Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Remember when KitchenAid used to make great mixers (when they were owned by Hobart)? The kind that didn't have plastic and rubber parts inside? The kind that were passed down from grandparents to kids? They took a break from that and started producing lesser quality mixers in the 1990s. This mixer screams "old style craftsmanship". For starters, the all metal gear box means that you wont need to replace broken plastic gears in a year or two. Next is the noise level, its much quieter than my old 4.5qt (flip top model). A previous poster mentioned that the machine shakes, I made a big batch of bread (16 cups of flour) and the mixer didn't move a noticeable amount). The 1990s-2000s mixers had a silver ring around the part that moves. This is where oil would leak out and ruin your breads. This machine doesn't have that ring, the gear box is sealed! It also doesn't have the spring where you attach the parts (where my old one used to also leak oil). And the best part: All the parts that get dirty can go right into the dishwasher because they are stainless, not that white material! One thing to note: In the box is this weird shaped rectangle thing. Its not mentioned in the manual, so I called and found out that its a chute to add ingredients through the protective cage.