Best KitchenAid Mixer For Easier Food Preparation

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Brenda Nyawara

Brenda Nyawara is an editor at Archute. She is a graduate architect with a passion for edge-cutting ideas in design, fashion, art and modern world interests.
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KitchenAid mixers are very useful for home cooking. They are large enough to prepare large batches of food and baked goods.

If you like to cook or bake, then a good mixer should be part of your kitchen. After testing a few KitchenAid mixers, we compiled a list of the best KitchenAid mixers specific to your needs.

Why Should I Choose A KitchenAid Mixer?

KitchenAid mixers are known for being very dependable. They make most culinary processes easier because they do the heavy lifting.

Additionally, you can easily use a KitchenAid mixer and be guaranteed high-quality dishes all the time.

Without struggling, a KitchenAid mixer can power through the thickest of doughs, batter, artisan dishes, and other mixtures.

Additionally, a KitchenAid mixer comes with its KitchenAid attachments that help with beating, mixing, kneading, and other options.

Before we get into some of the best KitchenAid mixers on the market, did you know that with proper care, your mixer can last for 30 years?

Best KitchenAid Stand Mixers

1) KitchenAid 8-Quart Commercial Countertop Mixer

KitchenAid KSM8990NP 8-Quart Commercial Countertop...
  • The KitchenAid (KSM8990NP) 8-Quart Stand Mixer is a large...
  • The bowl-lift design provides sturdy bowl support for stability...
  • The 10-speed slide control ranges from a very fast whip to a very...
  • Get professional results with the 1.3HP motor enabling your mixer...
  • The commercial mixer is NSF certified and includes Powerknead...

As we use the mixer, the first thing that stands out is the bowl lift design. The design will make it easier for you to mix heavier ingredients like thick cookie dough.

Additionally, we love the 10-speed slide control that alternated between a very fast whip to a slow whip.

The stainless steel bowl on this stand mixer is easy to clean because it is dishwasher safe and equipped to handle more than 8 pounds.

We also noticed the quiet motor on the mixer. It is quieter than most other mixers in the market we compared it to.

This commercial and countertop mixer comes with a flat beater, stainless steel bowl, 11-wire whip, and spiral dough hook attachments.

Pros:

  • Long-lasting
  • Quiet
  • Multiple-uses
  • Dishwasher safe parts
  • Sturdy

Cons:

  • Makes a clicking noise under a light load.

2) KitchenAid 7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer

Sale
KitchenAid KSM7586PCA 7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer...
  • Largest Capacity Residential Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer Available
  • Includes Powerknead™ Spiral Dough Hook, Flat Beater, and...
  • 16-Cup Flour Power Capacity
  • Professional bowl-lift design
  • 7-Qt. Stainless Steel Bowl

When it comes to this KitchenAid stand mixer, here's what we think, serious bakers and chefs will love it!

Its all-metal construction is handy because it's built to last long and remain sturdy as it whips your dough.

Apart from being better than a hand mixer, we also appreciated the bowl lift design, which is perfect for mixing heavy ingredients.

For added versatility, the mixer can fit other additional attachments, including a pasta dough hook attachment, to food processor attachments.

It comes with a stainless steel wire whip, flat beater, and dough hook.

Pros:

  • Perfect for heavy ingredients
  • Versatile
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to clean
  • Value for money

Cons:

  • High noise level

3) KitchenAid Professional 600 Stand Mixer

Sale
KitchenAid KP26M1XIC Professional 600 Stand Mixers, 6...
  • Turn your stand mixer into a culinary center with over 10...
  • 6 quart stainless steel bowl with handle to mix up to 13 dozen...
  • Bowl-lift design for sturdy bowl support when mixing heavy...
  • 10 optimized speeds powerful enough for nearly any task or recipe

After purchasing this mixer, we made use of the power hub by shredding a block of the best parmesan cheese at the preliminary test. Safe to say we were very happy with the performance.

Be it mashed potatoes, whipping cream, or kneading bread dough, this stand mixer is the perfect countertop appliance.

This 6-quart bowl lift stand mixer is dishwasher safe. We also found that you can accommodate at least 13 dozen cookie dough batches.

The team loved the speed of this mixer. With 67 touch points per rotation, it is fast enough to whip, fold, and beat any ingredient into a manageable mass.

The package comes with a pouring shield, wire whip, flat beater, and a dough hook.

