Can this CHEAP stand mixer beat my KitchenAid? 

Are there any other cheap stand mixers you have used and would recommend for someone looking to spend under $100?

😂 I have both. I bought myself the cheap one. I love baking but as a single mom I couldn’t get myself to pay for the Kitchen Aid even though I would work OT to get my son every new PlayStation. Well years later, my son bought me the Kitchen Aid (with the glass bowl like I always wanted ) with his 1st paycheck. I value it even more so because of that 😊.

Another note on the Kitchen Aid. 1. The bowl height can be adjusted, there are a number of RU-vid vids to show how. 2. My Kitchen Aid finally died after 10 years of hard use. When this happens 95% of the time it's going to be the gearing inside the mixer. The gears (and for that matter all of the internals) are available for any repair. In my case $25 and 30 minutes of my time had it working as good as new. Again tons of vids on how to do any repair.

I’d have to add my perspective: it really also depends on how much you expect to use one and what it is you are using it for. I had a less expensive one for years. During that time I randomly used it and it worked fine for whatever I needed it for and it still works fine. As I got older and more financially sound, I thought I’d treat myself and bought a Kitchen Aid. I have to say it feels more substantial when I do use it but did I really need it? It appears that what I use it for and the usage it gets, my less expensive one works just as well. So think twice and consider your needs and not just marketing’s point of view…do you really need a Mercedes or will a Chevy or Ford do?

Tip for people with cheaper mixers making fermented dough: start with cold water instead of the recommended room temp water, gives you more mixing time without the dough overheating

About 10 years ago when I was still working at one of big box stores, I found a KitchenAid mixer on a clearance endcap. I slowly watched it drop in price. no one bought it even though it had dropped to around 120 from the original 300, so I scooped it up with my employee discount and a bonus discount. Paid like 100 bucks with taxes best purchase of a kitchen appliance ever. My family loves it.

My mom got her kitchen aid for a high school graduation present over 30 years ago. Still going strong. Not a huge baking household, but certainly not underused by any means. Really impressed by the thing considering it's been around literally my whole life.

You're awesome. Your voice isn't annoying. You speak clearly without "ums" and "likes". You make really good food and you don't have a giant ego. I truly enjoy watching your videos. Great job!

Shout OUT to Lauren for her hard work. After looking at mixers for a full day, pretty sure she doesn't want to see another one for some time. Thanks Lauren.

I bought my KitchenAid about 30 years ago. As a single mom, it was one of the most expensive and extravagant things I allowed myself to buy. I still have and use that mixer today! Price is definitely a factor, but the build quality and longevity of KitchenAid cannot be underestimated. Great video, Bri!

I do have to flex, I thrifted my Kitchen Aid for $100, it was brand new and clean but had an issue with the motor, but with a $15 replacement part it’s working perfectly. It’s the item I’m proudest to have in my kitchen.

Just a tip to up your kitchen aid game a LOT: Look at the Kitty Professional dough hook, it's made in Germany and it's super sturdy. Also it kneads the dough WAY more than the one kitchen aid makes because of its form. So it only needs speed 1 to 2 and less time, the dough gets kneaded instead of spun around :)

Had a Kitchen Aid for years and then I upgraded to a Bosch and I love it! More power, bigger capacity, easier to add ingredients and has attachments that work well. And it doesn’t shake like a Kitchen Aid.

For over a decade, I used a Kitchen Aid mixer in a manufacturing environment, mixing thick heavy pastes. The mixer was used so vigorously, the motor would become almost too hot to touch. It was bullet proof and ran as smoothly as the day it was bought. You rarely find that in appliances these days. There are so few products of this quality these days, buy the best!

A few years back I was given my grandmother's KitchenAid mixer. 50+ years and still going strong; and thats the beauty of them. Also it should be noted that KitchenAid still supports the older models with replacement parts and repair services should anything go wrong. Name any other company that continues to do that these days!!

I grew up using a KitchenAid, my mom went through 2 of them. To put that in perspective she was a depression child so when she was able to purchase the KA she put it through it's paces. We're talking grinding meat, vegetables for canning and sauces, cakes, breads etc. After about 35+ years of hard use it finally gave up the ghost and she replaced it w/another KA. As soon as I could afford one I bought one. It's about 40 years old and still going (Mainly baking and slicing veggies. I love it's torque for bread doughs and homemade cakes are a snap. My med. sized kitchen has a useless corner so it's on a dedicated baking cart so I can wheel it out to use. I love that mixer.

