DH surprised me with a white one in 1974, the one with the stationary head. I bought an extra bowl and have been glad to have it. I bought a pan that fits under the bowl so you can put ice in it and chill the bowl contents as you beat, and I have never used it. It is a big, heavy thing I keep on the floor of my pantry.

I have the Artisan tilt-head 5 quart. The only attachment I have is the grinder, which was a gift, but one I wanted. I don't use it often, but am sure glad I have it when I need it. I do really like it. I don't have any other grinder, and a separate appliance would be in my way for the amount that I'd use it.. People will say the Cuisinart does the same thing, but it doesn't. There's also a nozzle for stuffing sausage, but I haven't used that part. The grinder is really useful for making patés and fillings. It does an okay job on raw meat. Perhaps not as good as a full on grinder appliance, but good enough if you're not processing whole carcasses. You do have to put the meat through 2-3 times, and make sure that it doesn't get too compacted and stick. I.e., make hamburger once a week, sure, but not really a daily kind of device, and not for the very picky. The grinder was also the attachment that worked best on my mother's old Nu-Tone.

For most of the attachments, the theory is that you already have the motor, so why not use it for everything. Sort of like Nu-Tone but with a much heavier duty mixer. :) There are some that seem silly. Some are useful. The newest one I've seen is the slicer/peeler/spiralizer. A friend was looking into getting one. It has some bad reviews for quality (bits breaking off at the welds), and the slicer/spiralizers require coring, which my Paderno plastic, hand crank, super easy to use (but not a peeler) does not. Coring is great for apples, but not as pretty for other things. The most gorgeous I've done on the Paderno is spiral sliced watermelon radish twisted into a ruffle, which wouldn't be nearly as pretty with a core out of it.

The height of the attachment coupling is great for things that go into a big bowl, like the grinder or slicer/spiralizer, but not so much for things that you work from the top, like the pasta rollers and food processor. Still, the pasta rollers are popular -- if you're making a lot, the motor helps -- as is the slicer/shredder (like one of those crank cheese graters), and the ice cream making bowl (for which you have to have room in your freezer to keep it). I don't know anyone who has the pasta extruder. I've been wondering if I'd like it. It's compact, which is good, and it does hollows and spirals. Some extruders have shapes that could be cut just as easily. The reviews are mixed, though (but I think maybe they don't cook, have never made pasta before, and thought it would be magic like a Play-Doh pumper), and it's expensive. But it's small! That's a plus.

There are also a bunch that sound intriguing but I've never known anyone who had one, like the puree-er. I assume that's for baby food. The citrus squeezer -- I'd think it would be either a lot of bother for something small, or worthy of a stand alone electric reamer so your mixer isn't always occupied. There's also a juicer which seems underwhelming for juicing fans, but might be useful if it's an occasional thing and you really don't want a full on juicer taking up space.

My own conclusion is that the attachments are pretty good for if you don't expect to use it enough to commit to a full sized version with its own motor.

I have a Kitchenaid mixer in the "Meyer Lemon" color. I think it's discontinued now. I love the mixer and I love the happy, screaming yellow color.

It came with a bread hook, paddle, large whisk, and a splatter guard/pouring shield. I added an extra paddle blade with flexible rubber edges and a smaller mixing bowl. The second mixing bowl is a wonderful convenience.

I really wanted the ice cream-making attachment, but by the time I convinced the hubster it was "necessary," I'd been diagnosed with diabetes...and ice cream was no longer necessary!

I also have the food grinder; I got it on a clearance sale for a great price. I'm ashamed to say I've not used it yet; but I will.

caroline94535's Ideas · More Info

I bought the grinder and it's better than any other grinder we've used. When it's time to make ground venison, it knocks it out in minutes, compared to hours with other all-in-one grinders that clog constantly. Easier to clean, too.

Early in our marriage DH and I went shopping for a new mixer after my little hand mixer burned out. We stopped at Best Products - one of those member only catalog stores and splurged on a KitchenAid K5A. At the time it was a big purchase - $164.89 and was only available in white. That was in 1976 - so it's now 39 years old. One of all time favorite appliances.

We also have an extra bowl, the meat grinder and sausage stuffer and the pasta attachment. We use the grinder at least once a month since we make our own ground meat.

