# Question on Stand Mixers



## mrad (Sep 20, 2018)

First off, sorry if this is the wrong forum.
I am looking for a stand mixer but don't really want to spend $280 or more for a kitchen aid.

Are any of the less expensive brands reliable?  I found this one on ebay with a 2 year warranty


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## chilerelleno (Sep 20, 2018)

I can't help you except to say, we killed two inexpensive mixers.
Then we bought our kitchenAid and it's bullet proof.
Ya get what ya pay for and caveat emptor.


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## zwiller (Sep 20, 2018)

We have the KA stand and use it now and then but the KA hand held is the goto.  Seriously, hand held mixers have come a real long way since our parent's day.  I am man enough to admit the KA stand mixer is mostly decor.  We even spent big money for the glass bowl.


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## gmc2003 (Sep 20, 2018)

Check Craigs List or yard/moving sales. You can probably find a KA pretty easy.

Chris


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## fivetricks (Sep 20, 2018)

+1 on the KitchenAid mixer. It really is worth the money even if all the accessories and attachments are horrendously overpriced.

But the Craigslist in yard sale thing is good advice. The good thing about the KitchenAid is that tons of people have them so you can probably find them in the accessories on the second hand Market pretty cheap


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## SmokinAl (Sep 20, 2018)

We have had a KA for 40 years & it's still going strong, and we use it a lot!
Al


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## mrad (Sep 20, 2018)

Thanks for the advice on using craigslist. found several in $100 to $175 range including one about two mile from me.

Next question: Are all kitchen aid mixers high quality, or do they make lower end units to match price points with the off brands?


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## oldsmokerdude (Sep 20, 2018)

mrad said:


> Are all kitchen aid mixers high quality



All Kitchen Aid mixers are the same high quality, but they do make models with smaller motors and capacity that are usually sold in discount stores. For example, they make a 5 QT mixer with a 325 watt motor but also make a 5 QT mixer with a 250 watt motor. Like everything else, you get what you pay for. 

As others have mentioned, CL or similar is probably the place to go if you want to spend less than what a new one costs.


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## Xendau (Sep 20, 2018)

I couldnt live with out my KA 600... The amount of bread I make alone would have other mixers replaced many times over. This was a gift to me in 2009... It is 9 years old and I have never had one problem and use it AT LEAST once a week.


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## Danno44 (Sep 20, 2018)

I have the KA Professional HD 10 speed 475 Watts, bowl lift.  Probably have had for 6-7 years now.  The thing is a beast and will likely outlast me.


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## bmudd14474 (Sep 20, 2018)

https://bestreviews.com/best-stand-mixers

Check that link out.

I am a believer on this topic that you get what you pay for.


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## Xendau (Sep 20, 2018)

Danno44 said:


> I have the KA Professional HD 10 speed 475 Watts, bowl lift.  Probably have had for 6-7 years now.  The thing is a beast and will likely outlast me.



Sounds like you have the Professional 600 like myself... I like that one far better than the Artisan tilt head. Though both are great. 

I used to be a sous chef for a Kitchen Aid "Experience" shop in Atlanta. We used to bring high end retail sales people there and demo Kitchen Aid family of appliances. That is where I got hooked on KA mixers.


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## SonnyE (Sep 20, 2018)

My wife is hard to convince, but she finally got to see the Daughter in Washington making stuff with her Kitchenaid.
When we got home, we went to a store called Bed, Bath, and Beyond and got her the 6 quart, bowl raiser model.
It is the Professional 600. And she got the bowl scraper beater for it.
She doesn't use it often, but it sure can mix up a bunch of Christmas Cookies.
A very serious, lifetime mixer.

My Daughter has had 3, I think she said. Anyway, she convinced the wife to get the Pro 600.
With 5 kids, She's used her KA's a lot. Probably more than most would. When she gets a newer model, she gives the outgoing to one of her adult kids.

