I just bought this mixer after reviewing Amazon comments and other Web sites. Amazon users give the Cuisinart mixed reviews, but several other sites, such as Cooks.com give it very high marks -- equal to or better than the KitchenAid. It came down to this mixer or a KitchenAid. I decided to buy the Cuisinart, based on the 3-year warranty. One use tells me the mixer has the power I need. It feels and looks first rate, and the beaters do a great job. I agree with everything the first reviewer said in his excellent review, except I don't think the beater release is all that flimsy, unless you are trying to jam attachements in that aren't made for the unit. I'd be reluctant to use other brand dough hooks or attachments as he suggested. The ones I have from a previous mixer are not only larger on the tips (he filed those down) but are also a bit thicker on the shafts. I think you're asking for trouble if you try to force other units' attachments into this mixer. I rate it four stars because Cuisinart doesn't even make dough hooks for this model -- then again, I've never found dough hooks to be very useful on a hand mixer. Oh yeah, I got this baby at "Bad Breath and Beyond" for $49 after I used the 20% coupon. But mine is ALL CHROME top to bottom -- it looks and feels totally awesome! I'll try to upate this review after I've used the mixer a while longer.
ONE YEAR UPDATE:
The mixer continues to perform as expected. I mainly use it for cookie dough, cake mixes, and mashed potatoes. It slugs through them exactly as I'd want. The "soft" start is really a nice feature as it keeps things from flying all over the kitchen when the beaters start up. I think I saw the price had come down $10 at Bed Bath and Beyond, making the mixer an even better value.
I must say, I love this machine. It's so easy to use and saves me alot of time! I recently just purchased this item and have been using it nonstop to bake! Knowing this, I can't really say anything about its lasting power - but if it lasts me more than two years, I would be more than happy.
There are 7 speeds! Although I don't think one needs that much, but it's always nice to have I assume. I ordered the chrome mixer because it was cheaper than the white one and it just makes it easier to clean! White is so much more high maintenance than chrome - I can just wipe away any dirt on this machine and store it in away in the cupboard.
After waiting too many years, I am so very happy that we decided to purchase this professional quality 500 Series Kitchen Aid Professional 5 Plus 5-Qt stand mixer. I have admired K/A Mixers forever and have recently been drooling over all the colors the Artisans come in. After much research and reading MANY product reviews from various sources, I decided on this well built, Bowl-Lift Mixer with 450 HP, and Professional Transmission. I couldn't be more delighted and satisfied with it! I was going to get a 600 series, but the height was prohibitive for my counter-space clearance so I chose the next size down. I absolutely LOVE it. It doesn't come in as many colors as the Artisan, but I decided on White on White anyway, as all my other appliances are White and it will always match. I have some mobility issues so my cooking chores are often difficult for me. This mixer is so powerful and FAST it is cutting down my work time significantly! The bowl and beaters are easy to clean, even by hand they are a breeze. So far I have made Cheese Balls, Pizza Dough, Mashed Potatoes and Strata- all with great ease! It is literally saving my arms from using a hand mixer as I have been doing for years. I wondered IF I could manage since it is so large, but it is NOT a problem for me.
Even if all I did was look at it, I'd be happy to have it after all these years, but using it pure JOY!
*I'd like to make an important NOTE HERE in hopes of saving another shopper the ERROR I made regarding the POURING SHIELD ATTACHMENT which did not come included with my Mixer..
The Amazon Information was NOT CORRECT in describing the Pouring Shield # KPS2CL as fitting ALL K/A 4 1/2 & 5 Qt Stand mixers. It does NOT fit this 500 Plus Model- it's about 6/10s of an inch too small and just falls into the bowl! It DOES FIT the 5 Qt Artisan perfectly and I was happy to give it to a relative who could use it.
THE CORRECT POURING SHIELD for this 500 Plus Mixer is # KN256PS.
I confirmed this with Kitchen Aid Customer Service before ordering from Amazon, as Kitchen Aid has recently changed the part Number from the one listed in the "Attachment Booklet" that came with my Mixer. I am happy to report that indeed it does fit perfectly! The Amazon Product description for "Kitchen Aid Pouring Shield with Wide Chute" has the correct item number and that's the one I ordered.