Great video for those shopping around. I was given a Sunbeam mixer years ago and burnt up the motor first time making oatmeal cookies. Then I bought a KitchenAid and have put it through the ringer ever since. It shows no sign of wearing out. The only thing that might be a consideration is the weight. I keep mine on the garage shelving and yes, my wife has issues so I keep it on the lowest shelf where I'm the one who normally retrieves it. Well worth the money, a lifetime investment and all those attachments are wonderful.

I was given my Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer Christmas 2002. It is the professional model with a 6 quart lift bowl and 525 watts. 20+ years later it is still going strong. I always recommend this to friends who are serious cooks.

This is a cool video concept! I think buying a stand mixer is a "buy it right or buy it twice" kind of situation. And if you're patient, you can find a screaming deal on a Kitchenaid mixer. I got one for $220 on a Black Friday sale that's normally $450. I also think good gear more than pays for itself because it compels you to cook for yourself more. Especially when it has such a no fuss operation (and thus a lot more fun!) like Kitchenaid. If a stand mixer motivates me to make just ~10-20 meals in place of ordering out during its lifetime, I'll be out ahead.

I've had my kitchenAid for nearly 20 years and it's still going strong. Just used the attachment the other day to make Zoodles - it's great fun especially with home-grown Zucchini!

Got my white KA for $5.00 at a thrift store while visiting my best friend in Florida. The cord had issues so her dad replaced it for me & gave it a good cleaning. Her parents drove it up to me on their yearly visit so I had to wait 6 months to get it as I had flown to Florida. I bought red ladybug decals for it and it looks great! I did buy a beater attachment and the slicer/shredder attachment which I use all the time to make shredded cheese. Best $5.00 I ever spent!!!

My wife picked up a KitchenAid mixer from Goodwill. I think she paid like $40 for it. Considering I had one on our registry that was $400 it was a pretty good buy. It has been used so much. :)

I love my Kitchen Aid. I got a refurbished model (luckily all the refurbished models you can buy from retail are done by Kitchen Aid themselves) and it was about $200. I've had it five years now and I've never had any issues with it. I love its versatility, I love the color, and it has inspired me to try far more difficult bakes than I would have ever tried without it such as croissants and brioche.

I have an older Hamilton beach. Lately I have been working it hard making bread! By watching your video I figured out that I will need to do the mixing to a point in The mixer then remove to finish it out! It seems like there is so much to learn!

Also, if you want to convert your Kitchen Aid to one that doesn’t run on electricity, it can be done, as Amish cooks know! For off-grid use, a hand crank is installed on the mixer. It still works beautifully!

Great review. I think for 85 bucks, someone would be better off buying either a $60 or $90 kitchen aide hand mixer. I've had mine for 15 years and it never complains. It's great for creaming butter and making cookies and whipping cream. And will probably last longer than the Hamilton beach mixer. Then save up for the stand mixer.

We have had a Kitchenaid stand mixer since we got married (28 years ago). It is a work horse, and it never fails. The Hamilton Beach mixer in the video looked like it would walk off the table if it weren't being held down. The Kitchenaid doesn't move.

Good to see you, Brian. I stripped the gears on my KitchenAid by making 3lbs of bread dough instead of the 2lbs. recommended. So now I'm kneading and I realize that I missed kneading. It's a good way of improving. Thanks, Brian.

I also love the attachments you can get for Kitchenaid. My favorites are the pastas attachment and the meat grinder.😊

I chose to buy a Cuisinart about 4 years ago (it was about half the price of the top of the line Kitchen Aid), and I've used it several times a week since I got it. It can do anything I need it to do (cookies and bread and pizza and so on) , including ice cream with the ice cream bowl attachment.

My mom recently downsized to assisted living and gave her Kitchen Aid to my daughter. It was originally purchased circa 1977, and it's still going strong. I got mine 30 years ago brand new and will always have one, regardless of the price (should it need to be replaced). I don't do bread, but it does get used frequently for other things. Fantastic product!

I got an Oster stand mixer in 1977. It was “expensive” as i recall, but certainly not as much as a Kitchenaid. But it also has a blender, and vegetable slicer/grater “processor”, and a meat grinder and sausage stuffer! I have used all the various functions and attachments! It has dough hooks and mixing beaters. It doesn’t spin the bowl as well as K.A. I broke the two sizes of glass bowls over the years and replaced the big one with a same size metal bowl. Still using this thing after 46 years! I will say, it’s ugly so I keep it in a cupboard!

