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08-25-2011, 02:51 PM
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2,186 posts, read 7,868,923 times
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KitchenAid 4 1/2 Quart Ultra Power Stand Mixer - White
Rating: 5 out of 5
I received the KitchenAid Artisan mixer as a gift about three years ago. It is without question my favorite kitchen appliance and I use it often.
The mixer is very heavy and I keep it in place on the kitchen counter. The weight keeps it nicely in place even during high-speed mixing and I haven't had to worry about it "walking" across the counter. I can safely leave it and walk to the other side of the kitchen.
It has 10 mixing speeds plus a Stir setting that is good for blending in nuts, chips or fruit. The mixing speeds range from 1 to 10 and are extremely fast on the high end. I use settings 2 or 6 most often. I've used it to make cookies, cakes, cream pies, dressings, fillings, and a variety of other foods. It has outstanding power and I've never had a problem with it binding up or turning too slowly.
The flat blade is effective for mixing most things. You do have to scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula every so often because the mixture has a tendency to climb the sides, but it's easy to do and much less strenuous than holding a hand mixer in place for two or three minutes. The head of the mixer tilts back so you can add more ingredients and then just pop it back down to resume mixing. The locking switch on the side slides easily and stays in place.
The whisk attachment does well for whipping dressings and making whipped cream. The first time I used it, I was surprised by the consistency of the resulting meringue. It was well blended throughout and all I had to do was scoop it onto the pie. I was very pleased.
The dough hook does well for kneading bread and for mixing very heavy cookie doughs. I don't use it as often as I do the other two, but it is handy to have for certain recipes.
I haven't purchased any of the power attachments for the front of the machine, but I'm interested in trying all of them and look forward to adding them in the future. The grinder and ice cream maker are especially intriguing.
I have no complaints about this mixer. Now that I've tried it, I would readily pay the $300 for another one. The quality, ease of use and the great results are well worth the cost.
Review by professional reviewer, Aug. 25, 2011
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