What’s the best kitchenAid mixer?
TLDR: In my humble opinion it’s the K5SS, read on to find out why.
For over a century the KitchenAid mixer has been the go to stand mixer to have in most kitchens worldwide, and for good reasons. They’re great machines that can last generations, especially if they’re maintained. They are revered for their utility and the range of different things you can do with them is pretty impressive, everything from grinding meat to making holiday cookies.
However, determining which model works best for you and your culinary needs is easier said than done. In this article we’ll do our best in breaking down all of the information you’ll need to make an educated decision on which model suits your needs! We will be discussing current and vintage models, their internal components, what tasks they excel at all the way down to the height of the mixer because a mixer that wont fit on your counter due to low cabinets is a definite deciding factor.
Is older really better??
There is a current debate among stand mixer users on whether its better to buy new or look for a vintage model. There is a good reason why we’re even debating this, and that’s because there are still mixers in service, some 50-60 years after purchase and still running strong. While the older units definitely seemed nye indestructible, they haven’t made the old electrical components for them for over 40 years!
That means that any vintage unit you find, such as the K5A which was widely regarded as the holy grail of mixers, or the K45 (the classic tilt head) will be nearing the end of their life expectancy as their components fail and no replacement parts are available to restore them.
They also are available in very limited colors such as white, harvest gold and that 1970s baby shit green (of which i love). This is often a deal breaker for someone who values the ability to match their kitchen.
To end the debate, yes the older machines were better but they are becoming less and less reliable. We have managed to come up with a service where we can take a vintage unit and retrofit it with new electronics. This fully restores it to a new machine which essentially makes them a K5SS/K45SS ,which we’ll discuss later on. You can see our process for a full vintage rebuild here on Youtube.
Discontinued Units
I’m going to break the rest of this article up into 4 sections. Discontinued lines that can still be found for sale out in the wild, current models that are still in production, some of my thoughts on what’s to come for KitchenAid, ending with what my rankings are for best mixer.
To obtain the following units discussed in this section check out our mixer page. All of these mixers we offer have been fully serviced and restored to new condition internally. We also add all of our upgrades to extend the longevity of the mixer and improve it’s functionality. Check out our selection here!
KitchenAid has had a huge shakeup in the last year or so discontinuing multiple models replacing them with similar counterparts.
Professional 600/Professional 5 Plus
The professional line was a solid unit. There were several variations of the professional models, however they all used the same internal gears and motors. The biggest differences were mainly aesthetic with the trim packages (type of beauty band, mixers colors etc...) and the bowl sizes that included a 5qt, 5.5qt and 6 qt unit.
They were strong machines that would stand up to a decade or more of hard work! These units were discontinued approximately a year ago. Parts are still available to keep them alive, but for how long is anybody’s guess. They’re still worth the purchase if you can find one new or even to rebuild an older one since the parts are still available.
Known for being quite robust, the professional machines touted a 575 watt AC motor and stand at 16.5 inches from toe to crown. They could handle the toughest tasks including kneading heavy doughs, mixing large batches of cookies and running all of the external attachments such as the meat grinder, slicer shredder, pasta press etc..
View our selection of Attachments and Upgrades.
The professional series did have a few problem parts though. The planetaries would eventually fall off, the speed boards would eventually fail and although all metal, the gears can eventually wear themselves out. That being said, as earlier stated, one could expect a solid decade of abuse before these issues started popping up. The best part is with some good tutorials and a reliable parts supply wink your machine wont be down for long if it does fail.
The K5SS
This is likely one of the most reliable units you’ll find. I personally have one on my counter as my daily driver. I have access to every mixer model ever made and yet this is what I choose daily for a few different reasons.
The K5SS is the successor to the K5A which if you remember, was deemed the “holy grail”. The K5SS is the same body as the K5A with the updated solid state components. The K5SS was discontinued however it uses all of the same internal components as the modern day tilt head including the housing, gears, gaskets and electronics. The only real difference in fact is that its a bowl raise unit instead of a tilt head function.
Out of all of the models, this one really stands out as a true work horse. We get a pretty steady flow of them shipped in for service and these machines are 30 years old and still rocking strong. They offer a 325 watt AC motor that can truly stand up to the task. The unit stands 16.5 inches tall and looks quite impressive as it shines from the counters top. They do lack some capacity as 5qt is the largest bowl you can get, however the bowl is narrow and has tall sides. This really helps to make sure ingredients don’t get thrown from the bowl while mixing. Like all mixers, you can definitely overload them with ingredients which can be catastrophic, but as long as you work within the bounds of the mixers capability it will never disappoint.
