[ARCHIVED THREAD] - KitchenAid Stand Mixer Questions (Page 1 of 2)
Posted: 10/27/2011 4:14:40 PM EDT
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My wife has wanted one for a long time and as the Holidays are around the corner, I thought perhaps she deserved an early Christmas present that she could put to good use making me some sweet treats! I admit, I do most of the cooking, and she does the baking, so I get to use it too. So, my questions: 1. Anyone know of any good deals or perhaps even upcoming Black Friday sales that feature them? 2. Why would one choose the tilt-head version over the bowl-lift version or vice versa? This is the most confusing issue for me. 3. How good are the meat grinders on these bad boys? 4. I was looking in the 300 to 325 watt range for the motor. Should I go bigger? Thanks for the help fellas, and in before the wear the pants comments  |
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Go to the Kitchenaide site, and type in refurb.
http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/more-ways-to-shop-1/outlet-2/factory-refurbished-3/102020034/ For the last 4 or 5 years, lots of us have bought refurb models. The warranty is I think half as long, but after a year, they are all out of warranty. Refurb for the win. Do check Sam's Club and Costco just in case they have any steals. There is a code in the part # that gives up how many watts the motor is. |
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Costco usually has them for a good deal, especially the high-power models, other than that, I think Amazon's about the best. Use a free trial of Prime to get free/fast shipping.
The bowl-lift models are heavy-duty, the tilt head models are perfectly fine for all normal kitchen tasks except they'll make funny noises and the head will bang around if you're mixing chocolate chip cookies or other stuff with hard chunks in them. The bowl-lift just makes housewives feel like they're on some fancy cooking show. I have a meat grinder/sausage stuffer kit for mine, but I've never used it (I haven't managed to bag a deer).  Its almost certainly a function of the power of the unit, the bigger the motor the faster you can grind.
300 watts is plenty, I'm using a 250 watt and I've never had a problem. Kharn |
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Get the 300W. Compare prices with Amazon, who should have free shipping. Get the one that tilts. The one with the elevator for the bowl is a clumbsy piece of crap. I can't believe they still sell it. I use the meat grinder attachment and the bread hook the most. This is a lifetime device, hard to break. You should get the big one. I have the 300W tilt head and I couldn't imagine anyone needing more unless you need bigger for a restaurant. Then you want Hobart. I have ground hundreds of pounds of burgers with mine and made a bunch of sausage. I probably should have gotten a dedicated grinder, because I never expected to use it that much, but it has not cracked and it does a heck of a job. I bought the spaghetti cutter trio, but it takes a while for you to figure out the consistency of the pasta dough, and the key is letting it rest. I got a towel caught in mine and sheared off a shear pin. They sent me a new one, no questions asked, and scolded me about using the brush to clean, not a towel. |
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The meat grinder is usable. Not as good as a quality dedicated unit, but certainly adequate for most use. I have a tilt head. I see no real reason to step up to a bowl-lift. But if you can afford the coin, your wife will probably like the bowl-lift. I use mine for cooking and baking. It's one of the most useful tools in the kitchen. |
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On the bowl lift models, their used to be a difference in bowls. Some had the deep skinny bowl, and some had the shallow wide bowl. One mixes more thoroughly, and one is easier to add ingredients to. I don't know if this is still the case.
http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/more-ways-to-shop-1/outlet-2/factory-refurbished-3/-[RKV25G0XMC]-400153/RKV25G0XMC/ 
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Tilt head w/ bowl that screws in - holds bowl, allows full access to said bowl.
Meat grinder - Meh, had to use it for a season. Beats the hell out of using a hand grinder. Bought a 3/4 hp. from Cabela's - time & money ahead there You do have to pay attention when your using them, you can over beat things real quick yielding some not so good results. |
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Quoted:
Get the bigger HP. Compare prices with Amazon, who should have free shipping. Get the one that tilts. The one with the elevator for the bowl is a clumbsy piece of crap. I can't believe they still sell it. I use the meat grinder attachment and the bread hook the most. This is a lifetime device, hard to break. You should get the big one. I have the 6qt lift model and has served me well these 6 years now. My wife and I both use it regularly and it's never skipped a beat. The lift mechanism works well for things like bread kneading |
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I bought one for SWMBO a while back. The best deal I found was at Bed Bath and Beyond, with a 20% off coupon (apparently the accept expired coupons; the checkout clerk told me that and I've never had one rejected). I didn't compare to Costco, FWIW.
The difference between the tilt and bowl lift models is mainly in capacity, plus a bit of power. It's better to get one that is about the right size I think; how many cookies is your wife going to make in one batch? One other difference between models is the bowl cover which is meant to make it easy to add ingredients without making a huge mess. Look them over and see what looks good for you. The grinders seem ok from what I've been told, but I don't have one and haven't used one. The grinder connection seems to be the same for all of them. |
Hehe, kind of funny you ask, because (stay with me here...) I have about 17,000 MyCokeReward points and last year during their Christmas deals they had red KitchenAid mixers for like 5k points (or 10K, I don't remember). I was thinking if they had 'em this year, or something else cool, I would offer to redeem my points and trade the item for a stack of PMAGs or something of similar value. Have to wait until December to see what they'll have though. 
