I've always thought that having a KitchenAid on your counter was a badge of honour. You made it. You got the fancy, classic stand mixer that people worship. It's tangible proof that, yes, you do bake your own bread. And, yes, you could whip up some meringue if needed. And, of course, you wouldn't even break a sweat over a batch of cupcakes.
That might sound horribly superficial of me, but it's true. KitchenAid have dedicated decades to earning the reputation that their stand mixers now carry. Even though plenty of the best stand mixers could offer the same theoretical results as a KitchenAid, they won't look like these and (rather importantly) they probably won't last as long as yours will either.
With plenty of models on offer, it can be difficult to know which KitchenAid to choose. The Kitchenaid Artisan 5.6L Stand Mixer is one of their newer models. It carries plenty of the classic clout-backed features, whilst incorporating some innovative, new extras. My favourite one? A clever half-speed setting that mimics hand mixing and folding, for more delicate, fruit-filled bakes. Could this be the stand mixer that your friends, neighbours, and family will admire?
Specifications
Unboxing
The Kenwood kMix arrives, as most stand mixers do, with a fair amount of clobber. You'll get a reasonably large box, which is packed with polystyrene and plastic, designed to keep the shiny stand mixer as sparkly as it looks on the scene (and in your dreams). The packaging does its job, but it's mostly not recyclable, so you'll need to prep your bins for a big load of waste.
Non-recyclables aside, this looks stunning. It's a sleek, stainless steel marvel. You'll get the K-beater, dough hook, whisk, and splash guard that comes as standard with most stand mixers as well as a small spatula. Not many brands will send a spatula too, but it's a very neat, nice touch to have sent with your packaging. It's also actually very much needed, as this doesn't always whisk right to the edge and bottom of the bowl, so there'll be some scraping to do.
Who would it suit?
If you've got your heart set on the aesthetics and build quality of a KitchenAid stand mixer, this premium model will have come up in your research. The Artisan offers 11 speed settings, which span from a delicate soft start and hand folding setting (for your delicate batters and floury mixes) through to an almost impossibly fast and powerful high speed. Based on performance alone, this delivers enough for home bakers and serious chefs alike.
If that's enough to entice you, you'll face the decision of choosing a bowl lift or a tild-head model. I tested this as a bowl-lift stand mixer, which isn't for everyone. If you've used one of these before, you'll know that they're common in commercial kitchens, because they're sturdier and more stable, especially with thick doughs and bigger mixes. The downside of this is, of course that it's trickier to use and a little bigger. KitchenAid gives you a choice between the two, but this tilt-head is certainly better for more enthusiastic bakers as well as bigger kitchens.
The whisk, dough hook, and K-beater look like any other stand mixer's, but it only takes touching them to feel just how durable this is. The sheer weight and quality of the KitchenAid puts this firmly in the 'splurge' bracket. I'd think of this as one of those 'invest early' products. You'll only ever need to buy a KitchenAid once and, even if you use it regularly, it'll still be stood on your counter in twenty years.
There are plenty of other nice, subtle features that help to make this special. The mixing head uses a planetary mixing action, which means that the head rotates in the opposite direction to the attachment, covering more ground and all sides of the bowl. It's quiet and thorough, even more of a reason why this is a favourite amongst professional chefs and bakers.
What is it like to use?
As I've mentioned, the bowl lift technique might need a little adjustment if you're not used to it, but once you've got the knack, it's easy. Then, you'll get a sliding scale of eleven different speeds to choose between, including a hand-folding setting and a super fast powerful setting.
KitchenAid says that the 5.6L stainless steel bowl can knead up to 3.7kgs of dough, and make 11 dozen cookies in one batch. I put these claims and more to the test, so that you know exactly what to expect.
Test 1: cake mix
Stand mixers and cakes are synonymous. You'll likely be baking many a cake in your KitchenAid, or, at the very least, using the same creaming, mixing, and folding techniques that making a cake tests. So, the first thing that I made in the KitchenAid was a blueberry cake.
