Is the KitchenAid Stand Mixer Truly Price $450? (A House Baker’s Sincere Evaluation)

When you’ve got ever scrolled via Pinterest or watched The Nice British Bake Off, you already know the machine. The KitchenAid Stand Mixer. It’s the crown jewel of kitchen home equipment. It’s the merchandise everybody places on their wedding ceremony registry however secretly wonders, “Am I truly going to make use of this, or is it only a $400 paperweight?”

I requested myself the identical query. For years, I obtained by with a $20 hand mixer from school. It labored positive. My brownies have been edible.

However final yr, I lastly bit the bullet and acquired the KitchenAid Artisan Collection 5-Qt. I selected the “Empire Pink” as a result of, truthfully, I wished that pop of colour on my counter.

After a yr of constructing all the pieces from birthday desserts to pizza dough, I’m able to let you know if this legendary machine is well worth the hype (and the counter area).

Constructed Like a Tank (Actually)

The very first thing you discover whenever you unbox this beast is the burden. It weighs about 26 kilos. This is not low-cost plastic. It’s stable die-cast metallic. Whenever you flip it on, it does not wobble or dance across the counter like my previous blender used to. It stays planted.

This construct high quality is why you see individuals inheriting these mixers from their grandmothers. They’re constructed to survive us all. It looks like an industrial instrument wrapped in a fairly paint job.

The “Planetary” Mixing Motion

Why is it higher than a hand mixer? It comes all the way down to the motion. KitchenAid makes use of “planetary mixing motion.” This implies the beater spins in a single route whereas the shaft rotates in the wrong way.

In plain English: It hits 59 touchpoints per rotation. I threw in a stick of chilly butter and sugar (the final word check). Inside two minutes, it was mild and fluffy. With a hand mixer, I’d have been standing there for ten minutes with a cramped arm. The consistency it achieves is simply… superior.

The Attachments: It’s Not Only for Baking

Right here is the key that justifies the worth tag: The Energy Hub. There’s a little metallic cap on the entrance of the mixer. You possibly can take it off and connect over 10 totally different instruments.

I purchased the Pasta Curler attachment, and it modified my life. I went from shopping for boxed pasta to creating recent fettuccine on a Tuesday evening. You may as well get a meat grinder, a spiralizer, or perhaps a shaved ice attachment. It transforms the machine from a “cake maker” right into a “culinary heart.”

The Dough Hook: Pizza Evening Savior

When you’ve got ever tried to knead bread dough by hand, you already know it’s a exercise. The Artisan comes with a specialised “C-shaped” dough hook. I dumped in flour, water, yeast, and salt, turned it to Velocity 2, and walked away.

5 minutes later? Completely elastic pizza dough. No sweat, no floury mess throughout my fingers. If you wish to get into sourdough or do-it-yourself pizza, this function alone is well worth the funding.

The Cons (As a result of It’s Not Excellent)

• The Weight: As a result of it’s so heavy, you can’t retailer this in a cupboard. It’s important to go away it on the counter. When you’ve got a tiny kitchen with zero counter area, this may be a dealbreaker.
• The Bowl Scraping: Sometimes, components get caught on the very backside of the bowl. You do should cease the machine and use a spatula to scrape the edges a couple of times throughout mixing.

Ultimate Verdict

Is it a luxurious? Sure. Do you want it to bake cookies? No.

However in the event you take pleasure in cooking, the KitchenAid Artisan makes the method infinitely extra pleasant. It saves you time, it saves your arm muscle groups, and albeit, it simply appears beautiful in your kitchen. It’s one of many few home equipment I personal that brings me real pleasure each time I take advantage of it.

Plus, with over 20 colours to select from, you’ll be able to match it to your vibe completely.

Verify present costs and colours for the KitchenAid Artisan on Amazon