Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

I mean, what can you say about KitchenAid products, except great things? I've put off buying this mixer for almost two years. Something else always got in the way. Since my birthday is coming up, I decided to treat myself. Let me cover the "used" status of this, that I specifically purchased. "Used" items on Amazon are often simply returned items that, often times, have never been used. The description in the used areas will tell you that either the item might have a blemish, or that it's simply the packaging that's been damaged. The latter was the one I chose. The item looks like it never came out of the box. I think someone opened it, saw it wasn't their color, taped it back up, and returned it. All of the attachments were still in the styro-foam just as they were originally packed. The box had a slight indention on one side, and one corner on the top was slightly mashed in. And I do mean slightly. Every piece of paper work was in it (the recipe book, the whisk-not-dishwasher warning tag, the registration paper). It pays to go to the Used section on an item, and find a return. I paid only $217 instead of $279 for it. I also recommend paying for the SqpareTrade warranty. It was $17 for 2 years. The Imperial Black (and Gray) are not a high gloss finish. They're a matte metal finish, with a slight texture to them (much like the surface of a lemon or lime). They still marry nicely with modern, contemporary, or traditional kitchens. They grey would be nice ina country kitchen with a lot off white, or other pastel colors. The mixers are such a major eye-draw in any kitchen and, in my opinion, the Imperial colors blend in nicely with any kitchen, yet add a bit of softness to an otherwise hard-edged room. The mixer actually isn't as big as I thought it'd be, but it's still heavy duty, and solid as a rock. I'd recommend the Artisan series, instead of Artisan Deluxe. They come with the same attachments (although the pour shield might vary). However, the Artisan series come with the metal bowl. The Deluxe comes with the glass bowl. Both are 5-QT. The glass bowl, while nice, is heavier, and there's always a risk of it breaking. Metal all the way. It's a nice touch of bling to any mixer color. I could not be happier with my purchase.