Unless you’ve been living under a rock for the past few decades, chances are you know that stand mixers are a serious kitchen staple. They are not just for baking bread and cooking your Thanksgiving turkey anymore – these gadgets can whip up everything from mashed potatoes to pancakes and even ice cream.
We’ve put together this post to offer insight into when to use a KitchenAid versus a Viking mixer and which one is better for your needs depending on what type of cooking you do.
We will be taking a look at both KitchenAid and Viking Mixer models and how they compare.
Viking Mixers
We’ve owned a Viking stand mixer for 6 years now and it is our absolute favorite kitchen appliance. It was the first huge investment that we made in our kitchen, with many others following suit! Here are some reasons why:
Durability – This mixer is built like a rock! We have dropped this thing onto the hard tile floor many times, but it has never broken or become unusable. It’s also made of thick, strong steel and heavy duty ball bearings that keep it moving smoothly.
Cord Storage – The cord wraps around the back of the mixer as well as going through a hole in the side. So even if you hate storing your cords, you won’t have to worry about them ending up in a puddle on your countertop!
Easy to Clean – This is possibly the easiest kitchen appliance to clean. Just remove the cord from its storage pouch, wipe down the inside with a damp cloth or sponge, then close the machine up (you don’t want dust inside). We tend to wipe down the outside of the machine every few days and we’ve had no issues with it rusting over time.
For something this strong and heavy duty, we have been extremely impressed by how quiet it is. We’re not sure what specific technology they use, but you can be standing right next to this machine while operating at full speed and barely hear a sound (unless the bowl is actually moving).
The one potential drawback of this model is that the bowl requires some muscle to lift if you are unloading an entire batch of cookie dough or thick batters. This definitely isn’t as easy as grabbing a bowl from your cabinet and pouring in batter. If you are using a KitchenAid mixer, however, you can easily set the bowl onto the machine and let the mixer do all of the work.
KitchenAid Mixers
The classic KitchenAid stand mixer has been a household staple for decades. If you have been baking for years and have recipes that call for a KitchenAid, then it may be ridiculously difficult to switch over to another brand.
Durability – We have had KitchenAid mixers for well over 10 years and have not noticed any decreased in performance. The machine seems very sturdy and is quite heavy (about 30 lbs.) so you know it’s made of good quality.
Cord Storage – The cord wraps around the top part of the mixer, which is great if you don’t want to see your cords lying around on your countertop. However, they still tend to get in the way when you are actually using the mixer (see more on this below). It also tends to get in a tangled mess on the bottom when storing under cabinets in a kitchen island or beneath a cooktop.
The bowl on the KitchenAid is easier to load and unload because it sits flush with the motor of the machine, but it also takes up more room on your countertop. You may also have issues if you have a small kitchen and you need to store it in a very specific location (like we have done in our apartment).
Performance – The KitchenAid stand mixer is extremely quiet and smooth, even when mixing thick batters. It has a few speed options that allow you to choose how fast or slow you want your batter to be mixed. Most recipes can be made using just the lowest speed, but on occasion we need faster speeds.
The bowl that comes with the KitchenAid mixer is made of glass, which means some foods can stain it over time. We bought special nonstick bowls that make our dishes super easy to clean up!
Which One Is Better For You
Overall, we are huge fans of both stand mixers. Despite the fact that we have had two different brands over the years, we haven’t seen a significant difference in how each operates or how easy they are to clean. The biggest difference between them is their appearance and size. The KitchenAid mixer is much taller, so you can easily store it underneath your cabinets (see recipe for why we do this).
However, if you want a small mixer with a compact footprint, then Viking is the better choice. You can easily store it behind your fridge or in an under-cabinet cabinet.
What KitchenAid Mixers Do You Recommend
Here are some of our favorite KitchenAid models: the Artisan Series Stand Mixer, the Classic Series Stand Mixer and the 5 Qt. Hamilton Beach Stand Mixer.
Which Viking Mixers Do You Recommend
Here are some of our favorite Viking mixers: the 5 Qt. Workhorse Stand Mixer and the 7 Qt. Stand Mixer.
We hope this post has helped you to better understand which mixer is right for you! If you have any questions or other thoughts, feel free to leave them in the comments below!
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What brand is better than KitchenAid?
Which one is better for you? We have owned two different brands over the years and we can’t really tell a difference in performance and ease of use. There are several KitchenAid models, but we prefer either the 5 Qt. workhorse or the 7 Qt. stand mixer.
Have you ever had a problem with a KitchenAid mixer?
There were two issues that kept coming up when we were reading about these mixers.
Taller Model – The 5 Qt. workhorse is much taller than the 7 Qt. stand mixer, which makes it easy to store underneath kitchen cabinets if you want to avoid the cord mess that is created by the KitchenAid models.
Non-Stick Bowls – We have found that even though our KitchenAid mixer was very quiet and never shorted out, we did have issues with staining due to food getting on the bowl over time (we have also found this on other mixeding machinery).
What is a kitchenAid stand mixer?
KitchenAid is one of the most well-known electric mixers on the market, as it has been around for decades and has been used by millions of home bakers (including me!). Their products are known to be great quality and very durable. Some people would rather spend less money on a new product than spend more money on a KitchenAid product that they know works well right out of the box. Our only issue with KitchenAid is that their designs always seem to be changing, which means that there are new cords, different accessories and so forth.
What’s the difference between a KitchenAid stand mixer and a KitchenAid Express?
The difference between these two models is mainly their size and appearance. The KitchenAid stand mixer is much taller as mentioned above, but also has different attachments and types of bowls. There are also two different versions of this product: a 5 Qt. workhorse and a 7 Qt. Traditional Stand Mixer (see our review below for details). Due to their different sizes, design, features, price and durability these two models are not interchangeable.
Which brand of stand mixer do you trust most?
We have had a KitchenAid for about 8 years and it still works great, so we would trust them again, though maybe not the top-of-the-line version. Our only gripe is that they change their designs all the time and it can be hard to find replacement parts. Other than that, their products are very good quality and their warranty is fantastic!
KitchenAid vs other brands of stand mixer?
Most people that know us know that we love Love LOVE our KitchenAids (I mean, who doesn’t love saying ‘kitchenAid’?). We have actually owned three different machines over the past 10 years and have tried about four or five others in stores. So far, KitchenAid is the ONLY brand that has all of the features we are looking for, including a large bowl.
KitchenAid vs Viking stand mixer?
Viking is a new brand to us, but it is one that we have tried out in various stores with different models and have been impressed by their quality. We like both the 5 Qt. workhorse and 7 Qt. stand mixer.
What are the differences between an Artisan and Classic KitchenAid?
The difference between these two models is mainly their size and appearance. The Artisan model is much taller as mentioned above, but also has different attachments and types of bowls and comes in different colors/designs.
CONCLUSION:
Overall, we have been happy with both brands, though we prefer KitchenAid over Viking. If you are looking for a brand new stand mixer, I would definitely recommend KitchenAid. However, if you are looking for a more cost-friendly option that does not mean sacrificing quality, then the 7 Qt. KitchenAid stand mixer is a fantastic choice! It’s one of the most popular models on Amazon and it has lots of great reviews (score!).
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