The KitchenAid stand mixer buying guide

KitchenAid has become the go-to brand for home chefs when they feel like mixing it up. For years the company’s famous stand mixers have been a fixture in millions of kitchens. That’s thanks largely to their durability – hence the company tagline “For the way it’s made” – and the opportunities to customize them for any job presented by the long list of mixer attachments KitchenAid offers. But while it's easy to choose KitchenAid, it's not always so simple to decide which KitchenAid stand mixer is right for you (or the home chef you love).

Born in 1919, the earliest KitchenAid mixers were industrial affairs, though they’ve come a long way since. With vibrant colors and the popular Artisan stand mixer series, today’s KitchenAid stand mixer is as beautiful as it is useful, which is saying something for an appliance that stands front and center in countless recipes. For the serious home chef, having a KitchenAid mixer is considered a symbol of a dedication to crafting fine dishes and baked goods, which is why many of them find a place for theirs not in a cabinet, but in a prominent place on the counter.

On top of all that, every KitchenAid stand mixer comes with a 1-year, hassle-free warranty. That means a guarantee that if the mixer you buy fails during the first year of ownership, KitchenAid will replace it free of charge.

If you’re in the market for one of these handy stand mixers, whether for yourself or as a very special gift, read on to find which KitchenAid stand mixer is the perfect one for your needs or shop KaTom's entire selection of KitchenAid mixers.

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KitchenAid classic tilt-head stand mixers

The stand mixer scoop: These units have a 4.5-quart capacity and offer a tilt-up top that allows for easy access.

Why KitchenAid tilt-head stand mixers?: Easy-to-use design, the durability that makes a KitchenAid stand mixer long-lasting, and access to the long list of KitchenAid attachments.

The modern KitchenAid tilt-head stand mixer is the direct descendant of the Model K, the stand mixer that introduced the world to that patented KitchenAid design. It comes with a great price that makes it an affordable entry into the world of KitchenAid mixers.

A heavy base anchors the unit to the counter, while the motor sits above in the head. That top part of this KitchenAid stand mixer tilts up, allowing for access to the beater for cleaning, easy loading or removal of the bowl, and plenty of room for adding ingredients as the recipe progresses. The head can then be locked back into place when you’re ready to crank the stand mixer up.

These KitchenAid mixers all come standard with a 4.5-quart bowl, though the Artisan mixers and Artisan Design Series mixers are also tilt-head stand mixers that come with 5-quart, stainless steel bowls. The bowls on all of them lock into place to ensure you don’t make a mess from its flying loose and to help you achieve consistent mixing.

To ensure complete mixing action, KitchenAid designed these with a planetary mixing action rotated by a powerful motor that has 10 speed controls, spinning the beater clockwise as the shaft moves counterclockwise. That allows the beater to spiral to 59 touch points within the bowl, meaning ingredients may be able to run, but they can’t hide from being fully incorporated into whatever batter, dough, or other concoction you’re creating.

Tilt-head stand mixer base models are available in white, empire red, or imperial grey. Their bowls, beaters, and dough hooks are all dishwasher safe, while included whips must be hand washed.

If you need more information to decide which KitchenAid stand mixer is right for you, read on, or you can go ahead and shop KitchenAid classic tilt-head stand mixers with KaTom.

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KitchenAid Artisan stand mixers

The stand mixer scoop: Five-quart stainless bowls with handles, powerful high-performance motors, and a rainbow of colors make the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer an attractive option.

Why KitchenAid Artisan stand mixers?: Innovative planetary action that ensures even mixing, 20 color options to make it yours, and a bowl handle that makes it easy to move your mixture.

If stand mixers filled out online dating profiles, the Artisan Series KitchenAid stand mixer would say it’s both rugged and beautiful. Its all-metal construction means it can stand up to regular usage for years, while a palette of more than 20 colors allows for a beautiful, lasting finish. They also include a high-polish, stainless-steel bowl that has an easy-to-grip handle, making moving your mixture a snap.

With a large 5-quart capacity and a high-performance motor, the Artisan Series KitchenAid mixer can handle mixtures that include as much as nine cups of flour. That means it’s capable of producing enough dough for four and a half loaves of bread or 9 dozen cookies in a single batch. Like on the base line of tilt-head stand mixers, these KitchenAid stand mixers allow for the top of the unit to lift out of the way for easy access to the bowl, which locks securely into place in the solid base.

