We put this stand mixer through some serious cooking tasks, starting with whipping cream, then turning it into butter. We turned a brick of cream cheese kitchenaid artisan into fluffy whipped cream cheese with chives. To start, the Artisan has a 5-quart capacity, whereas the Classic mixer can accommodate 4.5 quarts.
Other factors come into play, such as the quality of the motor. That can be seen in our ratings, where many top performers actually have lower wattage than some of those lower in the rankings. Tilt-head models allow the head of the mixer to hinge back on the neck while the bowl stays fastened to the base. They are on the smaller end of the spectrum capacity-wise, with 3.5-, 4.5-, and 5-quart options. See how a bowl-lift stand mixer offers more capacity to create. This classic mixer can tackle nearly any recipe without knocking around on the counter.
The Kenmore Elite and the KitchenAid Professional 600 actually did slightly better than the Artisan, but fell short in other areas. To further cement its whipping prowess, the Artisan made perfect genoise cake batter. In both the cookie and bread tests, the Artisan mixed dough without rocking or straining the motor. Though all of the mixers ultimately made beautiful and tasty loaves of bread, the two KitchenAid stand mixers we tested were the only ones that didn’t wobble while kneading.
Moreover, you can purchase dozens of aftermarket attachments to meet any culinary desire. With over 40 colors and numerous aftermarket bowl options, this machine has style, too. Our tests revealed little to criticize, leading us to believe that this mixer will appeal to everyone from the casual baker to the creative home cook with many mouths to fill. While this mixer isn’t a professional model, it’s a beast of a machine for home cooks with its powerful and efficient 325-watt motor.
The Artisan comes with a nylon-coated beater and hook attachment, and a wire whisk attachment. These hook onto the machine easily, and all are dishwasher safe except for the whisk. Nylon coatings are a hot-button topic among KitchenAid owners because, over time, the nylon coating can chip off. But since we started using it in 2013, we’ve never noticed any chips. If you notice chipping on the bottom edge of your beater, it’s likely that it’s sitting too low in the bowl.