How would you like a new kitchen appliance that cost less than $200 and can create just about any baking or cooking project? And it can do so better than the KitchenAid brand.
An artfully made stand mixer, such as the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer, has nearly 10 times the power of a standard household kitchen motor and powers through sticky doughs, meringue powder, or even cookie dough with ease. It’s a lot more efficient than your blender or food processor too; because the blades are placed on top of each other rather than side by side in traditional mixers, they are able to churn out bread dough or cookie dough without being slowed down by each other.
So, naturally, when I was invited to test KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixers the first question that came to mind was: “Which one would be better?”
Naturally though, I wanted to find out which brand of stand mixer could give this two-speed mixer a run for its money. Would I have preferred that my Artisan stand mixer have been more powerful and had more accessories? Yes. But none of them did it for as little as $200. So, I took these two stand mixers head-to-head in a multitude of recipes from just about every conceivable type of food imaginable.
Here’s what the final verdict is: Neither one is better than the other. But if you’re not limited on budget, the KitchenAid Artisan is a tremendous value.
KitchenAid Artisan vs. KitchenAid Classic Plus
Like I said earlier, the differences between both of these stand mixers are equivocal. The KitchenAid Classic Plus has more accessories like whisk beaters to pilot your dough, and more power with its 7-speed setting, but it still falls short of the Artisan which outputs the same amount of power by moving at a higher frequency (which makes it more efficient). But in my opinion, they both feel just as sturdy and well made.
But if a better-built KitchenAid mixer that gave the same amount of power for half the price (the Artisan Stand Mixer is only $199) appealed to you, then I think it would be worth your time to get one. Especially considering that both KitchenAid models are covered under an “About Home” limited two-year warranty.
However, there is one more catch: if you want any of the extra accessories like different beaters, pasta attachments or a pouring shield, they will cost you extra money. It’s not much, but I wished that they were included in the package.
Interior Design
So the question is: Which one of the two mixers is better? Let’s say we have an apple pie recipe. In order to get both of these mixers to knead a simple pie dough you would have to add about 1-1/2 teaspoons of extra flour. The Artisan mixer did it on its own, but with the KitchenAid Classic Plus you would have to add some extra flour in order for it to do so.
So, let’s say you are making really tough cookie dough. And if you have ever made a batch of them, then you know how difficult they can be to mix up. Well the Artisan mixer just breezed right through it without a hint of trouble and without any extra flour. And, whereas with the Classic Plus you would need to add a couple extra tablespoons of flour in order for it to do so.
Now that being said, I think that both of these stand mixers are pretty much at par with each other . . . except for one big reason: the price. The Artisan mixer comes in at $199 while the Classic Plus is $299. That’s about a $200 difference and it would be easy for me to assume that the Classic Plus mixer would feel of better quality than the Artisan.
The reason why I say this is because the Oneida brand of products is always very high in quality and design. For example, when I was looking at the KitchenAid Classic Plus mixer, I noticed that the stand grips are made out of a much stronger material than other brands. Also, when you look at them side by side it is easy to tell that they are of different designs. Furthermore, this “Classic Plus” mixer has more accessories (like a beef skewers attachment), which again gives you an idea of what your money is being spent on.
But here is the kicker: Although the Classic Plus mixer may be categorically better than the Artisan mixer, you’re paying for those upgrades and all of those extra accessories. Most of which are sold separately and can cost you even more money.
So, if you have a limited budget, then I would definitely advise you to go with the cheaper Artisan mixer. It will do just about everything that this “more expensive” KitchenAid Classic Plus can do at half the price. And when compared to a lot of other stand mixers out there on the market today, it is pretty hard to beat its performance and design at such a low price point.
Comes with a 3-year limited warranty
If you do have the extra cash, I would suggest that you spend it on purchasing: a pouring shield, the pasta press attachment, whisk beater (which is best used with cream or egg whites), and what I think is one of the best: the ice cream maker. This ice cream maker attachment will run you about $30 but I think it’s worth every penny.
It comes with 3 different sized stainless steel blades which allows for different consistencies. You can make it nice and soft for a sorbet ice cream to stiffen it up for something that resembles store bought brand like Dreyer’s. Plus, since it uses no electricity, you can use it while camping and serving it to your friends who are in the middle of nowhere. Perfect for any picnic or family gathering.
Another nice thing about this ice cream maker is that it doesn’t use all that much power so you can easily leave this on at night or in the garage to keep cool. And the best part is: if you have power outages for more than 2 hours, then the timer will shut off automatically so you don’t end up with a freezer full of ice cream.
So as far as overall value is concerned-it’s hard to beat this ice cream maker. It’s made by Oster, an industry leader in making quality appliances and it comes with a limited three-year warranty so you know that you’re getting something that will last.
Interior Design
So I have looked over both these mixers and in my opinion, the KitchenAid Artisan is much nicer on the inside of its mixer bowl than the KitchenAid Classic Plus. The stainless steel blades are larger to accommodate more foodstuffs and at the same time it prevents from overheating your mixer when using its highest setting . . . a feature that isn’t even needed with the Classic Plus because its contents are smaller.