I also ordered the K/A Cloth Mixer Cover too, which also fits just fine, but I sort of hate to have it covered as I enjoy seeing it...
In spite of the little mix-up with the Pouring Shields, I remain a satisfied Amazon Customer over several years now. I'm not letting that little blurp rob my absolute JOY in having my long desired Kitchen Aid Mixer and fun of discovering how helpful it really is! I am doubly happy that is is MADE in the USA!! Enjoy! Thank You!
KitchenAid is well known for excellent products and if you're a baker or just like to cook, a KitchenAid Pro mixer is the way to go. This mixer is heavy duty and very reliable. I've had this mixer for years and I just purchased an additional KitchenAid Pro 5.5 Quart stand mixer last week. Get's the job done!!
I bought this item on black friday. I have always wanted a kitchen aid mixer. I make cheese cakes regularly and it is a pain to mix the cream cheese by hand to get all the lumps out. Since I have recieved my mixer I have made 4 cheese cakes and 2 batches of chocolate chip cookies. The mixer has cut the time it takes to make the batter in half. I throw the cream cheese in there turn it on and just let it do its thing. Ill never go back to the old way of mixing with a wooden spoon. The craftmenship of this item is very good. The mixer itself, beaters and bowl are all very high quality. I would recomend reading the directions befor you start baking. I did not and ended up scraping the beater against the bowl. Theres a button on the back of the bowl that clips in. I did not have it cliped in when I turned it on. Oops. Great item for a great price.
KitchenAid KV25GOXGR Professional 5 Plus 5-Quart Stand Mixer, Imperial Grey
Bought this mixer back in 2006 because I had heard and, subsequent research showed, that it was a very sturdy mixer. I use it for everything and am contemplating buying the grinder attachment. I bake a lot of bread in the fall, winter & spring, so this mixer has gotten a workout and I can't imagine doing all that kneading anymore (I do finish kneading by hand, but this has taken all the initial mixing and kneading off my hands (pun intended). The mixer is large and will take up room on your counter. I tried storing it in the pantry but it is very heavy to lift.I would recommend this mixer to everyone.
I decided to replace my K5A that has been in continuous use for 35 or more years. It is like an old friend and I reluctantly gave it up. This mixer has more power and is quieter than the old one. No strikes so far, it has been what I expected (but I judge good service in years, not weeks).I also purchased the pouring shield , which (as far as I am concerned) is just about useless (Flimsy, cheap, and more bother than help).I have been very impressed with the deliveries of all my purchases at Amazon, they have been very fast, AND free.I like Amazon, but it is not the only place I shop.. just the first.KitchenAid KV25GOXER Professional 5 Plus 5-Quart Stand Mixer, Empire Red
The Blue Willow KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus 5-Quart Stand Mixer KV25G0XBW is my new mixer.I have loved KitchenAid all my life. Growing up as the daughter of a caterer, we had a beautiful classic white mixer.
The new color line is fantastic - the Blue Willow amazing! Even more beautiful in color than in the pictures. Very close to the Amazon blue. The Professional Series is bigger than the traditional KitchenAids, so if you're not that into baking, you probably could go for the standard series.
As always, KitchenAid is reliable, durable, and functional.
I'd never had a stand mixer before and I was a little afraid that this model (Professional 5+) was "a little too much" for a first timer: not at all! I love to bake bread and make pizza and it's so easy now. As a previous reviewer said, I feel guilty the day I don't use it. It amazes me when preparing the bread dough how everything gets mixed without my intervention...its a test for one's patience watching all that flour getting sticked to the bowl and apparentely not blending. At the end the dough itself scratches the bowl leaving it almost clean.
This is a big appliance and you have to select a place in your kitchen that is going to be dedicated to this machine. Forget about storing it and taking it out only when you're going to use it; it's big and heavy. But it looks so nice that I really like to have it on display.
I received this mixer as a gift, and honestly, it is so great that I almost feel guilty I don't use it every day. I have heard good things about the reliability of Kitchen Aid mixers, and this one is far more powerful than what I actually need it to do.
