Hi, I am finally going to buy a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer.  I figure now is the best time with all the holiday sales.  I found a 5 quart with a coupon and $30 rebate I can get it for $210 plus tax.  Then I saw a 6 quart with a coupon and $50 rebate I can get it for $270 plus tax.  I know the 6 quart has more power and you can mix more batter.  What are the other differences between the 2 mixers?  What would you buy if you had the choice?  I live in a small apartment so I have to store this in a cabinet because I don’t have enough space on my counter.  Thanks.

Kathy1 - 28 November 2011 01:31 PM

What are the other differences between the 2 mixers?  What would you buy if you had the choice?

If you aren’t making bread, then the power isn’t very important.  For mixing batter, the the most important thing to me is the bowl size, because that will limit the amount of buttercream or meringue you can make.  If you generally do single batches, the 5 quart is probably fine.

I have the 6 quart. When I was shopping for the mixer, we felt the small difference in price was worth a stronger motor and a larger capacity. That said, the only ‘flaw’ I find is when testing for stiff peaks, I have to remove the whisk as opposed to the 5 qt mixer which tilts back.

I have both and find I use the larger one more often.  However, the smaller one is easier to move in and out of a lower cabinet.  When entertaining, I put the smaller one away but always keep the large on the counter.

I think the tilt-back design is a little more user friendly (easier to add ingredients, scrape bowl, etc.), but the 6Qt has a larger capacity if you like to double up on batches.  I don’t know if this is still the case, but the attachments for the 6Qt were hand-wash-only aluminum when I bought mine, whereas the 5Qt attachments were coated so as to go in the dishwasher.

Julie, the tilt head design been easier to access the bowl or add ingredients is a good concern if you compare with the 5qt bowl lift mixer which is a narrow bowl.  The 6 qt has a wider bowl and I find it easy to scrape or add ingredients.

If u can afford the price and space, by all means the 6qt.  Do not buy a used one or discontinued one that was produced the first couple years because they were extremely noisy!  They are not as noisy now, but still noisier than the artisan!

Note that scraping isn’t necessary if you use the beater blade.  I used it for all the rhc book!

I always use my artisan because it is quieter, if capacity isn’t an issue.  All recipes on rhc, except the wedding cake chapter fit on the artisan.  The artisan is powerful enough for the most violent meringues or hardy breads!  Single batches only.  The artisan also powers all my attachments, and I have all of them!

Do note that there is a 7 qt and it is extremely quiet!  Quieter than the artisan!

Just chiming in here, I have 2 5 qt. Kitchen Aid stand mixers and they were great partners in helping me prepare 53 pumpkin rolls for Thanksgiving.

I have a 33 year old 5 qt Kitchen Aid.  It was made by Hobart and is a fabulous machine ( not a tilt head). I am on my third 6 qt. The first two blew out the motors making double batches of chocolate chip cookies.  Kitchen Aid customer service was excellent in replacing them immediately.  I also have a new 5 qt tilt head with the glass bowl. I use my old beauty for the heavy duty mixing - I make a lot of marshmallows and that whisk is the only one that hasn’t come apart making batch after batch. I have a 7 qt machine and the whisk on that had to be replaced too.  I’m a fan of the Hobart machine if you can get one. 5 or 6 qt - the 5 is easier to use and even if you are baking a lot it’s always better to make the recipe twice than double it. In this case bigger isn’t always better!

hectorwong - 29 November 2011 03:54 PM

Do note that there is a 7 qt and it is extremely quiet!  Quieter than the artisan!

This is fabulous news…I know what my next mixer will be!

Sherrie - 01 December 2011 01:07 PM

hectorwong - 29 November 2011 03:54 PM

Do note that there is a 7 qt and it is extremely quiet!  Quieter than the artisan!

This is fabulous news…I know what my next mixer will be!

Me too!

Thanks everyone.  I am going to purchase the 6 Quart.

CRenee - 01 December 2011 08:00 PM

Sherrie - 01 December 2011 01:07 PM

hectorwong - 29 November 2011 03:54 PM

Do note that there is a 7 qt and it is extremely quiet!  Quieter than the artisan!

This is fabulous news…I know what my next mixer will be!

Me too!

I saw this one on the Williams Sonoma website.  Made me wish my 20 year old Kitchen Aid would croak…

My X-mas present came via delivery yesterday (wasn’t wrapped) and it was a new 7qt stand mixer.  I have a perma grin on my face.  I really hope it will fit on my counter (we have undercounter lighting with extra trim)—hubby decided to get one after how excited I was when telling him a 7qt. existed!  I may have to open it for baking for X-mas!  My only (very minor) complaint was that he couldn’t get it in Red (got a pretty good deal on it, so that’s fair, I say!). 

I am feeling a little guilty, though, about now owning two working mixers (plus the extra bowl I have for my Artisan!).  Although, can’t justify sending it back, either, so I guess it has to stay

FYI…I was looking at purchasing another SS bowl for my mom’s artisan, and it seems that KA is now pushing the glass bowl as few retailers (in Canada, anyway) carry the SS bowl anymore!  I suppose the glass bowl is a profit making machine for them!

Very cool gift! Enjoy!

I think the glass bowl looks pretty cool when I see Martha Stewart using it. It souks be great having both.