Well I made homemade marshmallows the other night and my Sunbeam mixer is dead. I thought it just needed to rest (such wishful thinking!!) but it is gone....

Need to get something quickly...

Kohls has both the KitchenAid® Professional 600 Stand Mixer on sale ($399) and the 5 Qt Arisan for $299.

PLEASE offer your recommendations/thoughts/experiences .....?? Thanks!

I have had the KA Pro 600 for years. I am retired from cake baking (except for family) but it got a real workout then, and now I bake bread frequently and it handles the heavy dough beautifully.
I highly recommend this machine.

Get the 6 qt. A couple of years ago, I bought the 5 qt. It's a wonderful machine, but now, when I see a 6 qt on sale..... I keep wishing I'd bought it, and I keep debating whether I should go out and buy a new 6qt I am only a hobby baker but it sure would be nice some days to have the bigger machine to be able to make bigger batches of icing.

I had the 6qt KA pro and didn't like the fact the head did not lift up like my old faithful 4 qt KA. Other than that it was okay but have to admit it got neglected because of the non lifting head.
I ended up selling it and buying a 7 qt viking pro stand mixer that did have a lifting head. I like my viking a lot.

I also just got (with free airmiles!) the KA 90th anniversary candy apple red artisan (with the beeeoootiful glass bowl!) and like it very very much!!

So I guess my only advice is... if you don't mind the non lifting head, go for the 6qt. pro.. If not, go for the artisan....

Feeling conflicted.....and over a mixer!! hahahaha

While I continue to think about it, any ideas on how to dispose of the Sunbeam? Regular trash??

[quote="While I continue to think about it, any ideas on how to dispose of the Sunbeam? Regular trash??[/quote]

If you live in a place with a back lane or alley, just stick it out so folks driving by can see it.
I can't tell you how much busted and usless stuff I've gotten rid to metal collectors & old appliance collectors or just general junk collectors driving by..

Not sure on the putting in regular trash tho. Where I am, thats a big no no..
Maybe check with your local city works yard to be sure..

Well I just got a new KA Artisan (203.00 on Amazon) and I LOVE it. I couldn't even consider the bigger one because of my small kitchen but the change from Sunbeam to KA was amazing. Everyone said I'd be happy and I AM! But if you have the space and you do lots of big batch mixing (the lift bowl ones are taller and you have to remove the beater to get the bowl out I was told ?) you could go for the bigger one.

I have the 5 qt mixer and it died. I did manage to fix it though. We also purchase two 6 qt mixers that we sent to our coffee shop back in the Philippines and it still works.

Thank you again to everyone for your input and recommendations! I ended up going with the KA Artisan 5 qt mixer. I wasn't thrilled with the bowl lifter/how to remove the bowl from the display model of the 6 qt version and after all was aid and done, the KA Artisan cost me $120!
Wish me luck and thank you!!

I just got the 6 qt Pro and am so excited but haven't used it yet (opened it yesterday)....I have a KA Classic, and because I teach at a Middle and High School I bake about 20 6 inch cakes at a time. I was using a bigger bowl that I would fill with 4 cake mixes and hold under the beater of my KA because I can only just fit 3 mixes in my Classic KA.

I can't wait to be able to just let the mixer do its work w/out having to use a different bowl! But I must say, I do love my Classic KA, it was my sister's for about 6 years before she gave it to me almost 3 years ago.