Mixer

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Kitchenaid Mixer:

This mixer from Kitchenaid is perfect for kitchens of all sizes as it does many tasks with 4.5 quart bowl size. This classic series stand mixer delivers the power and durability to mix large batches. It can hold up to 8 cup flour and has a powerful 275-watt motor to mix variety of texture. Additional function such as versatile 10 speed control makes mixing various things much easier. It is very durable, with multy function attachments.

KitchenAid’s stand mixer is top rated mixer among food critic and home cooks who use this machine. It has 275 watts of mixing power make easy job of creaming the butter, or kneading dough, and whipping cream.

You and your kids will appreciate how quick and easy it is to mix up a batch of cookie dough; the 4-1/2-quart bowl can hold up to 8 cups of flour, which translates into as many as 192 sweet treats.It is perfect job for those potluck or school fund raiser cookie making.

What is included?

This kitchenaid mixer weighs 28 pounds and This model comes with three attachments:

  • A flat beater for making batter, meat loaf, and all textures in-between
  • A wire whip for egg whites, mayonnaise, and more air-infused creations
  • A hook for mixing and kneading yeast doughs.
  • Instruction guide and mixing tips
  • Recipe book with 67 recipes
  • 4.5 quart stainless steel bowl
  • Mixing base machine with motor

All three are solid in construction and easily secured to the beater shaft with a simple twist. Bowl locks tight to the base. Standing 14 inches high, and looks great. It is bit heavy so place it right and easy access without having to move often.

What we like:

  • 10 speed motor with 275 watts
  • Head tilts for easy removing of attachments
  • 4.5 quart bowl is large enough to make 2 loaf of bread
  • 3 handy accessories: beater, wire whip and dough hook
  • Recipe books to give you ideas and suggestion
  • 1 year warranty
  • Single attachment rotates two ways, at axis and at edge of bowl, double rotating motion
  • Dough hook makes easier for any level cook to make pizza, bagel, bread and more
  • Some customers are happy user for 30 or more years
  • Reasonable pricing

Things to consider:

  • Heavy machine, not suitable for moving around
  • Bowls can get stuck in base machine
  • This mixer is not suitable for large and everyday dough making
  • Beaters do not reach bottom of bowl, may need to get scraper blade
  • Don’t overload machine with larger task and heavy use

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Here is what one real customer had to say:

Before the Kitchenaid, I didn’t do much baking. I tend towards more easy cooking techniques: the hotter the fire, the spicier the recipe, the better as far as I’m concerned. But this machine is as satisfying to use as any power tool in the garage — there is something about using the *right* tool for the job, and I’ve found no tasks that one might consider using a mixer for that the Kitchenaid doesn’t excel at. But it’s especially good for baking, and once you start using it, you’ll have your oven running a lot more than you used to.

The big difference between this mixer and the standard “two beater” models you may be familiar with is that it uses a single mixing attachment that rotates in two motions- it not only spins on its own axis, it also is rotated around the edge of the bowl. This does an extremely effective job of mixing ingredients without need for the bowl rotating, since the mixing motion covers the entire bowl. For most mixing jobs, it also requires no scraping of the sides with the spatula. IE: when it’s mixing, you can ignore it and work on other stuff.

The first attachment I’ll mention is the dough hook, which is a godsend for kneading. In the last day, I’ve made pizza dough, bagels, and whole wheat bread. Although this is the least powerful machine Kitchenaid makes, it kneads stiff dough (like the aforementioned bagels made with high-gluten flour) that would turn your mother’s mixmaster into a smoking, stinking heap of fried motor components. Machine kneading takes a *lot* of the effort and variability out of making bread… you never “knead in” too much flour to keep it from sticking to your hands, and the 20 minutes you normally spend working the dough turns into 10 minutes you can use to clean up the kitchen.

The other two attachments are the paddle and the whisk. The paddle is the all-purpose “workhorse” beater, and works extremely well for creaming sugar and butter together, mixing cookie dough or cake batter, or any other general-purpose mixing job. With the orbital motion, it comes right up to the edge of the bowl, so it is effectively scraping as it goes. The whisk is great for egg whites and making whipped cream. I’m sure it’s good for something else, but that’s what I’ve used it for.

As for capacity, the 4.5 quart model is suitable for pretty much any “normal” home recipes. It’s a “standard mixer”. It will easily knead enough dough at once for two loaves of bread, or mix a double-batch of cookies.

As for downsides: this thing is HEAVY. You won’t be moving it once it’s in place. If you knead very stiff dough, the bowl sometimes will get tightened to the extent that it is very difficult to remove from the base. It’s OK if you remember to leave it a little loose beforehand, but I always forget and I end up wrestling with the machine to twist it out. The metal trim band on the mixer right above the bowl has come a little loose on my model- the machine got a bit hot after some heavy kneading, and I think some adhesive got soft. It’s held in place well by something else, but sometimes it will slip when I’m wiping the machine off. It’s purely cosmetic from what I can tell, and it’s the only thing that feels cheap in any way about this machine. Other than that, I honestly haven’t had a single complaint.

In summary: this is an expensive mixer, but it is very well worth it. Even novice cooks will find it’s use enjoyable, and it will inspire you to explore new things that you probably didn’t do before because of the time and effort involved.

How much does this mixer sells for and where to get the best price?

In general all mixers are running over $200 and upwards. This Kitchenaid model is well under $200 at Amazon and Cooking.com.

Click here for more information-> KitchenAid K45SS Classic 275-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, White