I wouldn't add a grain mill. They tend to overheat if you have a large amount of grain to mill, which can damage your mixer. It is also an inferior grain mill compared to others out there on the market.

I think having an extra, smaller bowl would be great. I have also seen the paddle with the rubber edges. My Christmas list is now started! LOL

I probably have the same one as Maire. It's the 5-qt. bowl-lift model that my DH bought for me in the late 1970s. A bit later we got quite a few attachments for it, but they no longer work as the spot where they attach has stripped. At this point in my life I can't say I miss any of them very much, but when we were a family of five I used them a lot, especially the meat grinder and the slicing/shredding attachments. My food processor takes care of that now.

I do use something I can't find online, so I suspect KA doesn't make it anymore. It's sort of a screen that fits into the top of the bowl. A wooden paddle is used with it. It works like an electric Foley Food Mill, and I use it to make applesauce.

Yes, I do. I did have two of them a white one my daughter bought me and over time she got me attachments, the pasta extruder, not good, the grinder, the juicer and there may be another thing or two, not sure. Then I found a used yellow one at a garage sale with the bowl and beaters for $20, I bought it. I did not have it long till my white one stopped working. I stored it and was going to have the white one repaired. Well, my son decided it didn't work to throw it away! I still have the yellow one and it does say something about the Hobart factory on it. Last year I bought the pasta roller and cutter and am very pleased with it. The grinder and the juicer are good too, have used them all. I have a stainless bowl with handle from my white one and a stainless bowl without handle came with the used yellow one. Yes, I really like my mixer.

Sue

I have the same model as the yellow one but in black. I bought an extra bowl and beater, but have been wondering if the ones with the scraper work very well. I love the mixer but haven't bought any other attachments.

I have one in gloss cinnamon color and a white hand mixer. I have the meat grinder.

I bought my KitchenAid K5A with a bread hook, paddle, large whisk back in the early 80's for 190 bucks... which was a WHOLE lot of money for me. Used it for years... then found the pour shield, and bought it. About a year ago I borrowed my daughters ice cream attachment and bowl, but it would not fit right. I think, my model is just to old? I ended up buying the cuisinart ice cream maker, and am happy with it's performance.

Anyway, I have no attachments for the KitchenAid. Mine lives on the bottom shelf of my island cabinet. It is to tall to fit under the upper cabinets, and I really rather haul it out when needed, and have the counter top space the rest of the time. I am totally happy with it.

I have the old fashioned metal hand crank meat grinder, that works just fine for me. :)

Moni

Would like one b/c so pretty but no need or space 4 it

I would like one too but the storage space and cabinet space in my small kitchen just can't accommodate an appliance that large.

Ooh'ing and aah'ing at Caroline's yellow mixer.......think I'll go kick my plain white one.

Here is my red one. The yellow one is super cute. As soon as I took this picture I took a wash cloth to it. I didn't realize how dirty it was.

Love my kitchenaid ( aka extra pair of hands in the kitchen) I use it almost every day. We have grinder, pasta maker, ice cream maker- fantastic flavor. Favorite use- to shred chicken breast. I bake it, toss it in, and by the time I have the sandwich fixins out, it's shredded.

gardenelf: what attachment do you use to shred chicken?

Does anyone oil their mechanical parts of the mixer? Mine is about 7 years old, gets used 5-6 times per year, and is getting a bit noisy.

There's also a very important third party accessory:

Yes, I own one. It's here...somewhere. (You do remember that I don't 'cook', right?)

katmkuhn, I was told its important to use them, or at least turn them on - regularly. I bought one many years ago when I had a smaller kitchen and no convenient place to keep it or reach it when I wanted it, would turn to my hand mixer more often than I should just because of the weight of taking the Kitchen Aid in and out.

Right at the time we moved (and upgraded to a spacious kitchen), I started noticing an oily mark, like a 1/2 tsp or so in the frame under the bowl. I'd moved the mixer myself and know it didn't get jostled or banged around. Something about the lubrication in the gearbox separating from standing for long periods of time - there was no place in town who works on them and shipping to have it fixed not an attractive cost.

I gave it to a friend with a tinkering father who will try to take it apart and fix it for her. I bought a replacement on sale and with a rebate at Costco, Pro 6 qt with a 1 HP motor. I'm using it more often, really do appreciate having it. If more than 3 weeks does go by without me having used it, I turn it on and let it run a few minutes.