Pros:

  • Easy to clean
  • Easy to use
  • Durable
  • Powerful
  • Portable

Cons:

  • Attachments aren't dishwasher safe

4) KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer

Sale
KitchenAid KSM150PSIC Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer...
  • Choose from all the color options to find the one that best...
  • Material Type: Metal Stainless-Steel
  • Choose from all the color options to find the one that best...
  • The power hub turns your stand mixer into a culinary center with...
  • 5-Qt. stainless steel bowl with comfortable handle offers enough...

This artisan mixer is possibly a great purchase to match your personality. Apart from that, we found it greatly reduces mixing times.

Apart from the attachments that are perfect for anything, including pizza dough, we loved the glass mixing bowl with measurements down its side.

This tilt head mixer allows you to easily add ingredients into the bowl, especially with cake batter.

It has a capacity of 5 pounds, which is okay if you don't cook very large batches. However, we noticed it can beat or whip ingredients for a long time without overheating.

The unit has a wire whip, dough hook, spray guard, and flat beater.

Pros:

  • Versatile
  • Sturdy
  • Easy to use
  • Easy to clean
  • Powerful

Cons:

  • Poor quality attachments

5) KitchenAid KITCH K45SSOB Mixer

Sale
KitchenAid Classic Series Stand Mixer, 4.5 Q, Onyx...
  • Built to take it all on with the durable and built-to-last metal...
  • 4.5 Quart Stainless Steel Bowl to mix up to 8 dozen cookies* in a...
  • Easily add ingredients with the tilt-head design, because you'll...
  • 10 speeds for nearly any task or recipe, from mixing ingredients...
  • 10+ attachments* to make more with your mixer to make everything...

After a few uses, everyone loved how the bowl lift stand mixer mixes dry and wet ingredients separately, and we were not disappointed.

For added adjustability, the power hub is equipped to handle different attachments, including a pasta maker and meat grinder.

The 4.5-quart mixing bowl can handle dough for at least 3 loaves of bread. Additionally, it has 10-speed settings that can handle any ingredient, including whipped cream.

To top it off, this is one of the KitchenAid mixers that's super affordable, and you won't break the bank to cook or bake your favorite foods.

The unit comes with a coated dough hook, coated flat beater, and 6-wire whip.

Pros:

  • Easy to use
  • Powerful
  • Affordable
  • Easy to clean
  • Portable

Cons:

  • The polishing residue is hard to get off

6) KitchenAid 7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer

Sale
KitchenAid KSM7586PCA 7-Quart Pro Line Stand Mixer...
  • Largest Capacity Residential Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer Available
  • Includes Powerknead™ Spiral Dough Hook, Flat Beater, and...
  • 16-Cup Flour Power Capacity
  • Professional bowl-lift design
  • 7-Qt. Stainless Steel Bowl

This series is the largest-capacity stand mixer in the KitchenAid series. Of course, we had to put that to the test more than a few times.

After mixing cookie dough, we found it could comfortably hold 8 lbs, translating to 14 dozen cookies for the team. Needless to say, everyone was pleased.

The professional bowl-lift design will give stability to heavier ingredients. We loved how the bowl size also creates the perfect condition for multiple ingredients.

Most chefs and bakers would love this commercial stand mixer as it has a soft start and tilt head mixer.

When you purchase this mixer, it comes with a flat metal beater, wire whip, and PowerKnead spiral dough hook.

Pros:

  • Sturdy
  • Easy to use
  • Powerful
  • High-load capacity
  • Easy to clean

Cons:

  • Loud

7) KitchenAid KSM75WH Stand Mixer 4.5 quart Tilt-Head Design

KitchenAid KSM75WH Stand Mixer, 4.5 Qt, White
  • 10-speed slide control ranges from a very fast whip to a very...
  • Included Components: Food Preparation;Stand...
  • Multipurpose Power Hub
  • 4.5-Qt. Stainless Steel Bowl
  • 59-Point Planetary Mixing Action

We noticed that any tilt head stand mixer would mix your ingredients very well. It will get all the ingredients mixed, even the ones at the bottom of the stainless steel bowl.

We were also impressed by the soft start feature that ensured no ingredients in the bowl splashed outside.

This powerful KitchenAid mixer can accommodate 10 attachments, as with most tilt head stand mixers.

As usual, the mixer also has 10-speed settings to ensure thorough mixing when kneading dough for double batches or beating egg whites.

The unit has a few attachments, such as a flat beater, pouring shield, wire whip, and dough hook.

Pros:

  • Sturdy
  • High-load capacity
  • Fast
  • Easy to use
  • Long-lasting

Cons:

  • Weak flat beater

Stand Mixer Buying Guide

Whether you are an aspiring chef or baker or just want a mixer for your home, this buying guide will give you insight into what to look out for.

a) Cooking Requirements

Your cooking requirements should be the first factor you take into account. For example, if you bake or cook large amounts of food, you need one of the commercial stand mixers that can accommodate many ingredients.

