Wedding Blog
That’s right. I am talking about the holy grail of registry items.
Mr. Taffy and I finally began our registry this weekend. We still have a lot of work to do before we are finished, but I am happy with the selections that we have made so far. (Although I must note: a tipsy groom starting a registry online after midnight = a crazy amount of expensive electronics on the list. Do not let the groom drunk dial your registry! Eeep.)
I am writing this post, in part, to see what all the fuss is about over this mixer, and if you ladies think it is as great as the salesperson at Bed Bath & Beyond says it is. I do not currently own a stand mixer, and am not sure if I consider this a necessity. We don’t have very much counter space in our kitchen (although we are renting and won’t be here forever), and I can’t imagine that it is easy to drag out of a cupboard. I think a good hand mixer would be just fine—I usually do any mixing myself until flour is involved, and I like that I can move a hand mixer around the bowl however I like. But maybe I am not paying enough attention, because this mixer seems to be the most coveted item for brides to be!
When I explain to Mr. Taffy that I don’t think we need the stand mixer, he tells me about all the crazy things it can do (with attachments sold separately). I will admit, I was especially intrigued by the ravioli maker, but I am a little overwhelmed by the whole attachment thing. (Did I mention that the ravioli maker is $170?!)
So ladies, please tell me: Is it all that you expected and more? How often do you use it? What is its best feature? Are the attachments really worth it? And last but not least, which color did you choose? 
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Share this post: It’s Good, But How Good Is It?
It is worth it! I told my FMIL that was the one item I wanted to get, and she surprised me by buying it for me before I could even register!
It really cuts down the time for making cookies dough, cake batter, and is amazing at kneading bread dough. I don’t have any of the attachments yet, but do highly recommend. I also like it for whisking eggs, because making stiff white peaks by hand is exhausting!
FYI- it is crazy heavy, so you definitely want to keep it on the counter, too heavy to keep in a cabinet or closet and take out when needed.
If you like to bake, this is a must. I use a $10 ravioli press when I make ravioli, I would not go for the attachements. However this machine makes baking cookies so easy. However if you aren’t a big baker I wouldn’t bother.
Ok, I’m going to be honest - I thought for sure that the kitchenaid stand mixer had to be the most over-rated kitchen item ever… I was perfectly content with my wooden spoon and or hand mixer.
That is, until I got my stand mixer - I LOOOOVE it. I use it for EVERYTHING. Baking, mixing cream cheese & ingredients for appetizers, mashing potatoes/ mashing bananas etc etc etc.
Mine is white (I wanted the soft yellow, but it was impossible to find in Canada) but it fits perfectly in my blue and white kitchen.
It is by far my favourite kitchen appliance!
the kitchenaid is a wonderful item to have if you bake a lot, but i do not think it’s a necessity. it handles batters and doughs much more quickly and efficiently than a hand mixer, but again i do not think that makes it a necessity. it’s also great for heavier doughs, like brioche and pizza dough–however some people do those in a food processor or just the good old-fashioned way by hand. i really like having one and use it at least once a week, but it is heavy and bulky. think about your needs and whether you would use it–of course it’s nice to have, but if there are other things you would rather people spend their money on for your gift, then you don’t need to put it on your registry.
I agree, if you like to bake it’s very good. If not then it’s not necessary. I also use mine for making dips and spreads, and it is really great for making candy and homemade frosting.
My mother got me this for my shower. Her reasoning was, “When I was a bride I wanted it and didn’t receive it - to me, it wasn’t a huge deal that I had one. But, had I been able to fast forward and see all the baking I would have to do over the years, I would have run out and bought one myself.”
I’m dying to get the one we registered for! I currently use an old (or, “retro”) hand mixer — borrowed from my mother — and it just can’t cut through the ingredients like I need it to. So, I have to stop frequently to unstick the stuck mixer attachments — and this is often challenging and stressful!
I’m psyched about the attachments for the mixer as well, because I don’t see myself having a separate meat grinder or a separate ice cream maker. But an all-in-one sounds mighty nice!
Lastly, why don’t you consider adding some shelving somewhere in your kitchen/dining area? That way the mixer won’t take up precious counter space — and you can put other kitchen electronics (the result of drunk register dialing or not) there as well. (This worked very well for me when I needed to store my vaccuum food sealer and crock pot in my TEENY studio apartment.)
Definitely register for it. My mom bought me one as a Christmas present two years ago and I love it! I keep mine in a cabinet because I’m a little weird about clutter on my countertop, and it is heavy, but I manage. I don’t have any of the attachments but most people I know that do, don’t actually use them (esp. the pasta maker). My advice would be register for the mixer but none of the attachments 
This is the one item I want the most, too! I am really excited about the meat grinder as my parents grind meat frequently. I am a little concerned about our counter space - we are renting, too. Since I wanted a little spice with the grey appliances, I got it in red.
I love that mixer. Whenever I bake at my parents’ house, it makes it so much easier. It’s great and very tough. Hand mixers can’t handle some doughs very well at all. Get it!