I'm told the ice cream maker doesn't fit this model, but would like to have some of the attachments - haven't bought them yet. Would like to have the water jacket (ice bowl) before the holidays.

The pasta roller attachment is great, btw.

The juicer, not so much for me.

Mines white, an ultra power. I also have a hand held Kitchenaid mixer....why not...it was $2.50 @ the thrift store. I have a hand crank meat grinder(I haven't used it in 20 years). A regular ice cream maker(I haven't used it in 10 years). Never purchased additional attachments just for the stand mixer.

sad to say i havn't used mine in years...but when we both had to watch our sugar intake i quit baking...

I loved using the fruit strainer thing to make applesauce. Wash, cut in half and make sure any bad spots are out of the apples, cook till soft and then run them though. So easy.

Sue

I had an Oster kitchen center for many years and I would have liked a Kitchenaid but couldn't justify buying one since I had the Oster. 2 years ago when making pie crust for the holidays my Oster just didn't seem to have much power. My husband could make anything work, but he had passed away in August so I bought a Kitchenaid from Kohls (online) on black Friday. It is a lot more mixer than the Oster ever was. I have the meat grinder and the fruit/vegetable strainer attachment. I use the strainer for making the spaghetti sauce that I can every year. I like it because I can do it all by myself. Before we had a Victorio strainer that my husband had modified to be powered by an electric drill but it took 2 people to operate. I gave that to my married daughter.

I splurged on one about five years ago. Mine came with the scraper paddle which works pretty well. I recently bought the spiralizer attachment, but I haven't had a chance to try it out yet. I realized how much I love my stand mixer when I tried to make cookies with a hand mixer...lol.

I'm a fan--I've owned three. When I bought my newer one (barely used Artisan) to celebrate completing my kitchen remodel, I gave the original almond Classic to my younger daughter, who was thrilled. She remembers thousands of cookies, and hundreds of homemade rolls and pizza crusts being made with it!

I bought another barely used one, a white Ultra-power, which came with an extra small bowl and a couple of brand new attachment sets--grinder, sausage stuffer, shredder, slicer, etc. I kept the small bowl and attachment sets, but planned to give the mixer to my other daughter when she moved out. It looks as if that's never going to happen--she and SIL have settled in here with me, so rather than let the mixer sit for an extended time, I gave it to my newly married niece (with my DD's permission) earlier this year, when I found her checking out my Artisan at a family dinner. She said she'd been looking for a used KA, but felt they were all out of her price range. She, too, was thrilled.

If elder DD ever moves out, I'll give her my red Artisan, and splurge on a buttercup yellow or apple green. The two used machines were such great deals, I couldn't pass them up, and they've made two young women very happy.

I have one that won't fit under my kitchen cabinets, so rarely use it because it is so heavy to carry.

I have an almond color. It is probably a 4 quart? I know that my cinnamon roll recipe is just about too much for it to hold. It makes a great bread. I have an easy bread recipe that makes 3 loaves in 3 hours. Start to finish. I should be making some now. Too late, I wouldn't be finished before it was time to leave for dinner! I rarely bake anymore, except for the bread. I would love one of those fruit/juicer things for it. If someone has the correct name for it, please post it. I need to see what my model # is and go on Amazon looking for attachments. I would love an extra bowl and paddle. I do have the meat grinder/sausage stuffer attachment. DH uses that, and likes it. Each of my kids have one also, but both are bigger than mine is.

Mine is Pistachio color and I love it. I'm not really a cook, but I do bake and it is fantastic for mixing flour. I make a cream cheese pound cake that is so easy in this mixer. I have the same attachments as Caroline, though I haven't really used them. I was disappointed that it came with the stainless steel bowl. I wanted the glass one. But I lifted the glass one once and got over it!! The stainless steel is so light!! And I love the collar for pouring in the flour. It's fun to use.

@tami_oh, would you mind sharing your bread recipe, please.