Finally have a Kitchen Aid. Always wanted one but couldn't afford one. My neighbor was getting rid of stuff and sold it to me for $60. Thanks Cheryl for hipping me to that deal. Didn't have a bread hook but everything else. Excited!!!

I bought a Bosch Optimum last year, pretty powerful with 1600 watts and it got a huge variety of attachements. I use it at least 3 times a week and absolutly love it. Making pasta, nutbutter or grinding spices it all works pretty well. Soon I want to buy a meat grinder attachement and some pasta plates for it, so i can make pasta shapes like penne.

Kitchenaids will often go on crazy sales as well. I picked up a Kitchenaid Professional 5 model for about $380 CDN a few years ago. It's a beast!

My wife and I have an original Kenwood Chef mixer that was made in 1972. We use it almost everyday as we are bakers. It has multiple attachments that all still work including a meat grinder. I always approve of the analogy, "You get what you pay for" or Buying cheap turns out to be more expensive in the long run. I think that if your repeated those tests 4 or 5 times the "budget" stand mixer would break. Enjoyed the video. Thanks

Wonderful presentation! I own two Kitchen Aid mixers- one is 35 years old the other 5 years old. Both are great, durable very long-lasting units that get my highest recommendation

All the problems you ran in with the ham beach I also encounter with my kitchen aid from time to time. Got my ex a (phillips?) budget stand mixer and was extremely surprised how well it performed. I think it's perfect to get into cooking and baking at home. If it breaks, it'll be at a time you'd be able to decide on your own if you want to spend some real money on a high end mixer.

A huge, HUGE, plus of the KitchenAid is the ability to utilize attachments. I use my grain mill all the time as well as the pasta roller and meat grinder.

My wife does a lot of cooking……..she bought a KA years back and it’s still going. It’s a work horse………..worth every penny.

I had a "Test Kitchen Recommended" mixer for years and it was fine - but the timer thing got all kinds of wonky and it started making screaming noises like the bearings were going bad or whatever, so I got a KitchenAid on sale last holiday season and it's so nice. Effortless - quiet (ish) - powerful. The 5Q professional (non tilting) model was on sale for less than the tilting artisan at that time so I went for it, and it just feels like it will last me forever. I love that it has an adjustment to fine tune how the paddle fits with the bowl - can dial it in for a perfect "side clearing" fit. I obviously don't use it as much as you - but it's worth the money to me. When I pull it out - I know it will do the job every time. Cooking and baking should be enjoyable - and good tools help.

I don't know whether they are always available, but I got my Artisan direct from Kitchenaid as a refurbished item. It was right around 50% of the normal price. I'm a relatively light user, but it has given me no problems (aside from weight, since I have to store it on top of the refrigerator).

I got the all metal Hamilton Beach mixer for about $160 over 10 years ago. Still going strong with pretty regular use, but definitely struggles with tough doughs. Eventually it will break and I'll probably replace it with KA, but it's a much cheaper, still good quality entry point into stand mixers.

I own a Hamilton Beach stand & hand held mixers. I'm happybwith both. My stand mixer has 2 motors: 1 turns the beaters, the other the turntable. It also has 2 paddle, whisks, & the beaters. The design resembles the ones that my mom & granny owned. I like it & prefer it to KitchenAide. Oh, & my mixer also has a large & small metal bowl, as well as a mix/speed guide on the handle (on/off power guide switch).

The add-on attachments to a Kitchenaid make it totally worth it. I didn't get one until I was in my 40s (on sale, cobalt blue, Artisan) and watching my mom get her dream of a bright red one for Christmas is a great memory. They are special and deserving of a place of honor but for sure use whatever until you can get one.

I went through a divorce about 20 years ago and I was broke. But I invested in a Kitchen aide mixer and a Staub Dutch oven because they were important to me for the quality. Both are still going strong and look almost new. Some things are just worth it. Great video as always. Your chicken Al pastor is now a staple meal in our house.

Thanks for a great review, really enjoyed that. I'm a Kenwood sort of guy, but I take your point. I've a John Lewis branded stand mixer and I love it. I had a kenwood for many many years, again fantastic. At the moment the JL one is doing fine. It's metal construction and quality attachments, there's also a blender that came with it.

I love the kitchen aid. My dad found one just thrown out a few years. There was absolutely nothing wrong with it and It works beautifully to this day.

One trick is first to adjust bowl height properly, but you can also disengage (probably not recommended) the paddle attachment so it sits lower to the bowl when doing small amounts. I’ve never had a problem doing that, and I’ve done it a lot. You just push up, rotate so it falls to the bottom of the bowl in the up position, or ready to blend position, obviously if you do that with the bowl lowered all the way the paddle will fall off.

