Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

The rollers stopped rolling, so I called Kitchen Aid who explained that they do not service these attachments and the warranty had expired (a warranty of merely one year for a piece of equipment made from several pounds of steel is frankly a bit suspicious). Know this: after 12 short months of use, no matter what happens to the product, your only option is to throw it away and buy a new one. With that understanding, I decided that there would be no harm in taking it apart to figure out what was wrong, and was SHOCKED by what I found... Not only is this product difficult to fix, but it is very clearly DESIGNED TO FAIL. While I know this to be an issue with cheap appliances and electronics of all varieties, I did not expect it to be an issue with Kitchen Aid, nor did I expect it in a one hundred dollar accessory made from several pounds of steel, brass, and aluminum. The issue is so substantial that I would be surprised if someone could even get it to last for a year using it just once a week. Furthermore, the issue is so obvious that I'm surprised it hasn't been investigated or that someone hasn't sued them. From the outside, the unit APPEARS to be constructed ENTIRELY of METAL. The weight of the unit makes it feel that way too. They even advertise that the rollers are made of stainless steel. And, in fact, inside the unit there seems to really be only ONE PIECE MADE OF PLASTIC--pretty much the one piece that you don't want made from plastic. The fitting that connects the metal rod that attaches to the mixer to the cylinder of the roller itself is a small plastic cap. This connection is going to be under more tension and stress than just about any other connection in the whole unit, and yet... it is the only one made from plastic! Whenever there is too much tension on the cylinder (due to natural variations in any dough this probably happens a fair amount) this will put extra stress on the plastic fitting, which will wear it down over time. Eventually it will become completely stripped, leaving you with no mechanical connection between the mixer and the roller. Now, let me explain why Kitchen Aid is entirely and inexcusably to blame for this design flaw of the product. Assuming the plastic piece is indeed intended to be a mechanical point of failure, that in and of itself does not necessarily indicate a poor design. In fact, the intentional use of such a point of failure could actually be a smart design element. This is because when the system cannot handle the forces being applied, inevitably something will fail. Therefore, by controlling the location of the failure, the designer protects the other, potentially more expensive, parts from failure. (I think this is roughly the same idea of how a bumper theoretically protects your car or a fuse protects your electrical system.) So, if it isn't necessarily an issue of the design, why is it uniquely Kitchen Aid's fault? Because they deny the customer access to the replacement part. The plastic piece itself cannot cost more than two cents to manufacture, while a new unit can cost over one hundred dollars! Most Kitchen Aid products are built in a factory in Ohio, but this product is built in Italy. While some may consider that aspect of the product's manufacture to be an encouraging even marketable factor, it would actually seem to be the crux of the issue, for it must be why this product (made almost completely of stainless steel, aluminum, and brass) cannot be serviced and why they don't sell replacement parts. The issue that I have is that if Kitchen Aid is not going to service the products or offer replacement parts, then selling a product with such a weak connection (which I argue is an INTENTIONAL POINT OF FAILURE) is downright unethical. And, frankly, if it is not a criminal business practice, then it should be. Furthermore, they ought to be held accountable for the ensuing disposal of so many of these units. Not only is it incomprehensibly wasteful, it is harmful to the environment, and the expense falls wholly upon taxpayers. I remind you- several pounds of steel, brass, and aluminum (and a few grams of plastic). I have high regard for Kitchen Aid, which is why I find this issue so alarming. I would probably still recommend other products they offer, but after inspecting the issues I have had with this product I WOULD ABSOLUTELY NEVER RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE.