Hey guys,
I would really like some help deciding what mixer to buy. I bought a KA from Costco in the Nickel: 5 qt, 475 power mixer from the professional series. However, after reading some reviews on CC, I'm thinking of returning it (haven't opened the box!) and getting the Pro 600 6 qt, in meringue since it's on sale for basically the same price. I'm a hobby baker only, but am making some big cakes and really want it to handle double batches of WASC and batches of marshmallow fondant.
What do you guys think? My thoughts are: the Pro 600 handles more batter, has a better motor and, surprisingly, is more compact in terms of its dimensions than the Costco one. The Costco one, however, is in a nicer color.

Any thoughts?

Here's the link: http://www.costco.com/Browse/Productgroup.aspx?Prodid=10043022&search=kitchenaid&topnav=&Mo=0&cm_re=1_en-_-Top_Left_Nav-_-Top_search&lang=en-US&Nr=P_CatalogName:BC&N=5000043&whse=BC&Dx=mode%20matchallpartial&Ntk=Text_Search&Dr=P_CatalogName:BC&Ne=4000000&D=kitchenaid&Ntt=kitchenaid&No=0&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0002Y5X9M/?tag=cakecentral-20

I think they are both junk, get a Viking.

Mike

I can't tell you exactly about those machines but I can tell you that I just rec'd my first KA a little over a week ago and it's the Artisan. My kitchen isn't large enough for the bigger mixers but this mixer had absolutely no problems with double the recipe of WASC and it's a 5qt bowl.

I have the 5 Quart KA mixer in Red and LOVE IT (You should get a fun color). But if you can get a bigger one for basically the same price, you may as well do that. Enjoy

I am a Kitchenaid fanatic and no one can change my opinion. The Viking and the Cuisinart ones are just bulky and in my opnion, very unattractive, but that's just my personal opinion.

If they are both around the same price, I would recommentd the Pro 600. It may not be the color you are looking for, but it will look a lot nicer and you'll have a larger capacity for mixing.

Hi, Mike. Could you give us a little more info on why you think Viking mixers are better. Do you know anything about the cost difference? I have the KA 5qt. one (not a pro, either, for the moment), but I hope to afford a larger one soon. For the moment, I'm happy with the KA, although I'd really like to get the beater with the scraper edge and the feeder top, since the space between the bowl and the mixer head is so small I ALWAYS manage to spill the flour, the sugar and whatever else I'm adding. As for the OP's original question, I'd go for quality over color any day. If you hate the color, make a cover for it in a color you like, so it goes with the rest of your kitchen! Hope you get what you're looking for!

Don't worry about the color. I thought I wanted the red KA, but that never came up on the good sale price at Amazon 2 years ago, only the meringue. My hubby refused the red one, said it would look big and awful and an eyesore on the countertop, sitting out all the time. So I got the meringue and am very happy. My kitchen colors may change but the meringue is a nice soft white color that will go with anything and not clash. Plus the bowl and the trim is a silver color so will still go with your nickel items. I use a cloth napkin to cover the bowl and paddles and you could use something to coordinate with your kitchen.

I'd love to hear more about the Viking as well. I have been sitting on the fence between the KA 6qt and the Cuisinart 7qt and really don't know which to get. I need something that can handle multi-batches of heavy cookie dough and I'm giving myself a headache trying to make a decision.

ETA: thank you Mike! I looked at some refurb vikings and they are pretty dang affordable (comparatively speaking)! It's good to know you can handle man-sized bread batches in that thing as that is exactly the power I'm looking for!

Check your space where you want it to go on the counter. The 6q with the lift bowl is taller than the others. It wouldn't fit on my mom's cabinet, but does fit mine, so it all depends on how much space you have.

Personally I'd keep the smaller one. I do have a 4.5 and a 6q and unless I am doing things in bulk I use the smaller one. One thing I have found is that I have trouble doing small batches of things in the big one. To me it just doesn't mix the smaller amounts as well. Yes I can put 4lbs of powder sugar in it and make buttercream but when I just need one more small recipe of buttercream I never use it.

I just got a KA 5 Qt 2 days ago and LOVE IT!!!