Hey Bri, we were having issues with our KitchenAid mixer being too fast at low speeds a few years ago. You can pop off the panel on the back which it exposes the motor housing and one or two set screws that can be used to change the motor speed. I carefully adjusted those (while hot, although you can unplug) and have been much happier. This is probably not useful for you, but if someone out there is unhappy with the low speed setting being way too fast...

Excellent demonstration of the differences. Very clear.

Those cookies look heavenly!! Thanks for the info on both stand mixers

I bought a Kitchen Aid Artisan because every youtube chef I watch uses exactly that stand mixer. Watching this channel was the push I needed to start baking at home, but the stand mixer has been an absolute godsend. I pretty much never order pizza or buy bread anymore, because what I can make, with ease in the stand mixer, is much, much better.

I have the Kitchen Aid Artisan and love it! It's sort of like Snap-on tools versus Harbor Freight, Snap-on are for a lifetime Harbor Freight will get the job done but won't stand up to daily use.

I’ve owned the regular-sized KitchenAid, and as with most stand mixers, my biggest complaint was having to scrape down the sides occasionally; alas, I gave it away to a great community center because my latest apartment was too small to house it. I recently purchased the mini KitchenAid, and I am very, very sad to say, it is no better than the cheap mixers. It is tremendously slower, such that I have to set it to the highest speeds to get it to a relative medium called for in many recipes. For simple tasks, it shakes & moves about, unlike the original that can mix up a storm & remain stable. The attachments are sized so poorly that you may cannot get anything low or on the sides within an inch or so. The beater attachment is unlike the original- it’s just a relative triangle instead of the original’s triangle with a tricuspid-like structure within (sorry; don’t know how else to describe it). It’s just horrible. Oh, and after a bit of use, because it shivers & shakes so much, the screw piece holding the cover for where one would attach a grinder (etc.) eventually wiggles out, & the cover & screw fell into one of my batters. I feel so cheated with my mini KitchenAid, & I’m sharing this to let people know that the mini is nothing like the original. Buy the original.

Great test video. I purchased my $60 dollar Frigidaire stand mixer, primarily for bread doughs. It hasn't failed me yet. I bought a $12 wand blender, 20 years ago. The rubber insulation deteriorated before any mechanical failure. It's still usable, but is an electrical shock hazard. (I need to replace the cord) I bought an $8 dollar electric coffee grinder for grinding spice mixtures, no issues. $12 dollar coffee makers, $14 dollar toasters, $80 dollar toaster ovens, even a $60 dollar blender, some of the cheapest appliances I could find. With a little care, keeping in mind the smaller motor build, these appliances have served me well over the years.

Buy cheap, buy twice. If you love cooking (and if you are reading these comments you probably do) it is very much worth spending the money for a quality mixer like a Kitchen Aid. I love mine. 8 years and counting of abuse and it never skips a beat. Thanks for the great content Bri! Always enjoy watching and trying your recipes. We appreciate you!

Great content, very thoughtful. Thank you! I also own the Kitchen Aid (though I don't use mine as much as you've used yours) and agree with everything you said about it. It is by far the best made appliance in my kitchen and will likely outlive me. I also like that you gave the cheap one its due. I'm sure it makes sense for a lot of people.

I've got the Pro 600 6qt bowl lift along with about 8 attachments. I use mine for everything I can from baking to Ice cream. I also picked up the 3qt bowl for smaller jobs like one small cake. The pastry paddle is nice for anything you have to cut butter into. I'd say my favorite is the pasta extruder, roller and cutters.

I enjoy your videos. Full of useful information and technique

Just got the ice cream maker, ice shaver, meat grinder and sausage maker and already had the pasta roller. Definately a reason not to but another brand. Still suck at baking bread though (except form buns). Nice video!

I LOVE my KitchenAid ... upgraded from my Artisan to the larger bowl-lift. The old one went to a dear friend who uses it, and I hope to have mine for the rest of my life. It can handle intense pressure and has been a real game-changer for me (plus, who doesn't love brioche?). The Artisan would heat up and also scoot around the counter if I did not put a wet towel underneath, but the bowl lift just powers through brioche dough like it is nothing.

Awesome video….I’ve been looking at stand mixers this month but couldn’t decide what was best choice😃

My sister’s in-laws have had their Kitchen Aid mixer since the 1970s and it still works! I’ve love my Kitchen Aid mixer too, which was a grad school graduation gift to myself years ago.

