The KitchenAid stand mixer is the best stand mixer money can buy. Long-time owner Tiffany Noel Froese explains why.
When considering a large purchase, it’s good to weigh whether or not the purchase is actually worth the money.
Everyone has their own way of reasoning, but I’ve found that values such as quality, durability, lifespan, versatility, and beauty are almost universal. KitchenAid’s stand mixers tick all those boxes.
Before we break down the cost of owning a KitchenAid stand mixer, let’s look at how KitchenAid meets customer expectations in each of the areas mentioned above.
Quality
While some parts for KitchenAid stand mixers are made overseas, the mixers themselves are assembled by hand in Greenville, Ohio, where they go through a rigorous inspection process.
Each beater is attached to make sure it glides on smoothly and the mixer is turned on to make sure the motor not only works but is making the right sound. Real people are touching and listening to each mixer to make sure it lives up to the KitchenAid name.
Durability
The body of the KitchenAid mixer is made of die-cast zinc casing, which is coated with a powder that, when fired in a kiln, turns into those beautiful vibrant colors KitchenAid is known for.
Zinc is one of the most durable metals available. It’s also heavy, which accounts for the average KitchenAid mixer being 23 pounds, but that hefty weight also helps keep your mixer in place when kneading bread dough.
Nearly all of the mixing instruments that come standard with the mixer are dishwasher safe—with the exception of the wire whip.
The beaters and dough hooks are coated with a durable polyester, but while the wire whip does have stainless steel wires (which protect against rusting and oxidizing), the head of the wire whip is burnished aluminum which will oxidize in the dishwasher.
If it’s important to you to be able to throw your whip in the dishwasher, KitchenAid does sell an all stainless steel wire whip for the bowl-lift models separately.
Lifespan
While KitchenAid doesn’t make any guarantees about the lifespan of the stand mixers, it’s not uncommon for them to last for decades.
I’ve had my own mixer for fifteen years and my mom has had hers (which she got second hand) for close to forty.
Stories like ours are more common than not. In fact, a KitchenAid product specialist that I spoke with on the phone told me that he’d just helped a woman figure out that the second-hand mixer she’d had for thirty years had been made sometime between 1950 and 1980.
Even Julia Child, who never endorsed a product, told the Smithsonian Museum staff when she donated her entire kitchen to the museum in 2001, “I think this mixing machine is absolutely marvelous…[it] will last you the rest of your life.”
And you know that mixer was used a lot.
Versatility
KitchenAid is also known for the variety of attachments that you can buy to use with your mixer, making it nearly a one-stop-shop for all of your kitchen appliance needs.
These attachments plug into the attachment hub at the front of the mixer, and since the design of this hub hasn’t changed since the very first mixer in 1918, any attachment KitchenAid has ever made will fit.
You can buy attachments to make pasta, ice cream, vegetable noodles or sheets, mill your own grain, grind your own meat, create delicious juices, and more.
I have the pasta attachments and they make rolling and cutting pasta dough effortless. No more putting your back into the hand crack.
Beauty
What would life be without beauty?
While beauty should never be a substitute for substance, the marriage of style and substance is a cause for celebration.
And that’s exactly what KitchenAid’s stand mixers are—a high-quality machine that does what it promises and stands the test of time while also being an icon of American design.
We cooks know how important the role of presentation is in food. Doesn’t it seem fitting that we should have tools that inspire us?
KitchenAid is the only company that offers such a wide variety of aesthetic options.
Not only do the mixers themselves come in over 20 different colors, but there are also a variety of bowl options, including, copper, floral ceramic, and black quilted ceramic. And if you like the appearance of metal beaters more than the standard white, you can purchase silver polyester-coated beaters.
There isn’t another company that comes close to KitchenAid in terms of offering ways for cooks to express their unique sensibilities in their kitchen appliances. You can even have a special quote or message printed on the aluminum band.
Pricing
While KitchenAid definitely doesn’t have the most expensive stand mixers on the market, they do come with a price tag that some might balk at.
The good news is that their mixers come in a range of sizes and prices. The most common are the Classic 4.5 Quart Tilt-head Stand Mixer ($299.99) and the Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-head Stand Mixer (ranges from $429.99 – $549.99).
When I’m making a big purchase, I like to break down what I think it’s costing me over time.
If I were to buy a brand new Artisan Series 5 Quart Tilt-head Stand Mixer, which is in the middle of the price range for KitchenAid’s stand mixers, it would cost $429.99 plus tax.
Then, if I kept the mixer for 10 years, the cost of that mixer is a cent under $43 (plus tax) per year. Of course, the longer I have it, the more value I get out of it.
And the truth is, you’re likely to have your mixer a lot longer than ten years. And you’ll be making a lot more than cookies, cakes, and bread. You’ll be making memories.
If a brand new KitchenAid mixer still doesn’t feel within reach, the company offers refurbished options through its website.
There is nothing wrong with these mixers. Often they’ve just been returned because someone decided they wanted a different color or size, or for some other personal reason. KitchenAid inspects each one, making sure that it works perfectly, before making it available at a discount.
Usually, they are marked down at least $100.
Final Thoughts
We all weigh a lot of factors when we’re making purchase decisions, but if you’re looking for a high-quality mixer that will stand the test of time and look beautiful on your countertop, then a KitchenAid stand mixer is worth every cent.