Also like their smaller siblings, KitchenAid Artisan stand mixers have a revolutionary (get it?) planetary mixing action that sends the beater spinning clockwise while the shaft goes the other way. That means the entire bowl is involved in the process, leaving no opportunity for unmixed areas.

Included with every Artisan stand mixer are a beater and dough hook, both of which are covered with a white enamel coating that makes them dishwasher safe. The included metal-finish whip is hand-wash-only.

Those three KitchenAid attachments, which come with all KitchenAid stand mixers, enable you to get even, consistent results whether you’re making a meringue with the wire whip, a cake batter with the beater, or the makings of a loaf of bread with the dough hook.

If you need more information to decide which KitchenAid stand mixer is right for you, read on, or you can go ahead and shop KitchenAid Artisan stand mixers with KaTom.

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KitchenAid Artisan Design stand mixers

The stand mixer scoop: Elegant design with a 5-quart glass mixing bowl, which allows for use in the microwave.

Why KitchenAid Artisan Design stand mixers?: An innovative glass bowl design that allows you to measure as you go thanks to markings on the side, see your concoction to ensure even mixing, and move seamlessly from mixer to microwave when needed.

The KitchenAid Artisan Design Series brings all the benefits of the first two KitchenAid stand mixers in this list, along with a glass bowl that makes it even easier to use. Markings on the side allow for measurement as you go, while the clear glass helps you assure even mixing. Unlike other stand mixers already discussed, these KitchenAid mixers come equipped with a bowl that can go in the microwave, which is a big plus if you have butter or chocolate to melt, or cream cheese to soften.

Like the others already covered, the KitchenAid Artisan Design Series stand mixer has a high-performance motor with 10 speed options, a sturdy metal body, and a bowl lock that makes sure you don’t throw food all over the kitchen. Of course, you also get the planetary mixing action that spins the beaters clockwise as the shaft moves counterclockwise, hitting 59 touch points in the bowl.

KitchenAid Artisan Design stand mixers are available from KaTom in four colors, including sugar pearl, raspberry, blue, and apple red.

If you need more information to decide which KitchenAid stand mixer is right for you, read on, or you can go ahead and shop KitchenAid Artisan Design stand mixers with KaTom.

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KitchenAid Professional 600 Series stand mixers

The stand mixer scoop: A super-sized 6-quart bowl, a lift that allows you to easily hoist heavy mixtures, and a motor that can power through those.

Why KitchenAid Professional 600 Series stand mixers?: These bowl-lift stand mixers provide professional results at home, for the home chef who really wants to expand his or her menu.

These are the workhorses of the legendary KitchenAid stand mixer collection. The most obvious difference between them and the other models already covered is the size of the stainless steel mixing bowl – a hefty 6 quarts. That offers room for big recipes, while a super-charged motor can handle mixtures that include as much as 14 cups of flour. That enables you to produce enough dough for 8.25 loaves of bread or 13 dozen cookies at once.

KitchenAid Professional 600 Series stand mixers have, as the name implies, a mechanism that raises the bowl to the level of the beater with the lifting of a lever. The fact the bowl otherwise sits considerably below the mixing arm means it’s not in the way when you’re adding ingredients.

These Professional 600 Series stand mixers have even more impressive stats than the others we’ve already looked at. They can reach 67 touch points within the bowl, still with the planetary action that sends the parts working in different directions for even mixing.

If you need more information to decide which KitchenAid stand mixer is right for you, read on, or you can go ahead and shop KitchenAid Professional 600 Series stand mixers with KaTom.

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KitchenAid stand mixer attachments

Of course we couldn’t get away with not mentioning the thing that made the KitchenAid stand mixersthe true standard in kitchens around the world. Every KitchenAid mixer, from classic tilt-head to Professional 600, from Artisan to Artisan Design, includes a hub on the front of the mixer head that can play host to dozens of premium KitchenAid attachments. Those range from meat grinders to juicers to pasta makers.

Shop KitchenAid attachments with KaTom

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If you still want more information to decide which KitchenAid stand mixer is right for you or if you just have questions about these great products, please contact one of our customer service representatives at 800.541.8683 or through e-mail at info@katom.com.