The Sunbeam really isn't much more than a hand mixer on a stand. Go for the KA, especially if hubby told you to. Cheaper isn't a bargain if it doesn't fit your needs.

Go for it!

I had my first KA for over 20 years. I just bought the KA 600 and I love it!

Go get the Kitchen Aid, it is totally worth it! I had a 4.5 qt Kitchen -aid, sold it for the Pro 600. Now I have the 5qt. on order from Lowes so I will have two. I would not trade the Kitchen Aids for any other brand!
Tracy

I bought the Sunbeam when I was in a bind in the Spring and needed another mixer quick for a ton of stuff I was doing. It went back the next day.

I bake a lot of cookies for people and it couldn't handle cookie dough. I never tried cake batter or frosting, but any mixer my DH had to stand an manually move the bowl on to get things to mix is a in my book.

I only have the KA Artisian. I don't know what the 600 is, but thinking maybe I should be asking for it for Christmas. I need to research it cause hubbby won't know where to go get it.

I feel kinda like a man comparing power tools.

Just gotta add here, Tina...your doggie avatar makes me smile!

Here's another vote for the KA!!
You'll love it and will be so happy with it.
Happy Baking!!!!

I was looking at www.shopkitchenaid.com and they have factory refurbished artisans for $180. I know a lot of people don't like to buy refurbished things, but a lot of places test the refurbished things more than they test the new ones. Not sure how much the shipping is, but it may very well be worth it.

Absolutely get the KA. I used a cheaper stand mixer for years and it was fine, but not great and the motor really had a hard time with thick icing. My husband bought me a KA 600 for my birthday this year (total surprise--he did all the research and even chose the color, which is the one I would have chosen myself). It is wonderful! I love having both the whisk and the paddle attachments and the 6-qt capacity is so handy. I have one scratch chocolate cake recipe that used to almost overflow in my old mixer and now I can mix two batches at once. Dh also bought me the ice cream maker attachment and it works really well.

I would also say to take it back - I have had 2 in the last year. My first one gave out after about 6 months (I think due to the large amounts of buttercream icing that I was making) and then the second one had a problem with the mixers not turning properly and then hitting each other and jamming

I know the KAs seem expensive when you can get a mixer for $50-100 but the life of the cheap mixers is likely ot be much less than for the KAs. In the long run you can easily save lots of money by purchasing the KA instead of having to constantly buy new mixers.

My husband decided that KAs were what I needed after I burned up my first mixer in under a year and bought me the 4.5 quart.

You won't regret having the 600, I got one this spring to replace my old KA and I love it.

First off, heathermari, who is that wonderful hunk? I thought I forgot to take my Premarin this morning since I got a hot flash when I saw him

Now to the mixer. I have used a Sunbeam Heritage series mix master for 3 years. Sunny has been good to me, as I have averaged a cake every couple of weeks. However, my average has gone up to about 1 a week, and Sunny is having a hard time making the amount of BC. Sunny the First died on me this spring when making a batch of Faux Fondant BC. I borrowed a girlfriend's KA Artisan to finish her daughter's castle cake. What an awesome machine - but man, there was no way I could ever afford one.

Sunbeam customer service was excellent, and a brand new mixer arrived via UPS in 3 days. Sunny the Second has started skipping and locking up on this weekend's batch of Buttercream Dream. Luckily, I had jumped on the $150 bandwagon and have a KA on order. I don't dare try a batch of the No Fail Sugar Cookies right now. Sunny the Second will not be able to handle it. I wouldn't dream of trying MMF in her.

I am not a person who buys a product just because "everyone says this brand is the best". I have used both mixers, and feel that for frequent, heavy duty home use, the KA is better. If you are going into business, definitely go KA. There is no way I could ever afford or justify the cost of a full price KA and am so thankful for the opportunity to order one earlier. If DH has given the blessing, go get the big KA! It is an investment that will truly pay off.

I have a 4.5qt. KA from 1997 and ol' Bessie is still going strong. I wouldn't trade her in for any other brand of mixer, but I will add to her family. I bought the artisan KA (in cobalt ). I'm in love with it and have yet to plug it in.

Just to let you know if you ever find a pretty good deal on a KA, Sears will price match 110%.

Considering you are baking that much, I don't think your Sunbeam can handle the pressure. Spend the extra money and have something that will last you practically forever.

Heathermari's advatar is Denny Duquette from Grey's Anatomy....actor Jeffrey Dean Morgan....yummy!!!

You should try to get the KA at Lowes. They didn't pull any ads from out stores and I went right to appliances and ordered 2.

I understand too the hesitancy because that is a major purchase. I debated for years before I bought my KA artisan mixer. I actually won mine in an auction on Ebay. Brand new in the box. Never looked back. I would say go ahead and get it if that is where your heart is. Believe me you won't be disappointed with this work horse.

icantcook.. you are so funny! I just love your ticker countdown - 14 days until yur Pink Artisan arrives..."

I see that mostly everyone has a really cool color KA. Mine is just plain white!