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Quoted:
On the bowl lift models, their used to be a difference in bowls. Some had the deep skinny bowl, and some had the shallow wide bowl. One mixes more thoroughly, and one is easier to add ingredients to. I don't know if this is still the case. http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/more-ways-to-shop-1/outlet-2/factory-refurbished-3/-[RKV25G0XMC]-400153/RKV25G0XMC/ http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/digitalassets/RKV25G0XER/AB-Default_290X290_HO.jpg We have this it grinds Meat,/ juices/ shredds/ etyc etc ....If we have a party comin up I can massacre countless potaoes for scallopped etc.$$ yep but it's a monster I make Steak burgers, Sausage,.. Ground Chicken/Turkey etc! |
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You can always find one real cheap on craigslist. I got mine (475 watt, Pro) for $100, which included the standard accessories (bowl, beater, bread hook, paddle). If you are going to make bread or other heavy items, go with the largest wattage you can find. It's better to have more power than to not have enough. Some bread dough can be very stiff, so the high wattage is required to knead the dough.
Mine has the bowl that raises up to the beater which works fine. Sometimes it is a little messy adding ingredients if you're not careful. |
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We have two, a 5 quart 300 watt tilt head model and a 575 watt 6 quart that the bowl raises up on.
The 5 quart model is more than 10 years old, the 6 quart is around 5 years old. We have several attachments but the meat grinder gets the most use. The grinder on the 575 watt model has ground a few pigs and deer. I like it, it has lots of power. My wife is half Italian/half Puerto Rican and she cooks. She cooks from scratch several days a week. At least one of the mixers is on the counter at all times. I can honestly tell you she has put the Kitchen Aid mixers through serious torture. You will not go wrong buying one. Its like anything else though, buy big the first time and be done with it. We are always shopping for Kitchen Aid items, Amazon and QVC will be your best bet price wise. |
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The Ace Hardware Outlet usually has the lowest price around. http://www.acehardwareoutlet.com/SearchResults.aspx?SimpleSearchValue=kitchenaid |
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Quoted: Don't do it man. I got the wife a Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas one year, it was a bad move. She wanted one just not for Christmas. I just told her what you were planning on doing and she gave me the stink eye. Don't think I'll ever live it down. I'll be okay. We're not flush by any means and the only way I can excuse what for us would be a somewhat large purchase is to call it a gift. I actually think she would greatly appreciate it. We're on one income right now as I am back in school for nursing. |
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If you are doing alot of dough and want a spiral hook get a good one with a thust washer or a bigger hobart. The 5 series and lower doesn't have this and not designed for the stresses. Add to that they don't make things like they used to. Things may have changed in the past couple years but i decided to keep mixing by hand since the price of a quality mixer would have been more than i wanted to spend.
I think i remember the pro series sold at samsclub was a cheapened version also. Since the kitchenaid forum seems to go to facebook now here is a little information on the hook and thrustbearing i mentioned. 
http://www.pizzamaking.com/forum/index.php?topic=5347.0 For the bowl a lift ,it will be on a heavier duty mixer. If you have one of these places local they stock them so you can go finger bang em. They sell refurbs at a good discount also. http://www.kitchencollection.com/Temp_Search_Breakdown.cfm?BrandType=Y&Brand=KitchenAid&Searched=kitchenaid& |
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Tilt head. Have had it for several years with no issues. Got a pasta kit with it, roller ad cutter. Have added slicer/grader.
Recently purchased a Kitchen Aid food processor, very good. Nothing like throwing left over pintos with brisket in it and making home made refried beans. |
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Quoted:
2. Why would one choose the tilt-head version over the bowl-lift version or vice versa? This is the most confusing issue for me. 3. How good are the meat grinders on these bad boys? 4. I was looking in the 300 to 325 watt range for the motor. Should I go bigger? My grandma had a kitchen aid classic stand mixer she gave to my mom some 15-20 years ago, that my grandma bought decades before. It could be new for all anyone can tell, even though it's probably at least 30-40 years old. My sister got one a few years back, same model, and both my mom and sister use them for pizza dough, cookies, any number of things. The standard model is a freakin' beast. I've given out two as wedding gifts to folks who like to cook, and they've put many, many hours of use into them. From what I've seen, the meat grinders are pretty well adequate for light-moderate use and you probably don't really need the extra power (obviously you'll have to judge it on your own usage). If you want to grind a moose a day, you'll need a dedicated grinder. If not, you should be fine. The shredders work fantastic as well. The two in my family and the two I've bought for friends are all 250 watt models, the classic stand mixer - they work fine for everything I've ever seen them used for. |
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I got my 6qt professional last black friday from Kohls for $199,keep an eye out a few places had them for $199-299 last year.The difference between the tilt heads and bowl lifts are the wattage of the motors,tilt heads are lower wattage motors,and with the extra power the mixing bowls get bigger.I beat the shit out of mine daily and it shows no signs of slowing up. |
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tilt head.