I see on Amazon, they have Factory Refurbished units for ~$100 off. Better than New, most "Factory Refurbished" are returns that have gone through a battery of tests, and have any used parts replaced with new.
Personally, I find factory refurbed is usually even better. It's been fully tested. And carries a full warranty.

I always like tools that are more heavy duty. You don't always _*need*_ that extra capability. But _*having it*_ when you do is priceless.

And if you own one of these, you tend to use it more because it does the work for you.


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## Xendau (Sep 20, 2018)

mrad
 - Do not know if you use QVC... But on their website, the have the Profession 600 (6qt) on sale for about $55 off - $396.99. Great thing you dont have to have credit and can get it for 5 monthly payments of $79.40

https://www.qvc.com/KitchenAid-6-qt-Pro-Stand-Mixer.product.K301212.html?sc=SRCH

The 5qt Artisan is $349.99, 5 payments of $69.99

https://www.qvc.com/KitchenAid-Artisan-5-Qt-Tilt-Head-Mixer.product.K301216.html?sc=SRCH


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 20, 2018)

Get the KA . No regrets at all. I have a 5qt 20 year old Artisan, the only issue, after it warms up the speed jumps from 1 to 2 on its own. We bought my daughter a Pro 600, 5 years ago, when she graduated from the CIA. REALLY nice and worth every penny. I have been saving my money for an 8qt pro model as the the 5qt is just too small for the bread dough batches I make...JJ


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## mrad (Sep 20, 2018)

Xendau said:


> mrad
> - Do not know if you use QVC... But on their website, the have the Profession 600 (6qt) on sale for about $55 off - $396.99. Great thing you dont have to have credit and can get it for 5 monthly payments of $79.40
> 
> https://www.qvc.com/KitchenAid-6-qt-Pro-Stand-Mixer.product.K301212.html?sc=SRCH
> ...



would that be the same as this one on amazon? It's $329 in gray


they also have it refurbished for $215


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## Xendau (Sep 21, 2018)

That's the one... good find @ $215. Even new @ $329. Just giving payment options if you didnt want to kick down all at once


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## mrad (Sep 21, 2018)

My only concern after reading some of the reviews and questions on amazon is the durability when mixing dough. One customer said "great mixer, just expect to replace the if mixing a lot of dough" . He said his wifes sent out and when they called kitchen aid, he was told not to mix dough longer than 4 minutes. He said he asked if that meant 4 minutes per hour, per half day or day. He said they would not answer the questions.  He said the gears were $50-60 and fairly easy to replace. 

Is mixing dough that hard on these machines?


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## Danno44 (Sep 21, 2018)

mrad said:


> My only concern after reading some of the reviews and questions on amazon is the durability when mixing dough. One customer said "great mixer, just expect to replace the if mixing a lot of dough" . He said his wifes sent out and when they called kitchen aid, he was told not to mix dough longer than 4 minutes. He said he asked if that meant 4 minutes per hour, per half day or day. He said they would not answer the questions.  He said the gears were $50-60 and fairly easy to replace.
> 
> Is mixing dough that hard on these machines?


Majority of what I use mine for is bread. I mix up enough for 2-4 loaves at a time. Running as long as needed to incorporate the ingredients, typically 8-10 minutes on medium setting.  I haven’t experienced any issues.


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## pushok2018 (Sep 21, 2018)

Have KA for approximately 20 years. Love it! Used to use it pretty often before but not too often lately - never had any single problem with it. Just checked Bad and Bath and Beyond online store: $399 (used to be $499). If you use 20% off coupon it will ring at $320 with free shipping.


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## chopsaw (Sep 21, 2018)

mrad said:


> Is mixing dough that hard on these machines?



Few years back I built a test lab for A.B. Mauri foods , they own Fleischmann's yeast .  I had to go back after they opened to set up a tortilla machine in the test kitchen . There was a gal in there making bread . Stainless steel counter with 4 or 5 kitchen aid mixers mixing dough . Talking to her she explained that they do testing for all uses . From home to commercial kitchens . Alot of testing for home users . She had 2 each of the tilt head , and the bowl lift . one of the small ones . Those mixers ran non-stop for the 5 hours I was there . She would pull the dough , use a new bowl and start it right back up . 
I don't think you have anything to worry about .


