Kitchen Mixer Help

KitchenAid 325 Watts Artisan KSM150PS Stand Mixer Key FeaturesMixer Type StandSpeed Settings 10 Speeds Other FeaturesPower Output 325 Watts...

KitchenAid 325 Watts Artisan® (KSM150PS) Hand/Stand Mixer Key FeaturesMixer Type Hand/StandSpeed Settings 10 Speeds Other FeaturesPower Output 325 ...

This KitchenAid Heavy Duty K5SS mixer was a gift from my mom, who knew I was getting serious into a cake business from home. I have used it about 40 times since I got it in December of 2000. Before the KitchenAid I was mixing double-batches of cake from scratch using a hand-held Sunbeam mixer—ouch!

THE PROS:

The KitchenAid took the work out of mixing, as you don’t have to lift a finger to make the most fabulous “from scratch” concoctions. Just pour the ingredients in and let the KitchenAid do all the work. If your still using a Betty Crocker cake mix, you don’t need to spend the money (it’s quite a chunk of change) on this bad boy. It is second to none in construction and durability. Just be careful that the bowl is locked into place and that the power switch is set to off before you plug it in every time you go to use it or the bowl will spin out of control like a top and the beater will get jammed in the bowl and ruin your motor (yeah, that little mishap sent me back $80 at the repair shop). Anyway, on with the pros…

The bowl is large, stainless steal and custom made to snap onto the arms of the mixer. The handle on the bowl is awesome for lifting it out of the arms and having control over your pouring. There is no wobbling from the bowl and the snap-on mechanism has not lost any of it’s tight fit.

The flat beater does a nice job of mixing your ingredients. A little of your dry ingredient will be left in the bottom of the bowl but this should not be a concern. The whisk is perfect for whipping eggs or cream, but I don’t use it (see CONS below). The unit has attachment capabilities in the front of the head for jobs like grinding meat, making pasta, and chopping, but I, being strictly a baker, have not cared to use this feature.

THE CONS:

The biggest disappointment with this mixer is that it doesn’t come with an extra bowl. The bowl it comes with is a nice size and very durable, but you will need another one if you have frostings and fillings to make. An extra bowl will set you back about $35 to $40, unless you plan on washing the one that comes with it over and over (I did this for about two months–very annoying!). Fortunately, my mixer had a special postcard inside the box which allowed me to get a custom engraved stainless steal bowl for FREE when I mailed away for it.

When you go to the store to look at this mixer, pick it up. You will find that it is VERY heavy and so transporting it to and fro is not a good idea, even within your own kitchen. That means that you are probably going to need some counterspace designated specifically for this mixer, out where you can use it.

Also, compare it to the other models which have the option of raising the head of the mixer. I found that not being able to raise the head to do things like adding ingredients and scrapping the sides was awkward (it took me a year to get comfortable with it). When you want to take the bowl out you need to lower it using the crank-like handle on the right side, lift and turn the beater to the left (letting it drop into your batter) and lift the bowl out of the arms.

Another awkward feature is using the whisk. Included is a little flathead-like screwdriver that you need to use to adjust the position of the whisk-and if you’re going to use the whisk keep that tool close by. The screw is located under the arm near the base and is, well, just awkward to get to. Then you have to change it back to the other position to mix. If you try to whisk ingredients without making this adjustment the whisk won’t come close enough to the bottom of the bowl to do much of anything. Because I think this feature requires too much time and work to be an asset, I still keep my hand mixer close by to whisk my eggs and creams.

Although some may claim it’s loud- I think it is what you would expect for 350 watts. If your doing a double batch of cookie dough though, you may get some slight movement from the entire unit. I can’t imagine the amount of rocking you would get from a lighter model! As others have mentioned, the pouring shield…difficult to attach and useless.

OVERALL:

Overall, the KitchenAid Heavy Duty mixer can’t be beat for those heavy duty baking jobs. KitchenAid is a reputable brand and if you want “the best overall”, this would be the one to get. If you’re not going to get into heavy duty baking, I’d say look at the KitchenAid models with less wattage…they are cheaper and will still do the trick.

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