30 DAYS OPEN PURCHASEKitchenAid's other models are more commonly found. That's understandable: they're more compact and a little easier to live with. But there are situations where a 4.3 or 4.8 litre bowl isn't enough and where the machine needs more to stand on, figuratively speaking. This is KitchenAid's answer to that: the entire bowl lifts up instead of the head folding down, 6.6 litre bowl in brushed stainless steel with a handle and a motor that handles doughs with success. The simpler models have frustrated many bakers, but not this one.
Eleven speeds, with a new addition: a 'fold' speed that runs at half the lowest setting. That may seem like a small detail, but it's the difference between having a setting that resembles hand-folding and one that resembles a concrete mixer. Practical when you fold egg whites into a soufflé base, add raspberries to shortcrust without crushing them, or add flour without creating a snowstorm in the kitchen. Soft Start, the machine accelerating gently instead of launching straight into action, is one of those features you never think about until you miss it. Maximum capacity: 3.9 kg bread dough, 156 medium-sized cookies, or a batch of 15 egg whites.
The motor is a 375W AC unit that KitchenAid rates at 0.4 horsepower at the shaft. The body is cast zinc and the machine weighs 15.2 kg, which means it doesn't wander around on the worktop but is also not a spontaneous lifting object. Dimensions: 41.9 x 28.7 x 37.15 cm. Included: 6.6L bowl, silver-coated flex edge beater, silver-coated dough hook and 11-wire whisk. All dishwasher-safe on the top rack. Made in the USA. It is not certified for continuous professional use; for a restaurant or bakery with heavy repetitive work, the Professional series (5KSM7990X) is a more considered choice with a DC motor and three times more actual motor output at the shaft.
