Is a KitchenAid Mixer Worth it? (and How to Budget for One)

Is it really worth it to buy a KitchenAid mixer? What are the pros and cons of a Kitchen Aid Mixer? Is it right for your budget? Read below to hear our story of purchasing a refurbished kitchen aid mixer and what ultimately influenced our decision.

I was never a girl who dreamt of a Kitchenaid mixer sitting on my counter. I always asked myself ‘is a kitchen aid mixer worth it’?

This question was answered when I started making sourdough (and having kids). Once I started making beautiful loaves of bread from scratch, homemade bagels and cinnamon rolls on a regular schedule – I realized how timely some recipes were to knead by hand.

I wanted to create beautiful baked goods from scratch while also maximize my time washing dishes or cleaning up the house. Being elbow deep in sourdough is fun – but not for 30 minutes when your hands are sticky and the toddler is asking for help in the bathroom. Not a fun combo!

My research on mixers was quick an effective. Growing up my mom had the Artisan Kitchen Aid mixer and we used it regularly for making cookies. Now I understand the use for far more – including shredding chicken in a mixer!

Qualities I desired in a mixer

The research for me came down to cost and purpose.

I knew I would be making multiple loaves of bread or bagels at a time – so it made sense to have something heavier duty. I selected the professional / commercial series (bowl lift) verses the artisan series (head tilt).

In addition, I knew I wanted a well known brand with a good reputation. For these reasons, I decided to go with the Kitchen aid Brand mixer.

And of course, we are all about sticking to the budget in this household. I knew buying a stand mixer without finding some sort of discount would not fit in our plans. I ultimately wanted to spend $500 or less, if possible. And we did find a wonderful fit!

Pros and Cons of the Kitchenaid Bowl Lift Mixer

I preferred the Bowl Lift Kitchen Aid Mixer to the Tilt-Head Kitchen Aid Mixer for many reasons.

Pros

• Motor Strength (2x that of the tilt-head)
  • The Bowl Lift Kitchen aid mixer works dough longer and easier. Artisan mixers are known to have issues with their motors not being able to withstand beating a dough (like Brioche) for an extended period of time. Additionally, the tilt head bolts become loose and worn when being worked repeatedly (and being opened up and down regularly).
• ‘Upgraded’ attachments
  • The dough hook and flat beater are upgrades in comparison to the tilt-head model. The tilt-head models have had coatings which can flake off, too (not something you want in your baked goods!)
• Bowl Size
  • The bowl size is bigger (5.5 or 7.5 QT compared to 5 QT).

Cons

• Price
  • All mixers are expensive. Consider buying if:
    • It saves you time to allow you to do other things instead of hand mixing.
    • It saves you money to begin making homemade – from scratch food. Making food from scratch easily accessible saves money in the long run (by at least $2 per loaf of store bought sourdough bread and $15 on artisan bread from a bakery or farmers market).
• Warranty
  • The warranty is ultimately ‘void’ on a refurbished Kitchen aid Mixer – therefore I was unable to have repairs or service over a specific amount of time. I was ok with this, knowing the refurbished option I chose had a cosmetic blemish over a motor replacement (we think..).
• It is not necessary for every recipe.
  • Kneading dough by hand can be a lengthy, but rewarding process. Not every baker *needs* to have a mixer, though it can help so you can focus your time and energy in other places. If you are not regularly making doughs which require kneading to build tension (gluten), this may not be important in your baking journey.

Neutral

• Size
  • This item is a bit heavier, so it can be difficult to move in and out of storage. Though the bowl-lift mixer comes in a larger bowl size, both the bowl lift and tilt-head are relatively the same shape and heaviness.
• Colors
  • Colors are the same for both items

Buying a Discounted Kitchen Aid Mixer

There are a few different ways one can obtain a discounted mixer. Whether you are looking to buy something new, refurbished or second hand will highly impact the price.

• Buying new online:
  • There are a variety of online stores which sell Kitchen aid Mixers. From the Kitchen Aid website to Amazon and everything in between, the costs are fairly comparable. This will generally have the longest warranty available.
• Buying at Costco:
  • For a while, Costco had two different options of Kitchen aid Mixers. While it came with an additional attachment, I did not like the quality of the attachments included and knew I would have to upgrade in the future.
  • Additionally, I have nothing red in my kitchen and this was the only color they were offering. I knew it would not match well with my blue La Cruset.
  • Warranty through Costco generally matches what is available direct through the Kitchen Aid websites.
• Buying a refurbished Kitchen Aid Mixer:
  • Buying a refurbished kitchen aid mixer is a wonderful option when on a budget. Refurbished Kitchen Aid mixers can be due to a blemish on the exterior or a replacement of some kind. Though these are not stated when you pick out your mixer, it is virtually brand new.
    • Truly this is what made a Kitchen Aid mixer worth it for our family! Our professional series 600 bowl lift Kitchen Aid mixer was $230.
  • Discounts range from $100 – 200 depending on the sales.
  • The only downside is there are a limited number of mixers available. This also means the color options are limited. If this is important, they are regularly updated but get snatched up quickly!
  • Warranty is generally void, or reduced, due to buying a refurbished model. If anything, the coverage could be less than if one was purchased brand new.
• Buying via QVC:
  • There are always discounts available for mixers on QVC. These commonly come with discounted attachments as well or the mixers are packaged with additional attachment options.
• Buying on Facebook Marketplace:
  • Buying second hand is a commonly available option for Kitchen Aid mixers. The only downside is not knowing how the mixer was treated. It is possible there are problems with the mixer they do not state online.

I hope this article helps you to decide if buying a Kitchen Aid mixer is worth it and right for you! Do you have any questions about my experience with buying a Kitchen Aid Bowl Lift mixer? If so, leave them in the comments below.