ok.. so i have been shopping around for a kitchen aid for a while, and i have some questions i would like help with.
1. i dont no what size to get.. i want the 6 q one just cuz its MASSIVE and its got a neat sheild thing ( i no u can buy that for 30 dollars) im in canada btw so prices will probably be weird... and i dont want the 4 1/2 q cuz i think it will be two small... and i dont no about the 5 q... so what i have been making so far is , 3-4 batches of buttercream at a time ( in a sunbeam which was WAY to small lol ooops) and i plan on making cakes with fondant eventually, so if any of u can help me with the size? or excpericances with it?
2. all of the kitchen aids that i look at have a thing called a "flat beater" and i have seen u guys say that i need a flat paddle to make fondant.. and all the flat beaters i have seen are plastic, so are they the same thing? and will the plastic "flat beater" be strong enough for fondant ? and also the wire whip, is it strong enough to even make buttercream icing?? it doesnt look strong!
thanks ladies and doug 
Even with the 6qt bowl I don't know if you would be able to fit 4 batches of buttercream at a time. I have the 5qt and have been very happy with it, but if you have the extra money I would go with the 6qt.
The flat "beater" and "paddle" are the same thing. If you have been looking at Kitchen Aids then the paddle is definitely metal and would hold up fine for fondant. The wire whip is quite strong, but I have never used it to make buttercream, I always use the paddle for that.
all the default attachments that come with the kitchenaid are made of metal... it's painted white so i guess it sort of looks like plastic but i'm pretty sure they're all metal.
if you make and sell a lot of cakes (3-4 per week, let's say) i suggest you get the big 6-quart. i bake and decorate mostly for fun so i'm happy with my little KA accolade 400.
if money is no object, i'd get two - one big pro-6 and one 4.5 for smaller jobs. plus extra bowls and attachments 
actually my dream machine would be a hobart professional but those are just way too expensive.
lol thanks alot for ur answers. i dont do cakes profesionally, someday hopefully, but not yet.. money is kinda a issue, i dont want to spend too much if i dont have to . and darra i would LOVE to have 2.. lol but i dont think anyone around me would let me.. they think im already way to "crazy" about this cake stuff anyhow.
and i didnt no that the paddles were painted white, so i bet they are all metal lol...
thanks alot,
anyone else?
I just purchased the 6 quart mixer even though my 4 1/2 is only four years old and I love it. I have been able to do three batches of buttercream with no problem. I haven't attempted four though. For me, its nicer to have the bigger one because it makes it easier to do things in bigger loads. I just made 9 cookie bouquets for mother's day and was SO thankful I had it.
I love my 6 quart! I can do 3 batches of buttercream in it, but prefer to keep it at two. The beaters that came with mine are all metal. I know some mixers come with a coated metal that's very nice. They can be put in the dishwasher. The all-metal ones develop a nasty coating when you put them in the dishwasher. Ask me how I know. SIGH....
IMHO the nifty shield ain't so nifty. I wouldn't spend the bucks. Mine came with one. Thank goodness I didn't spend extra for it! I wrassled with it once and threw it in the back of my cupboard. The next stop for it is probably the garbage bin. If I didn't know better, I would swear it had been engineered by Wilton! LOL!
What I WOULD spend extra money on in a heartbeat is an extra bowl. You can get them from the refurbished area on Kitchenaid's website for about ten bucks. Having an extra bowl is heaven!
I'd been using a 4.5 quart KA for over 30 years (two of them) and they made many a cake. If a smaller mixer is all your budget can handle, go for it. You won't be sorry. But, do check out the closeouts and refurbished ones offered on Kitchenaid's website. You can get a lot more bang for your buck. I just ordered my second refurbished appliance from them. I've been very happy with my first.
I have the 4.5 quart and I am very happy with it. I can do double batches of buttercream. The only thing I need is an extra bowl which would be very helpful sometimes. There are sales on them in Canada and you can find them at Zellers or Linen and things. I got mine from Home Outfitters and came with the extra kitchenaid spatulas and measuring cups. I love my mixer and don't feel i need a bigger one.
I have a 5 qt. professional that DH bought me 14 years ago. That's another thing to consider, these things will last forever - well worth the cost! It has got to be my favorite appliance in the house. I use it all the time (for some reason i get the task of making massive amounts of mashed turnips every holiday!) Another thing to think of is counter space... Mine is the bowl lift, which just barely fits on my countertop under my wall cabinets...I'll probablly never get it out. Other models have the head that swings up.
I'm also wanting to buy a KA and wasn't sure which model to buy. So far, all I have been using is a handheld Hamilton Beach. It takes so long to mix what I need to mix that I have started to get a stiff neck from holding the mixer for such a long time. I recently really started doing cakes and haven't had a chance to research all of the manufacturers. It seems that KA is the way to go. I too wasn't sure how big to go, since they are so expensive. I mean I don't mind spending the money if I am going to be doing alot of cakes. At least, I hope so. Should I start out with the 5 qt.? Do they flip back to get the mixing bowl out?
I have the 6 quart pro and absolutely love it! The attachments are metal and sturdy. As far as the splatter guard and pouring shield - I used mine all the time since it makes for great hands- free pouring of flour and 10X. Then when I'm finished adding ingredients, I just set the shield in the sink for washing. It does hold 3 batches (haven't tried 4) and I just recently bought an extra bowl. KA does have sales so you might want to check with them periodically. HTH
The best way to decide is to go to a store and play with different models and see what you like. When I got mine I thought I wanted the 6 qt professional one, but after playing with the different models I just didn't like the way the 6 qt lifted. I prefer the tilt of the 5 qt.
I have the 6 quart and love it!!! Got an extra bowl for Christmas last year and that makes things a lot easier. Now I want an extra paddle. I also do 3 batches of bc in mine at a time. Don't know how I ever survived without it.
I regularly do a quad batch of buttercream in my 6 qt, and it handles it beautifully. I put the recipe in single through quad batches in a Word document if you're interested: Linky
BTW, I have 3 KitchenAids (4.5 qt., 5 qt., and 6 qt) and by far, my 6 qt. gets the most use.
I have a 5qt refurb KA that I love, except I think I'm killing it. I don't do a TON of cakes (like, 1-2 a month plus other projects). But I am experiencing a horrible problem when making bread with the dough hook. Even on slow speed it groans and complains, and skips occasionally, and sometimes it will rock itself across the counter. It takes twice as long to knead dough than my recipes suggest (those written for stand mixers to begin with) and sometimes will start to smell a little...like burning! 
Now - I do realize this is CakeCentral.com, not BreadCentral.com... but I was wondering that since we're already on the subject of KAs, am I really killing my KA or is this just something that happens?
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