Additionally, depending on your requirements, there are large mixers with 8-pound capacities and smaller ones with 4.5-quart capacity.

Whatever choice you make, ensure the mixer fits the volume of food you would normally cook in one go.

Remember that a mixer, whether commercial or for your household, will still do the same job. The only difference is the volume of ingredients it can handle.

b) Attachments

Most mixers come with two or three attachments. However, some of them come equipped to handle multiple attachments.

The three standard attachments are a wire whip, dough hook, and a flat beater for most stand mixers. Different attachments are used for different purposes.

You can always choose to buy separate and other attachments such as a bread hook, ice cream maker, and flex edge beater, among others.

Knowing what type of attachments you need heavily depends on what you cook daily.

It might help to have all of them if you are a professional chef who cooks different foods every day.

c) Ease Of Cleaning

Some stand mixers have dishwasher-safe attachments. However, not all of the attachments are dishwasher safe. You will have to handwash them.

Secondly, you also have to think about the mixing bowl. It has to be cleaned after each use. Unfortunately, some mixing bowls are not dishwasher safe.

You also have to remember that to last long; even the best Kitchenaid stand mixer must be kept clean.

This means wiping it down after every use and removing any food particles from any joints and small parts.

This is why most people prefer a handheld mixer to other mixers.

d) Speed Levels

Different foods require different speed levels to mix properly. Therefore, given the foods you prepare regularly, you need to adjust the levels accordingly.

The speed adjustments on different mixers range from 3-12 speed options. Therefore it is super important to consider the speed levels.

Additionally, you should look for the slow start feature, so ingredients like cake batter don't spill out of the bowl.

e) Price

When it comes to a hand mixer, you can get one for at least $20 to $100. However, when it comes to a high-quality mixer, be prepared to part with at least $200 to $700.

Of course, if you are serious about getting a KitchenAid stand mixer or KitchenAid classic and artisan models, you might have to break the bank.

However, the mixer will be worth it when you receive it with all the bells and whistles. The best mixer for your home should be one you put a lot of thought and consideration into, without excluding price.

f) Mixer Weight

At a glance, the mixer weight might not seem to be an issue. However, it is, especially when you need to whip many ingredients.

Step by step. Flat lay. Mixing royal icing in electric kitchen mixer for Easter cookies.

For stand mixers, the weight is important because it will be sturdy with weighty ingredients like bread dough.

Also, if you plan to place your great stand mixer on the counter, find a heavy mixer.

However, if you plan to put your mixer away in a drawer, a KitchenAid artisan mini with a lighter weight should be fine. 

A Breakdown of KitchenAid Stand Mixers

As you might have noticed with our product section, KitchenAid has a range of mixers. You might be somewhat confused as to how one is different from the other.

However, we are here to give you a breakdown of all the various series types and ranges available.

i) KitchenAid Artisan Series (Mini)

This mini-series was made for people with smaller kitchens. Additionally, it is also made for cooking smaller batches of food.

While this range of mixers was smaller than other ranges, its motor is very powerful.

The mini KitchenAid stand mixers have a 10-speed setting to help beat, whip, and mix ingredients.

ii) KitchenAid Pro Professional Stand Mixers

The pro series is awesome for mixing dense ingredients such as bread dough. Additionally, this pro series has a super helpful slow start feature.

The feature comes in handy and prevents spilling ingredients everywhere, given how fast the speed can get.

This line also has a much-needed bowl lift and the strongest motor of all KitchenAid's stand mixers.

The bowl lift stand mixers also present a challenge when you need to detach any attachment after use.

iii) KitchenAid Artisan Series

This is the only KitchenAid mixer that is perfect for everyone. This range also has a ton of colors that appeals to most people.

Additionally, this mixer can easily handle everyday cooking, including light work and heavy work.

You also get the choice of having either a stainless steel bowl or a glass bowl which is awesome when you need to match aesthetics.

The choice of bowl-type feature is unique to this series. Additionally, this series has mixers with a tilt head feature. The pouring spout might also be a feature you prefer.

iv) KitchenAid Classic Mixer Series

This is one of the full-size model series. It is also the cheapest series. The mixer is great for bakers who bake cakes specifically.

Why? Because this mixer doesn't do well with heavy dough or heavy ingredients. Trying to force heavy ingredients into the bowl will be a hassle.

