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angelar55_gw

Kitchenaid stand mixer

AngelAR55
10 years ago

I'm wanting to get my first stand mixer. I've been looking around at brands and keep coming back to kitchenaid. The one thing I cant decide is what model. I'm stuck between KSM150PSWH and RKV25G0XOB. I'm just not sure what the difference would be. I want to use it for mixing icing, possibly bread, cake, meringue, and with the ability to attach a meat grinder and sausage tube. Anyone know what, if any, differences those 2 models have? I'm leaning towards the RKV for price, but I also don't want to get a "cheap" unit.

Comments (10)

  • chas045
    10 years ago

    I see that the 150 is the tilt head and the 250 is the bowl lift style. I have a bowl lift type from COSTCO. They request specially designed units. Mine has a more powerful motor (475W) than either mentioned above (325W tilt, 425W lift). I have assumed the bowl lift units are slightly more solid. I note that both of these refurbished are on overstock. Both units will connect aux. attachments. It might be useful to consider COSTCO for the more powerful motor and best warranty on the planet. Mine is several years old and specs may have changed! The only snag with ours is that it has a specially molded bowl that won't fit the aux. paddle with a flex blade for slightly better bowl wall cleaning. KA or COSTCO don't mention that.

  • redoingit
    10 years ago

    I second chas045, go for the bowl lift style. I have had mine for more than 20 years and still kickin'.

  • deeageaux
    10 years ago

    I have the Costco Pro 550 bowl-lift model with 575 watt motor.

    I think it is underpowered.

    The Bosch unit is more money, not good for small jobs, and does not seem to stay in place. And it is ugly.

    The Hobart N-50 is awesome but it cost what a fridge should cost.

    So the Costco 550 or Pro 600. Both have the 575 watt motor but the 600 has a half quart bigger bowl.

  • applnut
    10 years ago

    I've had three different KitchenAid models. Got the tilt head as a wedding gift. Loved it. Then upgraded to the 6 qt. bowl lift. Used it constantly and went through 4 in 5 years due to the plastic flywheel in the motor burning out. (Do a Google search and you'll see it's a common issue, which KA may or may not have corrected in more recent models.)

    KitchenAid replaced it 3 times for me. Very good customer service and I probably could have fought for the fourth, but after reading all sorts of good things, I splurged and purchased the Williams-Sonoma exclusive 7 qt. model (all metal gears). Wow. Love it. Adore it. Cherish it. Almost three years in of near daily use, and twice-weekly bread making, and it's still going strong. Expensive? Yes, but totally worth it.

    Also, FYI, the 6 qt. accessories work with the 7 qt. Pro Line. I've got about six extra bowls and lots of extra beaters, etc.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Williams Sonoma KitchenAid Pro Line

  • deeageaux
    10 years ago

    Now, the entire Pro line with 575 watt motor is spec'd with "Direct Drive Transmission, All-Steel Gears, and All-Metal Construction."

    Here is a link that might be useful: LINK

  • Pyewacket
    10 years ago

    I had a Hobart era Kitchen Aid mixer for over 30 years. I loved it and it was a workhorse that never gave me an instant's trouble.

    However I sold it a couple of years ago and replaced it with the Bosch Compact. The KA was just too heavy for me to lug around, and it didn't handle the smaller amounts I prefer these days very well.

    Beauty is in the eye of the beholder; I think the Bosch mixers are much more attractive than any "regular" stand mixer with the big motor mounted up top.

    But most of all, the Bosch units are dependable, reliable, much better powered than the present day KAs, and much, MUCH easier to move around.

    The Bosch Compact runs around $200 most of the time, though it was apparently on sale last April for $140. That is less than any KA mixer I've ever seen, and it is frankly a better machine. It is easier to clean, comes with a splatter shield (which you cannot get - but desperately need - for the KA mixers), and it takes up a lot less space. It is more versatile - it handles up to 6 lbs of dough without a hitch, or it will whip one egg white.

    I loved my original Hobart made KA mixer - but I love my Bosch Compact a lot more. I never thought I would have a mixer I liked more than that one - until I tried the Bosch Compact.

    Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch Compact on Pleasant Hill Grain

  • Pyewacket
    10 years ago

    BTW - Sorry to double post but I can't edit - you can get an adapter and a meat grinder attachment for the Compact.

    Also, my Compact has never "walked" nor have I heard of any doing that - I can see how it might happen on a very slick surface such as a polished stone counter top. If it's an issue, just use a piece of that rubbermaid shelf waffle weave stuff under the machine. I use the same stuff to keep my cutting boards from sliding around, works a charm.

    I had a friend who's older KA mixer walked all the time - one day it walked itself right off the counter before she could get a grip on it (at 28 lbs, not counting the dough in the bowl, you need to get a pretty good grip on it). I used to put my KA on a towel sometimes but it was mostly to cut down on the noise, it was pretty loud. I never realized quite HOW loud until I got the Bosch Compact - it is REALLY quiet.

    There is an attachment you can get for the Universal Plus that will make small amounts easier to deal with, but most people report not having any problem with smaller amounts. I guess it depends on how small "smaller" is in your personal dictionary.

    The UP runs about $400; getting the "small amounts" attachment involves buying the shredder and an additional attachment, which would, of course increase the cost significantly. I'd probably stick with the Compact unless you know you are going to be making more than a couple of loaves at a time on a regular basis.

    The Compact weighs about 6 lbs. I really couldn't lift the KA anymore; consequently I had all but stopped baking. That all changed when I got the Bosch; it takes up so much less space, and it doesn't matter where I stash it, it's easy for me to get it out.

    Here is a link that might be useful: The adapter and extra attachments for the Bosch Compact

  • applnut
    9 years ago

    I posted back in July about the 7 qt. Williams-Sonoma KitchenAid and thought I'd update. I was kneading bread (single loaf) and heard a clunk, when I turned around the entire head of the mixer had broken in half and fallen into the bowl. Just totally sheared off and broke in half. It was pretty freaky. (See pic.)

    KitchenAid stepped up, even though my mixer was three years old, and replaced it with no muss or fuss. They didn't even ask to see the pictures I took. I had my new unit up and running within a week.

    I'm hopeful this was a weird, one-off. The unit didn't even feel warm or over-heated after this happened. And I did get to "see for myself" that it does have all-metal gears inside, just as advertised. ;)

    This level of customer service--Williams-Sonoma also offered to replace it in-store, but having it shipped from KitchenAid was easier--is why I don't hesitate to buy KitchenAid mixers and love to shop at W-S, which really stands behind their products (especially the exclusive ones).

    This post was edited by applnut on Thu, Apr 3, 14 at 11:21

  • barryv_gw
    9 years ago

    Wow, that does not look good. I wonder what caused a total failure, the photos are small and it is hard to see exactly what happened. Glad they stepped up to replace it , hope the new one does better ,

  • stevep2005
    9 years ago

    Thanks for posting. I was debating between the KA 7qt Pro and the KA 8qt Commercial, which is identical save for the 1qt taller bowl and the red power cord. We went with the residential model (also from WS) because it has a 5 year warranty instead of 2 on the commercial - and glad that we did. More importantly, happy to see that KA stands behind their products.

    I was kneading a triple batch of pizza dough (9 c flour) last weekend and the machine handled it effortlessly - seems like this machine would be hard to kill. Hopefully the head cracking was just a random defect.