What is the most powerful KitchenAid stand mixer - What is the most popular color of KitchenAid mixer - What is difference between artisan and classic KitchenAid?

 A stand mixer is a kitchen's crowning beauty, and KitchenAid's stand mixers have been the industry standard for almost a century. They make quick work of chores like beating egg whites to soft or stiff peaks, converting cream into whipped cream, churning out large batches of cookies, and kneading difficult, heavy bread doughs that require a long time or effort to do by hand.

For more than a decade, I've used a KitchenAid stand mixer on a regular basis — sometimes all day — in professional kitchens. I've had years of experience with each stand mixer in this guide, having broken, repaired, and purchased them for my own personal use, and am well-versed in the benefits and drawbacks of each model.

I didn't, however, depend solely on my previous experiences. For this study, I looked at eight models and put four of the most popular KitchenAid stand mixers through a series of tests. I made bagels with a stiff dough and a 10-minute mixing time from a King Arthur recipe; I made Compost Cookies from New York City's Milk Bar (kitchen-sink cookies with five cups of mix-ins including chocolate chips, potato chips, and pretzels); and I put each mixer through additional tests to evaluate its capacity, mixing capability, and ease of use. You can learn more about how I evaluated KitchenAid stand mixers, as well as how to shop for one and what to prepare with one, in the sections below.

- Here are the best KitchenAid stand mixers in 2022

- Best KitchenAid stand mixer overall: KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt Head Stand Mixer

- Best budget KitchenAid stand mixer: KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

- Best KitchenAid stand mixer for bread: KitchenAid Pro Line Series 7-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer

- Best KitchenAid stand mixer for small spaces: KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer

1 - Overall, the KitchenAid stand mixer is the best.

Artisan® Series 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer 

This popular model strikes the right amount of power, capacity, and size for a mixer that's ideal for most home bakers; it also comes in a rainbow of colours.

Best for: batters, cookies, most everyday baked products, stiff bread dough, and sticky pizza dough on rare occasions

- 3.75 quarts of usable capacity

- 325 watts of power

- 23 pound weight

- Attachments compatible: all KitchenAid attachments

- There are 47 different hues to choose from.

Pros: Easily completes routine cooking activities, several customization choices, and a handle on the work bowl

Cons: There isn't enough power to make a lot of stiff or moist doughs on a daily basis.

- The Artisan Series 5 Quart model is the perfect combination of power, size, and aesthetics. It rapidly became my favourite mixer to use while testing. Because tilt-head stand mixers have a smaller base than bowl-lift stand mixers, the bowls are typically narrower and crowded. When you want to scrape down the mixing bowl, you typically have to stop the mixer and tip the head back. The Artisan mixer, on the other hand, had a large enough bowl that I could scrape the sides without moving the head. The bowl also includes a solid handle for easy lifting and plenty of area for pouring in ingredients, which is especially useful when adding more than five cups of Compost Coo mix-ins.

- While it shook a little when I was making bagel dough, it wasn't too loud, and I didn't feel compelled to keep an eye on it for fear of it falling off the counter. To avoid overheating the mixer's lower-powered motor, I don't think I'd prepare numerous batches of bagels in a succession.

- This model also allows for personalization, with nearly 50 colour possibilities, the ability to engrave your stand mixer, and the option to replace the conventional mixing bowl with a patterned ceramic or glass mixing bowl.

- We've been using this model at least once a week since first testing. It's been through pierogi dough and filling, countless babkas, and a slew of holiday cookie batches, and it still works (and looks) as well as it did when I first got it. We'll keep using this model and reporting on its long-term durability.

2 - Best KitchenAid stand mixer for the money

KitchenAid Classic 4.5qt Stand Mixer

The Classic Plus, KitchenAid's most affordable model, contains all of the high-quality components found in more expensive mixers, but it's small, efficient, and powerful enough to handle most chores for casual bakers.

Cookies, brownies, whipped cream, cake, and occasional bread loaves are the best uses for this flour.

3 quarts of functional capacity

275 watts of power

22 pound weight

Attachments compatible: all KitchenAid attachments

Color options: two hues are offered.

Pros: Reasonably priced, spacious but still mobile, and capable of handling most common tasks as well as some challenging doughs.

Cons: No handle on the work bowl, and the motor is rather low-powered, making it unsuitable for hard use.

- The KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is a terrific model to start with if you're an occasional baker or just getting into cooking. It contains the same metal components as more expensive KitchenAid stand mixers, a powerful engine, and a large work bowl. Even though it's on the small side, it can readily handle single batches of standard recipes.