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## chef jimmyj (Sep 21, 2018)

My older 5qt has been used almost exclusively for bread dough, 10 minutes of kneading with the hook, and heavy cookie doughs during the holidays.
I never understood why KA mixer prices vary by color, housing metal yes, but paint color?...JJ


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## Xendau (Sep 21, 2018)

mrad said:


> My only concern after reading some of the reviews and questions on amazon is the durability when mixing dough. One customer said "great mixer, just expect to replace the if mixing a lot of dough" . He said his wifes sent out and when they called kitchen aid, he was told not to mix dough longer than 4 minutes. He said he asked if that meant 4 minutes per hour, per half day or day. He said they would not answer the questions.  He said the gears were $50-60 and fairly easy to replace.
> 
> Is mixing dough that hard on these machines?



Ive been making bread in mine for 9 years never a problem. I would equate it to user error in the making of the dough too heavy or thick or too much at one time.

Ive made french baguettes, sour dough, focaccia, ryes, etc... Never a single problem. 

Then there is always the competition which I am sure has marked a number of compliants, or those who gripe about anything... 1 star on yelp, review reads... excellent food, service sucks. As if a single server is not allowed to have a bad day.


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## mrad (Sep 21, 2018)

Thanks for all the help.  I'm thinking teh 600 professional should do all I need and more. it's biggest use will probably be pizza dough for the "kettle Grill" wood fired attachment on my Weber. 


I'll probably go the refurb route to keep the cost down. for $33 i could get a sqaure trade 4 year warranty that would also cover shipping. Guessing if it lasts that long, the refurb  would have been as good as a new one


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## SonnyE (Sep 21, 2018)

As I have said before, revoews have to be taken with a grain of salt.
I suggest a grain of rock salt....
What do you do with idle workers in a web based business? Well, why not let them do reviews for the competitions products? Negative reviews.... Muddy the waters.... Make people have doubts....
What I see here in your thread are fairly overwhelming positive experiences by folks I can trust.


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## smokeybreeze (Sep 23, 2018)

Google KithenAid KSM5 ProLine 325 watt stand mixers made in Michigan. I find used ones on eBay all the time for under $200 and they're the 30+ year old bullet-proof metal gear models that still have complete parts availability.

https://www.ebay.com/p/KitchenAid-Proline-KSM5-Gray-Matte/1701557098
and one even cheaper
https://www.ebay.com/itm/KitchenAid...563719?hash=item41eddd16c7:g:HfsAAOSwefxbnnBP

I've been using my KSM5 for 30+ years and my family hasn't had store-bought bread or rolls since I got my KA. I've made 16-25 pounds of flour-based products (bread, rolls, pizza crust, pate de choux, ...) monthly, plus grinding ingredients for sausage, plus slicing/grating ingredients, plus milling my own grain for the past 30+ years and my original KSM5 ProLine has yet to hiccup and I mix my bread dough for at least 10 minutes per bowl.

I bought this unit new in 1988 and must have thousands of hours on it since then. You cannot go wrong with an older model of KitchenAids. I cannot speak of the newer models, but I believe they use nylon gears (that can be replaced with metal ones).


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## johnmeyer (Sep 23, 2018)

My grandfather had a saying he used often: "The quality is remembered long after the price is forgotten." 

In addition to looking for a used one, you could also simply get the Classic KitchenAid. It is $100 less than the $280 you mentioned:

KitchenAid KSM75WH Classic Plus Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, White


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## nanuk (Oct 10, 2018)

When I was looking for mixers, I was going to get a 575watt 600 series one

but after checking a local online flea market, I got a 6000HD model (375watt? DC motor) for 1/2 the cost of new.

the DC models are more powerful, less noisy, units and the attachments fit.


