Kenwood or KitchenAid

[PretLea]

I’m looking to splurge on a food mixer this season but I keep going back and forth between the KitchenAid Artisan or the Kenwood Chef. I need a food mixer for baking cakes, biscuit batter and kneading dough, almost every week but not in massive quantities. Just something simple and reliable - no need for too many attachments either.

Just trying to avoid spending money on something that is seemingly really popular, with rave reviews, but disappointing performance.

I have a Kenwood Kmix and it's great!

Thanks.
I'll give it another go.

I love my kenwood chef. I wouldn’t want to be lifting it ina me out of a cupboard though/ it lives on the worktop because it weighs a ton

We have Kenwood Chef, awesome machine, ours is probably 10 years old now, DH uses it a lot, for pizza dough. Really pleased with it. Kitchen Aid is more attractive but Kenwood is a workhorse. Good luck with whatever you decide.

I have both and agree with PP that Kitchenaid looks good on worktop but Kenwood is a workhorse.

Have had both. I would not buy the KitchenAid Artisan with the tilt head. I see that the UK now sells the larger bowl lift KA which has a stronger motor, but I was quite happy with my Chef in the UK. I don't see the equivalent of the American KA I have (which is a 5.6L model), only the bigger and very expensive 6.9L - so under those circumstances would go for the Chef.

The tilt-head KitchenAids look pretty but are known to be underpowered when kneading bread dough and some of the gearing is plastic.

I have both for my line of work and have to say the kitchen-aid is miles ahead, especially for smaller quantities. I bought the kenwood as it was available with a bigger bowl but find it doesn't mix things as well unless in massive quantities, it's also not as sturdy as the kitchen-aid.

Thanks everyone. @greenerfingers what do you do? Did you get the Chef?

Kitchenaid does well gif me-my dm had kenwood for years-to me they are alike -sorry no help 😂

I have my late mum’s Kenwood Chef - I think it’s as old as me. I’d never go for anything else.

@Mollymalone123 I think this is what I’m finding…

@paintitallover why do you say that? Any major issues with the Kenwood?

I've had my KitchenAid artisan longer than my teenager, It's been used at least twice a week and works as well today as when I bought it.

I've had my KAid for about 15 years - I bought it when my 17 YO was at pre-school and she helped me choose the colour as I said she could have it one day when she was a grown up. I've never had any issues with it, and it looks identical to the day I bought it. I believe you can adjust the height if you're having issues with it scraping everything up in the bowl when mixing. I grew up in the US, and a KA there was much like how Kenwood is viewed here - a workhorse handed down through generations.

I think it comes down to personal preference - I prefer how the KA looks, it's VERY heavy, so lives on the counter, but if you'd grown up with a Kenwood, I can see why you'd prefer to trust that brand.

I think there is some physics/mechanics reason to the difference in motor size between the two mixers not being as big a deal as it seems, but I can't pretend to understand or explain it.

Given everyone's responses, it sounds as though everyone is happy with their respective machines (save maybe the white discolouration), so it doesn't sound as though you'll be unhappy with whichever you choose.

@EmmaStone I agree, I’ve realised I’ll be happy with what I choose in the end. I think weight/space might be the defining factor.

I also read that somewhere regarding the motor sizes - that higher is not necessarily more powerful, because the two machines are build differently (expend energy using different mechanics).

@PretLea The first one stopped working after a year. The second one is ok but the lever can be sticky, making it hard to lift. I also prefer the attachments on the KAid.

But actually, for most stuff I use the Magimix anyway.

I’ve got a KitchenAid mini, and I bloody love it. Use it probably 3-5 times a week during term time and daily in the holidays (baking obsessed teacher!) I make everything from pancake batter, mashed potato, cakes, cookies, bread dough. We are a small family of three so I got the smallest one and it’s absolutely fine for what we need it for.

Kitchenaid's customer service is appalling if you ever have a problem or need a repair. Although I've loved my kitchenaid I would never buy from them again

Yes @Bubbles742 definitely something worth considering!

I love my Kenwood, but like seemingly everyone else here it's ancient (1980s though my mum's is 1960s and still going strong) so it's hard to know if they still meet thoe standards.

My mum had a Kenwood Chef for many years, I've just upgraded my 14 year old Kenwood Chef to a new shiny bigger Kenwood Chef Titanium. Love it. I looked at a kitchen aid but Kenwood won again for me.

Just came across this link and it’s seems useful.

@bakermummy21 the chef titanium is on the list (though the XL one) and it seems really good! Never really considered the other Kenwood ones because I just want something simple.

@PretLea yes I got both, the artisan and chef. I'm a baker and wedding cake maker so need to make large batches almost daily. The kitchen aid mixes batter far better, is quieter, more sturdy and generally better. The chef is larger, and that's really my only pro compared to the kitchen aid. If it's for home use a kitchen aid would do nicely and is more compact too, but if it's similar to me then a chef would be better as a kitchen aid can't mix huge batter and it's plastic guard is nowhere near as good as the chef for when you make icing, dough etc. I find the dough better from the kitchen aid too, just a shame they don't make larger bowls for the artisan or a cover that totally seals it.

Sounds like you can't go wrong either way? My mother still has and uses her kitchen aid which was wedding present in 1976z