Honestly, the Kitchenaid can do so many things and there are many different attachments for them, even unofficial ones. I have an Artisan model that I got from my grandmother years ago. and I use it to mix whipped cream, mash potatoes and even to grind chicken. I'm looking at getting a juicer attachment since it's cheaper than and less bulkier than a whole new electric juicer.

I love my Kitchen Aid. But I went with the Pro model with a larger bowl and lift. I don’t like the tilt head models as they are not as stable and tend to shake and shimmy around the counter more than the bowl lift style. Also, the spiral dough hook is much better than the C-shaped dough hook. The dough seems to climb the C-shaped hook a lot more than the spiral hook.

I have a very old Sunbeam mixer I got when we first married, years ago. I dearly love it, the glass bowls, & metal attachments.

Thank you for the great review with clear explanations

The KitchenAid is one of the rare items that is designed to last a lifetime. (It's pretty much my stand mixer and my cast iron pans that will be handed down to my children, now that I think about it.) As noted in other comments, the planetary gear and other internal components can be self-repaired. I bought a 7-qt KA on sale in 2007, and it's still going strong. If cost is an issue, I would recommend buying a used KitchenAid over a cheaper model. (Also how I buy vintage cast iron, actually.) I would feel perfectly comfortable that the design and quality of KA outweighs the need for a factory warranty.

For the 40% brioche, you may want to try tucking a gel ice pack against the bowl to keep the butter cold.

I have 2 kitchen aid mixers. I was handed down one of the 6 or 7 quart-crank arm style kitchen aids when a nearby hospital upgraded their equipment back in the 90’s. That thing was a work horse for 10 years and I know it was already OLD. Then fondant became popular and I was asked to make fondant cakes often. Fondant is the one thing that will blow a motor in a kitchen aid. After fondant blew up the motor (and there are no mixers for home cooks can mix fondant, if you’re wondering) I went right out and bought the smaller version, the Classic. I had that for about 20 years and then I was in the middle of a macron bake and it started smelling like it was about to smoke. I bought another crank arm larger version and found that unless I’m making larger recipes, it is not efficient and nothing like the OLD version I’d had. Those oldies were made by Hobart. Then I researched and found that I could maintain the classic and gave it a tune up. Turns out it was a loose screw. It works great to this day. Maintenance is key and the fact that you can tune these machines up makes them so much more worth the price. For home cooks, buy the size that you will use. I’m a cottage cake decorator/cookie maker and I really don’t use the larger kitchen aid because it does not do the work as well as the 5 qt. I bake one loaf of sourdough a week and the 5 qt works great for that too.

I have a Hamilton beach bread machine and I absolutely love it. Plus it was on sale for $60, much cheaper than other comparable machines.

I only just recently moved into a new place of my own and have been considering buying my first stand mixer... This video has arrived at an opportune time! Thanks, Brian :D

I don't have a stand mixer and I don't have the room for it in my kitchen, but if I did I would definitely go for the KitchenAid mixer. I love cooking and think that a stand mixer could expand my recipe choices, but my kitchen is just so damn small. Sad times. Awesome video and thanks for doing these tests!

I do a lot of baking and has always wanted a kitchenaid mixer. I bought one about 3 years ago and have used it for everything. To be fair though, I spend more time than I would like scraping down the bowl and it really only mixes well if I have a large quantity of dough. Having said that, it is a beast - the motor is really good. When I had no money I used to buy really cheap appliances and they would burn out within a few uses. It sucks to be poor - you end up spending more money in the long run on cheap things that break. I have also had a thermomix for 13 years and it is only starting to show wear now (the rubber/plastic buttons have started degrading - but the motor is still strong!) This also turned out to be worth the sticker price even though I felt pretty silly spending that amount of money on a kitchen appliance at the time.

Great review, you changed my mind on what I will buy my daughter in laws . Thank you

Love this. I'm definitely interested in more equipment reviews and breakdowns in addition to recipes.

I've had my Kitchen Aid for almost 30 years and have never failed once. It also looks exactly the same as a new one except for very slight wear within the stainless bowl. Cooking is one of my hobbies so it's used and put through it's paces. I doubt any mixer under $100 can last this long or even five years under normal use. If the Kitchen Aid ever breaks down on me I plan to purchase a Hobart five quart commercial mixer.

I make a brioche loaf every few days in my kitchen aid or at the very least the bread maker on dough. Turns out perfect everytime. Had my kitchenaid for 20 years now. Love it.

