How much do you love your KA mixer?

[DawnM]

Wow.  I thought I loved mine.  I used it somewhat frequently.  But I don't make bread or anything big with it.

 

It doesn't fit under my current cupboards.  So, DH was fed up with it and put it in the basement storage area.

 

For Thanksgiving, I had to make 4 dishes to serve 15 people each.   

 

I ended up just using my hand mixer and you know what?  I realized I like my hand mixer more!  

 

The KA only has one bowl so cleaning between each prep for a new mixing session was a pain.

 

I had 4 large bowls to mix in and only needed to rinse the beaters.

 

Using only the hand mixer is definitely a whole lot easier and I even used it for something rather thick.

[hellen]

I make bread in mine but it's the only thing I use it for. Some weeks I make bread three times but other weeks not at all.

[kewb]

I love both my kitchenaid stand mixer and my kitchenaid hand mixer.

They serve different purposes for me. For example:

Quadruple batch of waffle batter-stand.

Bread dough- stand

Quick batch of cookies-hand

Chocolate pudding -hand

 

Which one I pull out depends on what I am preparing.

[Guest]

I love my KA stand mixer. Growing up, my mother never had a stand mixer, only a hand mixer (and a manual hand mixer!), so I always thought having a stand mixer would really be stepping up in the world. I remember certain things were so tiring to beat with a hand mixer - meringue, whipped cream spring to mind.

 

I have thouht about getting another bowl or two to go on my mixer, though.

[HomeAgain]

I love our stand mixer.  We had to wait so long for a KA and it gets a TON of use around here.  And every time we use it, we have to lug it out from the pantry, so if I didn't really want to, I wouldn't.  But it makes it so much easier for so many dishes.  We do need a second bowl, but that's about it at this point.

[FromA2Z]

Love the stand mixer. I do have an extra bowl so I don't always have to wash in between when doing more than 1 thing at a time. What I love most about it, is that I can do something else/ prep while it is mixing.

 

My dh got it for me years ago for Christmas after I told him I was not going to make another chocolate peanut butter cheesecake until I got one. ...After I had burnt out my 3rd hand mixer in a couple of years making it.

[JudoMom]

It became an almost annual tradition for me to burn up the motor in my hand mixer when I did Christmas baking. They weren't cheap mixers, either, but the motors would burn up, or the gears would strip, or some other part would break, rendering it useless. There might still even be a thread or 2 here lamenting and trying to figure out which brand might hold up to mixing basic cookie doughs.

 

My nephew bought me a KA, and while I don't use it often (maybe once a month unless it's Christmas time), I love it when I do use it. I never even wanted a stand mixer and actually gave away a KA my SIL gave me when she upgraded several years ago. But now I love it because it is reliable.

Edited November 28, 2015 by JudoMom

[Ottakee]

I love mine. Before I had a sunbeam one. The only thing I liked better about that one was that it had a glass bowl and I could melt butter or warm up other ingredients in the microwave and not have to mess up another bowl.

[marbel]

I love mine but I do use it for kneading bread.   I haven't had a hand mixer since the last one burned out   I just use the KA.  It is on the counter all the time and gets used almost daily except in the hottest months of the year. 

[Hikin' Mama]

I rarely use mine. The only time it gets used is when I make whipped cream. I use my food processor for most mixing purposes. When my Kitchen Aid dies, I won't replace it. However, I've had it for 22 years, so....

[PrincessMommy]

I use mine and I like it, but I don't use it all the time.  I also don't use it to make bread.  I have a bosch for that, but now I only make bread for church about 2x a month.

 

I am also the type of person who hates a lot of extra kitchen items... and over the last 10 yrs they have been mulitplying.  I used to only have my KA and a toaster oven on my counters.  Now I've added a microwave, coffee machine, and a cuisenart (which can go in the cabinets).  I don't have a lot of counter space, and i hate that cramped feeling I have now.    I'd probably put the KA under the cabinets too but it's so darn heavy to lift in and out. 

 

I think if the KA is not giving you life satisfaction then sell it off.   Maybe wait 6 months or so first.

[AnniePoo]

I love mine to the moon and back.  With little kids underfoot, it is really nice to turn the mixer on and have my hands free for a few minutes.  