This was the one kitchen gadget my mother kept out on the counter. I think the reason I consider it to be a necessity is I grew up with it, moved out and had to do without it, and decided I had to have one again. On the other hand, I grew up with an electric can opener, moved out and had to do without, and now think of an electric can opener as a ridiculous first-world unitasker.
But the other comments are right: it’s a big ol’ thing which you indeed may not need if baking isn’t part of your life. People also register for fancy espresso machines, but you don’t need that if you don’t like coffee. Same deal.
I got this as an early wedding present from my FI’s cousin in the beginning of December and have used it 3 or 4 time since then. I don’t bake a lot, but when I do, it makes it super easy. I can put it all in, walk away, and come back with it all mixed and ready to go. I also use it for other stuff that needs a good mixing. It is easy to clean and looks so cute on my counter that I was elated to get it so early!
I have had ours for about a month now, and I use it all the time. I LOVE IT. I also cook a lot. As far as reaching all parts of the bowl, it magically is designed to do that. I would say bakers would get the most use out of it. I am really big on eating as little processed food as I can, so I have started making our bread for the week every Sunday using the mixer (because it is so dang easy with that appliance.) One thing, it is really heavy so you are NOT going to want to be moving it in and out of cupboards.
My fiance and I stood in line for an hour and a half at a black Friday sale to get one. We were in line so long and I was so excited about it, that 4 other women went and got one too. I got the classic in white. It reminds me of my childhood!
I think I’m definitely in the minority since I own one and I think I’ve used it once in 2 years or so. Though I will add the disclaimer that I almost never bake and I don’t have space on the counter for it, so it lives on top of the fridge, so lugging it down is quite the production.
I also have a hand mixer that’s still in the box. It’s not that I don’t cook either, I just have gotten so used to doing things by hand I just don’t even think to use anything else.
I love the kitchen aid stand mixer. I use it for everything! I mix cookies, bread dough, pizza dough, cakes, whipped cream, it makes everything so easy! I do a lot of cooking and baking and I love that I can do other things while it is mixing away.
I understand how you would be weary about the hype, but this is a quality kitchen appliance. My mother has used her kitchen aid stand mixer for many many years.
I have one, and rarely use it. I cook a lot. But I don’t bake that often. And I think it is indeed handy, though…if you bake. It’s super heavy (like Snaps said) and has a large footprint. So maybe figure out how much baking, pasta-making you intend to do?
I want one so bad!! I bake so much! And I would love this. In fact I drool over it everytime we pass it at the store! My FI and I are big cookers. It is something we enjoy doing together! So this is a must for us. Even though we dont have much counter space I will make room for it! Plus all you girls giving it such great kudos I am in even more!!
I use my KitchenAid mixer just about every single day. I LOVE IT!!!! Get the mixer! You will not be disappointed! Aside from all the cookie and cake baking I do, the daily things I use it for include mixing up pancake and waffle batter, mashing potatoes and making bread dough. It’s a great investment.
I do think some of the attachments are overrated. I do like vegetable strainer/juicer attachment for making sauces, but really don’t see myself using the slicer, ice cream maker or pasta roller.
Hi Miss Taffy! I opened my registry at BB&B this weekend, too, for my May wedding! Glad to see we’re in the same boat.
I was wondering the same thing about the stand mixer. Thanks for asking this! I don’t bake a lot myself, but if I do add this to the registry, it will be in onyx to match our appliances.
Our BB&B rep recommended we get the stand mixer cover for $20. As someone else who doesn’t have a lot of kitchen space, this is supposed to protect your mixer when it’s being stored.
I totally love mine. I bake frequently, and use it for doughs, creams (whipped, eggs white).. anyway, the list goes on. I got the ice cream bowl attachment, and the shredder, and I can’t wait to buy some more (particularly for pasta). It depends on how much of a baker/cook you are, but I do think it is worth it, and I use it quite often…
If you are a baker, the Kitchenaid really is the holy grail. Cookies, cakes, breads– like everyone else has said– are easy peasy if you have a stand mixer. But if you don’t bake, you really don’t need one at all and a hand mixer will be fine. I myself just use a hand mixer but every time I go home and bake with my mom, it is much more enjoyable to use the Kitchenaid!
I’m pretty avid about all things cooking/baking related. I’ve definitely heard the argument that a kitchen-aids are “frivolous”. My opinion on this matter, is that if you are buying a tool you should get the best one there is - whether it be a circular saw, or a sewing machine, or even *gasp* a mixer. You get better results with better tools - and in this case, its a tool that will last a lifetime.
So here’s the breakdown of how I use mine.
-kneading dough
-baking
-whipping (making homemade marshmallows - something that’s dangerous and difficult with a hand mixer)
-making fresh homemade pasta
Sure there are hand-held mixers out there that can do the same job. But they are exhausting to use, and there are plenty of times that you need to be doing something else with your hands while you are cooking/baking.
Its hands down one of the best culinary investments you can make. And - as a huge bonus, you can put it on your registry and give someone else the joy of paying for it.
As for dragging it out of a cupboard every time you use it?
Consider the workout justification for all the delicious things you’ll be making…
I felt the same as you….until I got it….then, like all the pp’s, I fell in love with it. We have a small place with minimal counter space and I still consider it a must have!!!!
