and thought it might make things go a little faster. Anyone have any pros or cons they would like to share?

 

[b.hromada]

I don't have one yet, but plan on getting one soon!

 

[ChickensRCool]

I have had one for nine years and I love it. I bake a lot and so therefore it is used a lot. Mine has attachments so we have ground meat with it (moose and pig). It is worth the money. Happy baking.

 

[thechickenchick]

I inherited my Moms and I love it! The only down fall is our lack of storage. It has to be kept in a certian place do to its size and sometimes I just don't want to dig it out, so I use the hand mixer. However I would never give mine up. Is it worth it? Well mine is at least as old as me . I am 39 and this one is older than me! They work great and really are nice machines. I have never used mine for bread but there are people on here who swear by it for that. I say take it!!

 

[BellLisamo]

ive got one. big bright red thing. i havent used it much. its super heavy too. lol. ummmmm i cant say right now. id love to have a lot of attachments tho.

 

[phoenixmama]

They are fantastic. Here's two warnings however...

When shopping for one:
Don't be too fooled by sale prices on them in different stores. The company makes a million different models, and most of them look identical. So, when "price shopping" you must look at the wattage and the size of the mixing bowls. You may think Kohl's (for example) has the best price...but it may be a different, less powerful model than the other store. Be sure you are comparing apples to apples.

About the attachments:
Some of the attachments, like the dough hook and the meat grinder, can ONLY be used on a certain speed...no slower, no faster. If you do not follow these instructions you will irreparably damage the machine. You will also void the warranty if you do not use the attachments on the proper speed setting. They are pricey (even the cheap models) so make sure you use it correctly.

 

[Katy]

I've had mine for I think probably about 20 years....I know it's been a long time. I love it and wouldn't trade it. The only thing wrong with mine is that I want to upgrade to a larger size so I can mix larger batches of bread dough in it.

 

[BettyR]

I have one, it's about 15 years old and still going strong.

If your wanting to use it to make cakes, cookies, candy and things like that then you will love it and it should last you a long time.

If you are wanting something to make bread dough with then I would suggest a bread machine...I use my bread machine to knead my dough and nothing else...I bake my bread in the oven. I make bread about twice a week sometimes more if I make something like cinnamon rolls along with the bread we eat for everyday (bread here is way too expensive to buy and costs only pennies a loaf to make at home).

I know the Kitchen Aids have dough hooks and are supposed to be able to knead bread and it will... but if you use it for kneading bread very often you will wear it out very quickly...and the new models have plastic gears and I hear that they are fairly easy to strip with a heavy dough. It just won't stand up to that kind of use over a long period of time.

 

[Katy]

Quote:
I have to disagree that using it to mix bread dough will wear it out. I've used mine for that probably more than anything else and it's still going strong. And not just once in the while either....often.

 

[BettyR]

Quote:
I have to disagree that using it to mix bread dough will wear it out. I've used mine for that probably more than anything else and it's still going strong.

Your machine is an older model that has metal gears...the new machines are made with plastic gears and if you read any of the reviews online for the new machines, one of the biggest complaints people have is the gears stripping out kneading bread dough.