First, I used the medium speed setting to work my cubes of butter and caster sugar into a light, creamy mix. Once this looked light and airy, I added in my flour, eggs, and vanilla. Normally, stand mixers come with splash guards to prevent clouds of flour from flying out of the bowl and onto the surface. However, the soft start function on the KitchenAid means that the stand mixer started steadily incorporating the wet and dry ingredients without filling the air with flour fragments.
When the time came to add in my blueberries, I was a little nervous. The 1/2 speed setting claims to gently fold, but how much awareness can a stand mixer have of its own strength? As it turns out, an awful lot. The KitchenAid delicately scattered these blueberries through all of the cake mix. I don't think I could have done a better job with a spoon and a traditional bowl.
Test 2: bread dough
Next, I wanted to see how the powerful KitchenAid would handle tougher bread dough. My recipe makes about 2 kgs of dough, which doesn't challenge the KitchenAid to its maximum capacity (that's one for another day), but it does give it a run for its money.
I added my flour, oil, water, yeast, and sal to the bowl and then slid the speed to its four setting. Again, the slow start feature kept my counter clean, whilst the head rotated the dough hook around the bowl. KitchenAid says that this reaches more than 60 touchpoints around the edge and, whilst I can't count these, I can confirm that my dough came together beautifully.
You can see in the image above that all the dough was cleaned up off the sides of the bowl, leaving no flour or wet mix stuck to the edge or at the bottom of the bowl. I took this out and kneaded it by hand and the dough felt smooth and elastic: it's the perfect dough.
Test 3: whipped cream
Another promise that KitchenAid makes is that the top speed (10) is for fast whipping. This will mean different timeframes to different people, which is why I wanted to get a number down.
Typically, 500ml of cream will take between 2-4 minutes to be whipped into perfect stiff peaks. I timed the KitchenAid as having reached a thick, marshmallow texture in just one and a half minutes. That's the fastest of any stand mixers on record. And, equally importantly, it wasn't the loudest that I've tested either.
Even when I poured vegan cream, which is a notoriously slower and more temperamental liquid, I achieved those big, fluffy structures in two minutes. Of course, if the machine isn't on its top speed setting, you can get the same results with less noise, in less time, but it's good to know that this can hustle when it needs to.
Cleaning
KitchenAid says that the stainless steel bowl and attachments are dishwasher safe, which is good to know if you've got a lot on your plate. However, I would always recommend washing the bowl and parts by hand, since they're much less likely to damage and you'll be putting a lot less general wear and tear on your mixer.
I like to use warm, soapy water and a gentle washing-up liquid, such as Ecover or Method. The stainless steel bowl is robust enough to withstand some scrubbing (I've even had to use wire wool on mine), but it's generally better to leave dried bread dough and the likes to soak a little before you attempt any cleaning.
How does it compare?
Lots of people compare KitchenAid to Kenwood. In the world of stand mixers, this really is the great debate. Possibly the best Kenwood stand mixer of all time is the Kenwood kMix: it's a lot like this stand mixer, but with a tilt-head and a smaller price tag. That's probably why they swapped out some KitchenAids for Kenwoods on the Great British Bake Off.
If you're caught between the two, here's what you need to know. KitchenAid's stand mixers are more timeless; the Artisan feels more durable; and the half-speed and slow start settings are yet to be replicated by another brand. Whilst it is expensive, if you're going to splurge, this is a place that I won't hold you back. However, if you're not fussed about finesse and aesthetics, the Kenwood still has at least half a decade of life in it and the performance is almost as good as the KitchenAid. Power-wise, they're identical (100 watts). Capacity-wise, they're also comparable (the kMix has a 5-litre bowl, rather than a 5.6-litre bowl). Yes, there are fewer speed settings and this is a little less gentle on your ingredients, but for a couple of hundred pounds less, lots of people will happily swap their KitchenAid dreams for a Kenwood reality.
Should you buy it?
If you want to treat yourself to some technical, professional-quality mixing, the KitchenAid will be an investment that you won't regret. It's beautiful, powerful, and capable of commercial performance. In short, I love it.