I registered for one at first but then I took it off the list before it was purchased. We too do not have a lot of counter/shelf space in our apartment right now. I know this will probably change in the future and if that point comes I will buy one on ebay. It just didn’t seem feasible to request such an expensive gift that I don’t have much use (or space) for right now. Between my blender, hand mixer and mini cuisinart chopper I can do just about everything!
I absolutely LOVE my mixer. It makes everything easier. Honestly, have you ever tried to make whipped cream? Turn on the mixer and walk away for 10 minutes. DONE.
I don’t use it just for baking either. While it does make cookies, cakes, bread, etc. easier, it’s also great for making meatloaf and mashed potatoes. If it needs mixing, this will decrease your effort load by 100%.
I bought one for myself a few years ago, and I loved it. The stand mixer ignited my love of baking, which until the mixer only went as far as toll house cookies and brownies from a box.
Now I LOVE making goodies from scratch, including marshmallows. And you need a stand mixer to whip up those babies!
While I defiantely consider it a necessity in my own kitchen, I bake a LOT. There are some recipes that pretty much require a heavy duty stand mixer, so if you can live without making certain things, then you can live without the mixer. I do regularly see the mixer on craigslist, though, from brides who registered for it and never used it. So maybe if you’re on the fence you might consider buying a used on on craigslist. If you decide you don’t use it enough to keep it, you could always put it back on craigslist for the amount you paid for it.
I love mine, and I think the ice cream attachment is the BEST THING EVER — I make fresh frozen yogurt and sorbet all summer long, and homemade vanilla for topping pies at Thanksgiving and Christmas. Don’t know how I lived without it. I’m also really picky about meats, so I have the food grinder attachment for doing our own ground beef and turkey. Some of the other attachments don’t seem very useful, though.
The one essential after-market attachment is a paddle beater with silicone fins to scrape the bowl down for you so you don’t have to stop the mixer, lift the head, scrape the bowl, repeat. It’s awesome! I know they sell it at Crate & Barrel, probably some other places too.
I use the mixer pretty often and am really glad to have it — I usually don’t realize how much so until I’m at my parents’ house trying to do holiday baking (they don’t have one). It’s virtually impossible to make angel food cake without one, hats off to anyone who can! If I was less of a “kitchen person,” though, I doubt it would be worth it for me to have one.
Quoting my husband “everything tastes better now that it’s mixed in the kitchenaid!”… granted we didn’t have a handmixer before either but it is really fabulous.
Definitely worth it. My mother got one for her wedding some 35 years ago, and not only is it still going strong, but the 70’s olive green color is back in style! My mom used it for everything while I was growing up, and I can’t imagine not having it, it was always tucked in a corner of the counter. It is big, but it does so much more than a hand mixer could. It’s also pretty easy to clean. And as for only using it for baking … my mom always made meatloaf with it 
if you ever make bread or something with cream cheese, you will see a big difference — cobalt
Does anyone you know have one? Maybe you could try theirs out and see if there’s a noticeable difference compared to when you hand make items. You can always add it to the registry closer to the wedding (or bridal shower).
This was the first big appliance purchase I made when I started cooking more, and it’s SO worth it. It really does affect the quality of your baked goods, esp cakes. You can let the thing run for minutes at a time to cream butter and sugar, which doesn’t seem like that long– but if I had to hold a hand mixer for 7-8 minutes, nothing would ever get aerated well.
Mine came from Costco with the paddle, whisk, and dough hook plus a bunch of other accessories and cooking tools. I’ve had great results with mashed potatoes, mousse and meringues, and pizza dough, not just cookies and cakes.
I have to second everyone’s comments. Why don’t I bake cookies or cheesecake frequently? Because I don’t have a stand mixer. But oh, once I do… cookie time is ON.
I have had mine for over 10 years and I love it. I just recently started getting the attachments and can’t believe I didn’t buy them sooner.
We got talked into registering for that this week! I chose green. I have never once needed a stand mixer but my fiance loves to cook. I just decided to put it on the registry and see what happens!
We use ours several times a week. It’s a fantastic mixer. And the attachments are nice - but the best thing about it is that you don’t have to hold onto it. It’s a serious advantage to be able to be measuring, or stirring something else, while the mixer is doing the work for you. If you mostly bake one thing at a time, it’s fine to be trapped holding the mixer. But trust me, the first time you do a whole Thanksgiving dinner, you’ll seriously give thanks for the stand mixer.
We have one already (he had it when we moved in together) and we love it! I bake a lot, so it’s great for batters or frostings. We also use it for mashed potatoes and various other things.
Since we already have one, we’re not registering for another. We’re debating adding some attachments (I kinda want the pasta maker) to our registry.
I think if you bake at all, you gotta have it!
OMG! I love my mixer. I never thought I would have emotional feelings for a kitchen electric before, but wow. I really love it. It can handle any baking job and makes it really easy. I also love the attachments and that they will fit on any of the models. It is SUPER heavy though so I have to keep it on my counter top.
On a separate note, I totally recommend the Cuisinart Griddler. Also a must have. Easy to clean and cooks really well. Good luck!
