Best Buy On Kitchenaid Mixer [BEST]
Black Friday is all about snagging the best deal on popular products like KitchenAid Stand Mixers. However, you can find great deals outside of Black Friday too. To help you know more about what you're buying, and to help you make the most educated choice possible, here's what you need to know when shopping for KitchenAid mixer deals.
best buy on kitchenaid mixer
The KitchenAid brand has been in existence since 1919, and it originally started to create stand-mixers. Since its creation, KitchenAid has become a standard in modern home mixer appliances. Though KitchenAid mixers are known as high-end kitchen appliances, they have many models that vary in design and pricing.
The answer to this question will be a little bit different for everyone because each person has different wants and needs for their mixer. To pick the best model for you, we recommend considering the following features of a KitchenAid mixer:
Shannon is a writer and savvy shopper who has been helping consumers save big with BlackFriday.com since 2015. After working as an attorney for several years, she decided to follow her passion for creating content that educates, entertains and helps shoppers around the country find the best deals.
A stand mixer is the crown jewel of a kitchen, and KitchenAid's stand mixers have been the standard for over a century. They make efficient work of whipping egg whites to soft or stiff peaks, turning cream into whipped cream, churning out big batches of cookies, and kneading tough, heavy bread doughs.
But I didn't just rely on my previous experiences. I researched eight models and put four top-selling KitchenAid stand mixers through a standard set of tests for this guide. I used a King Arthur recipe for bagels, a stiff dough with a 10-minute mixing time; I prepared Compost Cookies (kitchen-sink cookies with five cups of mix-ins including chocolate chips, potato chips, and pretzels) from New York City's Milk Bar; and put each mixer through additional tests to evaluate its capacity, mixing capability, and ease of use. You can read more about how I tested KitchenAid stand mixers below, along with how to shop for a KitchenAid and what to make with it.
While it shook a bit when I made bagel dough, it was never overly noisy and I didn't feel like I had to babysit it for fear of it walking off the counter. That said, I don't think I would make multiple batches of bagels in a row to avoid overheating the mixer's lower-powered motor.
If you're an occasional or beginner baker, the KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is a great model to begin with. It's made with the same metal parts as more expensive KitchenAid stand mixers, has a strong motor, and a relatively roomy work bowl. While on the smaller side, it still easily accommodates single batches of common recipes.
An earlier version of the KitchenAid Classic Plus was, in fact, my first mixer. I used it heavily for about five years until it gave out on me while kneading dough for hand-pulled noodles (a notoriously tricky dough, and one known to tax stand mixers). This issue first highlighted to me how most stand mixers break and the importance of choosing a model built for your typical usage.
Stiff or heavy doughs like bagel dough, pizza dough, and some noodle doughs require a large amount of power to knead properly, which can be taxing on many stand mixers. The 7-Quart Pro-Line model has a 970 watt motor for powerful and thorough kneading without overheating the mixer. The wider bowl-lift design also provides more stability during mixing, so the mixer doesn't "walk" or shake as much during use.
This is the model I primarily used during a decade of work in professional kitchens. The machine is reliable, nimble, easy to use, and remarkably quiet for such a large mixer. It can handle everything from whipping two egg whites to mixing triple batches of cake batter. KitchenAid claims the 7-quart size can make up to 14 dozen cookies in a single batch, and while I haven't ventured to test the limits of that claim (I love cookies, but I don't need 14 dozen), it made double batches of compost cookies and bagels with plenty of room to spare.
When I moved into a 600 square foot apartment, every inch felt precious. Since counter space was limited, I needed a mixer light enough that I wouldn't mind hauling it out from a cabinet every time I wanted to bake. The KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer hit all these marks for me.
Measuring just over 11 inches wide, the Mini is about 25% smaller than our best overall pick. While this may not seem like a drastic difference, the Mini is much more maneuverable, and I love that it fits easily under my cabinets or on a shelf. Less surface area also means less to clean, and the Mini's work bowl doesn't hog space in my sink or dishwasher.
When I put my Mini through strenuous tests for this guide, it showed some of its limitations. The work bowl was just able to fit all the mix-ins for compost cookies, but it started to overflow a bit when I turned on the mixer. Bagel dough also came together fine, but the mixer shook and "walked" around the counter during the long kneading time, enough so that I felt like I had to keep an eye on it for the whole 10 minutes it was mixing.