 

I use it mainly to make GF bread (it kneads for 3 mins in the KA with a whisk) but I also throw anything in there that I would normally mix with a spoon, just because it's fun and easy.  Brownies, cornbread, etc.  And I can easily do it with a kid on my hip.  

[ScoutTN]

I love my KA. I make bread in it often and other things every so often. It would be good to have a second bowl. I make pie crust in it too. Lots of pie this time of year, pot pies and dessert pies.

Edited November 29, 2015 by ScoutTN

[Mrs. Y]

I don't love appliances on my countertop, but I use my KA sooooooo much it just stays right there in a prominent spot.  I use that thing just about every.single.day.  

 

I love that I can put stuff in it and walk around the kitchen doing other stuff.

 

It washes up quick as a wink, so prep between items is really fast.

 

I  (and my girls) like mine so well, I am planning to buy each of them one for their bridal shower gifts if and when they get married.  One is already married and I have the 2nd one purchased already for when the next one gets married.   :001_wub:

 

Edited November 28, 2015 by Colleen OH

[bettyandbob]

i love my KA stand mixer. I use it all the time and would not replace it with a hand mixer. It fits in a cupboard under the counter. It takes the whole cupboard (space is tight, townhouse galley kitchen). If I lacked cupboard space, I'd get rid of other stuff. No way would I store it in the basement--I need it way too much. 

 

I bet if you found a way to rearrange your cabinets you'd use your stand mixer all the time. 

[Annie G]

I used to use my KA a lot- I made cakes for people and we also had four kids.  Now it's not used nearly as often but I love the convenience. Having a second bowl and beaters makes a big difference on having baking days. 

 

My hand mixer sees plenty of use but my food processor doesn't.  I'd rather chop veggies by hand and shred cheese by hand.  If I needed space, I'd probably get rid of my food processor. 

[happypamama]

I do love my KA mixer. Fifteen years ago, we bought our first house right after Thanksgiving. DH surprised me with my KA mixer that Christmas. The mechanism that makes it stop needs to be fixed, so I have it rigged with a coat hanger, but otherwise, it's still going strong. I use it maybe once a month or so, although I've had times when I've used it more frequently. I do have two bowls for it, so I can use it to make a cake and the frosting without having to wash the bowl. If I baked a lot, I'd buy a second paddle.

[catz]

I LOVE my KA. I have 2 bowls and you can buy more for not a ton. I frequently use it for bread and pizza dough. I use it much more than my hand mixer. We've had it for 16 years

Edited November 28, 2015 by WoolySocks

[Caroline]

I love mine and use it often to make gluten-free bread, cake, cupcakes, cookies...  I also have my grandmother's Sunbeam Mixmaster. I use it to whip potatoes because I think it does a better job of that. The Kitchen Aid sits on the counter. It has a very small footprint, so it doesn't take up much room. I have it right next to the fridge, under the upper cupboards. (I also have quite a bit of counter space, which might make a difference.) I have had it for about 8 years since my daughter was diagnosed with celiac disease. My mom thought I needed it to make bread, so she got it for me. 

 

I agree that it would be nice to be able to put the bowl in the microwave to melt butter. But I can live with that. I also would like a second bowl. However, the stainless steel cleans up really easily, so I guess I don't really need a second bowl. I might just hate doing dishes that much. 

[Lady Marmalade]

I thought I wanted a KA mixer for years!  DH bought me one for Christmas one year and I was so excited.  I gave it a place of honor in the kitchen, called it Bess, and started using it occasionally.  I was especially excited to try it for bread dough, but the results of that one was only so-so.  I far preferred the texture of my bread when I hand-kneaded it, so only used the machine for more wet doughs, which was hardly ever.

 

I was excited to try it out with everything, but as the years went by I started using it less and less.  It sat right out on the counter, so it wasn't like I needed to get it out, but I just found myself reaching for a bowl and wooden spoon more often.  I hated that neither the paddle or whisk went all the way down to the bottom of the bowl.  I never could just mix and walk away, I always had to stop, lower the bowl, stir the bottom, raise it up, mix again and then repeat.

