Well, that was a VERY hard decision for me. I just ordered a refurb Gloss Cinnamon Professional 600⢠6-qt. Bowl-Lift Bowl Stand Mixer. I hope I made the right choice! I wanted pretty. But I wanted function, more. I decided if I'm going to CHANGE from my classic 1987 model then I may as well CHANGE. So I opted for a lot more muscle, in case I start to make artisan breads (I have an awesome Zojirushi breadmaker that makes terrific normal breads and my previous 250 watt kitchenaid mixer really wasn't up to kneading much so I never pursued it, plus I never liked the way the "C" hook kneaded, so I wanted to upgrade to a machine with the spiral hook), or use accessories. Then, I decided to go for the soft start, as one of my biggest pet peeves is slopping flour! I can't imagine I'll ever be using this thing for huge batches of things, so I should have way more power and a hefty safety margin on bread kneading for how I'll actually use it. I would like the capacity to fool around with artisan breads, though! I LOVE the grenadine color, but the gloss cinnamon will work just fine too, and while I have a back-in-time vibe to my kitchen, the non-metallic look is actually a bit more appropriate as my vintage vibe is more toward antique than toward mid-century diner/50s where metallic would really resonate.

Thank you all for ideas! Sum5463, thats looks like a nice idea for our next kitchen. gr8day, that cheesecake looks wonderful and is good inspiration to get cooking. When I came downstairs this morning, DH had put a thin flexible cutting board under it. I can now slide it. I do plan on keeping it on the counter but need to determine exactly where. Right now I have more items on the counter than I want. I got to pick the color and it is crimson red so I don't mind people seeing it. I can see how a lift would be very convenient. I can't imagine this mixer walking anywhere when in use. My 30 year old Oster mixer which is light weight never moved when mixing heavy dough. Sounds like this mixer really makes a difference in cooking. jil314, I will keep that in mind. I never liked making pulled pork because it was too much work schreding. I read to let your mixer do it. It actually worked pretty well in my Oster and now hearing about chicken I'm thinking it may work really well with pork too in the KA.

I am also looking at installing the kitchenaid proline mixer with a lift. I am looking at the Rev-a-shelf specs which are not at all clear, but it looks as though I will need to install the lift lower inside the cabinet. The Rev-a-shelf heavy duty specs shows a picture of the lift installed at a regular height with a KA pro displayed on it in the up position. The lift needs some clearance at the bottom because it actually lowers through an arc before it lifts. It shows the arc lowering 1 7/8" before starting to arc up. Also looks like it will need even more space below for the mechanism. Rev-a-shelf states 4 3/8" as the lowest point. I'm still not clear that this will for sure work. I will keep seeing if I can figure out this drawing, but if someone has done this and has experience please help us!

When I was planning my kitchen, I thought about it, briefly. I didn't do it because of too many problems. I enjoy baking and use my mixer often. I read about things flying out of the bowl and ending up on the floor and that you would still need to lift up the mixer to clean off the shelf it was sitting on. This seemed harder than cleaning just the counter top. I also thought about the valuable space it would take up in my baking base cabinets. I decided it just wouldn't be a wise move for me and would cut down on function. Instead I have two big deep drawers that hold my flour and sugar canisters, measuring cups, bowls and many smaller baking and prep gadgets and tools. I can stand in one place and reach almost everything I'll need without running around. Think about where you mixer would set on the counter, how it would look and how often you use it. Is the mixer color all wrong? I have a 6 qt Kitchen Aid mixer that just happens to be in a color that matches my kitchen and is pretty new. If it had been the wrong color then I probably would have spent the money on a new mixer that was the color I wanted rather than the money for a shelf lift to hide it. My food processor has seen better days (tape holding bowl handle together) so I hide it for now. As soon as I find one that will look good on the counter I'll replace it and leave it out. I use it all the time. We love to cook here! Nancy