Arguably the most desirable part of the K5SS is the ability to repair it. The parts are affordable and you can basically make it new again at any point you deem necessary. This is a unit that i think so highly of that I rebuild them by the scores for aspiring bakers who know the value of such a well respected machine.
Tilt Head Units
The design of the tilt head units have been mostly unchanged for nearly 50 years. But roughly in 2019 they starting to introduction more plastic internals and the removal of staples of the product such as the spring and washer, of which we have remanufactured due to the outrage of the baking and cooking community.
The tilt head series consists of several different models such as the Classic, Classic Plus, Ultra Power and Artisan. The biggest difference among these units are trim packages. For example, the artisan is the only model of tilt head that has access to the full color line up. Most of the other units are only available in the more basic colors such as red, white and silver. The artisan also comes with a 5qt bowl vs 4.5qt on the other tilting models. All tilt head units come in at 14.5 inches tall with a max height of 18 when tilted upward. Generally speaking, you will be using your mixer out from under the cabinets so the max height shouldn’t be concerning.
KitchenAid has made some unpopular changes in the last few years with the addition of plastic components and the removal of the spring and washer. These kind of changes really just seem like an easy way for them to cut costs while giving the customer a less quality product which no one wants.
We know how good these machines can be though, so we figured out how to actually go through these units and restore them back to pre 2019 specs. We replace the plastic components that lead to failure, add the spring and washer and our flagship upgrade, the Everdime. When you purchase with Mr. Mixer, you quite literally get a better than new unit.
Last year KitchenAid discontinued the traditional tilt head line up in lieu of a new variation. They still look very similar, the biggest changes are as earlier mentioned, the addition of plastic components and removal of the spring, but there is more! The black screw caps on each side of teh unit that house the brushes are now built internally and the motor, field assembly and bearing bracket all come as a singe assembly now vs three separate components.
What does this mean for the longevity of the mixers? Ultimately, only time will tell. The changes don’t seem to be enough to alter the function of the unit however with the extra plastic components, they are less desirable. We have no way of knowing exactly why they made these changes, we’re just hoping this isn’t a trend they keep following (even though it probably is).
Proline 7qt and professional 6000 HD
For all intents and purposes, the proline and the 6000 HD are the same units. They have the same motor and transmissions, coming in at 16.5 inches tall they are are more similar than not. The biggest difference is the bowls and attachments that are available. They both offer the 1.3hp DC motor which is very sought after for a couple of reasons. The DC motor is incredibly quiet and equally as powerful which is a pretty nice combo. Its definitely up there with the best models to own.
The 7qt proline is quite hard to obtain these days, as they can’t be purchased new and still garner a lot of interest. Luckily if you feel like this model is for you, we offer them fully refurbished!
The models with the 1.3 HP DC units as mentioned are strong and quiet. They can handle tough tasks such as larger batches of heavy doughs and larger capacities of cookies etc.. They are also essentially the same units as the 8qt commercial and can accept the 8qt bowl as well as the 6qt bowl of the professional 600 and the 5qt bowl of the Pro 5 Plus.
Current Models
As of 2024 there are a handful of models in production which are as follows.
Tilt Heads
The current tilt heads that are in production are very similar to what we have already discussed. They still have the same models such as the Artisan which is the flagship model with the largest color selection.
They also still make the classic 4.5 qt tilt head unit. The main differences between the models of the tilt heads are aesthetic in nature and really are just different trim packages again. For example, the Artisan comes with the larger color palate as well as a 5qt bowl that has a handle and also a nicer looking beauty band as opposed to the other models of tilt heads which come at a lesser price but less color options. The trim pieces aren’t as nice and the bowls generally do not have a handle.
The Bowls between all of the tilt head models are actually interchangeable so the 4.5 qt and 5qt bowls will fit onto any tilt head. They also use the same attachments (hook, paddle, whisk).
They still come in at the same height of 14.5 inches tall, however the internals are quite different. Several parts have been changed to plastic which makes them less desirable, which is why we upgrade our units back to the metal components among other upgrades such as the spring and washer and Everdime. When it comes to quality and durability amongst the KitchenAid brand, the mixers we offer are actually better than what can be obtained new.
