KitchenAid K45SS Classic > Reviews > Kitchen Aid Classic - Best kitchen mixer

Author's product rating:   

Performance	Excellent
Ease of use	Very easy
Durability	Long
User's Manual	Good
Value for money	Excellent

Advantages:	Ease of use, versatility, easy to clean, looks great
Disadvantages:	Expensive add - ons

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

Arguably the biggest name in small kitchen appliances, this mixer represents far better VFM than the Kenwood equivalent. I paid £150 from Amazon when on offer as not only has it a huge reputation as a solidly built, reliable and versatile kitchen machine but when it's going to be stood on your work surface everyday (indeed, it is too heavy to be pulling in and out of cupboards anyway) it needs to be aesthetically pleasing too. This is a thing of beauty compared to the bland bulky casing of the Kenwood range ( I inherited an old Kenwood mixer some years ago and not only was it ugly but it was in orange too!).
Okay, it isn't as powerful as the Artisan but it's also not as expensive and is more than adequate for everyday domestic use. Having been taught how to bake by manual methods and then progressing to a food processor to take the hard work out of creaming and whipping etc I didn't think that it could get much easier but I was wrong. The Kitchen Aid Classic is robust enough to kneed heavy doughs yet delicate enough to whip the lightest meringues and creams. Incredibly easy to use main attachments with bayonet fittings and two levers, one to tilt the head back and the other to control the speed settings. Possibly the best feature is that the stainless steel bowl is ridiculously easy to clean and ready again in seconds for it's next job.
There is a downside however. The attachments seem to be prohibitively expensive, certainly in the UK, but if you happen to travel to the US then you can bring them back with you at a far better price.
If you like baking you'll love this.