Mixer: Tilt Head Versus Bowl Lift?
Decorating By goblinqueen Updated 17 Aug 2010 , 4:57pm by cutthecake
Hi everyone. Hope this is the right place to post such a question. I want to finally purchase the stand mixer I've been coveting for a year now, but I STILL can't make up my mind about which type to get. I'm not a professional by any means, but if I'm going to spend $300 on something, I want to make sure I get what will last me the longest... The lift model seems so much bigger though, and not having a base to the bowls seems strange and inconvenient. Does anyone have opinions to share?
My personal preference is the machine with the bowl lift. I do not like the tilt up mixer. I find it to be a bit messier to deal with the removal of the paddle/whisk. Also, my KA with the bowl lift fits under the cabinet and can stay in place on my counter. The tilt model had to be moved every time I wanted to use it.
I'm more about size, so I love my KA 6 qts with bowl lift. I've had 3, still have 2 at the shop.
I have two tilts too, and they're small and useful, but the sliding them out from the wall everytime to tilt up is a bit of a nuisance.
Otherwise, it's really about size for me, either one is nice but I'd get a lift if I had to choose.
I feel just the opposite! I bought a KA lift bowl, have 3 tilt KA mixers, and I prefer the tilt one because it gets closer to the edge of the bowls than the other. I always end up with product not fully mixed in with the lift bowl. I rarely use my lift bowl one and I feel it is harder to deal with the paddles on it. I don't like having to remove the paddle while still in the product then removing after I have removed the bowl. Oh and if you don't line it up just right it is a devil to get on. Getting it off is also problematic. I have had many a batter splatter incident when trying to get that dang bowl off the lift.
I have a bowl lift model too. I purchased the silicone edged beater and never have to scrape the bowl. I would purchase this one again. When I purchased the KA 6qt Pro, it was so tall it wouldnt fit under my upper cabinets in my old house, but in our new house it fits perfectly. It's too heavy to try to keep under the cabinet and take out every time I use it, but the new house has room to keep it out.
I have both and I like both!!!! But I also like my tilt a tad bit more!!!!!!!
I have a tilt and love mine. It sits on the counter and I have it positioned so I never have to move it to tilt it.
I've used my aunt's a lot and hers is a lift.
The first time I used hers, I hated it. Now I enjoy using hers.
Scraping is definitely easier with the lift (much less messy). My aunt's doesn't mix as well if I don't scrape though so I do have to scrape (it could just be her adjustment though). I would definitely not throw a fit if I woke up and found a lift in my kitchen.
The other poster's size issues is a good one though. If you want it to set out, do you have the cabinet space for a lift?
The KA bowl lift 6 quart with a beater blade pro attachment is unbeatable. The beater blade pro scrapes the sides & bottom so that everything is perfectly mixed, and the size of the 6 quart is soooo convenient!
I had my KA tilt for nearly 30 years before it gave up the ghost. I borrowed a friend's lift for a couple of weeks while I decided which to get. I found the lift to be really messy to use, or maybe it was just that I was accustomed to the tilt feature. I ended up purchasing the tilt KA Artisan 5 1/2 qt, plus the beater blade (which I love!) and couldn't be happier. My friend, however, swears by the lift. So to each his own. You will find people loyal to each style. I guess I haven't helped you any, but that's my two cents' worth.
Haha! Yeah that's what I was worried about. I've done a lot of searching for reviews and people's comments, and it seems to be a pretty even split, with people preferring one over the other for different reasons. I suppose I should measure under my cabinets to make sure a lift model would fit in the first place. Though I kind of want to get a kitchen cart since my little bit of apartment counter space filled up fast.
I've got 2 tilt heads and 1 bowl lift. I hate using the bowl lift. It's hard to get the attachments on and off. When I make cake batter, with the tilt head, I just tilt it and the extra batter comes off and I can scrape it back into the bowl. I can't do that with the bowl lift and it's alot messier. It's easer to clean the tilt head also.
I had a tilt for about 15 years and really liked it. I finally burned it up and had to get a new one. I decided I wanted one with a bigger bowl and more power. I didn't even realize it was a lift bowl until after I already ordered it 
. I think I liked the tilt better but I'm hoping I just have to get used to the new one. I do agree that the beater doesn't seem to get as close to the bowl, so I have to scrape more. I'll have to look into getting one of those silicone edged beaters. That sounds like a good idea.
I own 2 Tilts, a 2 yr old and a 58 yr old, and I love them both!! They're smaller than the lifts and waaayyyy easier to clean imo. I never have to scrape the sides either.
It really depends on your space, Big kitchen, go big. Smaller kitchen, (like myself) get the Tilt. But other than that, there really isn't THAT much difference between to two...
I have one of each, and I love them both..
BUT the bowl lift is my pro 600 and I can make 2 batches of icing at a time,so I like that a lot. 
Either way, you will be happy 
Jodi
I have a tilt KA and I love it.
A friend has had both at her restaurant and says that she prefers the tilt because of having to undo the attachment to scrape the bowl.
She told me of reading an article that the beater blade with the silicone edges can be hard on the mixer's motor so she did not recommend getting the beater blade.
Now you have my two cents, and my friend's two cents too.
I have ordered a silver tilt mixer! Thanks for the advice, everyone. Now time to hope Amazon doesn't have trouble delivering to my apartment, it'd be kinda heavy to lug home from the post office... oh and time to decide what to make first. Finally I can attempt marshmallows!
With the lift-type, you must remove the beater to remove the bowl, and I find that terribly annoying.
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