you should do a search, there's been some recent talk about the lifts. i'm not a fan. they're not stable enough. GL.

I talked to several GCs about this; the consensus was that this was the single thing in the kitchen that broke and had to be repaired. Most told me they would not install it because they were so much trouble!

I thought I wanted one of these until I saw one in person. It was way too unstable to actually mix on it, so I'd still have to hoist the thing off the shelf and onto the counter. It really seemed like it would break fairly easily, which jibed with what I'd read online. That plus losing a whole lower cabinet to one thing(!) convinced me to not do it.

Hi! I am also redoing my kitchen and was looking into an appliance lift for my mixer. After much research I have decided not to do this. All of the GC's steer you away. It's also a big expense and from what I am told does not last too long! Also somthing to think about is that when it does pop up it will not be counter height. It will be a few inches lower. I like having my mixer on the counter where I have the ability to settle things down next to.
Good luck!

Okay, so I've done a search. I'm pretty well versed with Google and how to find things on this site. As to the appliance lift, some love them, some not so much. I know the "disadvantages" of them and I'm fine with it.

So here's the thing, I don't WANT it sitting out on the counter top and I didn't like when I had it in a cabinet where I needed to lift it out and up...I just don't use it then. I'm running out of options unless I can figure out a magic spell to have it just appear when I need it and go away when I don't. ;-)

As to stability issues, I don't intend to keep it on the the shelf when using it, but instead use it to lift to close to counter height in my island and then place it on the counter, so it's relative stability during use isn't an issue.

With or without the lift, I'm going to wind up devoting most of a cabinet to it anyway because of it's size. That's how it's been in it's current lift-less state, so I'm fine with devoting space to it as opposed to it sitting out on the counter. I can have a small roll out beneath the mechanism for some things and I'm cool with that.

I'd like to know if anyone has compared the three different makers and what thoughts they had with each. Or if someone has another option of something to do with it that doesn't involve it residing on my countertop but being more easily accessible, I'm open to hearing it.

KD here- if a client wants one my preference is the Rev-A-Shelf even when it must be field installed which can be an extra risk/headache for me. Caveats- make the platform wide enough, walking more likely when kneeding especially heavy breads or doubles. Also be aware that some cabinet for have stopped offering them due to liability. The explanation I got is that left without mixer on it swung up into child's jaw, followed by law suit. The RAS is the strongest so might hurt the most but the cabinet for in question was using Hafele I believe.

I think ours is a Rev-a-Shelf. I love it. I use it lots, and I've mixed many cookie doughs and bread doughs on it. It's never slipped, it's stable....I couldn't be more pleased, and I've used it now for two and a half years. It sits on a one-inch butcher block of hard rock maple.

Also a rev a shelf owner. It's great and stable. My wife bakes all the time. The lift is used constantly, no regrets. I don't have the kitchen aide on my counters or have to go get it for my wife since it is so heavy. She can just use the wonderful lift we have installed.

Mine is good too. Heavy duty Viking mixer doesn't budge.

In use for 6 yrs.

Not sure of the brand---whatever Woodmode uses.

This picture was taken several yrs ago. I have lots of space on my island to the right of my mixer to work, then when I am done I put it away.

If I had more counter space I would rather leave it out all the time---but if not, this is the best alternative.

In my old house, I had to haul my mixer out of a lower cabinet which made me dread using it.

red_lover, don't you get flour, etc. ending up on the floor from either imperfectly adding to the bowl or just becoming airborne once in the bowl?

Yep, sometimes. Once it's in the bowl it doesn't go anywhere. This bowl is deep. On the island, a little on the flloor -- gotta clean up no matter what.

I admit-- it's not perfect. I would rather have tons of counter space, or a designated baking area and leave it out all the time. But, since I don't have that option in this house-- this is the next best thing.

I bought mine from Rockler, a Rev-a-shelf. It's very heavy duty and we used a solid peice of wood for the shelf part to help.

I have two large mixers and didn't want to have to lift either one. I don't normally leave it on the stand when I use it, I lift it and place it on the baking center counter. Moving it while standing is no problem, it's the bending and lifting that I have problems with.

This was on sale with free shipping at the time and had good reviews, so I didn't look any farther. I had looked at some with not so good reviews, but don't remember what they were.

BTW- my cabinets do have doors one them now LOL!!

Here is a link that might be useful: lift

Ahh, the kitchen-aid mixer, to baking what Johnny Carson was to the tonite show. There will never be a true replacement.
We have a lift on display in our showroom [Ephrata, PA]. The only thing I don't like is that the cabinet door will have to stay open while the mixer is in use OR move the mixer off the lift? Other than that it appears to be a good feature for the right customer, except that i don't think we've sold very many.