Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

i purchased this mixer about a year ago when it first came out. the mixer is very well built, and i really like the bowl lift feature. i work in a kitchen, and have been around hobart mixers large and small. im more used to using the hobarts than the kitchenaids, so let me give you a little comparison with the 12 quart we have at work. the kitchenaid is kind of loud...not terribly loud, and certainly quieter than all the other kitchenaid mixers on the market. still slightly on the loud side though. not a problem for me though. this mixer will mix large amounts of dough for extended periods of time. i've kneaded quadruple batches for 10+ minutes and the kitchenaid did it without breaking a sweat. where this mixer is most like a hobart is in this. it will turn that dough without any hint of motor lag. it just motors right through it. there's no drop in RPMs, nothing. it fits nicely under the cabinets above, and the red looks great against the cherry cabinets. the finish does not scratch easily, and is very easy to clean. the dough hook works a lot better than the older style dough hook. the bowl is very nicely made of thick steel. my only issue with that is that i'd have liked if they included the open handle bowl with the machine. as it stands the bowl is not able to be stacked easily, due to the full D shaped handle. overall i've had a fantastic experience with this mixer. i feel like it cannot be beat for the price. it's nowhere near as much as a tank as the hobart N50, but that mixer is also for commercial kitchens, and costs 2000 dollars vs. the kitchenaids under 600. in my opinion this is the best mixer you can buy for the money anywhere. it is leaps and bounds better than the 5qt and pro 600 mixers, which dont, or didn't have metal gearing, as well as have a tendency to overheat when doing large batches of dough. this mixer will take anything you can throw at it and will not lug at all. it's a great design by kitchenaid.