While I drew from my own experience as a food editor working in professional kitchens and using these mixers over many years, I also put each model through a standard set of tests to see how they'd compare to each other. Here's how I evaluated KitchenAid stand mixers:
Size, capacity, and ease of use: I weighed and measured all the stand mixers, including comparing the stated versus functional capacity (the capacity when measured from the bottom of the work bowl to the top of the mixing attachment) of each work bowl. I carried the mixers around and noted how comfortable they were to move and handle.
Power: We consulted the company to learn the power of each motor in watts. Residential stand mixers range from 250 to 970 watts, and mixers with higher wattage motors can mix heavy, wet doughs more readily.
Whipping: I whipped two egg whites to stiff peaks in each mixer, which tests the mixers' control during gradual ramping up of speed. It also tested the larger mixers' ability to function well even with a very small volume of ingredients.
Kneading: Each mixer was used to make a batch of King Arthur bagels; a stiff dough with a long, 10 minute mixing time. I made a note if any of the mixers shook or walked, struggled, or made excessive noise during this tough task.
Durability: The true test of a stand mixer is how it performs over time. While I included information from my own experience working with these models over nearly a decade, I'll continue to use the stand mixers in this guide and report back on any durability issues.
Capacity: The advertised capacity of a KitchenAid mixer is not its actual capacity. The advertised or stated capacity refers to how much the work bowl can hold when completely full. Not only would you have a big mess on your hands if you tried to use a mixer at full capacity, but it also wouldn't operate effectively since the ingredients would actually cover the mixing attachment. Instead, the functional capacity is measured from the bottom of the bowl to the top of the mixing attachment and it's usually about 1 to 1.5 quarts less than the stated capacity. One quart is about the size of a large deli container, so if you have a recipe that regularly makes enough dough to fill four or five of those, opt for a mixer with a larger stated capacity of 6 or 7 quarts. It's also a good idea to buy a mixer with a larger capacity if you make a lot of bread since the mixer needs a fair amount of clearance to knead the dough effectively.
Maneuverability and storage: The bigger the capacity and more powerful the mixer, the heavier and larger the mixer will be. The largest KitchenAid mixers in our guide can weigh almost 30 pounds. Unless you're comfortable regularly lifting an appliance of that size, you'll either need to consider a small mixer or have dedicated counter space. Larger mixers will take up about half the width of a standard size counter and may not fit readily under your cabinet overhang. If space is at a premium, consider a smaller, less expensive mixer.
KitchenAid stand mixers have been around for more than a century. According to KitchenAid, the brand got its name in 1919 when an executive's wife called the first home model stand mixer "the best kitchen aid I've ever had." The name stuck and KitchenAid has been synonymous with stand mixers ever since. While there are a number of great stand mixers from other brands out there, KitchenAid still stands out in a number of ways.
Stability: The all-metal design makes KitchenAid mixers much heavier than most other brands. While they can be a pain to lug around, the added heft produces an important benefit: more stability when mixing. Lighter machines can shake or "walk" off countertops. The heaviness of KitchenAid mixers helps them stay put.
A mixer for everybody: Many brands that make stand mixers only produce one or two models. KitchenAid makes almost a dozen models with different capacities, power, and price points. This allows you to choose a model that meets your needs and excels at the tasks you perform most.
Tilt head: A common mixer design where the work bowl twists onto the base of the mixer. The head of the machine tilts forward for operation and lifts back so you can attach a paddle, whisk, or dough hook; add ingredients to the work bowl; or use a spatula to scrape down the sides of the bowl. These machines have a lever that allows you to lock the head in place so it doesn't accidentally lift during mixing or moving. This style is common in smaller capacity mixers and is contrasted to a bowl-lift design.
Bowl lift: A mixer design where the work bowl sits on a Y-shaped arm extending from the body of the mixer. A lever allows you to raise and lower the bowl. A raised position brings the bowl closer to the mixer head for operation, while a lowered position allows you to more easily add ingredients or add/remove the paddle, whisk, or dough hook. This design allows for more stability during mixing but comes at the cost of a larger footprint. 041b061a72