One especially great thing is the slow-start feature--I do a lot of cake batter and icings, and it's nice to avoid getting flour all over the cabinets after each round of mixing. It mixes very thoroughly, although I was initially suspicious since the bowl doesn't rotate. You do have to stop and scrape the bowl, as with any mixer.
The machine is also incredibly quiet--it makes less noise than the microwave does. I like the fact that the bowl and white attachments are dishwasher safe, too. It might seem trivial, but I also like the styling of the wider bowl that comes standard with this model, instead of the narrower one that comes with the Artisan.
At first I thought the bowl-lift thing might be uncomfortable to use, since I'm used to tilt-head stand mixers. The bowl has two tabs with holes that fit on either side of the mixer, plus a metal nub that rests in a slot at the back. Once those three points are secure, you rotate the lever to lift the bowl to mixing position, and it's very stable.
I've only found two minor inconveniences with this machine. First, it's pretty tall, so it won't fit on the counter underneath my cabinets--I have to move it back and forth from another shelf to use it, and it's heavy. Second, when you're done mixing and lower the bowl, it's hard to scrape all the stuff off the beater because you can't get a good angle. So you have to detach the beater and let it fall into the bowl and when the bowl is off the mixer you can scrape everything out. Thinner stuff like cake batter wouldn't be a problem, but for frosting or mashed potatoes, a lot of stuff is left on the beater. This is not a big deal--just a different thing to get used to after a tilt-head mixer.
I have the cobalt blue model, and I hesitated because I thought it might be too "loud," but it's beautiful and I'm so glad I got this one.
I'm not a professional baker, but I use my mixer frequently, and I'm delighted to have something that looks great and works so well.
After waiting too many years, I am so very happy that we decided to purchase this professional quality 500 Series Kitchen Aid Professional 5 Plus 5-Qt stand mixer. I have admired K/A Mixers forever and have recently been drooling over all the colors the Artisans come in. After much research and reading MANY product reviews from various sources, I decided on this well built, Bowl-Lift Mixer with 450 HP, and Professional Transmission. I couldn't be more delighted and satisfied with it! I was going to get a 600 series, but the height was prohibitive for my counter-space clearance so I chose the next size down. I absolutely LOVE it. It doesn't come in as many colors as the Artisan, but I decided on White on White anyway, as all my other appliances are White and it will always match. I have some mobility issues so my cooking chores are often difficult for me. This mixer is so powerful and FAST it is cutting down my work time significantly! The bowl and beaters are easy to clean, even by hand they are a breeze. So far I have made Cheese Balls, Pizza Dough, Mashed Potatoes and Strata- all with great ease! It is literally saving my arms from using a hand mixer as I have been doing for years. I wondered IF I could manage since it is so large, but it is NOT a problem for me.Even if all I did was look at it, I'd be happy to have it after all these years, but using it pure JOY!*I'd like to make an important NOTE HERE in hopes of saving another shopper the ERROR I made regarding the POURING SHIELD ATTACHMENT which did not come included with my Mixer..The Amazon Information was NOT CORRECT in describing the Pouring Shield # KPS2CL as fitting ALL K/A 4 1/2 & 5 Qt Stand mixers. It does NOT fit this 500 Plus Model- it's about 6/10s of an inch too small and just falls into the bowl! It DOES FIT the 5 Qt Artisan perfectly and I was happy to give it to a relative who could use it.THE CORRECT POURING SHIELD for this 500 Plus Mixer is # KN256PS.I confirmed this with Kitchen Aid Customer Service before ordering from Amazon, as Kitchen Aid has recently changed the part Number from the one listed in the "Attachment Booklet" that came with my Mixer. I am happy to report that indeed it does fit perfectly! The Amazon Product description for "Kitchen Aid Pouring Shield with Wide Chute" has the correct item number and that's the one I ordered.I also ordered the K/A Cloth Mixer Cover too, which also fits just fine, but I sort of hate to have it covered as I enjoy seeing it...In spite of the little mix-up with the Pouring Shields, I remain a satisfied Amazon Customer over several years now. I'm not letting that little blurp rob my absolute JOY in having my long desired Kitchen Aid Mixer and fun of discovering how helpful it really is! I am doubly happy that is is MADE in the USA!! Enjoy! Thank You!
