I recently received a KitchenAid 600 series stand mixer as a gift. I've wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer for many years, as nothing says quality quite like KitchenAid, however I never thought I'd be able to afford it. It turns out, I was wrong! Not about the quality, this is a serious piece of professional equipment. I was very wrong about the price!
Before I had even unwrapped my gift, I noticed how heavy it was. The weight of this mixer will ensure it stays put on the bench top. The weight is a sure sign of quality and, as I later found out, is due to a full metal gearbox and casing and a 575 watt seriously powerful electric motor. The mixer also comes with a 6 quart stainless steel mixing bowl with enough capacity to knead 2 loaves at the same time.
My KitchenAid 600 series stand mixer came in gloss white and the paint finish was very high quality (like a sports car according to one of my friends). There are many colors to choose from in this series but do choose carefully as the color can dramatically change the price. My KitchenAid 600 pro is permanently on display in my kitchen and never fails to impress visitors. I have heard one person complain that it was too large to fit in their under bench storage but why would anyone want to hide it?
The performance of the mixer is truly impressive. There are 10 speeds for a full range of mixing tasks with a soft start to minimise ingredient splatter (no more sneezing from flour puff!). 14 cups of all purpose flour (less for high gluten or multi-grain) can be mixed with the direct drive steel gearbox and powerful motor. Included, the powerknead spiral hook will cut down the time and effort is takes to bake your own bread. There is an overload protection feature to prevent any overheating. The recipe book that comes with the mixer helpfully points out the mixing differences between this professional mixer and standard mixers to help when using your family recipes.
Fitted with a professional bowl lift to raise the bowl into the mixing position, the KitchenAid 600 series stand mixer makes things nice and easy. Other accessories included are a professional wire whip, a burnished flat beater, a spiral dough hook, and a one piece pouring shield. Also included is a multi-purpose attachment hub which allows you to attach additional items such as a sausage stuffer, an ice cream maker, food processor, juicer, grinder, slicer and lots more. Personally, I will be adding the ice cream maker this summer (and probably about 10 pounds!).
One small issue I have is that the supplied attachments are not dishwasher safe. The harsh chemicals in your dishwasher will tarnish the metal on the attachments and therefore the attachments do need to be washed by hand. But it's hardly worth complaining about. For further information click Kitchenaid Mixer or http://kitchenaidconsumerreview.com/.