 

Finally I was only using it for frosting, and I finally gave up on that.  I didn't use it for months.  Then I went to pull it out for something and it didn't start up when I flicked the lever.  I pulled it off the counter and put it in the basement to be repaired later.  Four years later after moving and lugging that large paperweight around, I finally realized that I wasn't missing it and sold it on craigslist.  

 

I still find myself looking at the sales and all the shiny new colors, and I always think I want one again.   :tongue_smilie:  Reality is that no, I really didn't use the one I had very often, and then it died on me after very little use as well.  

[Carrie12345]

I've never had one, but I've always wanted one.  If I'm being honest, I probably only want one b/c I think they're pretty.  We've never had the space, and we've gotten by just fine with hand mixers.  

[cintinative]

I love my KA mixer. I use it at least once a week.

[lynn]

I keep mine out and use it regularly. Christmas baking I wish I had a second bowl but I make it work. I don't like standing still so the ka mixing I can keep moving and start organizing the next ingredients or clean up.

[Carol in Cal.]

I love my older one.  It has two bowls, one of which has a snap on lid, so if I make cookie dough that needs to be chilled, it doesn't take up the fridge smells, and I have the extra bowl for everyday stuff.

 

I love the splash guard--it saves a lot of clean up.

 

I can wash the bowls and the beaters in the dishwasher.  (You can't do this with the newer ones, which I regard as a distinct disadvantage). 

 

It has the same strong, capable, inexorable feel as a Mercedes or an airplane driving down a runway. 

 

It's performance is unparalleled for making whipped cream or meringue, both of which are pretty frequent uses for me.

 

By contrast, my hand mixer wears out my shoulder, sounds rickety, and is quite iffy for whipped cream and very time consuming for meringue. 

 

The KA does have its limitations.  Many of the attachments are kind of marginal.  I'm glad I didn't buy the ice cream maker, since it doesn't get all that cold.  I have an older food processor that I prefer for making soups and grating large quantities of cheese, and I have no desire to kludge the KA food processor attachment into doing those things--I don't see any reason to think that it will work as well, and it's a lot smaller.  I prefer the food processor for making butter, also, although the KA would probably do it.

 

I find my stick blender to be far more useful than my hand mixer. 

[redsquirrel]

I really use my KA stand mixer. It is the workhorse of my kitchen.  The things I use most are:

 

vitamix

Stand mixer

zoji bread machine

food processor

 

 

I have a hand mixer, but it is in the basement. I only pull it out for making whipped cream on occasion.

[Luckymama]

I love my KA mixer. My parents gave it to me for Christmas the first year dh and I were married, 24 years ago.

 

Like a pp, I/we will be gifting our kids KA mixers if they want them (dd20 is counting down until she has her own apartment!)

[City Mouse]

I love mine too. I spent 20+ years with a cheep hand mixer. I bought a new hand mixer 4 yrs ago when we moved, and I have never used it.

I don't have a food processor, but we do use some of the KA attachments frequently. We will grate 3-5 lbs of cheese at a time (not worth the hassle for small amounts) and the meat grinder works great to grind up elk and buffalo. I have been meaning to try homemade sausage, but haven't gotten around to it yet.

 

Funny story(sort of) - A friend has a business at the bottom of a multi-story building with apartments above. One day a couple in the building was having a fight, and someone threw a brand new in the box KA mixer out the window. Could have been bad if someone below had gotten hit, but luckily that did not happen. My friend went outside and picked up the mixer. The couple did not want the mixer back. The mixer was damaged from the fall, but he called KA and sent it in for repairs. Instead of fixing it, they sent him a brand new mixer.

[gardenmom5]

I have a ka 9spd handmixer.  it cannot make meringue nearly as well as the ka stand mixer.  doesn't make anything big as well.  my previous handmixer had a fold-in attachment - I wish the ka handmixer did.  the whisk attachment doens't work very well for whipped cream either unless I'm doing *very* small quantities.

 

 my stand ka is over 25 yrs old, and I've flirted with the idea of getting a new one with higher wattage motor and the 6qt bowl.  ever since I gave one to 2dd as a wedding gift . . . . (costco had them on sale.  I'm hoping the do that again.  the one they currently have on sale - I don't want.)