This is due to having the lowest-strength motor of all the full-size models. It has the usual 10-speed settings and three standard attachments.

Other Creative Uses Of Your KitchenAid Stand Mixer

Besides the usual mixing dough, you can use your mixer to prepare multiple other dishes you didn't know you could.

a) Shredding Meats

The paddle attachment or meat grinder attachment will shred meat if you are craving a chicken salad. Then, what you have to do is put your cooked meat in the bowl and set it to a low speed.

Within a few minutes, you will have tender shredded meat which will be an excellent addition to your dish.

b) Homemade Candy Hearts

Making candy is super easy with a KitchenAid stand mixer. No one actually wants to mix the sticky dough by hand.

Of course, cutting out the hearts by hand will be a long and gruesome process, but it will be worth it.

Additionally, you can make special homemade candy for holidays and other special occasions like birthdays.

c) Marshmallows

Not everyone with a mixer knows its ability to whip up perfect and smooth meringue to make marshmallows.

You can also use your mixer to make blue-caliber ribbon-style marshmallows. They will be perfect in your hot chocolate.

d) Guacamole

Making large batches of guacamole is hard when you have to do it by hand, especially on occasions like a backyard barbeque.

So instead of mashing up all the guacamole, how about you toss the ingredients into your KitchenAid stand mixer and let it do all the work?

You could also make one big batch to cut your work in half or keep the mixer running and the ingredients coming.

e) Meatballs

Meatballs are the perfect food for large families. Kids love meatballs.

Instead of manually mixing ingredients and meatballs and using physical strength to ensure thorough mixing, you could just do the same in a mixer.

A mixer mixes everything uniformly without the physical hassle. It will also make it easier to make balls when everything is mixed uniformly. 

What About KitchenAid Refurbished Mixers?

KitchenAid has certified refurbished mixers. They work just as well as a new one. So if you are thinking about it, it may not be a bad idea for your requirements.

Additionally, most refurbished models have minor scratches or dents that don't affect the functionality of the mixer.

Others were used once or twice to demonstrate how the mixer works and returned for refurbishing.

When you purchase a refurbished model, it comes with a 6-month warranty which ensures you can return the product if it doesn't work (within the 6 months).

Sometimes, it might also be better to fix the KitchenAid stand mixer you have instead of purchasing a new one.

We fully support whoever wants to try out some KitchenAid stand mixers with minor imperfections. However, we also support people who purchase new ones.

FAQs

1) What Is The Major Difference Between The KitchenAid Classic And Artisan?

Artisan mixers have a pouring shield, while classics do not. The classic mixers also have a matte stainless steel bowl, while their counterparts have a shiny stainless steel bowl.

Apart from these differences, an artisan mixer has a convenient handle, while the classic doesn't have one.

2) What Is The Best Overall KitchenAid Mixer?

The best overall mixer that is perfect even for beginners is the KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart tilt head stand mixer.

It also comes with three standard attachments and 50 color choices. Additionally, it is perfect for everyday whipping cream, cookie dough, and egg whites.

For any mixer, you can purchase other attachments like an ice cream maker separately.

3) What Should I Do If My KitchenAid Stand Mixer Leaks oil?

For starters, you should try running it at full speed without any ingredients. Sometimes you will observe a little oil on the bottom of the mixer.

This method will redistribute the oil and prevent any other oil leaks. Let the KitchenAid machine run for at least two to three minutes.

4) Do KitchenAid Stand Mixers Need Maintenance?

Yes, they do. Most of the time, it is the tilt heads that require adjustment. However, getting maintenance every once in a while would be a good option.

Furthermore, you should also consider getting professional help for the maintenance, instead of doing it yourself.

5) What Should I Do When My KitchenAid Mixer Stops Working?

Apart from calling for professional help, you can try to deduce where the problem is coming from.

Sometimes the electric cord needs to be changed because it got old or damaged. Other times, a faulty speed control plate or something inside the mixer stopped working.

It would be wise to wait for a professional. Additionally, if the mixer is still under its original warranty, you can get it fixed or exchanged for free.

The Bottom Line

Mixers are an awesome addition to your kitchen. Having a mixer cuts your cooking time down in half.

Furthermore, there are very few meals you don't need a mixer for. Therefore, it is a good idea to purchase a mixer.

Mixers last very long, so it will be paying for itself in the length of service it provides you. We hope you enjoy your KitchenAid stand mixer.

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About the author

Brenda Nyawara

Brenda Nyawara is an editor at Archute. She is a graduate architect with a passion for edge-cutting ideas in design, fashion, art and modern world interests.
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