The Next 10 Things You Should Do For Mixer Success
reasons. It was the only model that aced all our tests without a Whole Lot of
It was among the most efficient at
creaming butter and sugar, and it whipped lofty frosting and perfect cake batter. Even
than those of some of the other models we tested. It also keeps mixing relatively messfree,
Since the pouring shield slides on and off, even when the machine is in use, and
You may just wipe messes off the mixer's smooth casing.
Since refurbished units are often available, we think this may be an inexpensive machine.
In both the cookie and bread tests, the Artisan mixed the dough without rocking or
straining the motor. This particular cookie recipe involves more mix-ins than your usual
While All the
gracefully. In fact, both of the KitchenAid stand mixers aced this test. The Cuisinart
Stand mixer rocked only slightly, but the rest of the testing group couldn't hang
with the bread dough and rocked pretty severely.
No scraping necessary in this step.
When making cookies, the Artisan creamed butter and sugar very well, with no scraping
Necessary during this step.
ingredients. I had to scrape only once after the addition of the eggs.
The Artisan was also a whipping ace.
whites, corn syrup, and sugar over a water bath until it reaches 160° Fahrenheit; you
then transfer it to the mixer and whip it on high until it's thick, white, and fluffy. The
stated yield of this recipe is 8 cups, but more is better because it indicates more
whipping prowess. The Artisan yielded 9 cups, while the other stand mixers hovered in
The still respectable range of 81/4 cups to 81/2 cups.
KitchenAid Professional 600 actually did slightly better but fell short in other areas.
batter. This classic French sponge cake--often baked in round pans for layer cake, or in
Jelly roll pans for things like bûche de Noël--is a great test for how much air a mixer will
You need a mixer to incorporate as much air into the batter as
Possible because the addition of flour in the previous step deflates it by about 25 percent. If
You don't have a lofty batter to start with, you won't end up with fluffy, tall layers. The
Artisan produced an ideal cake with fine crumb and even doming. In comparison, the
Hamilton Beach Eclectrics mixer produced big air bubbles (resulting in a cake with air
Pockets), and the cake from the Kenmore Elite sank in the middle.
each of my picks would do whipping a single egg white and 1/2 cup of cream (Cook's
Illustrated did two egg whites and 1 cup of cream, but I wanted to push the boundaries,
As many stand mixers can't mix small amounts).
Both of these tasks, unlike its otherwise stellar Professional sibling, which was unable to
The Artisan was one of the quietest mixers I tested, about on a par with the Breville.
of way.
bowl--is a piece of equipment that I never really use. Nevertheless, it's a helpful little tool
The KitchenAid's pouring shield is designed so that you can
slide it on and off at any time while mixing. In comparison, the Cuisinart SM-55's
If it becomes a hindrance, as it can
During tough mixing jobs, you have to stop the Cuisinart, lift the head, and remove the
beating attachment before you can take the pouring shield off. Because the
KitchenAid's shield will slide off at any point during the mixing process, it's a much more
practical and useful attachment.
As far as cleaning goes, the KitchenAid Artisan's smooth and rounded body makes it
easy to wipe down. You can easily clean the few crevices that do exist on the body--the
hinge, the spring where the attachments connect, and the bottom where the bowl snaps
in--with a damp sponge or cloth (as long as you get at splashes while they're still
fresh--let's be reasonable, people). Furthermore, the bowl and attachments are all
dishwasher-safe except the wire whip, which makes sense; it takes delicate tools to
make delicate creations.
The construction of the machine itself is classic: speed control on the left, head lock on
the right, power hub for extra accessories in the front. The design is simple and user
friendly. When many mixers provide an upright head-lock feature, the Artisan does not. At
first I thought this would be to its detriment, but I've never actually had the head come
Crashing down on me while working, neither during these tests nor in my previous work
experience with mixers. And, actually, I found the mixers that did offer a head-lock
feature in both up and down positions inconvenient, as I needed to use both hands to
raise and lower the head. It sounds minor, but when you have a bowl of dry ingredients
In your hand and you have to put it down to put the mixer into place, it becomes
annoying.
The Artisan comes with three attachments: a paddle for making cookies and certain
cakes and icings, a dough hook for kneading yeasted bread doughs, and a wire whip for
incorporating air into cream and eggs. Although not perfect, the C-shaped dough hook
Was the best in our tests at keeping dough in the bowl and not up around the gear. If
You're a dedicated bread baker with a penchant for making large batches of sticky
Dough, you might be happier with our runner-up pick and its S-shaped hook, which is
better at managing large batches. The paddle and dough hook both come with a nylon
coating, which is a hot-button topic among KitchenAid owners; over time, the nylon
Coating can chip off, and I've seen it happen a lot of times. If this problem really
Bothers you, burnished-metal paddles are offered on Amazon for around $10.
