subject: KitchenAid Artisan Mixer Review by:Salamander Cookshop [print this page] If it's possible to have an ongoing relationship with one's KitchenAid Artisan Mixer, then mine is very close, and personal. I had first seen it while travelling in the US on a free spirited gap year, and even then was a domestic dreamer; seriously considering shipping one home to the UK on a student budget! Irrational I know, but 'kitchen love' is a strange and often unwieldy thing. We eventually started our relationship proper about 11 years ago and it has been an enduring love ever since.
Mine is white, crisp, clean and suitable for any environment, but I often hanker for a colour that's a bit more, dare I say it, cutting edge. Maybe Apple Green, Cobalt Blue, Candy Apple, Imperial Red or even ultra cool Metallic Grey would add a bit of style to my kitchen, but whatever the colour, it would still be the same marvellous mixer underneath.
So apart from looking great, and being featured in every TV chef's kitchen, what exactly is so fantastic about a KitchenAid Artisan Mixer? The bowl for a start. At 4.8 litres capacity the brushed Stainless Steel bowl is large enough to make dough for two loaves using 1.2kg of flour, but can also whisk one egg white without a problem. Its high sides stop ingredients splashing out, and the twisting mechanism that holds it in place is firm and totally secure.
The 300W motor has 10 speeds and is very strong, heavy and uses an original planetary action. It copes equally well with large quantity mixtures that need slow mixing for a prolonged time, as well as beating a cake mixture quickly and lightly to produce the most wonderfully risen Victoria Sponge. It has a really robust all metal design, which although heavy to carry at 12.7kg, means that it is reliably rooted to the spot when you need it to be.
The Artisan Mixer comes with three mixing attachments (flat beater, wire whisk and a dough hook). You also get a clear plastic pouring shield which is really helpful in keeping your worktop free from mess. With KitchenAid's range of more than 12 optional attachments, you can turn your mixer into all sorts of appliances, from a pasta roller/cutter to a citrus juicer, slicer/shredder and my neighbour even uses his to make homemade sausages with a specifically designed gadget from the clever American people at KitchenAid
If aesthetics are your thing, then you couldn't want for more than this Henry Moore of the mixer world. If functionality drives you, you can be certain that cake, after wonderfully light cake, will never cease to thrill you. You may decide not to have quite the same relationship with your KitchenAid mixer as I do, but I can assure you it will be long lasting, fulfilled and very productive.
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