There was also a slight change to the housing. There are no longer brush caps on the outside of the machine. They have opted to alter the internals by creating a motor/field assembly/bearing bracket that now comes as a 1 piece unit vs 3 individual pieces. This design will help increase production as they are now drop in units with less labor needed to build them.
KSM70/KSM60/KSM55
These models are the replacement for the pro 600/pro 5 plus models. Offered in three separate sizes, the KSM70 7qt, the KSM60 6qt and the KSM55 5.5qt.
They share the same footprint as the pro 600 coming in at 16.5 inches tall. Although they are different models, they all use the same internal components including motor, electronics and transmission. This is a whole new motor and transmission that appears to be designed after the 1.3hp DC motor present in the 7qt proline and the 8 qt commercial however, its an AC motor and 500 watts.
These are strong units but there is no data yet since they are so new, to suggest how long they will actually last which is why we have decided to offer a lifetime service guarantee for these particular models. The service guarantee comes with the purchase of our lifetime mixer, it costs roughly twice of what a new unit costs, however if it ever fails there will never be a need to replace as we are guaranteed to fix it and send it back good as new! Learn more here.
These models can be expected to handle heavier doughs and larger batches than the tilt heads. As always there is a limit to the capacity and mixing capability, as long as they are used reasonably, they should hold up well!
KitchenAid Mini
The Mini is a nifty little unit, but they are really tiny only coming in at 12.3 inches tall. This means that they don’t have the mixing capacity of the larger units (only 3.5qt). They are powerful, coming with a 250 watt motor, and surprisingly quiet but, they leave something to be desired in most cases. The Mini seems to be a bit gimmicky. Not that they don’t work, and in tight spaces I can see why these could be a nice option. However, if you have a full size kitchen it’s not the best option unless you’re going for a certain kitchen aesthetic.
It hasn’t been reported yet, but sources tell me that the Mini will be discontinued in 2026.
What to expect from the next 5 years of KitchenAid.
With the discontinuation of several models and the introduction of their replacements, it makes one think, what does KitchenAid have planned?
Based on the changes of the electronics its expected that KitchenAid is going to lean into making their mixers more autonomous. There are ports on the new speed boards that will be able to link to a smart home system. They will be able to be ran via a phone app and will likely come with the ability to turn the mixer on via phone/computer and run it for a set time. They will also likely introduce LED lighting and other gimmicky additions to the mixers.
I believe this to be a mistake as generally speaking your mixer should never run unattended (ive seen many fall from the tops of counters). Also, a majority of the joy in baking/cooking is working with your hands and being a part of the process. Being able to work your mixer from the recliner would take away that joy and replace it with indifference. KitchenAid has a tradition to uphold and straying too far from that path, may just be the downfall of the brand.
In Conclusion
You really can’t go wrong with any of the models, however there are a few clear winners, and a mixer from Mr. Mixer is always going to be the best option. I may be biased say that, but with the upgrades we’re able to install it’s apparent that you’re getting a mixer of better quality.
Here are our top choices amongst the KitchenAid Lineup.
1st - The K5SS
Its durable, powerful, and can handle a fair capacity. The reliability is what really sells this unit. This is the machine people talk about when they say they have owned a mixer for 30 years with no issues. We offer these fully rebuilt with a warranty!
2nd - The Proline 7qt
It’s powerful, it’s quiet (the quietest in the lineup) and it has a large capacity. The downfall of this unit is that it has been discontinued and harder to obtain (we have a few in stock) but they are becoming increasingly harder to find.
3rd - The KSM70/60/55
This series takes bronze, however its right up there with the first two places on the podium. They are powerful, quiet, have large capacities and come in a nice variety of colors. Coupled with the fact that we can offer a lifetime guarantee, makes it a top competitor when deciding what mixer is right for you!
4th - Tilt Heads
Let me reiterate, you really cant go wrong with any of your choices in the KitchenAid lineup. The tilt heads are strong little units but due to the addition of plastic pieces they have become less desirable. If you are searching for a tilt head mixer the ones we offer at Mr. Mixer come upgraded with our spring and washer, the Everdime, and we also replace the plastic parts with new metal parts that will help keep your mixer running for longer.