I have had my KA for 12 years now - it's the smaller one, the "classic" I think. I've only been doing cakes for about 2 years but, I've always baked a lot. My KA's held up very well - heavy cookie dough, large batches of bc, royal icing and MMF. I couldn't get by without it. I hightly recommend the KA. I'm hoping for a larger model though....maybe for Christmas.

I bought myself the KA Pro600 last year for Christmas...and I only do once in a while baking (so far).

The reason I bought mine was at the time I was taking the beginning cake deco class from Michael's and was mixing a double batch of buttercream in my Sunbeam stand mixer. (Sunbeam was my grandmother's so it was probably 30 years old). It actually bent the beaters because it couldn't handle the double batch of frosting.

Broke my heart to not use it...still have it put away in a cupboard because I don't want to get rid of it since grandma passed away a few years ago.

But...I would say spend the money and get the KA.

I have a Sunbeam that I've had for a year. I only do cakes occasionally but it's really been a nice mixer. I just didn't like that it doesn't hold a lot and I really wanted that dough hook....so I ordered a KA a couple weeks ago from Lowe's when they were a steal. Don't have it yet but looking forward to it. Your Sunbeam is nice but a KA I think will last longer

Get the KA...I just bought mine (the 600 series) and i'm already wondering how I did without it all these years. And if hubby is saying get it.....run, run, run!! You will definitely NOT regret it!!

You will never regret getting the Kitchen Aid. Never. Ever.

Did I mention my vote is for the Kitchen Aid?

My vote is for the KA mixer. My husband and 2 year old son got my first pink one about a year and a half ago for my first mother's day. I love it. I just ordered a second copper one from Lowe's a couple of weeks ago because it was a steal for the metallic series mixers. They called today and said that it will be ready for pick up in 10 days. Make sure you lock the head of the mixer down when mixing. I had to send my first one back because I was an idiot and didn't know. It was wobbly after that. They sent me a brand new one with no problems. So....let us know what you decide to do. We're all in suspense

I bought a Sunbeam when I first started this cake thing and it work well for batter and buttercream but when I went to make cookies-the problems started. I never even tried to make fondant with it. I went and got myself a Cooks 5qt 750 motor from JCPennys for $123.00 (several discounts ) and I couldn't be happier. The KA are really nice and if I could have found a nice size one in my price range when I was looking I probably would have bought it. I would have to agree that if you plan on making a ton of cakes, cookies or fondant-spend the money and get something that is going to last.

Angie

I read somewhere (maybe here!) that a Lowe's manager said they were probably going to have another mixer sale on labor day. Even if they don't, surely someone else will - maybe Kohls or Penneys. If you could hold out a few more weekends, you could probably come up with a pretty good deal. (But take the little one back!)

I know that everyone has been talking about the KA mixers from Lowe's for $150. I ordered one myself, but for the people that missed that one or just want a larger KA mixer, Sam's has the Kitchenaid Stainless Professional Mixer for $259. I thought that was a really great price. Here is the online link to see if your local Sam's club has any in stock:
http://www.samsclub.com/shoppi.....tem=164041
I actually saw the mixer in my local Sam's club this morning. I think you can order the red one online if you don't want stainless but I think the stainless is the only color in stores. Well, I hope this helps. If my copper KA mixer doesn't come in, I may be purchasing one of these big mixers myself Laughing. I copied this from a new topic I posted a few minutes ago.

My great-grandmother told my mother " Anytime your husband offers to do something for you, take him up on it " My mother passed that bit of advice to me (and I then named my daughter after my great-grandmother, due to her wisdom) That being said--Your DH TOLD you to get the KA--RUN, DO not walk, PASS GO & collect the $200.00 and GET the KA !! I've had my KA Classic 4.5qt for 18 years and she still runs like a dream. My DH & kids gave me the KA 600 Pro for Mother's Day this year and I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE it! I use both my babies all the time

Ok sorry it has taken me so long to get back to you guys. Thank you for all the opinions. After much consideration and thought I took the sunbeam back. However instead of buying a KA i bought well ordered a Cooks brand mixer. I know their not as pretty as the KA, but they do have more watts and I have actually had a couple people pm me about the cooks brand. I will try it out and if I don't like it I will take it back.

By the way JCPenney is a rip off. I went to the mall to get my mixer. Well in the penneys catalog the cooks mixer was 299.99. They have it marked down to 149.99. I go to the store they have the mixer for 179.99. Thats a $30 difference. I ask the clerk if they were they same one. She checks the numbers and says yes, would you like me to order you one. Um no, I want to take it home with me. Then she says I can't sell you that mixer for that price. WHAT!!! So I get a manager and ask her the same question. She proceeds to tell me that the store, and the catalog are two different places. She says that the catalog will honor store prices, but the store cannot honor catalog prices. Are you kidding me. So needless to say I came home without my mixer. So yesterday I ordered my cooks mixer over the internet got it for the 149.99 and got FREE SHIPPING, and got an email this morning that my mixer was shipped. Why the hell would someone pay the extra $30. This has got t be the craziest thing I have ever heard.

Tonya