KitchenAid has three main models of stand mixer: the 4.5 quart Classic tilt-head ($188, or $226 for the slightly more powerful "Plus"), the 5 quart Artisan tilt-head ($298), and the 6 quart fixed-head Professional ($359). The prices are Amazon prices; MSRP is considerably more, and B&M retailers have trouble matching Amazon even with Black Friday sales.
I'm sure the bigger mixers are, in some ways, better, but don't underestimate what an enormous step up even the lowly Classic model is from a hand mixer or plastic food processor. This is a very solid product. And most of us, while we value the convenience of a big stand mixer when baking things, don't exactly use these things every day. Even if you think that at some point in the future, you have reason to get a bigger one, remember that the bigger ones take up a lot more space, and these things actually have decent resale value, so if you want to upgrade later, your previous investment isn't necessarily lost altogether.
I bought this because I'd been baking Dutch-style appeltaart a number of times, and people really like it, but it was a lot of work to make. At some point, I looked into how to make it faster, and I ended up getting a $20 peeler/corer/slicer for the apples, as well as this mixer. Appeltaart involves a heavy shortbread pasty crust (what the Germans call "Mürbeteig"), which is a challenge for a lot of kitchen equipment and traditionally has to be kneaded by hand, so if I was going to get a device to make it for me, it would have to be a pretty heavy-duty one.
The dough has a 3:2:1 flour/butter/sugar ratio (by weight) and just a little bit of egg. Usually, I'd cut the butter into small pieces to make it easier, but to put this mixer to the test, I just dumped in the ingredients and pulled the delightfully solid-feeling lever to the slowest speed. It wasn't a small amount of dough either; the bowl was filled pretty much to capacity and a little bit of flour spilled out initially. At first, it looked like the dough was never going to come together, but I just left it running for a few minutes and before long I had a perfect dough. I had worried that maybe the dough would be too crumbly because the mixer can't do the typical squeezing motion that you do by hand to really make the dough cohesive, but it turns out that once everything is thoroughly mixed, it only takes 10 seconds of hand-kneading to make the dough really come together. The hard work is really in the mixing and the mixer does it extremely well.
It's clear that these things have been on the market for a long time and a lot of minor issues have been worked out over the years. The shape of the attachments and the shape of the bowl, for instance, are well matched to each other so the thing will beat even a single egg or a small amount of whipping cream just fine, and doughs don't stick to the bowl when using the paddle attachment. The bayonet type bowl attachment really locks the bowl in place without making it hard to remove, things don't splatter into spots that are hard to clean, etc.
Two nit-picks:
1. The mixer works if you don't lock it in the down position. I can't imagine this is good for the internal gearing, though then again the head is heavy enough that it might not matter very much. Still, it would be good to have some sort of interlock so that it didn't operate when you don't lock it down. Meanwhile, just remember to double-check that you have it locked down before turning it on.
2. The whisk attachment oxidizes a lot when you put it in a dishwasher, especially if you use a copious amount of strong detergent (e.g. Cascade brand). This leaves a black powdery residue that rubs off easily. I don't think it's particularly dangerous if it were to end up in your food in small quantities, but it has a metallic smell and taste and it's unsightly. I'm sure it says somewhere in the manual that the whisk attachment shouldn't go in the dishwasher, but it would be nice if the manufacturer could either make it so this doesn't happen in the first place, or alternatively attached a label to the thing with a warning so you can't miss it.
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Mixer Power: 200 to 299 W
Brand: KitchenAid
Item Depth Front To Back: 12.0 to 14.9 in
Item Width Side To Side: 6.0 to 8.9 in
Special Features: Removable Bowl
Item Height Base to Top: 13.0 to 15.9 in
Number of Speeds : 10
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From the manufacturer
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid Classic Series Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is for your standard recipes.
Classic Series 4.5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
The 4.5-quart stainless steel mixing bowl and 10 speeds easily mixes, kneads and whips your favorite ingredients. For even more versatility, the power hub is designed to use the motor’s power to operate optional attachments from food grinders to pasta makers and more.
