“I loved using my father’s KitchenAid stand mixer growing up, so I saved up for one of my own after moving to my first apartment. Yes, this is an expensive mixer, but it is well-designed and will last for many, many years. The tilting head allows easy access to the bowl and beater attachment site. The stainless steel bowl is easy to get on and off, clean, and scrape out – the handle is a great feature, especially when working with heavy batters. The flat beater is likewise easy to clean and and does an excellent job of mixing. You can even adjust the beater-to-bowl clearance to ensure maximum mixing efficiency, something you can’t do with most stand mixers. I called KitchenAid’s customer service number for more information on this feature and was very pleased to speak with a knowledgable and caring representative. I would definitely call back to learn about all the cool attachments you can buy, from meat grinders to pasta makers. This mixer is heavy (it needs to be for stability when mixing thick, heavy doughs), so I would recommend finding a place on the counter that is convenient for both use and storage. KitchenAid offers an amazing range of colors, sure to blend with any decor, which I think is half the fun of this mixer. An excellent combination of function and fashion!” — Christine Allen
“I had a stand mixer prior to getting this one, but it was a lightweight (literally and performance-wise) compared to this one. So far I’ve used it for general batter mixing and with very stiff cookie dough, which it handled like a champ. Can’t wait to try it out on bread dough. It came with a wire whip, a dough paddle, and a bread dough hook. It is very heavy and doesn’t budge on the counter while I’m using it. It’s extremely powerful and handles everything I can throw at it with ease. I’ve been upgrading to better quality tools in my kitchen and this mixer did not disappoint. The aqua color is beautiful in my kitchen, too. It was pricey, but is well worth the price. It pays off in quality and performance. Highly recommended.” — farmkiti
“This was a long-needed upgrade from a hand mixer, and in retrospect I wish I would’ve bought it sooner. The mixer had been shipped/stored on it’s side, so some white grease had leaked out around the silver band, but it was easy to polish off. I also thoroughly cleaned the bowl as some other reviews mentioned it could leach polish into whatever you put inside; no problems there. There was a nick on the bowl from shipment, but nothing that draws your attention when on the counter or detracts from function. I’ve made a bunch of bread dough in it and am thrilled.” — Amazon Customer
“I cannot say enough how much I LOVE LOVE LOVE my KitchenAid. I have been wanting one for years, and finally decided to get one a month ago. I don’t know why I waited so long, it has revolutionized how I cook and bake. I read all the reviews, and went back and forth on whether or not to buy the Professional Series or the Artisan, and I’m so glad I went with the Artisan. I bought it in Aqua Sky, which is a gorgeous color, and that turned out to be the hardest part of buying – what color to choose! I’ve had it for nearly a month and have used it to make cakes, cheesecakes, meatballs, quick breads, and have had no issues whatsoever. I thought if I went with the Artisan, it might not be big enough but it is more than enough to do what I (and a typical household) need. It cuts work time in half – not just in preparing the food, but the cleanup time as well.
The hardest part once I got it was getting it out of the box – it is heavy and awkward to do but after that, the setup was quick. Read through the manual first to get aquainted…I learned the hard way that the lock needs to not be moved while putting the top part up or down (scratched the finish a tiny bit). It fits under my cabinet, even tilted back, and I have it on a thin, plastic cutting mat so I can easily slide it out to use, even as heavy as it is. There have been no negatives – it’s not loud (to me), it’s extremely functional, it’s easy to clean so that you can mix a meatloaf and then a cake within just a few minutes. I love the coated paddle beater and have used it the most. Don’t even think about buying a different brand, KitchenAid is the best one. Unless you’re a professional chef or baker who needs a larger (than what a typical household would use) capacity mixer, you will not go wrong with the Artisan. Buy it!” — sandrat
“This was a long-needed upgrade from a hand mixer, and in retrospect I wish I would’ve bought it sooner. The mixer had been shipped/stored on it’s side, so some white grease had leaked out around the silver band, but it was easy to polish off. I also thoroughly cleaned the bowl as some other reviews mentioned it could leach polish into whatever you put inside; no problems there. There was a nick on the bowl from shipment, but nothing that draws your attention when on the counter or detracts from function. I’ve made a bunch of bread dough in it and am thrilled.” — Amazon Customer