Great video, I started with a cheap one but was tired of having to constantly stop and knead by hand. Parents got me a kitchenaid as a wedding present per request and I haven’t looked back. I am elated to hear that I can go beyond the 2nd setting with a dough hook though!!! I haven’t dared do it in 7 years 😂

I waited for a sale and got my KitchenAid for $200 and that was with the glass bowl! I use it all the time to make bread and pasta. The attachments are expensive - but the pasta one was worth it for me. It's actually a savings to purchase the KitchenAid because they last forever and you only have to buy it once. Purchasing cheaper mixers over and over costs you more in the long run.

This is the first time I've seen a really informative and honest review of mixers. Please consider making more product reviews in the future. These are super helpful.

I have a KitchenAid Pro 600. Really like it. Used frequently and even had to rebuild the internals. Overall am pleased with it.

Kitchen Aid for 40 years. No other way to go. My mom still uses the original 40 year old almond color one and I upgraded to a red. Great fun video Brian !

My Takeaway here is that a mixer with better attachment tolerances and more power is worth the lesssened hassle, especially over the course of many meals over many years However, my strategy would typically be to look for a mixer that’s slightly cheaper, not a third of the price, so I would probably look in the $200 range.

I found my Kitchenaid stand mixer for $80 on Offer Up (a garage sale type app). A couple got divorced and the woman said she no longer wanted it but it was barely used. It came with the food chopper kit, meat grinder, plus all the standard attachments and bowl. I have been using it for about 5 years now on a weekly basis. Love it. Highly recommend looking second hand. They tend to hold their value but occasionally you can find someone who either doesn't know what they have or someone looking to get rid of it quickly.

I loved your review! Thank you! I wondered if the brioche breads would have done better in a prefrozen mixing bowl? What do you think? Blessings to you and your kitchen sir!

I’d love to see you do this same but with kitchen aid vs. Ankarsrum. I have both: the Ankarsrum beats the kitchen aid at practically everything.

The longevity question is a really important one, $350 every 12 years is less than $80 every 2 years, buying cheaper can often be more expensive in the long run.

I got mine on the curb for free. I watched a neighbor carry out 2 perfect wooden bookcases and then saw them bring out the kitchen aid pro with all the attachments and I thought, I bet that works since the bookcases were in such perfect condition and also set out for trash. Took it home plugged it in and it works perfectly! I’ve had it for 5-6 years now and use it often 🙌🏼

Oh and I meant to add my mom has been using her KitchenAid for over 40 years probably close to 45. She says when she got it as a gift she said "what would I do with this thing I'm never going to use it." Yeah she uses it all the time and it gets such the workout at Christmas making Christmas.

Main thing I've learnt over the years is that cheap ones break down usually within 2 years. Kitchenaids keep a lifetime. So after 10 years, the Kitchenaid was not only quicker, and more reliable but also cheaper.

Often but not always it’s not the equipment but the one using the equipment

I am getting ready to buy a kitchenaid stand mixer. It's the "KitchenAid 5-qt Artisan Stand Mixer w/ Pastry Beater and Flex Edge" specially. I'm very glad to find this video. I have looked at this and the HB mixer! Plus I can't wait to try your recipes!

My late partner got me an anniversary edition kitchenaid back in the very early 90s. Other than sending it in once for a repair a couple years ago, it's been an amazing workhorse! I'll never give up that mixer!

I have a budget stand mixer and it primarily gets used for pizza dough, and does a lot better than this ham beach one. I don't really use it too often, so I definitely feel like getting the cheaper one was the right choice.

I've had my Kitchen Aid for more than 30 years. Paid $189. I think that may be the deal breaker. I bought it because I used to make a LOT of cookie dough and saved an unbelievable amount of work. When I decided I needed a stand mixer, the Kitchen Aid was my ONLY choice. Nothing else mattered to me. It still works without any issues.

I had the cheaper hb version and after it burnt out in less than 6 months I got the 6 qt bowl lift Kit Aid. 11 years later still happy with it and I have some of the attachments.

Superb review, Brian. As a now 'serious' hobbyist, I am at the stage where I need to get a quality stand mixer and have been looking at various models to compare, I would much prefer to invest in something that is sturdy and guaranteed longevity than a cheaper option where I have to faff around wasting time to accommodate the pitfalls of attachment deficits. I found your review very helpful, thank you for that.

Brian, you show your stand mixer on high with the dough hook. KitchenAid says not to do that. When I try to run it on high with the dough hook it shakes. It doesn't shake when I run it on high with any other attachment no matter how full it is.