[Lady Florida.]

I love mine and use it often. It fits on the countertop under the cabinets. It doesn't get used for bread because I either knead by hand or use my bread machine. Between my stand mixer and the whip attachment on my immersion blender, I no longer have a need for a hand mixer.

[sarahbobeara]

 I hated that neither the paddle or whisk went all the way down to the bottom of the bowl.  I never could just mix and walk away, I always had to stop, lower the bowl, stir the bottom, raise it up, mix again and then repeat.

 

 

This is the main reason my KA sits in the corner of the counter.  (I don't know what else I would put in that corner anyway, because it is pretty deep.)

 

I did use it on Thanksgiving to do my one-hour dinner roll recipe but I don't remember the last time I used it.  I do make my own bread but prefer to knead it myself.  So many other recipes I've tried with the KA have been a pain to make because there's a layer of un-mixed stuff where the attachment doesn't reach.  And I noticed with my rolls on Thursday that I had to put at least 4 cups of flour in before stuff started getting mixed around. Any small batches or small recipes would be too shallow to be mixed.  

 

I use a whisk or electric hand mixer. I would probably get rid of my KA but my mom gave it to me as a newlywed and she does use it when she visits.  She is devoted to hers.

[bettyandbob]

there are a couple of paddles you can get that "scrape" the bowl in the KA stand mixer. I believe this is the one I have:

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Beater-KitchenAid-6-Quart-5-Plus/dp/B0015TMI28/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1448740497&sr=8-2&keywords=paddle+blade+for+kitchenaid

 

Before I got that blade, I did have to start and stop the machine and scrape stuff up from the sides and bottom. I do not need to do that much, if at all now. 

 

 

 

 

[KungFuPanda]

I love mine, but I find it torturous to hold a hand mixer. I used to make my daughter do it. She must hate it to because she's the one who told DH to get me the Kitchenaid for Christmas one year. She was 8 :-) I use mine for bread, dips, merengues, cookies, whipped cream, pies, shredding meats, and even cake mixes. I use it often enough that it lives on my counter. I'd rather wash a bowl than hold a hand mixer. It's just faster and I can do other things while the mixer works.

 

I'm actually going to make crab dip now and I'm using the mixer :-)

 

Eta: I have the small, flip top Artisan. It's a perfect size for the four of us. I'm not sure I'd use it as often if it were larger because I don't know that my smallish recipes would mix well in the bigger bowls.

Edited November 28, 2015 by KungFuPanda

[DawnM]

Ah, maybe that is part of the difference.  I don't bake a lot.  For Christmas I make bath salts or fudge.  Fudge doesn't require a mixer at all.

 

I don't make pies or cakes much.    And for bread I have a bread machine.

 

Thankfully I got it used for $100.  It is the taller stand one.  I am sure I can sell it for that if I wish.

 

DH wants to hang on to it until we move and see if it fits better in  our new kitchen.

 

I am not ready to get rid of it yet. 

[Guest]

I hate it and am replacing it with a Bosch universal.

Edited November 28, 2015 by Arctic Mama

[Kalypso]

I love it and use it all the time. It's about 13 years old and still going strong.

[Guest]

Funny little anecdote about mine, since many are sharing when they got their KA. My DH bought mine for one of our earliest wedding anniversaries - I think our second anniversary. I remember my SIL being horrified that he gave me a mixer for our anniversary! She is a "jewelry person" and doesn't like cooking or baking, so to her, a stand mixer was a horrible gift. But I was thrilled! 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Love ours. We have a small kitchen and very limited counter space, but it lives up there anyway. 

[bettyandbob]

I got mine in 1989. I spent my summer off from teaching working at a kitchen store in the mall (Kitchen Bazaar) and used my discount.

 

I've had the engine professionally cleaned twice. It stops working when flour builds up in the engine. Other than that, no.

[Loowit]

I love mine and use it fairly often, especially during the holiday times.  In a couple weeks I will be starting on cookie baking for Christmas and it will see a lot of use.  It was a present from my best friend years ago and I am very grateful for it, because I never would have bought one for myself.  My mom makes almost everything by hand including bread and pasta, but I am lazy and wouldn't do bread without a stand mixer.