Anything kitchen related that needs to be done can be done in this mixer. It is AMAZING. We registered for the pasta attachment so my FH and I can make all sorts of tasty homemade pasta…not to mention the benefits of baking and cooking!!
for the love of the mixer, i <3 my mixer. i did not put this on my registry when i got married, instead, got this for on our first christmas. i don’t know why we didn’t get it sooner. totally rocks and worth it. although, i just checked today, looks like prices have gone up a bit. this baby is in demand! got my artisan in the ice blue (tiffany’s inspiration) for $230!
Well I don’t have one yet, but I can’t wait to register for one! (And the ice cream and pasta attachment that will probably give me back all the weight I’m losing for the wedding…)
My mom has a mixer and you really can taste the difference. It sounds so cheesy but it is true. You can even take a normal box cake mix and I swear it has a way better quality when you use the mixer. I vote..go for it!
I love love love my stand mixer!! My mom bought me a black one as an engagement present, and it sits proudly on my counter top! I use mine at least once a week to make pizza dough, plus it’s great for making bigger batches of cookies, icing, dough, etc because of the large bowl. One accessory to get is the pouring shield for the bowl. Some models come with one, some don’t. It really makes a difference when you’re pouring flour or icing sugar into the bowl. The shield protects you and your countertop from all the “dust”.
I too LURVE my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. She is red and named Chloe. (Someday I hope to have a black, white and red kitchen). She is amazing and can do things with ease without having me to babysit her. Kneading homemade dough? Check. Mashing root vegetables? Check. Making Frosting-Check. She can do things while I am doing other things like cleaning up. (I dont need to hold it or babysit her like other applicances). I too, have limited counterspace, and while she is quite heavy to lug in and out of the closet, everytime I am happy I did.
I heart Chloe, I just might have to make her a Valentine while I make Valentines cookies this weekend.
It whips cream and egg whites in about half the time of a hand mixer and you can walk away while it’s doing it. I also have one gingerbread cookie recipe that I adore, but literally burned the motor out of 3 different hand mixers. It’s power can’t be beat (no pun intended).
I use the ice cream maker attachment and the meat grinder attachment. Believe me when I say that meat ground yourself is infinitely superior than what is found in the supermarket. Plus you can make ground chicken, ground turkey, ground pork, ground lamb, or ground anything. And home-made ice cream? I’m sure I don’t have to explain that!
I have one - it is VERY handy for making or mixing or any of those other tasks.
However, keep your eye out for a lightly used one. You can usually get those for a steal off Craigslist.
Agree with everyone - it is AMAZING. One of my top three favourite wedding presents. You can put stuff in it and walk away - very fantastic when baking and making multiple things.
And I have the pasta attachment - it’s awesome!
That and a food processor are my favourite kitchen tools. Mine is the silver colour as I didn’t want to commit to a colour and then hate it later.
It is AWESOME and you will LOVE it. Seriously. Awesomeness.
I’m so excited that I have this on my registry, but wouldn’t have if I didn’t bake much. I chose red!
If you like to bake, this is a must have. I received this from my grandmother for my bridal shower and it has changed the way that I bake. It has saved me so much time by allowing me to do other things while its mixing and the mixer creates a very evenly mixed batter that it much harder to create with a hand mixer.
I have to echo all the comments. If you bake anything, it’s a must. Everything comes out smoother, creamier, and it’s a breeze to use. Makes multi-tasking in the kitchen effortless. My fiance is the one who wants it– he’s the baker. So naturally it was the first item on our registry!
ABSOLUTELY….I am not much of a baker, but for the times when I do dabble in it, this makes life so much easier. I also use it for mashed potatoes, pancakes, etc. As for how it compares to other brands I can’t say for certain, but what I can tell you is that mine was passed down to us from my FMIL who upgraded when she had her kitchen redone. Its over a decade old (I honestly don’t know what, if any, difference there is between the one we have and the new models) and it works perfectly. So you should just consider it an investment.
If you have one, it is a necessity and you will never want to go back to a hand-mixer. If you don’t have one, you won’t know what you’re missing. It does a great job with anything you use it for. There’s a reason it is the number one item on registries!
its worth it if you cook alot from scratch or bake a lot, which I do! and I got red! I love it!
its nice to be able to set it up, turn it on and let it do its thing while I work on another part instead of having to stand there and hold the stupid thing while my arm goes numb.
I have to say it was one of those things I didn’t think twice about putting on my registry…BUT…I’ve only used it once and I got it in July. I do bake a lot, but I don’t have the counter space to keep it out, so it’s just too heavy for me to lug around. I just use my hand mixer, but maybe it will change once we move somewhere with more counter space.
Oh, and I do have to say that one day I was making a red velvet cake and I should have pulled this bad boy out because the next morning I woke up an my wrist was SO sore from holding the hand mixer for so long.
I’ve definitely been making more baked goods since getting the stand mixer - breads especially are a snap to make with the dough hook. I’m not really that into baking but I find myself doing it more because of the Mixer… the cleanup is easy. Admittedly, it’s more of a fashion statement than anything though… BUT if you’re really into baking, it’s for sure a must-have!
