So, who else here is stuck with a stupid hand held mixer?? I went to my first Wilton class last night and the teacher had a KitchenAide and I just about died! I couldn't believe that I have been sweating my butt off with a hand held when it is so easy with a counter top mixer. I sooooooooooo have to buy one now!!!!!!!!!!! I feel like Ive been in the stone age!
I have a KitchenAide, but I feel your pain. I used a hand held mixer for the longest time! I eventually bought a more powerful hand held mixer, because the one I had just didn't have enough watts and could barely go through icing. Finally, I told my husband I wanted a KitchenAide for Christmas. I have had it several years now and love it! I put the first hand held mixer in our garage sale!
I just got one for Christmas...but I feel your pain! LOL
Pam
Just a suggestion... don't get the Pro model. You can't find extra parts for it as easy as you can for the 4.5 qt. model. And trust me, you'll end up wanting an extra bowl and paddle at least.....
Susieindy~ I musta been answering while you were and we ended up saying the same line! Great minds and all....
Pam
I was right there with you!!! Hubby got me the Kitchen Aid 5Q for Christmas from Amazon.com for $154. I couldn't touch them locally for under $200, the cheapest was $269 on sale! Just made my first wedding cake order that almost,... not quite,.. paid for it!
I you're interested... go to Amazon.com and look for their $199 deal. It's usually on one of their not so fancy colors - mine was all white. Amazon then was offering a $25 off any kitchen and bath order over $150 plus Kitchen Aid offered a $20 mail in rebate from their website. They do this often so you might have to wait for their next offer. And they offer free shipping on the order so there you have the $154. Much better than the $269 I was finding.
Hope this helps some! Hang in there. I had to borrow my MIL mixer till I got mine while I was in course 1 and course 2. You'll need one or to borrow one for course II to mix the RI. My hand mixer choked so bad and you have to mix it for 7-10 minutes till the shine goes away. Whew... I almost lost my hand mixer on that one. I've even got one of the older heavy duty ones not the flimsy plasticky ones from todays era.
- Paula
I don't have a kitchenaid but so want one 
Last Christmas my DH did by me a sunbeam stand mixer. It works great don't get me wrong. At the time I hadn't even taken a wilton course. I just baked alot of cakes for family and do alot of baking for Christmas. I have burned out my share of hand held mixers So he got me what we could afford. I need a good camera before I can think about a Kitchenaid. But my DH has a points system with awards you can purchase so maybe I can get one that way 
But camera still comes first. I can't show of my pics without one So good luck with your classes and hope to see your creations soon 
I have a big 8 quart mixer (not a KA) and I love it, but... I find that I don't use it that often and use my KA handheld for mixing batters, whipping cream, eggs and for my European buttercreams as they aren't heavy like American style buttercream. I would much rather wash a couple beaters instead of the whole mixer and this mixer has less to wash than the KA!
Now, when it comes to heavy duty things, YES, Stand mixer all the way. I don't knead bread by hand at all any more, but stick it in my mixer (this one is especially good at kneading bread).
Melissa
Before I decided that I might actually ENJOY baking (about 2 years ago) - I Craigslisted my Kitchen Aide. Of course I am now kicking myself big time, but at the time I was living in a tiny apartment with NO storage or counter space. I too, am stuck with a handheld, but I'm just starting. I think a new Kitchen Aide might be in order if I decide to keep going with it.
At first I was using a hand held mixer then I upgraded to a kenmore stand mixer and I didn't find it very helpful so then I upgraded again with a kitchenaid and it has been my best buy ever! I'm so inlove with it, it does wonders..lol
I took Wilton 1 and 2 with a hand mixer. It did ok it had a lot of watts. But while making cakes for Christmas (day before Christmas Eve) I wasn't paying attention and while putting powdered sugar from the bag it got stuck on one of the whisk 
Sugar went everywhere!!! And it broke the part that connects the whisk to the mixer!!!
Luckly my husband had a Kitchenaid wrapped and under the tree.
My brother-in-law says it was sabbatoge since I kept saying I wanted a kitchenaid!! 
)
I will never go back to the hand mixer. I highly recommened the Kitchenaid!!!
Here is a link from a ebay store that I have posted before. I have but parts from them and they are great! I do see some 6qt parts here. Just ask them they might have it if you don't see it. Here is what they have up for sale now
http://search.ebay.com/_W0QQsassZ*buyitnow*QQhtZ-1
here is a link to the store they have
http://stores.ebay.com/The-Buy-It-Now-Store
The only reason I have one is last yr I wanted to make a cheese cake for my birthday adn I didn't even have a hand mixer! So I borrowed one from my mom. My hubby came home that night with a KA mixer for me. I never once asked for one, he just went out and bought that one. You might want to start a new thread and see what everyones opinion is on the KA! Good Luck
I went through 2 hand helds and then thought, "Screw this, I am going to spend the money and get the Kitchen Aid" so I did. It was the best thing that I ever bought. I do though sometimes wish I had a hand held for small things sometimes.
If you live in Canada some cities have Linen's and Things Store. Once every 2 weeks I believe it is they send out a flyer and there is a 20% off coupon in it. I used it for my mixer so it was alot cheaper then. Every penny counts I say!
The only reason I have one is last yr I wanted to make a cheese cake for my birthday adn I didn't even have a hand mixer! So I borrowed one from my mom. My hubby came home that night with a KA mixer for me. I never once asked for one, he just went out and bought that one. You might want to start a new thread and see what everyones opinion is on the KA! Good Luck
thx silver, i might just do that
I think KA is considered pretty top of the line as far as this kind of thing goes (Food Network almost always has KA mixers- but that could be product placement for all I know). It is an extremely sturdy mixer that just goes and goes; AND there is so much you can do with it. Every time I read this thread I have to kick myself a little harder for getting rid of my own. That said - my mom just brought out her Oster that is older than my 32 years after I burnt out her hand mixer (oops) and that thing still goes! It clunks a little but it does it's job. Still taking bets on how long it takes me to burn out the motors on this one.
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