I love my KitchenAid. It has greater capacity than anything I have ever owned. It is more power and a more cosmetically appealing mixer. I took the plunge with the licorice-color and I’m glad I did. Now that I have a more powerful Kitchen Aid mixer, I feel confident it can take the challenge of the high gluten dough I use. This is a reliable machine. Here are my other notes:
1. We went with the white / meringue mixer. It works great! Now granted, as with any piece of machinery — including your car — you must learn the in’s and out’s. After purchasing, I read the product manual. You owe it to yourself to do the same — after all, you’re plunking down several hundred dollars.
2. I don’t recommend getting refurbished or used models, based on discontented reviews I have read on them. Just drop the money down; it’s worth it especially if you are cooking for more than one person.
3. Viking seems to be an over-priced brand in general which tries to appeal to price snobs rather than offering real value. I also did not like the fact that you do not see many Viking products in stores; which leads one to think about what happens if the Viking needs repair or replacement parts.
4. This is an outstanding mixer. The mixer seems very quiet compared to the mill! The spiral dough hook does an excellent job of kneading, and the mixer has plenty of power to handle the whole-grain dough.
5. I have had this model for about 4-5 years. Before I purchased this I had a 5-quart KitchenAid Artesian mixer that I got for a wedding present in 1992. I have always baked a lot. I can make double batches of pumpkin bread, cakes or cookies with no problem and be done in less time with less fuss.
6. The customer service at Kitchen Aid is very helpful. When my machine originally arrived they had sent the wrong color. When they were contacted they told us to repackage the machine and send it back at their expense (they e-mailed a shipping label and scheduled pick up) and we received our replacement less than a week later. Fast, friendly and courteous customer service was able to make a mistake a non-event.
I’ve mostly used my 5 quart Kitchen Aid for cakes, muffins, pate choux for eclairs, mashed potatoes and whipped cream and meringue. I’ve made my bread dough exclusively in my large capacity Cuisinart food processor. Now that I have a more powerful Kitchen Aid mixer, I feel confident it can take the challenge of the high gluten dough I use. Go for the wattage whether you think you need it or not. This is a reliable machine.
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