The Baking Thread

[LyceeFruit PE]

I believe mine is a standard, its from the early 90s and I've used it for doughs with no issue.

But things to think about! space between the counter and the bottom of your cabinets - the models are different heights if you get the tilt head vs the bowl raise. I don't think I could ever use one of the bowl raise ones. The tilt head seems so much easier to clean off the beater

 

[leggo PE]

Yep, I have the standard KitchenAid also. I don't keep it on the counter, but instead in a cupboard. Head height is something definitely to consider.

There's no real point in getting a bigger/fancier KitchenAid unless maybe you're baking large quantities of things all the time. That is not my use for it!

 

[Supe]

100% do not want the bowl raise one/Pro model.  We have pretty decent under-cabinet space, so no issue there.  She always uses it on our island anyways, so tilt head for sure.  

Thanks guys, I'll go with the standard version.

 

[leggo PE]

That's a great husband right there!

 

[mudpuppy]

We have the Aritsan, but I think mainly because my wife liked the color and she got it on a deal (I think we paid about $280).  We typically only use it around Christmas, but it's nice that it can do larger batches of cookies (we did around 60 dozen cookies last Christmas).  

 

[Supe]

That's a great husband right there!

Her birthday is in early October, and I have no f'ing clue what else to get her.  She's been asking for one for about 5 years now, LOL.

 

[kevo_55]

^^ Costco has them on sale right now. BUY IT NOW.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

We have the Aritsan, but I think mainly because my wife liked the color and she got it on a deal (I think we paid about $280).  We typically only use it around Christmas, but it's nice that it can do larger batches of cookies (we did around 60 dozen cookies last Christmas).  

I would 100% do that too lol

And likely will when mine kicks the bucket. Mine is a hand-me-down from the earlys 90s but I'm hoping I can just find someone to repair it instead.

 

[leggo PE]

That's a lot of cookies! All in one batch, mixed all at once?

 

[mudpuppy]

That's a lot of cookies! All in one batch, mixed all at once?

Oh geez no, that would be one huge batch!  But having the bigger mixer helped cut down on the number of batches we had to mix.

 

[snickerd3]

The standard KitchenAid (with dough hook recommended) should work fine. We love ours.

This.  

 

[ChebyshevII PE PMP]

So as it turns out, we actually have the artisan. Sorry for misleading.

But I did some research on the differences between the standard and the artisan, and it appears the biggest differences are 1) artisan has a bowl that is 0.5 quarts bigger, 2) artisan comes with a bowl with a handle, plus more attachments included, and 3) the artisan has a much bigger color selection. There doesn’t appear to be any difference in power or speed settings.

source: https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/shopping/kitchenaid-classic-vs-kitchenaid-artisan-mixer-comparison/

 

[Supe]

The classic has 250 watts,  the Classic Plus is a 275 watt unit, and its 325 watts for the Artisan.  The Ultra Power slots in between the Classic Plus and the Artisan at 300 watts, but for some reason comes with burnished mixers/beaters instead of the coated ones.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

@Supe don't forget to get Mrs Supe this:

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFE5T-Beater-Tilt-Head-Mixers/dp/B004A15870

(or whatever one fits the mixer you buy - I just grabbed the first link listed tbh))

I absolutely love mine and no longer use the paddle that came with my mixer.

 

[mudpuppy]

The classic has 250 watts,  the Classic Plus is a 275 watt unit, and its 325 watts for the Artisan.  The Ultra Power slots in between the Classic Plus and the Artisan at 300 watts, but for some reason comes with burnished mixers/beaters instead of the coated ones.

I'll say when we do a big batch of dough it sounds like it's bogging down a little, even with the Artisan.

 

[ChebyshevII PE PMP]

The classic has 250 watts,  the Classic Plus is a 275 watt unit, and its 325 watts for the Artisan.

I stand corrected.

 

[mudpuppy]

@Supe don't forget to get Mrs Supe this:

https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KFE5T-Beater-Tilt-Head-Mixers/dp/B004A15870

(or whatever one fits the mixer you buy - I just grabbed the first link listed tbh))

I absolutely love mine and no longer use the paddle that came with my mixer.

That looks nice but it's a little pricey... does it eliminate the need to scrape the bowl while you're mixing, or do you still have to occasionally manually scrape?

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

That looks nice but it's a little pricey... does it eliminate the need to scrape the bowl while you're mixing, or do you still have to occasionally manually scrape?

you still have to scrape but it's way less. i usually only scrape once now. and i've had this paddle for like 7.5 years, it's so worth it 

 

[Supe]

Thanks guys.  I'm leaning towards the Artisan right now.  I had a feeling Mrs. Supe would like one of the color options for a little contrast/retro look, when I noticed that for some reason the gloss cinnamon color (basically a burgundy red) is selling for $279 new direct from Amazon.  All the other colors are selling for $379, normally $425.  The extra power/capacity/pouring shield for an extra $79 is kind of a no brainer.

 

[LyceeFruit PE]

@Supe if Mrs. Supe is left-handed, she may not find the pouring shield particularly helpful.

I ended up getting rid of mine since I'm left handed and using it didn't result in any sort of ease. Plus it's bulky and I keep a cover over my mixer to keep it cleaner - the pouring shield got in the way