I am going to disagree with the other posters on this one. I bake regularly and I’ve had a Kitchenaid stand mixer for over 10 years. I bake mostly cookies, pies and cakes (no bread), so my opinion is based on that type of use case. The stand mixer is heavy and takes up quite a bit of space on the counter. Last year, in an attempt to de-clutter, I moved the mixer to storage. I thought I would miss it, but my Kitchenaid hand mixer performs all my required tasks quite well. My food processor or blender does the rest.
i bake fairly often and i love mine. i broke my mom’s old hand/stand mixer with some gingerbread cookie dough and haven’t looked back since replacing it with the kitchenaid. i use it a lot and it does make mixing doughs and batter that much easier.
however, if you don’t bake that often, i don’t see why you’d need a heavy duty mixer like a kitchenaid. my friend has a sunbeam that she loves [it looks similar to the kitchenaid but is much more affordable]. if it’s the ‘kitchenaid’ name you want, i hear good things about their hand mixers as well. which i think i may get for my smaller batches of stuff.
kitchenaid is just an iconic thing for a registry that people feel like it’s the thing to do, but if you’re not really going to use it then i wouldn’t bother putting it on. it is heavy and while i don’t have to pull it out of storage, it is kind of cumbersome to just move around on the counter!
in fact, i might not even put one on the registry because i don’t want to wait around and hope someone buys it for me. lol. i’ll just save my money and buy it myself.
If you love to bake, and you bake often, then it is worth having an awesome mixer. If you know you do not bake that often then do not register for it. Register things that will be useful for what you love to do!
I have had mine for about 4 years now, and it still the best gift I’ve ever received. However, I bake A LOT! Not just around the holidays, but at least once or twice a week. I use it for everything. I actually feel bad because I added a hand mixer to my registry and haven’t used it once yet. (Been married since September)
As for the ravioli attachment, I might suggest getting the 3-set pasta attachment (flat, spaghettii cutter, and linguine cutter) and skip the ravioli attachment. Just roll out 2 sheets of pasta with the flat roller. Lay out one, add tsp of filling every 1 1/2 to 2 inches, wet the pasta with a pastry brush where the seams will be, cover with second sheet of pasta, and use a pasta cutter (fluted or strait) to cut out the ravioli. I think the attachments add so much value to the mixer, but too many are just hard to store and keep clean. Just my two cents.
But get the mixer!
It really depends on your lifestyle and how you seriously anticipate it changing in the next couple of years.
My feeling is that if you are hesitating, you are comfortable with what you use currently. There’s no reason to register for something you aren’t certain about - its not so ridiculously expensive that you can’t buy it for yourself later if you decide you want it.
(I’m saying this while loving on mine - but it takes tons of my EXTREMELY limited counter space and it so heavy I would never pull it in and out of storage. But I bake 2-3x weekly, make pizza dough at least once a week, grate and slice cheese and potatoes - I probably use it at least 4 or 5 times a week. But I did all that before too - I bought the stand mixer AFTER my life changed to a point where I would be using it all the time and instead was using items that didn’t work as well or conveniently at the frequency I was using them.)
I absolutely adore my stand mixer. I first got it six years ago when I graduated from college. It has survived seven moves, and it’s still kicking. The quality and durability is undeniable. I have zero (not exaggerating) counter space in my NYC apartment, so I keep it under the sink and it is admittedly a bit heavy to put up onto my little dining table. That said, the ten seconds of heavy lifting sure beats holding a hand mixer for ten minutes!
It is *way* more powerful than hand mixers, but the truth is that if a hand mixer meets your needs, and you don’t anticipate your needs changing, it is not a necessity. I don’t have any of the attachments (space issues), but if we move before we get married, I will register for a few!
Oh I am SO going against the grain here…but I AM a baker, so please take my word for this.
I should point out that I already had a stand mixer.
It was my grandmothers from the ’80s and worked perfectly well…but I insisted that I HAD to have the KitchenAid. And now that I have it, truth be told, I don’t like it.
My issue with the KitchenAid is that to get your dry ingredients into the bowl (and even some wet ingredients) you have to basically try and aim to fit it between the side of the bowl and the top of the mixer. I have yet to do this without getting ingredients all over the mixer. And even more annoying is that the ingredients that land on top of the mixer attachment don’t get incorporated.
Just watch Ina Garten any time she makes anything in her mixer on her show, Barefoot Contessa. The stuff goes everywhere! She even jokes about how she is making a mess.
While I whole-heartedly recommend a stand mixer, there are others out there that do not present this issue and work just as well as the all-coveted KitchenAid…they just don’t have as good of a marketing strategy.
So there you go…that’s my opinion on that. Best of luck whichever route you go.
Mr. HC and I love ours. That’s right: plural. He has one in his current apartment, and I have one in mine. If he had it his way, we’d register for another one so that when we move into our new place, we can have three! LOL. He uses his for everything, from making batter to beating eggs to making ice cream.
Mine is black, and it’s the best thing I own. I got it for a birthday gift a couple of years before we got engaged, and I use it for EVERYTHING.
I make all sorts of things from scratch that I never made with other mixers because they either weren’t powerful enough or would’ve taken too long, and they’re all so much better homemade! I make marshmallows, homemade icing, all my own sauces, appetizers, soups, etc.