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## mrad (Oct 12, 2018)

nanuk said:


> When I was looking for mixers, I was going to get a 575watt 600 series one
> 
> but after checking a local online flea market, I got a 6000HD model (375watt? DC motor) for 1/2 the cost of new.
> 
> the DC models are more powerful, less noisy, units and the attachments fit.



I'm a bit confused.  So are you say ing the 375 watt motor is more powerful than the 575 watt motor?


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## nanuk (Oct 12, 2018)

Yup! welcome to the black magic of DC versus AC!  the DC motor has double the torque of an AC motor


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## mrad (Oct 12, 2018)

Double the torque of the 575 watt mixer or of a comparable sized motor?

Are all of the smaller motors (375 and under) DC?
The smaller motor models are less expensive from what I am seeing?  I assumed they were a bit less durable because of this???


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## nanuk (Oct 13, 2018)

no... I don't think all of them are DC, only the ones advertised as such.
mine has been labeled as a 6000HD

I didn't look, but online information has the watts at 350.

But what is most important is the DC vs AC, and how it gets to the bowl.

like one person reported in an article, a commercial 1/6hp hobart mixer has far more torque than ANY KA mixer.
1/6hp is only 125watts....


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## chef jimmyj (Oct 13, 2018)

I used my daughters Pro 600 6qt before she moved. Did a good job with 2 pounds of bread or pasta dough or double batches of cookie dough, but if more than that needed, we made multiple runs. I can see the 6000HD being better suited. I am looking at the KSM 8990 8 qt DC motor from the Websturant Store at $559...JJ


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## nanuk (Oct 14, 2018)

that'll be a BEAST!


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## mdboatbum (Oct 17, 2018)

If you’re still looking, one thing to consider is the longevity of the tilt head versus the bowl lift. 

If you’re thinking you’ll be doing a lot of heavy doughs, might be best going with the bowl lift. 

My tilt head has loosened up over time and likes to dance across the counter while kneading dough due to the wobble. I’ve caught it trying to escape to the floor a couple times, though thankfully it’s never made it. 

Great machine overall though. Only having trouble when kneading a couple loaves worth of dough.


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## chef jimmyj (Oct 17, 2018)

Same, same, here! But I was not fast enough to catch it the day I learned the dance was a problem. It only happens kneading dough. My daughters 600 pro with lift, is a dream to work with...JJ


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## mrad (Oct 18, 2018)

I’m still looking and thanks for the advise.  I wondered why anyone would want a bowl lift. Now I know why


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## chef jimmyj (Oct 18, 2018)

Another reason for the lift bowl...The tilt models use the old style Dough Hook. These are straight like a fish hook. They do an OK job but bread dough climbs the hook and every 30 seconds or so you have to stop and push the dough off, turn the batch over and run some more. Big PITA! The lift models use a Cork Screw shaped hook the pushes the dough down and turns the batch all by itself. Much better design and mostly hands free...JJ


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## 6GRILLZNTN (Oct 25, 2018)

Another thing to remember is that all of their accessories fit every KA stand mixer the have made.  I don't know if that matters, but it tells me they got it right a long time ago.  I found mine on sale, and it stays on my counter.


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## bregent (Oct 26, 2018)

chef jimmyj said:


> Another reason for the lift bowl...The tilt models use the old style Dough Hook. These are straight like a fish hook. They do an OK job but bread dough climbs the hook and every 30 seconds or so you have to stop and push the dough off, turn the batch over and run some more. Big PITA! The lift models use a Cork Screw shaped hook the pushes the dough down and turns the batch all by itself. Much better design and mostly hands free...JJ



Just an FYI, they redesigned the fish hook style dough hook a few years back, and it works pretty good. Most of the time I don't need to stop and adjust the dough. Still not as good as the spiral hook, but much better than the old one. 
In the image below, the old style is on the left, new on the right.


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## mike243 (Oct 31, 2018)

Love out KA, i grind a lot of deer meat and have a slicer attachment that works great when you need to do a lot for parties ext


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