Hello all,

I want to buy a stand mixer but i would like to have opinions on which one would be better for cakes. Mixing the icing for example i have a little hand mixer but i think i broke it since it smells burned out! Please help! those things are expensive and i want to make sure i invest in a good thing and or waste money on sampling
Thank you!

I have a Professional 600 Series 6qt KA mixer with 575 watts of power. I really like it since it will mix my fondant for me! It is also great for making double batch recipes. I also have a 4.5 qt KA mixer which I do single batch recipes in. I use the 6 qt the most.
HTH
Renee

I have a cuisinart 7 quart stand mixer, it is AMAZING!!!! I had a KA stand mixer and thought it was good, but this is GREAT! I can put 8 pounds of powerder sugar in it to make frosting (I am still amazed at how many people want american buttercream vs IMBC) It is also great when you are mixing up cakes! I did simple cupcakes for my husbands work and I used 5 cake mixes and it had no problem!

But what I think is the best part is it has a timer on it so you can litteraly turn it on set the timer and do other things while it is mixing.

I like the Cuisinart over the KA!

I LOVE my 7 qt Cuisinart too ! I have a KA also, but use the Cuisinart 99% of the time. It's AWESOME!!!!!!!

Rave reviews about the Cuisinart 7qt from me too!! It's one of two appliances I have a love affair with! Lol! (the other being a french door fridge!) I can mix three batches of bc in it perfectly; that's 6 lbs of conf sugar and lottsa buttah! The timer is key, I use it often. Rcvd a 5qt KA 15 years ago for a wedding gift and only started using it 4 years ago heavily when I started my business. Worked fine, but would bog down on low speed with mPy bc for the first few minutes and almost burned out the motor once so I had to increase the speed then reduce once it was mixed better. The 7qt is fantastic but it is an investment piece. If you need a lower price point then a KA 5 or 6 should be perfectly fine. Good workhorses all of them. Happy shopping!

I think it would depend on how much you make and how often. If you have a business or thinking about having a business, then you need bigger bowl and more power (and higher price tag)
If you are a at home baker, that will only use it a couple times a month, then spending hundreds more wouldn't make sense.

I have a KA, the highest powered artisan model (sorry, it is late, i'm tired and can't remember all the details) For me, this works. I bought it when i didn't bake much, and now that i make oodles of bread, i realize that it won't last as long as i was hoping but for now, it works wonders.

And, no matter what model you get, you might want to wait till black Friday. My KA was originally priced $350 with a $30 rebate (no tax in Oregon) I waited till black friday and got it for $150 after the rebate. And, because i live in a small retirement community, i didn't even have to get up early for it!

Best of luck in whatever you decide

Wow Thanks alot to everyone! i guess i do need to consider that i make one or 2 cakes every month at home for family and friends not a business (cross my fingers some day it will come to that) and i think i will just wait until black friday i forgot about all of those good deals!!

I have a 7 quart Cuisinart and a 5 quart KA. I loved my KA until I got my Cuisinart. I still use both but 98% of the time it is my Cuisinart. Between the bigger bowl and the timer, it is just what I prefer to use. Also, on my KA, if I use it for any length of time, the pin starts sliding out--not a big deal but annoying. I guess I just expected better from KA. Of course, that isn't stopping me from looking at the new 7 quart KA at Williams Sonoma .

so do you guys like the Cuisinart because of the timer only? or capabilities? im confused now lol

i have a KA and i absolutely love it-before i was mixing cakes with a hand mixer and making all my mmf by hand!! (what a silly girl i was!!) now i use my artisian KA to mix my mmf. the pin does slide but really-no biggy i just push it back in. i wish i could buy a replacement bowl (metal) rather than glass so i am not constantly washing my one bowl out!! i have not tried the other brand only because it looked so big and bulky. the ka is just fine for me!! (i make probably 3-4+ cakes a month)

Do you guys know the difference between the head tilt up rather than the head of the mixer pulling up??

I also love my 7 qt. Cuisinart. I used to have a 5 qt. KA, but when the motor burnt out, I decided to get another brand. It was the 7qt. capacity that sold me, and the timer was a welcome bonus!

Motorhead- Check on Amazon, you CAN buy metal kitchen aid bowls.

As for the tilt vs lifting kitchenaid, the lifting ones have more power and larger capacity. They are in the professional line. The tilting ones are more of a "at home baker."

I bought the tilting one (due to pricing at the time) and wish I had gotten the lifting one, while my sisterinlaw got the lifting one and wished she had gotten the tilting.... I assume it is preference.

Remember the "lifting" one is taller and might not fit under your cabinets--gotta store it somewhere... I store mine in the pantry, but wouldn't even have an open area to set a tall one when I use it.
I have the 4.5 qt tilting and totally love it. Yeah, the larger ones will make 5 cake mixes at a time, but my oven won't hold that much..I can do 5 lbs of powdered sugar buttercream without a problem..

tilt is good then? kitchenaid or Cuisinart?

I guess in the end you're going to have to weight cost, benefits, storage, usage for your situation. Like everything, it's all a matter of preference. i don't think any of them are "bad".

i think i can just start with a used one from craigslist or something and see what i feel comfortable with huh

One more rave review for the Cuisinart 7 qt. I also have the Cuisinart 5.5 qt, if you want a cheaper one.

As for the tilt and lift KITCHENAID, movements have more power and greater capacity. Their professional line. Tilt is a more "Baker at home."

I have both a KA and a Cuisinart. My KA is an older one and works beautifully. I wanted a larger capacity bowl, however, when I started decorating. My DH decided to buy me a new stand mixer for my birthday last year and after much research on the newer KAs, the Cuisinart and the Viking, I opted for the Cuisinart 7 qt and fell in love with it. Not just for the timer, but it is a more powerful machine than my KA. I still have my KA, but it's up at our cabin in the mountains and I use it there during cabin season, and bring it home to provide me with an extra mixer in the winter, which is when I do most of my baking. It's hard to decide between the 2, but if you're planning on doing cakes for a long while, my suggestion would be to invest in the 7 qt Cuisinart, or the pro line KA. But of course I'd recommend the Cuisinart first. It's not any more expensive than the KA pro line pricewise, but it is powerful and very reliable. Good luck in your decision process.