[Tap]

I like having my KA, but likely wouldn't replace it if it broke.  I have had it for 20+ years.  There is nothing that I use mine for.... that I couldn't do with a hand mixer.   I keep it in the pantry and just grab it when I want to use it.  I would say that I use it about the same about as my hand mixer, it is more convenient, but not irreplaceable. 

[threedogfarm]

I can't believe that no has mentioned the ice cream maker attachment.  Using that you can make the absolute best ice cream in the world, easily and quickly.  Of course you'll need room in your freezer to store that attachment so that might be an issue.  That is what we used our KA the most for.  Now that we're dairy free and egg free, it is sadly stored in our basement.  But I should take it out to make sorbet.  Other than that, I use it to make frosting and anything else for baking that requires a mixer.

 

 

[Hikin' Mama]

Funny little anecdote about mine, since many are sharing when they got their KA. My DH bought mine for one of our earliest wedding anniversaries - I think our second anniversary. I remember my SIL being horrified that he gave me a mixer for our anniversary! She is a "jewelry person" and doesn't like cooking or baking, so to her, a stand mixer was a horrible gift. But I was thrilled!

I have a similar story. One Sunday in church, long ago, the pastor was reminding the guys that Mother's Day was coming up and not to get them anything practical like an appliance. (I'll just ignore for now how much I dislike this stereotype.) I leaned over to my husband and whispered, "Ignore him. I want a food processor." I got one. :)

[arnold]

My favorite thing to do with my KA is shred cooked chicken breast, the ability to do that is worth the price IMO.

[SparklyUnicorn]

I love mine, but no I don't use it constantly.  It is great for stuff like cookies. 

 

I also have some attachments I use fairly regularly such as the meat grinder.

 

It does take up a lot of space and my kitchen is small.  I've had it for 15 years though and it is still going strong.

 

 

 

 

[PinkyandtheBrains.]

 

 

I love mine.

 

I go through cycles where I use it often, then don't for a while. I use it for the usual things including kneading my bread dough.

[cmarthur]

I love mine. I use it to knead dough, grind meat (with attachment), and strain tomatoes. It saves a ton of time when processing tomatoes. My KA and Vitamix are my two most used appliances. I waited a long time for both, but feel they were worth the wait and cost.

[umsami]

I love it for making meringue or anything involving whipped egg whites.

 

For other uses, it's just OK, but honestly I don't have a lot of attachments and stuff.  I use an old bread machine to make bread dough, but after reading this thread, may get out the dough hook again.

 

I saved a lot for mine, and bought a used/refurbished one on Amazon. I also bought a used/refurbished food processor.  I love both.  I also bought a Vitamix 20+ years ago.  All three are my big ticket items that took a lot of savings, yet have held up for many many years.

Edited November 29, 2015 by umsami

[Lolly]

I prefer a handmixer for almost everything. My next favorite is the small stand mixer. Least favorite is the big stand mixer. Dh is the opposite. But, he makes large batches of bread dough. I tend to make little stuff.

[lexi]

When we had to go gluten free for our daughter my hubby bought me one. I love it!

It fits under our cabinets because our cabinets are very tall. I use it on a regular basis for bread dough, pizza dough, homemade rolls and all kinds of cookies and muffins.

The gluten free batter was burning up the motor of my hand mixer so the big KA stand mixer is great!

I love that I can have things mixing while I'm getting out other ingredients. It has been a great investment for us.

But I would love another bowl or two.

[Annie G]

I can't believe that no has mentioned the ice cream maker attachment.  Using that you can make the absolute best ice cream in the world, easily and quickly.  Of course you'll need room in your freezer to store that attachment so that might be an issue.  That is what we used our KA the most for.  Now that we're dairy free and egg free, it is sadly stored in our basement.  But I should take it out to make sorbet.  Other than that, I use it to make frosting and anything else for baking that requires a mixer.

 

Thanks for posting this- I have been wondering if it was worth the effort. Plenty of freezer space here so I think I'll be on the lookout for a good price for this. Thanks!