The KitchenAid Artisan mixer has become one of those staples of stylish kitchens throughout the country, helped in part by its appearance on The Great British Bake Off – the show made the gadget a household name.
But there are loads of mixers that are just as useful and efficient at making cakes as the KitchenAid, if not more so – so don’t be seduced by the brand when another make might be better suited to your cooking and baking needs.
Here is our shortlist of stand mixers:
Should I buy a KitchenAid?
1 of 6KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer
One of the delights of the KitchenAid is how many colours it comes in. You really can choose a KitchenAid mixer to match your kitchen colour scheme; or be timeless with monochrome colours. The bowl is 4.3L and it is powered by a 250W motor.
2 of 6KitchenAid 4.8 Litre Artisan Stand Mixer
The KitchenAid Artisan is sleek, powerful and iconic; the bowl is 4.8L and it is powered by a 300W motor.
3 of 6KitchenAid Glass Bowl, 4.8 Litre
The KitchenAid Class and Artisan mixers come with a steel bowl, but a glass one is a great accessory to invest in.
4 of 6KitchenAid Mini Stand Mixer
You can now get a Mini KitchenAid version too, if space is at a premium in your kitchen – this is 3.3L instead of the standard 4.3L of the Classic, but it's still got a 250W motor.
5 of 6Kenwood kMix Stand Mixer
The biggest rival of the KitchenAid is surely the Kenwood kMix. It has a similar stand-out design and bright colours. The bowl is 5L and it is powered by a 1,000W motor.
6 of 6Aucma Stand Mixer
Significantly cheaper is the Acuma stand mixer, great if you're on a tighter budget but still want fluffy cakes and outstanding meringue. It also has a bigger capacity, at 6.2L. It has the most powerful motor of all the mixers in this list, at 1,400W.
Is a KitchenAid Artisan really worth it?
Yes, it costs a lot. Yes, there are significantly cheaper options available. But, once you buy a KitchenAid, you won’t ever go back. The kMix is equally as good, with a more-powerful motor, and just as stylish, although it doesn’t have the brand strength or attraction as the KitchenAid. If you want a talking point in your kitchen, a beautiful gadget that friends will covet, then get a KitchenAid.
If you want a good stand mixer that will help you create delicious cakes, then you can choose a budget option that still provides high speeds (the Acuma is 1400W) and possibly greater capacity in the mixing bowl. It might be that you ask for one for Christmas, rather than buy it for yourself.
What's the difference between a KitchenAid Classic and Artisan stand mixer?
The Classic KitchenAid has a 4.3L bowl, while the Artisan bowl is 4.8L; plus, the bowl on the Artisan has a handle. This makes the Artisan just a bit more suitable for larger bakes, and the handle really is useful - I couldn't live without it now.
Now that you've been inspired to invest in a KitchenAid, we suspect you're probably in the mood to do a bit of spring cleaning. To help you get started we've found the best oven cleaner products.
Sophie Knight is Editor of WhatsTheBest and Contributing Editor for Mother&Baby, Closer, Heat, Yours and Empire websites.
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