MOTHER'S LITTLE HELPER (KitchenAid Multi Function Mixer)

Member Name: Skyedame

Product:	KitchenAid Multi Function Mixer
Date:	05/07/07 (308 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Heavy, robust, stable and durable

Disadvantages: The price

The KitchenAid® stand mixer was designed by one of the great American style gurus, Egmont Arens. First launced in 1937, it ranks as one of the classic iconic shapes of the early 20th century.

I was given my KitchenAid Artisan mixer as a gift from my daughter who lives in the States. We went together and chose it from a fabulous shop called Bed, Bath & Beyond at the Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Arizona. Obviously, that makes it extra-special to me, but you could buy yours from some of the bigger department and household goods stores.

My KitchenAid is matte black and very swish. Because it is an American-bought appliance it came with the standard American 3 prong plug but we have added a couple of 3-pin sockets in our kitchen and it presents no problem.

The KitchenAid Artisan:

The legendary tool of generations of cooks and bakers, the KitchenAid is endlessly versatile, easy to use and clean afterwards.

The appliance is very heavy, robust, stable and durable. No shuggling around on the kitchen worktop.

The stand mixer I have had the following attachments included and this would seem to be pretty much standard in the UK :

4.5 Qt. Stainless Steel Bowl with handle
Flat Beater
Dough Hook
Wire Whip
Pouring Shield
Rotor Slicer/Shredder
Food Grinder
Fruit/Vegetable Strainer Parts

There is a good selection of other attachments (including a cover for you mixer for when stored away) which you can buy separately for your KitchenAid and these can be purchased in-store and online in the UK.

Features:
· All metal construction with an enamel finish
· 300 Watt Motor
· Tilt up head
· 10-Speed Solid-State Control
· 4.83 litre Stainless Steel Bowl
· Power Hub for Additional Attachments
· Capacity for Kneading Two Loaves of Bread (1.2Kg of all purpose flour or 1Kg of whole wheat flour)
· 5 Year guarantee
· Made in the USA

There is a choice of eight colours: cream, empire red, onyx black, blue, white, caviar black, grey and yellow. Occasionally, KitchenAid can be purchased in Special Edition colours and my daughter is very proud of her pink one.

The basic attachments which come with the KitchenAid are ideal for:

Cake mixing, potato mashing, egg whisking, cream whipping and to knead dough.

Why I like mine:

The direct drive motor provides constant power and is silent and reliable. It has 300 watts of power for heavy-duty preparations and 10 mixing speeds.
The mixing speeds are controlled by a slide switch situated at the side towards the top of the appliance

The 5-litre polished stainless steel bowl locks tightly to the base of the mixer rendering the appliance totally safe to leave alone on the kitchen surface to mix ingredients whilst you get on with something else. I can mix both small and large quantities of food.

Because this mixer will mix faster and more thoroughly than most other electric mixers the mixing time in most recipes must be adjusted to avoid overbeating. For example, beating time for cakes may be half as long as with other mixers.

Accessories are easy to attach: just a single, gentle twist enables easy attachment to the hub.

General Information: 'KitchenAid attachments are designed to assure long life. The attachment power shaft and hub socket are of a square design, to eliminate any possibility of slipping during the transmission of power to the attachment. The hub and shaft housing are tapered to assure a snug fit, even after prolonged use and wear. KitchenAid attachments require no extra power unit to operate them; the power unit is built in.’

Comes complete with instructions and recipes book.
I’ve used mine to make cakes and for general mixing purposes such as eggs, cream and mashed potatoes. As there are now only two of us in the house, the mixer doesn’t get as much use as it would for a larger family. I’m just sorry I didn’t have it when the children lived at home. I am one of those people who follow instructions to the letter so I can honestly say the results I’ve achieved have been perfect.

I have nothing to compare my KitchenAid with because I have never owned an electric mixer before. My most modern piece of mixing equipment was a hand-held Molyneux electric whisk, which I’d had for 32 years so this machine is a delight to use.

I have arthritis and cannot manage the mixing of cakes (or even mashed potato) by hand and because my KitchenAid is so easy to clean – just wash the bowl and beaters in hot soapy water and wipe down the appliance with a damp cloth afterwards – I don’t worry about using it regularly.

Price: approximately £319 in the UK or $350 in the States (equals £175.. yeh, I know!)

© Louise Saunders 2007

Summary: An expensive piece of kit - but robustly made so probably good value