KitchenAid Mixer With A 5 Qt Bowl – Reviews And Buying Advice
What is the best KitchenAid Mixer? The KitchenAid 6 Qt. All-Metal Stand Mixer with a 5-qt bowl remains the industry’s most popular mixer, loved by home cooks and professionals alike.
In this comprehensive overview of everything you need to know about buying a KitchenAid mixer, you’ll learn which types of mixers are available, what comes standard with each model, and in which circumstances one type of mixer might be better for you than another.
Large, heavy and powerful, the KitchenAid 6-qt. stand mixer has been a staple in many professional kitchens since its introduction in 1942. The company’s 5-qt bowl model, introduced in the 1970s, is still widely loved by home cooks.
The stand mixers are available both with and without attachments. While there are more than 100 attachments that can be added to the 6-qt model, only about 30 of them are compatible with the 5-qt mixer (at press time). Because of this limited compatibility list and its popularity among professional chefs who rely on it for all kinds of jobs, the stand mixers have a stainless steel bowl made from a heavier material not commonly used on other types of kitchen appliances.
Because the mixer is so heavy and powerful, it has a very sturdy three-wire metal whisk and a powerful 250-watt motor that allows the machine to mix through thick batters and doughs. It stands about 14 inches high and weighs about 26 pounds. An optional pouring shield can be added to the mixer to allow you (or your helpers) to add ingredients while the machine is running without getting splattered by flying batter or flour. This shield is also used by some chefs who use their stand mixer as a food processor. Because of this stand mixer’s superior power, it comes with an 8 year warranty, compared to 3 years for other KitchenAid models.
KitchenAid 5-qt. (1500 watt) Mixers
The KitchenAid bakers’ and mixers’ standard model is the 5-qt. bowl model (1500 watt motor, 8 year warranty). It comes with a wire whisk and a plastic bowl that is easy to clean, but is not as heavy or sturdy as the stainless steel bowls on the 6-qt model.
The 2-qt. bowl model (600 watt motor, 3 years warranty) also comes in both all metal and aluminum stems, with a plastic bowl and beating paddle. Because of its smaller capacity (2 qt. vs. 5 qt.) and less powerful motor, it is not as sturdy as the larger models for mixing heavy doughs or batters. It lacks an on/off switch but has variable speed. Because it doesn’t come with a pouring shield, it’s not practical for food processing.
KitchenAid 3-qt Mixer (450 watt)
The top-selling KitchenAid 3-quart mixer (450 watt motor) comes with the smaller 2-qt bowl and a 250 watt spiral dough hook, but no beater or pouring shield. It’s called the “3-quart” mixer, but actually has a 3.5-qt bowl capacity. It comes in white, black or almond and has a 3-year warranty.
KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer
Also available is the KitchenAid Classic stand mixer with a glass bowl that was introduced in the early 1960s, but discontinued sometime thereafter. Because of its wide base (and shorter height), it’s not as practical for tall chefs who prefer to keep their hands free while mixing, but it does have five speeds instead of six and a variable speed control. It comes in all metal (4-qt.) or plastic (6-qt. and 8-qt.) versions, also with three styles of metal handles (L-shaped, straight, or flat) and a 5-year warranty.
KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixers
The newest addition to the mixer lineup is the Artisan series of stand mixers, which include the KitchenAid Artisan 5-qt. stand mixer (600 watt motor), KitchenAid Artisan 6-qt. stand mixer (750 watt motor), and KitchenAid Artisan 8-qt. stand mixer (1000 watt motor). These are designed for serious bakers who want their mixers to be as beautiful as they are functional.
The Artisan stand mixers are available in a number of eye-catching colors (apricot, apple green, cobalt blue, crimson red, graphite grey, ivory, lavender, mint green, onyx black and poppy red) that fit in beautifully with any kitchen decor. Like its predecessors the glass bowl model and the other stand mixer models above it comes with an 8-year warranty.
Unlike all of the KitchenAid mixers listed above (except for the glass bowl model) each Artisan model comes standard with a pouring shield that fits around the top of the bowl allowing you to add ingredients while mixing without getting covered by splattering batter or flour.
Unlike other models in the KitchenAid mixer line, these stand mixers include a few pieces of extra equipment that are useful for professional bakers but not home cooks. Those extra pieces include a 4-wire whisk made from stainless steel, which is more durable than the 3-wire version you’ll find in the other models of KitchenAid mixers. Also included with this model is a dual rotor dough hook (instead of one with four prongs) that can be used for making breads and pizzas.