Features
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Power HubThe power hub turns your stand mixer into a culinary center. With more than 15 optional attachments use the power of your stand mixer to help you make fusilli pasta from scratch, shred a block of parmesan cheese in seconds and so much more. |
4.5-Quart. Stainless Steel BowlThe 4.5-Quart stainless steel bowl offers enough capacity to mix dough for 6 dozen cookies, 3 loaves of bread or 6 pounds of mashed potatoes in a single batch. The bowl is also dishwasher-safe for quick and easy cleanup. |
59-Point Planetary Mixing Action59-Point Planetary Mixing Action means 59 touchpoints per rotation around the bowl for thorough ingredient incorporation. The beater, dough hook or wire whip rotates around the bowl, giving incredible bowl coverage for comprehensive mixing. |
10 SpeedsPowerful enough for nearly any task or recipe, whether you’re stirring wet and dry ingredients together, kneading bread dough or whipping cream. |
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| Artisan Mini Series | Classic Series | Artisan Design Series | Bowl-Lift | |
| Customer Reviews |
4,190
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9,465
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13,066
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778
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| Price | $299.95 | $249.99 | — | $529.95 |
| Bowl Size | 3.5 Quart | 4.5 Quart | 5 Quart | 7 Quart |
| Feature | Tilt-Head | Tilt-Head | Tilt-Head | Bowl-Lift |
| Dough Hook | C- Shaped | C- Shaped | C- Shaped | Spiral |
| Beater | Flex Edge Flat Beater | Flat Beater | Flat Beater | Flat Beater & Double Flex Edge Beater |
| Whip | 6 Wire | 6 Wire | 6 Wire | 11 Wire |
| Pouring Shield | - | - | ✓ | ✓ |
| Colors | Black, Matte Black, Candy Apple Red, Contour Silver, Empire Red, Ice, White | Onyx Black, White | Matte Black, Silver, Lavender, Milkshake, Almond Cream, Aqua Sky, Cast Iron, Imperial Grey, Ice Blue, Metallic Chrome, Black, Yellow, Pistachio, White, Kyoto Glow, Blue Velvet, Rose, Empire Red, Matcha, Pink, Mineral Water, Passion Red, Orange | Cast Iron, Candy Apple Red, Contour Silver, Dried Rose, Empire Red, Feather Pink, Milkshake, Mineral Water, Pistachio, Blue Velvet, White, |
| Dimensions | Height: 12.3" Width: 7.8" Depth: 12.3" | Height: 13.9" Width: 8.7" Depth: 14.1" | Height: 13.9" Width: 8.7" Depth: 14.1" | Height: 16.5" Width: 11.31 Depth: 14.63 |
| Weight | 14.3 lbs | 22 lbs | 22.8 lbs | 29.2 lbs |
| Bowl Finish | Polished Stainless Steel with Handle | Brushed Stainless Steel | Polished Stainless Steel with Handle | Polished Stainless Steel with Handle |
Model K45SS Includes
Everything you need for recipes with a coated flat beater, coated dough hook and 6-wire whip. The flat beater and dough hook are dishwasher-safe.
Videos
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Honest review of 4.5 qt Kitchen Aide mixer
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#thisorthat Here is why I would choose the kitchenaid
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Honest Review of KitchenAid Classic Tilt Head
Leslie
Compare with similar items
This Item  KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer K45SS, White |  |  |  |  |  | |
| Price | -24% $249.99 List: $329.99 | -22% $349.95 List: $449.99 | $24.95 | -24% $349.95 List: $459.99 | $399.99 | -21% $299.95 List: $379.99 |
| Delivery | Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 11 | Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 11 | Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 11 | Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 11 | Get it Jul 17 - 18 | Get it as soon as Thursday, Jul 11 |
| Customer Ratings | ||||||
| Easy to clean | ||||||
| Easy to use | ||||||
| Giftable | ||||||
| Durability | ||||||
| Versatility | ||||||
| Sold By | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | Amazon.com | always quality | Amazon.com |
| number of speeds | 10 | 10 | 0 | 10 | — | 10 |
| voltage | 120 volts | 120 volts | 120 volts | 120 volts | 120 volts | — |
| wattage | 275 watts | 325 watts | — | 325 watts | 660 watts | 250 watts |
| material | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Stainless Steel | Steel, Iron | — | Stainless Steel |
| dishwasher safe | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| weight | 23.14 pounds | 22.8 pounds | 0.34 pounds | 22 pounds | 17.14 pounds | 14.3 pounds |
Reviews with images
Love it
We got our kitchen aid over a year ago and best purchase ever made! Love the color, size, and quality of this device.
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2024
Color: Onyx BlackStyle: MixerVerified Purchase
Love this kitchen aid! It is sturdy and smooth, classic look! Runs great everytime, easy to clean, fun to use. Lots of attachments available. I keep it on my counter because it is so beautiful, it fits my decor and a definite conversation piece.
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Top reviews from other countries
Excelente
Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on January 19, 2024Color: Onyx BlackStyle: MixerVerified Purchase
Excelente
Reviewed in Mexico on January 19, 2024
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Jed Galvez
A Kitchen Essential: A Hit with My Wife
Reviewed in Canada on September 14, 2023Color: Onyx BlackStyle: MixerVerified Purchase
Gavin
I LOVE my stand mixer
Reviewed in Canada on April 3, 2024Color: Onyx BlackStyle: MixerVerified Purchase
ARMANDO HERNANDEZ
Excelente producto
Reviewed in Mexico on November 30, 2023Color: Onyx BlackStyle: MixerVerified Purchase
Natacha
Fantastic. Great machine.
Reviewed in Canada on May 2, 2024Color: Onyx BlackStyle: MixerVerified Purchase