You can find no shortage of five-star reviews of the Artisan on Amazon, like this one,
which praises it for its dough-making abilities. Anna Gordon of The Fantastic Batch said she
Used an Artisan mixer to develop the recipes for her company for a year before she
opened. While she said it eventually pooped out on her, she admits that she put it
through the wringer and demanded much more from it than even an avid home baker
would. She praised her Artisan for the hard work it delivered during such an important
Developmental time for her organization.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
The most common complaint we've seen about KitchenAid mixers is that they're made
by Whirlpool now instead of Hobart (and have been since 1986). But we've found no
concrete evidence that this adversely affects performance, and we don't think it's of any
major concern.1
KitchenAid also has only a limited one-year warranty on its stand mixers, which seems
not to sit well with people. I believe that if you read the manual about maintenance and
know the limitations of your mixer, you shouldn't have issues with its longevity. Unless
It's defective out of the box, this is a tough machine, made by a company that is a
favorite of professional bakers and restaurant chefs. The Artisan is a popular and wellloved
item on Amazon, with almost 4,400 five-star reviews out of almost 4,700 reviews
total. Reviewer Brian Foreman puts a lot of the angry reviews to bed with a
knowledgeable and informative review about proper use of the Artisan, basically a Cliffs
Notes to the user manual. Another reviewer proclaims she's had her KitchenAid Artisan
For 10 years, and it's still going strong.
Also as mentioned previously, some people aren't fond of the nylon coating on the
Attachments as it could possibly chip down the road. If you think this will cause
You to lose sleep, just get a set of uncoated replacement attachments for cheap.
Lastly, the mixer has no timed setting, but given that you can just set a timer on your
Telephone and return when it goes away, this is not a huge concern. Besides, the timed
Models we tested all had openings in other respects that far outweighed the
Marginal advantages of a timer.
Long-term test notes
For more than two years I've used the Artisan more professionally for food-styling work
than for personal use, and it gets the job done. I've made many batches of cookies and
cakes, and I've even used it to grind meat with the KitchenAid meat-grinding attachment
I already own. I've had zero problems with it and, really, I can't like this mixer more. It's
A solid piece of equipment.
I will say that I don't push it. I don't overfill the bowl, I make things one batch at a time,
and I don't cram meat into the grinder. I think the key to longevity for a KitchenAid mixer
is respecting its limits. While it can mix a double batch of super-thick cookie dough,
Overloading it will shorten the life of the motor. Though this is a KitchenAid mixer,
It's still a bit of equipment meant for domestic purposes. If you respect its
Boundaries, it is going to give you many years of service. The Artisan is still the best in this
Price range, and I'd recommend it to anyone who wants their first stand mixer.
Refurbished and used options
If you're looking for a slightly better deal on the Artisan, you have ways to get one for a
little less. First, you can find a factory refurbished KitchenAid stand mixer for around $230.
However, the stock changes all the time, and the mixers that appear on the Web Site don't
Necessarily reflect what is actually available, so be sure to call and speak to one of the
Company's very useful and extremely kind customer service representatives for
updated stock. (You'll also sometimes see these refurbs from KitchenAid on Amazon for
Around the same price.)
You can also go the eBay route, which lets you sort by used items if you're willing to take
the (minimal) risk. These are built like tanks, so you'll probably be fine, but you won't
have the assurance of a warranty should anything go wrong.
Runner-up: for bigger batches
Also Great
For bigger batches
KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer
With a bigger mixing bowl and footprint, this mixer is best left on the countertop. It isn't as good as
The Artisan at smaller jobs, but it's excellent at mixing heavy doughs and batters.
Although we think the Artisan is the best mixer for home use, the KitchenAid Professional
600 Series 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer is a formidable appliance, Especially If you bake
hearty batches of bread. A big mixer with a big footprint, it's significantly louder than our
Best pick, and it's the type of machine that permanently lives on the countertop.
I've used this mixer for over 15 years in restaurant and test kitchens, and it's a
Taskmaster designed to tackle huge jobs. The bowl clips into the sides and back and lifts
Into the head attachment rather than twisting into the base as with the other models. The
Heavy-duty motor easily made quick work of almost all the test batches we put this
Model through, but the bigger bowl proved to be a liability on the test with a single egg
white, where the whip didn't even make contact. But this mixer isn't for whipping one
Egg white--it's ideal for large batches of dough. The spacious 6-quart bowl yields more
loaves per batch, and the S-shaped PowerKnead hook is better at keeping dough in the
Bowl and not up around the gear and spring.
I will say the biggest fault of the Professional 600 Series is the noise. I've been working
with this model for years, and I never realized how loud it was until I used it in the quiet
Serenity of my own home. Consumer Reports docked it for excessive noise, and until I
used it I couldn't understand why. It was by far and away the loudest, highest-pitched
mixer in the testing lineup, so much so that my cat stood up and took notice. That being
Said, this machine is a beast, in a fantastic way. If you're making lots of bread and thick
Doughs, say, four or five times a week, get this thing. Otherwise, it's too much mixer for you.
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