Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Chat

Join the discussion and chat with other Mumsnetters about everyday life, relationships and parenting.

Original poster

Kitchen aids….wtf?!

114 replies

ThePenIsBlue · 16/10/2022 22:13

Have a glut of vouchers I’ve been saving to buy a kitchen aid. / stand mixer type thing. Went on kitchen aid website and became utterly overwhelmed at all the different models. what the heck?! I just assumed there was one kitchen aid. Various colours. Now it looks as though I could either spend nearly £800 or a mere £350.
please can someone in the know explain the difference? I am tearing my hair out.

OP posts:
hennaoj · 16/10/2022 22:31

Artisan is the normal house hold model, get one of those. I have one and it's great.

MangeTrout · 16/10/2022 22:31

I've been in this position so many times when looking at various purchases.

My top tip is to have a trip to John Lewis where you can look at the various models and ask a salesperson/rep to explain the different features.

Itisbetter · 16/10/2022 22:33

I agree get the artisan and just enjoy it.

GrazingSheep · 16/10/2022 22:35

We have the mini
Its great

AlwaysLatte · 16/10/2022 22:36

I use a compact Kenwood mixer and electric hand mixer. V happy and saved silly amounts of money.

Original poster
ThePenIsBlue · 16/10/2022 22:49

AlwaysLatte · 16/10/2022 22:36

I use a compact Kenwood mixer and electric hand mixer. V happy and saved silly amounts of money.

That’s great. I’ve done that for the last 20 years, and have been saving up my John Lewis vouchers for this, and want to spend silly amounts of money so I don’t have to stand and make meringue with a handheld mixer. So sue me.

OP posts:
Original poster
ThePenIsBlue · 16/10/2022 22:50

Thanks both - the artisan was what I thought was the “standard” model. Looks like that’s about right 👍🏻

OP posts:
SpaghettiSquash · 16/10/2022 22:55

Save your money. I wanted a kitchen aid for years. I've finally got one and I hate it. I wish I hadn't got rid of my cheap stand mixer now!

VenusClapTrap · 16/10/2022 22:58

I considered buying one and had the same problem. So I didn’t. But I’d still quite like one.

Joolsin · 16/10/2022 22:59

Agreeing that Artisan is what you want. I got mine in a Selfridges sale about 15 years ago and still love it to bits. Your biggest challenge will be which colour to choose!!!

DramaAlpaca · 16/10/2022 23:02

You need the Artisan. They are beautiful, functional and you won't regret it.

vera99 · 16/10/2022 23:13

Pistachio Artisan a work horse and a work of art.

Quitelikeacatslife · 16/10/2022 23:13

I've had an artisan for years and it still looks amazing . I made cakes professionally for a while and it was fab. One thing I'd recommend is a scraper beater like this
To reach to the bottom of the bowl

4.5-5 QT Flex Edge Beater for KitchenAid Tilt-Head Stand Mixer,Compatible with KitchenAid 4.5-5 QT Bowl-Lift Stand Mixers,Flat Beater Bowl Scraper with Silicone Edges,Useful Mixer Attachment amzn.eu/d/ikWIq8O

PriamFarrl · 16/10/2022 23:16

You can buy the classic. It’s exactly the same as the artisan, but white.

www.hartsofstur.com/kitchenaid-classic-mixer.html

Keroppi · 16/10/2022 23:17

I've been using my hand me down kenwood chef for donkey's years! I've always said after it dies I will get a kitchenaid artisan. It won't die 😭 It's very easy to mend, too, if something does go wrong.

SlowlyWakingSilently · 16/10/2022 23:52

Is this an advert for KitchenAid? As I just went onto the website, and there is little chance of being unable to discern the differences between the models.

The huge discrepancy in price is the first indicator.
Enjoy your mixer

LBOCS2 · 17/10/2022 00:27

Get the artisan. See if you can find somewhere that will add in the glass bowl too (I think Harts of Stur used to?). Get the beater with the silicone edge.

Make cake. Enjoy.

smooththecat · 17/10/2022 00:30

What does it do? Is it only for people who bake?

BarbaraofSeville · 17/10/2022 04:00

Is there a chart to compare the features of the different models?

I use these to decide what features I want and then pick the cheapest one that has everything I need.

I'd also look around at different retailers as sometimes the price can vary massively and counterintuitively its often cheaper to buy from a third party than direct.

Hyvsvaar · 17/10/2022 04:05

Had my artisan for 19 years and it’s used several times a week. I have the glass bowl with plastic lid for proving bread and the ice cream bowl
don’t have any fancy attachments like grinders etc

Never had any problems and would recommend

MidnightConstellation · 17/10/2022 04:30

smooththecat · 17/10/2022 00:30

What does it do? Is it only for people who bake?

I wonder this. They look so beautiful I really covet one but I don’t bake much. I would like to know what they can do.

MrsTerryPratchett · 17/10/2022 04:33

It is the most useful for baking. I got a floor model for very cheap. It will still be here long after I'm dead!

Tanktanktank · 17/10/2022 04:34

Keroppi · 16/10/2022 23:17

I've been using my hand me down kenwood chef for donkey's years! I've always said after it dies I will get a kitchenaid artisan. It won't die 😭 It's very easy to mend, too, if something does go wrong.

Lol, I’ve got my mums, I’m 57, she got it when I was 10, she gave it to me when she got a new one, I think her new one is plastic tat, the only down side is it’s kept in a cupboard when not being used and I wonder for how much longer will I be able to lug it onto the work surface,

TheTeenageYears · 17/10/2022 04:43

I had one (artisan) but it just makes such a mess. The splash shield does absolutely nothing. I now have a a fairly basic Bosch which has a much more comprehensive splash cover and can even use a bit of cling film to cover the very small opening so there's absolutely no mess on the machine & work top. I will at some point upgrade to a more powerful model - I just didn't want to invest too much before knowing it solved the thing I hated most about the Kitchen aid. It's light but has suckers on the bottom so doesn't move around. Also means it can be moved around more easily than the Kitchen aid which is very heavy. Kitchen aid's are a thing of beauty though.

Happyhappyday · 17/10/2022 04:53

I have the standard artisan and it’s fine. I’m a pretty heavy baker though and so big batches (50 cupcakes, 100 gingerbread cookies etc). Plus started baking proper bread either at high hydration or stiff (ie, brioche and croissants) and the standard one can’t really hack it. If you are a big baker and you have an obscene number of vouchers, I’d go big or go home and get the Pro Line 7. It has the bigger motor. The 5&6 are apparently decent upgrades but the 7 really gets you power and volume. Enjoy!