be aware there are nice paddles for the larger tilt-heads that don't fit the smaller ones. The one I'm referring to is the side-scraping silicone paddle mixer; it's really nice if your mixing sticky stuff. |
| I've got the bowl-lift version and am quite happy with it. The big plus as I see it is it's easier to pick up out of a cabinet and put on the counter, because I grab the upper part of it, and don't have to worry about the bottom flopping around. The only attachment I really use is the pasta maker, which I love! |
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Quoted:
You can always find one real cheap on craigslist. I got mine (475 watt, Pro) for $100, which included the standard accessories (bowl, beater, bread hook, paddle). If you are going to make bread or other heavy items, go with the largest wattage you can find. It's better to have more power than to not have enough. Some bread dough can be very stiff, so the high wattage is required to knead the dough. Mine has the bowl that raises up to the beater which works fine. Sometimes it is a little messy adding ingredients if you're not careful. This. I picked one up last week on CL for $150. Don't buy new on these, they are all over Craigslist. It's one of those items a lot of people get as a gift and then never use so there are a ton on the used market. |
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Pro 600 series, bowl lift kicks ass. Trust me......... I'm "in the know".
Yes the meat grinder does a fine job, just adhere to the rules of meat grindery (ice cold blades, trimmed meat, meat cut to the appropriate size, use the right speed and dies) and you will be a happy man. Ice cream Sausage and charcuterie etc... |
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A word about using a grain mill attachment to grind wheat into flour. I darn near killed ours. Thought I killed the nylon worm gear. It was locked up tight. Told the wife the bad news. Couple days later I went to tear it apart and for the hell of it, turned it on and it worked. Has run fine since then but I haven't used it the flour mill attachment again! The more expensive (pro models) have metal worm gears where the cheaper have the nylon. Also, I have a meat grinder attachment, and ground up some venison into burger. It worked it pretty hard, don't think I'd do that again either. |
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My wife has a 6 qt. bowl-lift model. She loves it.
She's a serious baker during the holidays. Dozens and dozens and dozens of various types of cookies for various friends, family and co-workers. (We used to do bags of cookies for nearly 100 people in 4 related offices where she worked. Glad she works at a small bank now. )
That Kitchen Aid is awesome. We killed a lesser stand mixer prior to purchasing it. It was an Oster if I remember correctly. It snapped at the tilt hinge which was one of the deciding points on purchasing a bowl-lift The wife likes the Kitchen Aid because she can start something mixing and walk away from it and it will blend thoroughly without any human attention. I like it because at Thanksgiving dinner I'm responsible for making the home-made whip cream. Throw that steel bowl in the freezer when we sit down to dinner then whip the cream after dinner. (Pro-tip: chill the bowl and mixer whisk before whipping cream. If the temperature of the cream goes above 40*, you're not whipping cream, you're churning butter. )
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Quoted:
My wife has wanted one for a long time and as the Holidays are around the corner, I thought perhaps she deserved an early Christmas present that she could put to good use making me some sweet treats! I admit, I do most of the cooking, and she does the baking, so I get to use it too. So, my questions: 1. Anyone know of any good deals or perhaps even upcoming Black Friday sales that feature them? 2. Why would one choose the tilt-head version over the bowl-lift version or vice versa? This is the most confusing issue for me. 3. How good are the meat grinders on these bad boys? 4. I was looking in the 300 to 325 watt range for the motor. Should I go bigger? Thanks for the help fellas, and in before the wear the pants comments We have the lift version - it can be a pain to get mixing attachments in when the bowl is in place, but it's not a big deal and the tilt head units have the small motor so that's a big trade off Haven't used the meat grinders but I do have the grain mill which is really good Bigger motor is best. Think 450+. :-) |
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Don't do it man. I got the wife a Kitchenaid mixer for Christmas one year, it was a bad move. She wanted one just not for Christmas. I just told her what you were planning on doing and she gave me the stink eye. Don't think I'll ever live it down. NEVER buy a woman a gift for a holiday or birthday that PLUGS IN!! Ever. Even if it is a wall-powered Rabbit vibrator. |
| All I know is if you order it off Amazon send it your work address if it's to be a surprise. They delivered the damn thing in factory packaging, no plain box. Luckily my wife was not the one who opened the door for the UPS dude. Ours is made in the USA, one of the few consolations I got for spending that much on a non-firearm. |