Opinions on Stand Mixers

[PeggySue]

I have always dreamed of a KitchenAid stand mixer... I have struggled with crappy hand mixers my whole life, and am wondering if I will reeeeeally love a stand mixer like I think I will, or if it will be one of those things you buy and never use.
I love baking, especially things with pie crusts, but I hate the hassle with making the dough......used to make scratch bread all the time in my younger years, but now go "eh, it's too much work!!"
So please, any stand mixer users out there, speak up!!!!

 

[ky chicks]

I absolutely love my KitchenAid stand mixer! I've had it for a few years and it's great. It is really heavy though, so it's best to have enough counter space to just leave it out. It's too much of a pain to get out and put away every time. I think I use it more because I always see it on the counter! I love all of the colors you can get--mine is pistachio.

 

[3peeps]

I will enable you. My husband bought me a 5 quart KitchenAid stand mixer 10 years ago and I've used it a lot. It is GREAT. It has the potential to mix things in about half the time of a less-sturdy mixer. It is made very well and I expect it to last into my daughter's lifetime, if she should want it when I die...with my hands gripped firmly around it's base!!!

The 5 quart I have is the one that the head has a lever that cranks it vertically up and down, not the tilt back kind. I love this feature, because I use the crank to slowly raise the bowl and mix in dry ingredients. It helps keep the flour from flying all over the place. I did have the ring attachment that went over the top of the bowl, but it didn't help and was cumbersome to use. I donated that.

I only have the three attachments that originally came with it now. The whisk, the paddle, and the dough hook. This has been enough for me, but I'm sure I'd like other attachments.

The only problem I have is that it's too tall to fit on our counter top or in our cupboards. I really have no place to store it besides the floor, so I keep a towel over it for dust, etc. But I'd never, ever get rid of it for that reason. I have a simple house with simple everything, so I consider myself very lucky to have this great kitchen tool. And maybe that says something...I choose to live simply, but this is one thing I would splurge on again, if I had to.

 

[PeggySue]

I love this website!!
You KNEW I just want to be talked in to it!!
Counter space is the one thing I dream of more than a mixer, I just have so little of it!! But artful rearranging can be done to find a home for it........

 

[briteday]

I've had mine for over 20 years, just got a newer one last year...bt always KitchenAid with the lift up bowl. The newer ones have a slow start up feature so the dry ingredients mix in before flying all over the kitchen. That's really nice. I use mine all the time, at least weekly. Right now we are on a kick for home made bread every day. The dough hook makes that really easy. But someone around here is always mixing up brownies or a quick bread. You can't beat it for mixing a double batch of cookie dough. You will find a million uses for it. We even bought a special "mixer cabinet" when we remodeled our kitchen, with a shelf that lowers down to store the mixer inside the cabinet. I don't think you will ever regret the investment. And I found the best prices at Costco.

 

[Southernbelle]

My parents bought me a KitchenAid mixer the first Christmas I was married - they thought it was something every new bride should have

My mom has one, so that was what I learned on when I was young and I love it.

Making homemade bread is soooooooooooo easy with that dough hook. I own a bread machine, but it just gathers dust. I'd rather use the kitchenAid and churn out 2 or 3 loaves at a time than that weird-shaped, dinky loaf from the bread machine.

The next Christmas they bought me the grater attachment and I can grate cheese like nobody's business! Fresh grated tastes so much better than pre-grated. Or carrots - carrot cake anyone?

Motor is so tough - you can make cookie dough using butter straight from the fridge - it can totally handle it.

Whips up egg whites in a jiffy using the whisk

For pie crusts, I use the whisk to blend the butter and flour to the fine crumble stage. Add water and stir by hand from there.

I wouldn't consider any other brand either - for me, it has to be the KitchenAid mixer. Mine is 10 years old, used almost daily and is in perfect condition.

 

[daklander]

Quote:
If you love to bake you will not regret getting a good stand mixer.
I cannot give a recommendation but depending on the model a KitchenAid should do very well.
I can tell you that we have a Sunbeam Mix Master Heritage Series and it's not worth the box it came in. Though it has, for the most part, enough power for what we do it does not hold the tools very well and it won't rotate very well. All in all a real chore to use. I would never purchase another.

 

[breezy]

I have the professional model kitchenaid. I can make up a triple batch of chocolate chip cookie dough and it handles it with ease. I have all the attachments except the pasta attachment and use them alot. It is a serious investment and worth every penny. I think what I love most is that I can set it to work and walk away to do something else and come back to it knowing its got the job done. Mine is emerald green

 

[PeggySue]

Quote:
GRATER ATTACHMENTS??

I had no idea........

 

[PeggySue]

Quote:
I love the slow start idea!! Every danged hand mixer I've ever had has 3 speeds: Turbo, Ultra-Turbo and Mega-Ultra Turbo

"Lift up bowl" ???

That's Greek to me...?????