Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I had wanted the Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer for years. After going through several other mixers, I became convinced that Kitchen Aid was clearly a leader in its field. My father, who was a chef and restaurant owner, always used Kitchen Aid in his restaurants and at home. I embarked on the research about which model was going to be best for my kitchen. At first, I was very attracted to the Artisan Series, liking the looks and color choices available. But I discovered this series featured a smaller motor (375-425 watt) and bowl capacity. After discussing this with a couple of chef's I know, I came away determined to buy the 5 Plus 5. With its larger 450 watt motor and deeper larger 5 quart mixing bowl, I knew it could stand up to the heavy use it got in my kitchen. When it arrived, I unpacked it and after reading the instruction book thoroughly, set it up in literally seconds. This is a very big small appliance. I fortunately, have huge counter space, so I set it up under the cabinets within reach. For anyone having limited counter space or limited use for this model, a smaller machine might be a better choice. Performance: This is a real workhorse of a stand mixer. It whips egg whites and heavy cream quickly and easily. The balloon whisk is ideal for use with dishes which require that a lot of air be incorporated into the mixture you're creating. The spiral dough hook does a fantastic job with kneading doughs for breads, biscuits, pie crusts and rolls. This is a fairly quiet machine that doesn't rock or shake when working with larger batches of batter. The mixing paddle is perfect for blending cake batters, or whipping mashed potatoes, or one of a hundred cooking tasks requiring mixing. One irritant is that the bowl is so deep, that you have to stop the machine for mixing, to scrape up dry ingredients from the bottom of the bowl. Changing your different attachments is quick and easy. Simply turn, remove, and insert your next accessory. The bowl is stainless steel, making it ideal for chilling before beating egg whites or heavy cream or making a flaky pie crust. I simply chill my bowl and attachments in the freezer until ready to start. Cleanup is very easy. I hand wash my attachments and my bowl. They cleanup in literally seconds. The mixers exterior wipes up easily. I use a Clorox cleanup to wipe any spatters off and keep it looking shiny. Though at $319.00 this is an expensive stand mixer, it can quickly pay for itself in saved time and effort. So, if you are a serious cook who uses stand mixers on a weekly basis, I highly recommend the Kitchen Aid 5 Plus 5.