If you like to bake or cook at all, I’d say it’s worth having!
Drunk dialing the registry… now that’s funny. I say just leave it on the registry. I am planning to get one too!
Mine is red.
I love it. it has such a gentle whirl sound, it is quiet, easy to use!
I don’t just use it for desserts- I make bread with it.
If you decide not to get this brand. it is ok. I think the CuisineArt blender got better reviews- but it isn’t as solid and sturdy in my opinion.
I wanted a cake mixer because i have carpal tunnel in my wrist, and as much as I have been trying to make healthy homemade items, I needed a mixer to help me with the mixin’!
I have a shiny red mixer and it is really nice for baking compared to a hand mixer. Then again, my hand mixer seems to have 2 speeds:off and warp speed that sprays flour everywhere. I have a small galley kitchen and constantly am moving things around to make space so my mixer is a cabinet below my counter. It is heavy but not terrible- although bribing my fiance with cookies usually gets the mixer out like magic
I think it is worth it and you can use it for things other than baking…like making fluffy omlettes or whipped cream or ice cream (if you get the attachment)
My fiance uses it much more than I do but it is gettting used weekly. It does take up counter space but get a pretty color and it doubles as decoration!
I absolutely love my KitchenAid. I use it mostly for baking; it really has power for creaming butter/sugar that a hand mixer doesn’t. As a bonus, you can move around the kitchen while it’s working.
I had the meat grinder attachment, and hated it. I’ve switched to grinding meat in the food processor. I would love to have the pasta roller, but no-one’s bought it for me yet (the mixer was a birthday present several years ago).
Mine is mint green (so retro).
Oy! Let me just say that after being surprised with a pure white classic plus kitchenaid stand mixer the day AFTER baking 30 dozen cookies with my cruddy old hand mixer, I will never again take for granted just how hard it is to do things without it! Now I look for reasons to use the mixer!
It’s especially nice when you need to whisk something for a certain amount of time, it leaves your hands free to prepare the next ingredients!
LOVE. IT.
I used to make merringue using a hand mixer, it’s so much easier now that I have a stand mixer, having a stand mixer also makes it a lot easier to multi-task since you can walk away while the machine continues to stir for you. I have extra bowls and the spatula blade (which is not made by kitchenaid) which also helps cause you can make more than one thing at once (and the spatula gets the bowl very clean). Also, these mixers last forever, my friend’s mother still has the one she got as a wedding present 37 years ago.
I have one in pink, and I LOVE it. I’m also short on counter space, so I bought an inexpensive rolling microwave cart w/pull out basket drawers from Target to keep it on. It works out great for me & I think it has been well worth the money spent!
They’re awesome if you’re serious about baking. If not, it’s perhaps not worth the expense/footprint.
Something that people don’t mention though is that you should look into models aside from the Artisan (the pretty colors one).
Both the 500 and 600 professional series are favored by serious cooks. There are some differences (bowl lift vs. tilt head) such that it’s absolutely worth looking into which model is best for you.
I absolutely love my Kitchenaid - I only have the basic attachments, but it makes cooking so much easier! A few weeks ago I made the lightest, creamiest mashed potatoes ever with the mixer, and this past weekend I made some chocolate chip cookies laden with extra chips that were perfectly mixed. (Cookie dough can be tough to mix properly since it’s so thick and stiff.) I’ve also made cheesecakes, biscuits, cakes, whipped toppings, etc. I don’t use it every week, but it’s nice to have for those magical culinary moments. I keep mine on a shelf in the kitchen when I’m not using it - just remember to lift with your knees when your setting it on the counter! The mixer was a must-have for me!
Then again, I also come from a family where having a Kitchenaid was de riguer, so maybe I’m just brainwashed.
LOL @ drunk dialing the registry! and I chose Apple Green
I LOVE MY MIXER. My fiance and I both have one (yes that is correct we are a household with two mixers). His is the model where the bowl is suspended between two arms and mine locks into the base and the head tilts. We use our mixers for everything. I have a few attachments (yay for food slicer thingy and the pasta roller) but we even bought an extra bowl for each one so that you can mix multiple things in one night without having to stop and clean the bowl. I probably use mine every time I cook. GET THE MIXER. Mine is in black and his is in steel gray.
I use it to make everything from baking to a perfect chicken salad! And I have yet to find another gadget that can make meringue or whip cream better. We use it to make dips too! But my favorite attachment is the ice cream bowl! It makes delicious homemade ice cream so much easier and faster! Plus we don’t have to store all the other gadgets we would need if we didn’t have the mixers.
I am a fanatic. I know
They make an attachment that you just set atop the bowl and all your ingredients will go in with out flying about!
I totally covet a Kitchenaid, but can’t afford it. My mom has had hers for over 30 years, and it still works like new, so I definitely think they are a good investment, but right now, i don’t have a stand mixer, and most of the time I don’t miss it — That is until I go to do some real baking. Dough of any kind is extremely difficult to do with a hand mixer, and having a stand mixer really makes a big difference, — but I don’t bake so often, so while I want a Kitchenaid, I don’t actually NEED it — so the question is how much baking do you plan to do in the future?
