The KitchenAid stand mixer has been around for almost 100 years and for good reason.  Its quality has been an asset to cooks and bakers across the world.

The Mixer’s History
The KitchenAid stand mixer was introduced in 1919 as alternative to large industrial mixers for small restaurant kitchens.  As its popularity increased, they their way into many American homes, becoming the machine we remember our grandmothers using.

While some people may purchase one of these stand mixers for sentimental reasons, it is its workhorse reputation that initially earned it a spot in my kitchen.  Built from cast iron and stainless steel, the KitchenAid mixer may be a bit too heavy for some to handle, but it is this durability that allows a mixer like this to become an heirloom.

KitchenAid has done quite a bit over the last few years to reinvigorate their stand mixer product line. Starting by expanding the color choices, KitchenAid has ensured that anyone can find a perfect match for their kitchen. The have also increased the versatility of the line by offering a variety of attachments to automate some of the more labor intensive kitchen processes.  They offer attachments that can grind meat, cut pasta, stuff sausage, make ice cream, mill grain, juice citrus fruit and open cans.  What strikes me about all of this is that the people who could benefit from these accessories the most are probably the same people that wouldn’t be able to move the 22 pound monster.

Keys to Performance
The KitchenAid stand mixer features a mixing mechanism located above the mixing bowl on a tilting head that contains the motor. The mixing mechanism can be fitted with various tools depending on the task at hand. A bread hook will quickly pull together a dough and save your arms the trouble of kneading, the wire whisk whips up egg whites into stiff peaks faster than you can separate the eggs and the flat beater can mix together even the stiffest of batters.

The key to the mixing ability of the KitchenAid mixer is the rotating action of the mixing mechanism.  As the arm moves clockwise around the bowl, the attached mixing tool spins in the opposite direction, hitting an amazing 67 points around the bowl! This efficiency virtually eliminates the need for you to scrape down the bowl.

KitchenAid offers bowls larger than the 5 quart the standard model comes with as an upgrade, but I think they should do something to increase the diameter at the top of the bowl.   As it stands, the top of the bowl is not much larger than the head of the machine, therefore it is very difficult to add ingredients while the head is down.

The stand mixers offer ten different speeds, but I think that may be a bit overkill as I rarely use more than 5.  Another nice thing about the mixer is the level of torque created by the motor allows very stiff batters to be mixed with ease, something that would be impossible to do with a hand mixer.

Once you’re through using the mixer clean-up is rather easy, if you’ve been careful.  The mixing tool and bowl come off easily to be thrown in the dishwasher.  The machine body itself is usually spotless, unless you are like me and get carried away with the higher speeds.  Should that happen though, a quick wipe-down with a wet cloth will do the trick.

Why I Love It
Obviously, I love the KitchenAid stand mixer and it earns the seal of approval as one of My Favorite Things. The thing though is that the KitchenAid stand mixer is so much more than a mixer. And I’m not talking about all of the great colors that allow you to make a statement in your kitchen or the various attachments.  I someday hope to pass my KitchenAid mixer down to my children and as reliable as it is, I know I will be able to do just that.