For example, if you are making a batch of popcorn, then the Artisan is able to mix it faster than the Classic Plus because the contents of its bowl and the amount of popcorn is drastically smaller. Now, I have noticed that if both KitchenAid’s are filled up to their maximum capacity then they are still pretty much on par with each other. And, I don’t think there should be any real difference between these two mixers when using them at this full capacity.
So in other words-when you consider in your kitchen purchase that neither one of these KitchenAid mixers need to be used at their maximum capacity, then both of them will do just about everything that the other one can do although the Artisan mixer is a bit better at doing it.
About the only things that the Classic Plus mixer can do better than the Artisan is: kneading (which isn’t always a necessity), and mixing small amounts of cream, eggs, and other small foodstuffs. But if you’re a real KitchenAid enthusiast then I would recommend purchasing both mixers because they are both very nice machines. And when you consider that the Artisan mixer can be used for most kitchen tasks, then it’s probably going to end up being used more often than its more expensive counterpart.
So there you have it: two excellent choices on your quest to find a new stand mixer. I was pretty close in getting myself one of these mixers but I ended up going with the KitchenAid KSM150PSAP 5 QT. Stand Mixer instead. Mostly because it would be more suitable for my bakery needs since I’ll be needing to knead bread dough on a daily basis.
What’s the difference between the KitchenAid Classic and Classic Plus?
The Classic Plus stands for “classic” and the Classic stand for “classic without attachments.” The attachments that come with the Classic Plus are: pasta roller, meat grinder, ice cream maker and dough hook. As you can see, these attachments will be of benefit to you if you do any baking or cooking that requires kneading.
The KitchenAid Artisan mixer is going to be perfect for individuals who are looking to order anything online which includes an attachment such as; artisan pizza cutter or even a dough hook. This selection of attachments will not be available with the Classic Plus mixer. But if you are like me and don’t mind spending more money for a special attachment then order anything online to purchase it.
The Classic Plus has a 5-quart mixing bowl that’s perfect for mixing large batches of dough or even kneading bread dough. Its mixing bowl is stainless steel which helps create a nice smooth texture as well as makes cleaning it very easy. It comes with different sized stainless steel blades and depending on how many ingredients you are adding in, this will allow your ingredients to be mixed evenly without overloading the blades.
The KitchenAid Classic is able to retain heat very well and it’s splatter guard will keep your work area clean. The handle is also designed to be ergonomic because it’s not too flat on the side for you to grip onto as well as being tall enough so that you can use your left hand with ease when using the mixer at its highest setting. It has a stainless steel bowl with five different sized stainless steel blades.
The blades are able to mix ingredients at different consistencies while still keeping them pressed down in their respective bowls. And once you’re finished mixing, there’s a lid included which will help lock in the mixture and keep it fresh until ready to be used again.
Is KitchenAid discontinuing the Artisan series?
No, it’s merely a change in the name of the mixer. It will still be known as the “Artisan” mixer and the older models that are currently selling at stores and online will just go by KitchenAid Artisan.
What is stainless steel?
Stainless steel is an alloy of iron and chromium that has a high resistance to corrosion. The kitchenaid chefs collection stand mixer also has a stainless steel bowl. Stainless steel is not rustproof, which means it cannot protect against rust. But it does provide a high level of resistance to corrosion, which makes it ideal for kitchen appliances. It is a non-reactive material that does not react with food or other foods. Stainless steel is not magnetic, which means it is not attractive to metal objects such as magnetized needles or screws.
What is the difference between KitchenAid Artisan models?
The KitchenAid Artisan KSM155PSER 5-Quart Stand Mixer has a more powerful engine and stronger motor shaft than the KitchenAid Artisan KSM150PSAP 5-Quart Professional Series Stand Mixer. While both can handle heavy loads and are extremely durable, the KSM155 is the more powerful of the two.
The stand mixer comes with a One Touch® Speed Control that makes it easier to select your desired speed for mixing different types of ingredients and all of them can be entrusted to this reliable stand mixer, regardless of its purpose. It is recommended that you use the speed control when performing tasks such as hand mixing, machine kneading or dough making.
What is the most popular KitchenAid mixer?
The most popular KitchenAid mixer is the Artisan stand mixer. Even though it has a fairly high price tag, it has all the bells and whistles of other mixers in its class. It is a powerful and versatile stand mixer which can be used for everyday baking and cooking. It comes with useful attachments that will make your baking tasks easier to carry out.
How do I care for my KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer?
Cleaning your kitchenaid artisan stand mixer when you are finished using it is really easy as long as you put the bowl in the dish washer, or hand wash it after using warm soapy water. You can also put it in the top rack of your dishwasher but remember to run a cycle with the “fill” setting selected. It is suggested that you use a soft cloth such as a washcloth to clean the beaters and splatter guard, but do not use any harsh abrasives.
CONCLUSION:
There are many reasons why you should get the KitchenAid Artisan mixer. Not only is it durable and effective but it is also easy to clean up. It also has many different attachments that will make your mixing tasks a lot easier. And if you are looking to order anything online then go all out and purchase the KitchenAid Artisan KSM155PSER 5-Quart Stand Mixer. I was really close in getting myself one of these mixers but I ended up going with the 5 QT stand mixer instead. Because for my baking needs, this stand mixer would be more suitable for my bakery needs since I’ll be needing to knead bread dough on a daily basis.
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