I want the bread hook! So badly! The only bread available where I live is white, over-processed crap, so I bake my loafs fresh every other week. It’s not that hard, but MAN is it so much easier with a kitchenaid! I’m using a food processor to knead it right now, but it really doesn’t do the kneading all the way through. I really really really want a kitchenaid. 
I’ll trade you some fresh sourdough bread!
Thank you so much for all of your feedback! I am a big baker, and love to cook. Silly, but I didn’t even consider the fact that a hand mixer would allow me to do other things, which sounds amazing. I always groan when I have to cream butter. I had no idea this thing could mash potatoes… I am totally sold!!!
The Kitchenaid mixer is the only thing I care about on my registry. My mom has had hers for 30 years and it still works wonderfully. I’m excited to do more baking. My fiance is excited about the bread hook as he enjoys making bread. I want the blue one in the picture!
I’m not registering until March, but this is the FIRST thing I am registering for. I love to bake though, so I feel it’s a necessity for my future baking skills! I tried to make gingerbread over Xmas, and it was too “hard” to pull a hand mixer around.
I fully intend to make good use of it once it’s in my possession though!
Oh. Man. <3 mine. Got it when Welcome Wagon sent me a coupon, and recently got the grinder attachment after much debate. Ditto on everyone else’s reasons for loving their mixers, and I’m really enjoying the grinder. Once we tire of fabulous meatball-making, might go for the pasta plates to put something under those fabulous meatballs.
I keep mine under the counter, next to the pots, since, though it’s heavy, it’s not so heavy that I can’t carry it over to the outlet (we have 1) in the kitchen when I need it, since counter space is also a premium in our house. Little bit of a pain (also, remember to lock the top when lifting), but it also lets the fiance know when I’m very much baking, don’t bother me unless it’s to clean the bowl.
OH MY GOSH. You must get it. For years my mom had the same standing mixer and it would take me 20 min to get a really good mix. I gave her one for Christmas and we couldn’t believe how it mixed in like a minute and we didn’t even have to touch it or keep scraping the crap on the side of the bowl. The only sad thing is it is so quick you feel like you want to cook something else so you can use it again!!!
I bought a Bread Maker machine at a garage sale for $5. One of it’s functions? It mixes doughs. Since I have my hand mixer as well, I just don’t feel I need a stand mixer. I’d rather register for other pricey items (like my Calphalon knife set) that I know I’ll use everyday.
But it is true…if you don’t get it for your wedding you prolly will never get one!
We put one on our registry for the heck of it, and we ended out getting it from our aunt. It’s FABULOUS! If you are into baking or really anything else, it is a miracle worker. Your cookie dough never tasted so good! I’d say throw it on there. Even if you don’t use it that often, the times that you do won’t be regreted!
I don’t have my own, but I used my mom’s white one countless times growing up! I love the durability, and the fact that you can walk away and leave it mixing (not possible with a hand mixer). In addition they last forever. My grandmother had one for about 40 years and it still worked when she passed away! I know they are expensive, but I think they are worth it. A machine that can last say (at least 30 years) that’s only $10 a year!
We have some of the extensions. I especially love the slicer/shredder attachment! It’s great for making zucchini bread!
Oh, and I forgot to mention, my mom keeps hers down on a low shelf of the baker’s pantry, and though it is heavy, it’s not a pain to put on the counter when you need it. Just make sure the top of it is locked so it doesn’t swing up when you pick it up! (I’ve def. done that more than once!
You will love it! I love to bake, and I will definitely put this on my list. I noticed that one person commented about having difficulty adding ingredients. When you stop the mixer, you lift the top to add larger items. I haven’t noticed my mom’s to cause any unusual mess. Just the typical… Whoops I added too much flour!
it’s the best tool i have in the kitchen! i love it. i bought it for myself 5 years ago and still am very happy with it.
I just recently bought a stand mixer for myself and it is by far my favourite item in my whole apartment. I have a teeny kitchen and it still has a permanent home on my counter for everyone too see. If you are blessed with receiving one, you may want to track yourself down a pouring shield afterwards (if the mixer you receive doesn’t have one). It makes things a lot easier and less messy when making something with lots of flour or multiple ingredients.
I also have a KitchenAid hand mixer, and the stand mixer is still my favourite.
Also my FSIL went registry hunting last Saturday with her fiance, ( who wasn’t half asleep) and left after he had registered them for an Xbox 360, PS3, Blueray Player, and two sets of Bose headphones (one on ear, one over ear)!
I just mashed potatoes with mine over the weekend! I have the artisan mixer in ice blue - we special ordered at bed bath since they didn’t have the color but we DID get the 20% off deal plus an additional 40 dollar rebate that they had going on! It’s so pretty and truly versatile (I have made things ranging from cookies, to meatball, to artichoke dip!). We don’t have a lot of countertop space either (one bedroom apt) but it is so worth it!
@lyndsay: Oh I know there’s an attachment…it came with mine. But who wants to get another component dirty?
