What a great thread - I have the original white, lift bowl Model K 5A. And I have to confess that many times over the years I've been tempted by the siren call of those glorious cobalt, pistachio and and chrome machines. But I have a strong sentimental attachment to my Kitchen Aid and I still remember the day my husband and I purchased it. While waiting to have the tires changed on our 1971 Plymouth Duster we wandered across the parking lot to a Best Products store. He spied me eyeing the mixer and encouraged me to buy it. I thought it was too extravagant - we were living on one income and he still had 2 more years of med school. But we had been scrimping and watching every penny and DH was working in the lab on weekends so he bought it for me. I still have the receipt, I use it as a bookmark inside my Joy of Cooking. That was 11/20/1976 and I paid $164.89 for it. And it's also the first thing I look for when I check a bridal registry - it's my favorite gift. Maire

I know! It's difficult! I used to sell Pampered Chef and "earned" my white one for free about 12 years ago. I admit I purchased the yellow today : ) With the $30 back and the free extra attachment, and 5 easy payments plus only $10 shipping I couldn't resist! Plus I used ebates and got 2.5% off that way. There's a free subscription also to Food and Wine Magazine or some other Travel magazine when you do the rebate. Unfortunately there was tax but still was a good deal : ) Good luck!

I have an old (30+ years) KA-Hobart 4.5, which has been a real workhorse. The only limit has been the capacity of the bowl. I also have a KA Pro 6, which DH got for a Christmas gift in 2006. With a special offer from Amazon and a rebate from KA, he ended up paying $275.00. I haven't had any problem with this machine laboring with anything, including heavy whole-grain doughs. Nor have I experienced the loudness some have mentioned. Maybe it differs from machine to machine? Wattage can't be trusted. Most wattage figures only list the amount the machine pulls from the outlet, not the wattage it puts out. For example, the $1500 5-quart Hobart now available for home use actually has a very low wattage. So what? Wattage doesn't indicate power, at least not as the number is commonly used. Here's a quote from Cooks Illustrated's last review of mixers regarding the wattage issue: "If I hadn't included the Hobart in the lineup, I might never have discovered the sneaky truth behind wattage ratings. Most mixers list their power in watts; Hobart is the only one to use horsepower. When I learned that 1/6 HP equals a mere 124 watts, I scratched my head in puzzlement. How could this quiet, powerful workhorse have the lowest wattage rating in such a hacking, shuddering group (from 250 watts to 1,000 watts)? Turns out Hobart is the only mixer to list output power rather than input power. What's the difference? Output wattage is the amount of power the motor actually produces--which flows out of the motor, moves through the mixer arm, and, ultimately, smacks the ingredients around. Every other mixer lists input wattage, which is simply the power that flows from the electrical outlet into the mixer's motor. What does input wattage tell you about the power of a mixer? Absolutely nothing--it's purely a marketing gimmick. To wit, the six models that failed the bread dough test (our initial round) had power ratings ranging from low to high, mostly high (275, 350, 400, 450, 700, 700). In addition, every other test showed absolutely no correlation between mixer performance and wattage. (If manufacturers were willing to provide output wattage figures, comparison would be easy, but this key bit of data is never offered.)" So apparently, whatever mixer you decide to buy, wattage shouldn't be the criterion. Carol

I bought an Artisan that failed and KA replaced it with a professional model (5qt) when I talked about the types of breads and pasta we made with it. I now have a 6 qt professional (will easily do 2 loaves) and would agree with markw and with those who say you should plan to keep a KA on the counter to really use and enjoy it. One of the "musts" for my kitchen remodel was a counter to upper cabinet clearance sufficient to allow the KA to be pushed back when not in use. The KA pro makes great bread doughs -- and the power is sufficient to do a couple of wet doughs that beat for 20-30 minutes. We have the pasta attachments, grinder, slicer/shredder (not used -- use the processor) and have considered the ice cream one, but we had just bought a Cuisinart ice cream maker when it came out. I know many people love bread machines, but I've never eaten a bread made in one that I thought was as good as what I could make with my KA or even a bowl and wooden spoon. That has been a while and I can't say if the results are better for those who mix only in them. I do like the control and ability to adjust and learn the feel of the dough with a mixer. If your DH already likes to bake bread (as I did before I had the KA), I think he will appreciate that also. I started having problems with my neck and arms -- sometimes impacting my hands. The mixer has been a good thing for me -- and DH likes it too. I will tell you that the 6 qt pro is louder than the Artisan. That is the one thing I'm not crazy about, but it only bothers me on the few things where it is used more than a few minutes. I've gotten used to it now, but it was really annoying at first. If they are available to you, I would check Sam's or Costco. I've seen good prices there. I would also expect some sales next month as Mother's Day approaches. My current one was bought near Christmas on sale and with a 20% off coupon for a little less than $250 if I recall correctly.