If you decide on the KA, totally go for the 6qt....Love the bigger bowls, and I also much prefer the lift style because it won't take up extra counter space when you go to take the beater off.

I have two 6qts.....one, though, is a refurb and is having some problems with a switch, I need to get it repaired. Don't get a refurb.

While I am glad that Mike is happy with his Viking mixer I just wanted to let you know my experience with it. I have had a KA PRO 6 qt. for years. The year that I retired my wife gave me a Viking 7 qt. for Christmas. I bake cakes only for family members now, and my goal at retiement was to bake lots of bread.

I had so many problems with the Viking....it kept quitting, and then finally just after the warrenty was up, it died. There are no local dealers and we spent way too much shipping it back and forth for repairs. We finally just put it in the storage shed and brought out the old KA....which is still going strong and I make big batches of bread once or twice a week.

I realize I may have just gotten a lemon but at the time I was having it repaired so much I read many reviews of unhappy Viking owners with similar problems.

Yeah I saw negs on Amazon.com about Vikings too...of course KA gets negs too. So far I've heard the most good about Cuisinart but they too, get negs. I guess it just depends on luck, just like anything you buy. I suppose to get anything super duper heavy duty, you'd have to go for the true commercial stand mixers.

Until then, my KA's seem fine....

Just an FYI, the licorice colored KA on Amazon is even cheaper than the meringue one...
I have the 5qt KA HD from Costco and LOVE it. I bought the beater blade for it and that thing's a DREAM (you can find it on Amazon). That being said, don't use a beater blade if you're making Sugarshack's recipe. i found that out the hard way...
When I registered my KA on their website, there was a bonus offer so I received a free gift from them. yay! It was a small bowl with whisk attachment. Sweet.
I've had my mixer for 1.5 yrs, use it 2-3 times a week and have never had a problem. Fingers crossed!

BeaterBlade will replace your paddle if you broke it! I broke two and they contacted me through CC, actually, and replaced both with the new professional kind that won't break. I even did cookie dough with them (the yellow professional ones) recently! I love BeaterBlades, rarely use my regular paddle anymore.

Thanks guys! Now I'm leaning heavily towards the Pro 600 lol, even thought that entails some returning and a mail-in rebate!

Skirt- thanks so much for pointing out the licorice color! Maybe I'll get that instead.

Also, I'm a little wary of the Costco mixer because you don't hear anything about the Pro HD series. It's always Artisan or Pro 600. Does anyone know anything about the Pro HD series?

Ooops, just realized this post made it sound like I ignored your post, Skirt. I more meant like, how does the Pro HD series compare to the Artisan/Pro 600?

I wouldn't worry about it too much, I got a QVC 6qt via Ebay, that was only made for QVC....and it worked out alright.

I just love the 6qts...the bigger the better for me!!!!! The fewer batches of buttercream the better, too!

Kitchen gadget queen here to answer questions.

I bought my Classic KA from Sam's Club over 20 years ago. Spent $259 and it came with all the attachments. Couldn't have been happier and still thrilled with it.

Now if I had to purchase another mixer and I might, because my baby is making odd noises. I will beg, borrow and steal to get the smallest Hobart to fit in my kitchen. If that can't be done I'll look at Cuisinart and Viking.

My reasoning is all my other KA appliances suck. My friends' who now own KA mixers, as gifts from their husbands are pissed at me. They all own the bigger models and according to my friends, that told their husbands to consult me (kitchen gadget queen), the motors just die, they get the electric smoke thing and they have no power. These women don't even come close to what I do in one day, that they need done in a year.

I bought mine 20 years ago, when KA was still built by Hobart. I also worked in the restaurant biz and the classic held up to 12 to 15 hours of hard work all day every day.

If you watch the cooking shows, they aren't featuring KA mixers. Marketing ploy?, probably; but I've never known a chef that didn't want the best equipment that he/she could afford.

When it comes to kitchen equipment you get what you pay for.

The horror stories I've heard with the KA now and it includes all the models, I personally would return it and save money to get something that is supposed to last a lifetime.

Your mixer isn't supposed to be a throwaway item. Hopefully, it will be what mine is; the nieces and nephew already deciding who's getting it when I die.