@Murraysmom, your pound cake looks wonderful. Would you minding sharing the recipe, please.

murraysmom, what a cute kitchen--I love painted cabinets and beadboard. :)

HERE'S my mixer; don't be green with envy, lol. I've had this little workhorse for three years. It really does knead dough. :-)

My white stationary head Kitchenaid mixer was bought in 1978. Hobart built, used all the time and still going strong. I have a Food Processor so I don't have attachments other than a splash shield and bowl covers. I like grinding meat with my old hand grinder since I do it so infrequently.

If my mixer ever dies and can't be fixed I would buy a Kenwood. The new Kitchenaids are simply not built like the old ones. I would try to find a used Hobart built one or invest in a Kenwood.

Thanks, WalnutCreek and Mama Goose. I will post the recipe as a separate thread. It is delicious.

I will try in a separate post. I tried here and got a message that my post was too long.

I always thought a mixer was a mixer and never understood what all the Kitchen-Aid hoopla was about. Then I got one as a Xmas gift from my husband and there's just no comparison. I would have loved to get a colored one, but since I didn't have a place to store it, I settled on black so it wouldn't look out of place.

As an unrepentant kitchen gadget person, I tried to tell myself life wasn't worth living without a Kitchen-Aid. Years ago I had a Sunbeam stand mixer which went to appliance heaven after a horrible kitchen accident, and frankly, it was a blessing it went. It never was any good at yeast breads, which is what I purchased it for.

After I won an International Recipe Contest for low-glycemic recipes and a nice cash prize, I kept looking at KA mixers to blow the winnings on. All the lovely colors - what's not to love. Then I was watching Emeril Lagassee one day on TV. His comment about how many KA mixers they burned up in the kitchen made me face reality - not that I shouldn't buy one, but that I really didn't need one. I do just fine with a hand-held electric mixer (like rhizo). My favorite mixers are a rotary OXO mixer (hand-powered) and a Danish Dough Whisk. I can whip egg whites faster in a stainless steel bowl with a whisk than the mixer.

As a foods judge at fairs, I found when the popularity of Kitchen-Aid mixers went up, the quality of the baked goods went down substantially. They are great for creaming fat/sugar, but too many people over-mix quick breads, cakes, and other baked goods that don't require a lot of gluten-development. They were full of tunnels and holes, and had tough crust and crumb. Stand mixers are easy to use, but also easy to OVER use. Batters are really best mixed with a Danish Dough Whisk, not an electric mixer of any kind, taking care not to over-develop gluten. Even yeast breads are compromised because the KA tends to aerate the dough too much. A Zojirushi Bread Machine has been developed for making yeast breads, and has been shown, through side-by-side tests, to be superior to stand mixers. King Arthur Flour uses Zojirushi Bread Machines for making bread dough in their test kitchens.

-Grainlady

Yes! Yes I do, but I don't use it often anymore because we don't eat sweets. I used to use it often for mixing my cake and cookies recipes. Now I only use it for the sugar free cheesecakes I bake. Oh, and if you use it for whipped potatoes, you won't be disappointed!

And here is a new toy for your KA mixer......

heated bowl

Whoa! That heated bowl is expensive.

Grainlady, I am glad you mentioned the over mixing factor. A lot of people over beat everything because they do not understand that a much lower speed must be used and a less time also. I use my Kitchenaid for icing, creaming and whipping, making batches of drop cookies etc. However unless I have to get a lot of batter baked in a hurry I still use my hand mixer or even a bowl and a granny fork for small batches of things.

I'm so glad to read this....I've been thinking that I was just a lazy cook. I stir, mix, and blend a lot of things by hand, with my old Foley fork, whisks, wooden spoons.

Nope. Actually I have an avocado green Sunbeam stand mixer....so you can imagine how old it is, but I bought it used and it looked like it has been used very little. It gets the job done. If I find a used Kitchen Aid, that looks good, I will buy it. Until then, I am okay with what I have.

I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer and use it weekly. I wanted the meat grinder or ice cream maker attachment but in the stores around here they aren't much less than the cost of the mixer itself. Now I have no need of them because last week I bought myself an 11 cup Cuisinart food processor which I love and now wonder why I didn't buy one sooner. It sliced 6 potatoes in less than a minute

Years ago I gave Mom the grinder attachment for Christmas. She used it a couple of times, and it was good for making relish. Peppers, onions, etc can be put through the grinder. Since she passed, I have no idea if the KA has ever been used by my step-father.