KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer Review

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(More customer reviews)I already own a 5 Qt mixer from the "Artisan Series" but decided to upgrade to this model so that I could make larger batches of bread dough. For my recipe, a single batch is 2 cups of bread flour. I tried making a double batch (4 cups) in my new Pro 600, but after about 15 min. of kneading, the motor just turned off. I thought I had burned it out, but after consulting the instruction manual, it seems this is normal. Normal?! Yes, that's what it said--all I needed to do was wait for the motor to cool off (it's also "normal" for it to get so hot it is uncomfortable to touch) for 30 min. and then try again. I find it hard to believe that this mixer could make bread with 14 cups of AP flour, as the box says. Having said that, here are my thoughts on this mixer vs. the "Artisan Series" mixer I already own:1. The motor consumes over 50% more electricity (and is certainly more noisy) in the pro 600, but how much of that is being converted to extra torque, I'm not really sure. What I do know is that I can only do a single batch of bread at a time in either mixer.
2. As has been mentioned in other reviews, the Artisan mixer came with a "coated" paddle and dough hook, whereas the pro 600 has "Brandished steel". This means the Artisan's implements are dishwasher safe but the pro 600's are not. I had assumed those bright, shiny implements that I saw in the store display were stainless steel, but I guess not. If it weren't for this problem and the huge price tag, I would have given this mixer 5 stars.
On the plus side...
3. I love the new spiral dough hook--it is much better than the C shaped one in my Artisan
4. The soft start feature is a nice touch. Then again, it would be even nicer if there was a speed lower than the lowest one provided.
5. The larger bowl is nice
6. There is more of a difference between speeds 7-10 than the Artisan
Things I'd like to see changed in the next iteration:
--A gear box. I have a cordless drill that has a high and low gear. As could be expected, low is for more power, high is for more speed. Why don't these mixers use a simple gear selector like that? This would be a HUGE improvement--it would not only provide more power, but the lower speed I would like, as mentioned in point 4.
--Stainless steel implements as mentioned in point #2
CONCLUSION:
A very nice mixer, but so is my "Artisan". If you are going to buy a new mixer (and don't have an unlimited supply of money to throw at it), I wouldn't recommend the Pro 600--get one from the Artisan series instead--it is much cheaper and does just about as good a job. There are small advantages to the Pro 600, but even all together, I don't think they are worth the added price.

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Designed with all-metal construction and a 6-quart capacity, this powerful stand mixer features a 575-watt motor for handling tough mixing jobs. It can effectively mix up to 14 cups of all-purpose flour and produce up to 8 pounds of mashed potatoes. The mixer can also churn through double batches of bread dough with the included burnished PowerKnead spiral hook, which replicates hand kneading with a forceful punching and rolling action. The mixer's 10-speed slide control ranges from a very fast whip to a very slow stir, while its Soft Start mixing function helps minimize ingredient splatter and flour puff with gentle acceleration to the selected speed after start-up. An electronic speed sensor helps maintain a consistent mixing speed, even when adding ingredients. For commercial-style motor protection, the mixer automatically shuts off when overload is detected.
The mixer includes a 6-quart-capacity stainless-steel mixing bowl with a contoured handle, as well as a professional wire whip, a burnished flat beater, a spiral dough hook, and a pouring shield. Its multipurpose attachment hub with a hinged hub cover flips open to allow for easy installation of attachments. The unit's professional bowl-lift design raises the bowl into the mixing position, and its solid, truly seamless one-piece motor head design cleans easily. The mixer features a premium satin-pearl custom finish that adds an elegant shimmer to any countertop. Available in a variety of fashionable colors, the stand mixer measures 14-3/5 by 16-1/2 by 11-2/7 inches and carries a one-year hassle-free replacement warranty.

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