I bought my wife the 5.5Qt lift bowl model number "KV25mexer5" from Costco. It has all steel gears. I got when they had basically 2 sales on it at same time. $50 off from KA and $30 off from Costco so we paid $249.00 total. For $250 it is probably the best choice you can find for a mixer, we have not had any problems with ours after 5 months of use so far. Hasn't had any problem making a 3 cup batch of bread dough using the dough hook and on speed 2 like it says to do. So far for us and especially for the price it was the best deal for our needs. It is loud but so is every other mixer in this power range. It seems rather solid, no grinding, everything works smoothly. I seriously looked at the Bosch Universal which is definitely a better mixer especially if you make a lot of large 6+ cup dough batches. But for the one I would buy (stainless bowl with blender) is $550 on sale. So more than double the price. For how much we use a mixer this Costco KA was our best deal by far, plus the added perk of if anything happens to it the first year or maybe even longer we could just take it right back for a full refund or replacement with no hassles. IF you use the hell out of a mixer though I would pay the extra and get the Bosch Universal. As far as where the KA "Stand Mixers" are made they are actually made in Greenville OH. The KA hand mixers are however made in China. But like most everything else made in China it is made there under the exact specifications that the American Company wants, unfortunately that happens to be cheap as humanly possible which is why they are made there. IF the American company stated we want the best possible mixer you can make and stated exactly what they wanted, what materials to use etc that is exactly what they would get from China. So while everyone continually puts the blame on China it really has next to nothing to do with them. It is the American company that purposely wants crap at the cheapest price possible.

It seems like cook's tools require a lot of space if one actually cooks. I need my ladle and cookie spatula! If it plugs into something, I tend to think twice though, especially if I can manage another way to do it. OTOH, I seem to have a lot of..uh..tools that don't get used...say, weekly, even though they are used seasonally/occasionally. I think I'd miss them if they were gone though, like the extra rolling pin I picked up at a sale for 25 cents. How could I not have an extra rolling pin, (JIC - Just in Case!) I do confess to owning a small espresso machine, even though we make Toddy Coffee once week. DH also makes coffee in a vacuum pot on the weekends, so there are many ways to make it at my house. I guess it's like trying to decide whether to have pancakes, waffles or an English muffin for breakfast. I wouldn't think of stopping to buy coffee however. My electric skillet rarely gets used, although the lid has a permanent place of residence. We use the glass lid for warming things like pizza and sandwiches on a griddle so they crisp and get crunchy. The skillet does come out when I barbecue on the deck, just in case I need an extra burner for sauce or a side. Since I have three burners on my stove, I consider the electric skillet as my back-up plan should I need it during holiday times. I don't use a crock pot either, but I do use my pressure cooker on a semi-regular basis. Not enough that it's vital, but certainly enough that it's useful! On the other hand, my Food Saver gets used at least 5-6 times a day. I love my stove so much I'd rather do anything I can standing there, rather than plug in an electric gadget to do the same thing. My sister introduced me to the CPW (Cost Per Wearing) concept. Although clothes aren't the true love for me that cooking is, I consider kitchen items the same way. If the ''Cost Per Use'' isn't much, I'll go ahead and splurge if it's something I'm really going to use.

I make my own powdered/confectioner's sugar for a dessert I make at Passover, because the regular stuff is not kosher for Passover (corn starch, I think). I am guessing that the potato starch makes it more like confectioner's and less like superfine sugar. Anyway, it works fine for dusting over the top of that chocolate torte. I use the food processor; never thought about using the blender, but for sure I won't now. Here's the "recipe." If you don't follow the last instruction, you'll be sorry! 1 cup sugar 1 T potato starch Process in food processor 2 minutes. Let it settle one minute before opening lid.

As mentioned by John, if you keep your eyes open you can buy a used VitaMix. I bought mine for $8 and some change in an auction box, but it was missing the lid and tamper. $20 or so got me the test of the "parts" and it works fine. I've never used the tamper. (shrug) I do not drink smoothies or shakes, as I dislike that texture, but my grandkids love them. The VitaMix works just fine for that, for under $30.00, but I hate to clean it and the "put some soap and water in and turn it on" doesn't work well for things down under the blades. I would NEVER, NEVER, NEVER pay what they want for a new one. Did I say NEVER. Yeah... I still have an old Osterizer on the porch, and Amanda does like smoothies, the green ones. (shudder) If she doesn't get a new blender for Mother's Day, I'll give her my old Osterizer, but I'm following this thread so I can give The Princess and her Brother a recommendation as to what they should buy if they decide to do that. Elba, I have a similar problem with the food processor. It makes awesome smooth hummus but I can't chop vegetables for salsa in it, some pieces are really large and some just become puree, there's no consistency in size no matter how I "pulse" or don't. Annie