- My first mixer was an early version of the KitchenAid Classic Plus. It lasted almost five years before giving out as I was preparing dough for hand-pulled noodles (a notoriously tricky dough, and one known to tax stand mixers). This problem initially made me realise how easily stand mixers break and how important it is to choose a model that is designed for your specific needs.

For this guide, I tested a new version of this mixer, and while it happily worked through cookies, egg whites, and even thick bagel dough without issue, it's possible that with too much heavy use, such as making multiple batches of bagel or pizza dough back-to-back, the mixer will overheat or, in the case of my old mixer, the gears will wear down. While the problem is fixable, it necessitates consulting a KitchenAid repair professional, which may be costly, so you're better off buying a stand mixer with the right wattage from the start.

3 - For bread, the KitchenAid stand mixer is the best.

Pro Line® Series 7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer 

The KitchenAid Pro Line Series 7-Quart Bowl Lift Stand Mixer is the largest and most powerful KitchenAid mixer available without going into commercial models, making it ideal for baking enthusiasts.

- Best for: bagel dough, pizza dough, thick noodle doughs, bread dough, and recipe double batches

- 5.75 quarts of usable capacity

- 970 watts of power

- 27 lb. weight

- Attachments compatible: all KitchenAid attachments

- There are six different hues to choose from.

Pros: Largest capacity of any home model; bowl-lift design ensures stability when mixing; broad mixing bowl for adding ingredients; powerful motor that can handle all types of doughs; work bowl with handle.

Cons: It's heavy and takes up a lot of space, and it's only available in a few colours.

Doughs that are stiff or heavy, such as bagel dough, pizza dough, and several noodle doughs, require a lot of power to knead effectively, which might be difficult for many stand mixers. The 970 watt motor in the 7-Quart Pro-Line variant allows for vigorous and thorough kneading without overheating the mixer. The broader bowl-lift design also gives better stability while mixing, reducing the amount of "walking" or shaking.

During my ten years working in commercial kitchens, I predominantly used this model. The mixer is dependable, nimble, simple to operate, and surprisingly quiet for such a huge mixer. Everything from beating two egg whites to combining triple amounts of cake batter may be done with it. While I haven't attempted to test the limits of KitchenAid's claim (I love cookies, but I don't need 14 dozen), it created double batches of both cookies and bagels with plenty of room to spare.

The wide bowl is easy to remove from the mixer, has a large comfortable handle, and plenty of room for ingredients to be added during mixing. Bakers, especially those who prepare bread, will enjoy its dependability; when I worked in commercial kitchens, these mixers were put to heavy use on a daily basis and only needed minor repairs. This mixer will last you decades if you take care of it.

However, because it's a large machine that you don't want to haul around, it's perfect for individuals who have plenty of counter space to devote to its large footprint.

4 - For compact rooms, the KitchenAid stand mixer is the best option.

Artisan® Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer 

- This model is the smallest of the KitchenAid stand mixers, and it's the ideal size and strength for beginner cooks, infrequent bakers, and people with small kitchens.

- Cookies, biscuits, muffins, pasta dough, and single-batch recipes are ideal.

- 2 quarts of functional capacity

- 250 watts of power

- 17 pound weight

- All KitchenAid attachments are compatible, with the exception of the ice cream maker.

- There are 11 different hues to choose from.

Pros: Tiny enough for small kitchens, easy to move, prepares single batches of most recipes nicely, excellent for occasional bakers, a suitable size for youngsters, work bowl has a handle

Cons: Too tiny for double batches, and while operating at high speeds, it shakes a lot.

Every square foot felt valuable when I moved into a 600 square foot apartment. Because I didn't have a lot of counter space, I needed a mixer that was light enough that I wouldn't mind pulling it out of a cupboard every time I wanted to bake. All of these criteria were met by the KitchenAid Artisan Mini 3.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer for me.

The Mini is about 25% smaller than our top overall option, measuring little over 11 inches wide. While the difference may not appear to be significant, the Mini is much more mobile, and I appreciate how readily it fits under my cupboards or on a shelf. Less surface area means less cleaning, and the Mini's work bowl doesn't take up too much room in my sink or dishwasher.

When I ran my Mini through rigorous tests for this tutorial, it revealed a few flaws. When I switched on the mixer, the work bowl was just big enough to hold all of the compost cookie mix-ins, but it started to overflow a little. The bagel dough came together nicely as well, although the mixer trembled and "walked" around the counter throughout the extended kneading period, so I felt compelled to keep an eye on it for the entire 10 minutes it was mixing.

If you're short on room or only bake once in a while, the Mini is a terrific alternative for an unobtrusive machine that can accomplish about everything a full-size mixer can.