Review of the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 Quart Mixer

The best appliance in my kitchen has to be my KitchenAid Artisan Series Stand Mixer. I was skeptical when I first bought the mixer. It is a pricey item that costs usually around $250. Most people associate these types of mixers for baking uses only, such as mixing cake mix, making icings, or kneading bread dough. While these are all good uses for the KitchenAid Artisan Mixer, the machine is capable of a whole lot more and is well worth it.

The first thing that you will notice about the machine is that it is durable. It has a solid construction as well as a 5 quart stainless steel mixing bowl. Because the product weighs in at over 25 lbs., it is not the sort of item that you want to put away after each use. It is much better suited to devote a dedicated square foot of counter space for it to occupy at all times. The mixer now comes in a variety of traditional colors including chrome, white, onyx black, and empire red, as well as non-traditional colors like tangerine, pistachio, pink, and lavender. It has 325 watts of mixing power with 10 speeds to tackle just about any job. The removable bowel and tilt back head make cleaning easy after each use.

The mixer comes with three standard beaters: the flat beater, the wire whisk, and the dough hook. The flat beater is perfect for cake mixes or even mixing your favorite meatloaf ingredients. The wire whisk can be used to make homemade whipped cream or mayonnaise. The dough hook does just what its name implies: kneads bread, cookie, or other doughy substances.

This mixer has a double personality though. Besides being a baker's dream, it also has a variety of attachments that are sold separately that turn this appliance into the most functional thing in your kitchen. It will virtually eliminate 3 or 4 other appliances in your kitchen while still only taking up that same 1 square foot of space.

The first attachment that is useful to every household is the can opener attachment. This turns your mixer into a powerful electric can opener, a tool that no household can be without. The second is a food grinder attachment. While this attachment may not be the sort of thing that you use everyday, it is extremely helpful in making things like ham and turkey salad from leftovers during the holidays. It replaces the old hand grinders that some of us are still holding on to, and it won't scratch your counter either! The ice cream maker attachment is usually the kid's favorite. You can turn it into a homemade ice cream factory that will produce the best sorbet and ice cream you will taste with no preservatives! My personal favorite of the machine is the pasta maker attachment. It allows even a novice to make 4 different kinds of pasta: macaroni for wonderful mac and cheese recipes, lasagna noodles for meaty lasagna dishes, spaghetti for a classic Italian meal, or egg noodles that can be used in soups or in tuna noodle casserole. Other attachments include the citrus juicer that produces wonderful fresh squeezed juices and the grain mill attachment that allows you to make your own flour.

If you still doubt the usefulness of the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, there are even entire cookbooks to prove its popularity and functionality. "The Mixer Bible: Over 300 Recipes for Your Stand Mixer" by Meredith Deeds and Carla Snyder is an excellent example of one that will inspire you to put the wonderful appliance to use over and over again. I am sure with time and some experimentation, you will grow to love this stand mixer as much as I do.