I should say that it seems like the vast majority of commenters on this post are saying that a stand mixer is better than a hand-held which I absolutely, positively, 100% agree with. However, I think that there are other stand mixers out there that have better features than the KitchenAid; albeit few that are as pretty
Additionally, in case anyone else cares about my anti-KitchenAid stand mixer stance…I should mention that with my old mixer you could stick a spatula in it to scrape the sides down while it was running. Ever try THAT with a KitchenAid?? You’ll break your spatula and maybe even a finger trying.
Good Lord, I love this mixer. My mom got one while I was in high school and I have been talking about how much I wanted one ever since, hoping at every big holiday (2 graduations, mostly). This Christmas, my bf got me one and it is the.best.thing.ever.
Hand mixers don’t mix flour very well in floury mixes like cookies, etc - anything too thick burns out the motor. Plus, these stand mixers esp. require almost *no* scraping the sides, and don’t require you to add the ingredients in any specific order! HEAVEN.
Gosh I just love mine so much, even though it takes up a hunk of our tiny apartment. I highly recommend it.
I’ve had my mixer for 7 years and I absolutely adore it. (It’s purple I’m very serious about baking, so I actually do need one. Not only do I bake frequently, but I make things that are difficult to make without a stand mixer (meringues a real bitch without one!)
If you bake less than once a month and/or if you don’t make complicated items and only simpler ones (cookies, brownies, muffins), then it’s really not worth the money and counter space. You can get a $20 hand mixer that will more than suffice and will save you lots of money and counter space
I always wondered the same thing. Mr Breezy didn’t let me get one citing the ‘no storage space’ issue but maybe I will start picketing for one.
I’m sure you have heard it all at this point in the comments, but I still thought I would share my 2 cents. My mom has had one for about 15+ years and we use it a ton!!! Even though it is fairly old it still looks and performs like it’s brand new!! I can’t ever remember her having any problems with it either!! Based on that fact alone I think it is more then worth investing in one, especially if you bake a lot. I think you will absolutely fall in LOVE with it!!!
NOT WORTH IT!!!!
I had a Sunbeam Mixmaster for years, but eventually gave it to my dad when his broke down, because I had limited counter space and my hand mixer was working just fine. I’ve been stand-mixer-free for three years now and I won’t be going back to a stand mixer until I have my own house with a special spot on the counter. And then I’m not getting a kitchenaid, because they are seriously entirely about status and not about function. My dad’s sunbeam lasted 30 years, and the Sunbeam is only $100. (Oh, also I hate the single beater mixer.) Plus, you aren’t ever gonna use those attachments. If you don’t make your own sausages, ravioli, or ice cream now, you won’t just because you have the accessory that will do it.
A stand mixer is only necessary if you make bread, marshmallows, or massive batches of cookies. Otherwise, it is pure decoration.
My friends who cannot store their kitchenaids on their counters absolutely despise them because they are SO heavy.
At least go to the store and try to lift one before you register for it. And then measure it to make sure that it will fit in your cabinet.
I think it depends a lot on how much you’d use it. I love to bake, and make all the cakes for special events in my family - birthdays, showers, even made my niece’s wedding cake - and I make icing from scratch. So for me, even if I only used it for the icing, it would be well worth the price.
EDB is totally on the mark about measuring the mixer to make sure it will fit in your cabinets. I made that mistake with a spice rack that I ended up exchanging three times because I kept getting ones that were too tall to fit under my cabinets.
I bake a lot, but have never come across a situation my hand mixer couldn’t handle. I even own a stand mixer that has never been out of the box (our kitchen is tiny with NO counter space). One of these days I’ll drag it out just to see what all the fuss is about, but frankly I’m a bit skeptical that the improvement will be worth all the counter space….
I love my stand mixer, I have had it for about 5 years and I use mine about once a week. I grew up around the Kitchenaid Mixers though and can’t imagine baking without one. They are great for icings and bread too! The attachments I can’t live without are the grating attachment (so great when you need to grate a lot of cheese) and the meat grinder (but I like to make my own ground beef and such, you never can be sure what you’re buying). I would advise getting one. I have mine in black as I have a lot of silver and black appliances.
This post is blasphemy and I will not have you questioning the Holy Grail that is my Kitchenaid.
@Mrs. Avocado: LOL! You are too funny. I am definitely convinced after 100+ testimonials!
[...] that I don’t know? Why is a Le Creuset dutch oven considered a holy grail? I thought the Kitchenaid was [...]
[...] that I don’t know? Why is a Le Creuset Dutch oven considered the Holy Grail? I thought the KitchenAid was [...]
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Mrs. Taffy, Ann Arbor
Age and Occupation: 28, Color and Materials Designer
Fiance's Age and Occupation: 29, Automotive Designer
Engagement Date: May 9, 2008
Wedding Date: May 2009
Blogging Since: September 14, 2008
Venue: University of Michigan Union
About Me: I’m a girl who is crazy about Mr. Taffy, sewing, dancing, almost all types of sweets, and our cute pet canaries. I dislike touching fuzzy fabric of any kind, eating somewhat squishy food, and Michigan winters. Mr. Taffy and I are having a blast planning our Ann Arbor wedding, and cannot wait to share our day with friends and family.
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