I don't have one, but my GC thinks it's super. The one he showed me did take up the whole cabinet, and my understanding is that the mixer is used on the lift, not moved to the counter. My biggest concern is that my mixer often flips stuff out and I'd much rather clean the counter than the cupboard doors and floor. I opted not to install one.

My KD put one into our plan, but I nixed it. I worry about how the hardware would hold up over time--especially if you made a lot of dough in the mixer. I worried that the repeated vibration might be an issue over time (I don't know that it would though). The mess issue was the other aspect. I'm also a bit messy and would rather clean off a counter and front of the cabinet than inside a cabinet. I also think that the cabinet door would have to be open the entire time you were using the mixer and I think it would be irritating because it would probably block another cabinet I would want to get into or I would have a small (well not so small anymore) child leaning on the top of door while loitering next to the mixer waiting for the cookie dough/frosting/etc. I plan to put the mixer on a rollout shelf and then have room below it for all the accessories. I'm hoping that will be a compromise from having to lift it out and up, but still not have it on my counter. That being said I have a good friend that loves her mixer lift. I just don't think it would work well for my needs.

I added one.. my cabinets are currently being installed, and the mixer shelf is in so I did get to see it and play with it - I think it is fantastic. I hated leaving the big mixer on the counter and it is a pain to get it out of the cabinet. With the shelf, which seems heavy duty, I just have to pull it up and it locks into place. When done, there are latches that release the lock, and I'll push down to store it back in the cabinet. It does take up the 15" cabinet I have it in, but the mixer took most of that up anyway.

DW has a pull-up mixer stand and enjoys it for two reasons: it provides additional counter space when she's baking (the black granite counter below is her baking station) and it keeps the mixer out of sight while not requiring her to lug it out from the pantry when needed.

That said, she finds it somewhat difficult to operate. Surprisingly, she can pull it up fairly easily and it then automatically locks into place. But when it's time to put it away, the table holding the mixer must be lifted up slightly to disengage the locking mechanism. She typically asks me to do it. I grasp the table on either side, keeping my hands clear of the support brackets, lift slightly and then the mixer table can be easily pushed back down into the cabinet.

Our KA mixer just barely clears the countertop as it descends back into the cabinet. Not sure if clearance would be a problem for some mixers or whether the table height can be adjusted. A slide-out drawer below the table holds mixer paddles, etc.

Bob

For people who have a ton of storage space and bake a lot, they're great. For people that are limited in space and rarely use their mixer, they're not worth it.

I first wanted one, but ended up taking it out of the plans for all of the reasons listed above . . . plus one more ~ I don't want to be tied to this type of mixer for the next 20 years or so. Down the line someday, a smaller, great quality one (similar to the KA I have now) may come on the market. I'd buy it in a heartbeat and then would be stuck with this wasted space cab. So, for the time being, I keep my "little red kitchen Ferrari (my KA mixer) stored on my supersusan. It takes up enough room in there!

I have ordered one the cabinets are not installed. I just realized, do most have an electrical outlet in the cabinet or do you use the counter(undermount) outlet?

ne_flyingdiver, we had the electrician install an outlet inside the cabinet and I then drilled a small hole on the back edge of the mixer platform to allow the cord to hang down the backside without getting pinched between the platform and the counter.

Bob

I put one in my last kitchen and never used it. I think part of it my "bad" kitchen planner put it right next to the sink by a corner and I wasn't bright enough then to realize what a bad decision it was. That didn't make it easy to use.

I just stuck it in the corner on the counter instead.

I am having a new house built and wanted one of these swing up stands but decided not to because I was afraid the KA would end of falling off of it and they are too expensive to replace.

Bob, you have a fabulous kitchen. Love the color of your cabinets. Are they maple and what is the color? And the floor looks great, too. What kind of tile is that.

I would worry about the hardware eventually going bad. My dad had a similar setup with his typewriter and after about 8-10 years it started sagging and having adjustment problems. However, I'm sure the hardware has improved since the days that there were typewriters.

I'm making the far side of my island into a baking center with dropped counter height, and the essential appliances will go there. They can be seen (bottom 4" will be hidden), but having visible workhorses in a working kitchen doesn't bother me. (I may be in the minority on that.)

Bluekitobessed--I don't mind my mixer showing either. I think I may just leave mine out on the counter if I feel like there is enough room. I use my mixer at least once a week and like it near my canisters. I am not sure I want it underneath. I also am not sure I want to take up an entire cabinet. We'll see, though. When I really get into the details, I'll make this decision. Thanks for all of the input. I do think the stand is a neat deal and I think it makes a lot of sense, so I'll just weigh it all when I get to that point!

rosetroi, thanks for the compliment on our kitchen. I'll pass it on to the design's decision-maker(DW).

The cabinets are a fauxed painted finish and the floor is limestone, a pattern of 12x12 and 16x16 tiles.

bluekitobsessed, from my wife's experience, I think you'll really appreciate the dropped counter height for your baking center. Of course, it probably depends somewhat on your height; DW is 5'2" and I'm 6'2" so that makes her the baker. Works for me!

Bob