There is also a robust all-metal die-cast pouring shield that you can use to add ingredients while the mixer is running. This pouring shield is similar in appearance to the pouring shield that comes with the 6-qt. stand mixer, but it’s made from a lighter material than the heavier duty stainless steel one so it’s not as sturdy or practical for continuous use.
The Artisan series stand mixers come with three speeds (low, medium and high), but no variable speed control (which came in handy for making meringues). The motor for this model comes in at 750 watts for the 5-qt model and 1000 watts for both 6-qt. and 8-qt models.
KitchenAid Mixers with Easy Clean Bags
To make cleanup easy, most of the KitchenAid stand mixers now come with a special bowl liner that is easily removed after each use. The liner holds up to four cups of flour, half a cup of oil or liquids, or a half-cup measuring cup before it starts to get messy. The larger bowl liners can also be used for beating eggs and oils into batters and doughs. Just wet the liner before each use and carefully dredge your hands through the appliance to sift out any bits of food or powder sticking to your clothes. You can also wet the dry ingredients by themselves without cleaning the appliance first (this can be done for mixing dry ingredients only).
KitchenAid mixers are specially designed for professional chefs and bakers, but also make a great addition to any kitchen. The models with plates and whisks are great for heavy doughs and batters, while the bowl-only models are ideal for mixing cake batters or lighter mixtures. Anyone from home cooks to restaurant owners can benefit from these high-quality machines which provide an efficient way to make batter or doughs without stretching the food processor out to its limit. The next time your stand mixer breaks down or you’re doing something like mixing a simple batter but you need a quicker result, don’t wait for it to stop working.
Is a 5 quart mixer big enough?
If you’re a new cook or just getting a stand mixer for the first time, you might not have much experience with cooking. You know that you need something to mix/whisk ingredients, but you don’t know exactly how much to use. You can check out our How Much Mixer Should I Get? guide to see if a 5-quart or larger mixer is right for you.
It depends! What type of flour and other mix-ins will you be using? How large will your recipe ingredients be? What utensils do you need in the kitchen anyway? The answers to those questions will help determine which mixer size will work best for your needs.
5-quart is pretty common size for most people, but that’s not the only choice on the market. Many people prefer the 7-quart models for everyday use because they have enough capacity to make a small batch of cookies or brownies. Just make sure to check out your recipes before you buy and make sure it has enough room in the bowl to mix everything with ease.
How much counter space do I need?
A lot of home cooks getting new kitchen equipment tend to buy big items because they can’t imagine they’ll want something smaller. If you read the above section, one of the things I recommend is getting a smaller mixer if you’re just cooking for 2 or 3 people. That will also save you money!
As for the size of your mixer, a quick guideline is to measure your counter space. You’ll want to make sure that no part of the footprint of the stand mixer will be on another surface like a stove or table. Make sure there’s enough room on one side to place mixing utensils and ingredients like flour, sugar and eggs!
Do I need more than one mixing bowl?
The answer to this question is simple: yes! If you’re following baking recipes, chances are they will call for multiple bowls. You can either use the same stand mixer for each, or purchase a second for future mixing sessions. If you’re buying a stand mixer just for mixing cake batters and the like, then you don’t need to worry about having multiple bowls. However, if you’re making breads, meringues and other recipes that require more than one bowl then you may start to scratch your head later on.
What size KitchenAid is best?
Another question that many new cooks have is what size mixer should they buy? Luckily, the answer to this question is easy because KitchenAid has a lot of options! As mentioned before, you can get a standard 5-quart mixer. The speed of these models can be adjusted by adding weights to the motor and these are great for making recipes which require frequent speed changes such as cookie crusts. Keep in mind that if you’re looking for a model with variable speeds then you may want to get a larger or smaller size mixer as the motor will be stronger/weaker. You can also choose from small and medium stand mixers: 1-quart, 2-quart and 4-quart models.
What is the best KitchenAid mixer for the price?
This is a tricky one to answer, because it depends on what you’re looking for. If you’re just starting out and don’t have any special mixing needs then I’d recommend the White Pro or Artisan series. You’ll get a reliable appliance at an affordable price with great quality features. If you’re looking for something with more power or better features, then look into the Professional series. You’ll get more options with these models such as stainless steel bowls and mixers, but some of that comes at a premium.
CONCLUSION:
When choosing the best kitchenaid stand mixer, you can easily check the options which are available in the market. You’re going to notice that KitchenAid mixers are some of the best options that are there. Please do not hesitate to comment below and let us know your thoughts about this article and your favorite KitchenAid model. We truly value your input and make sure to take each suggestion under consideration.
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