Good Evening my lovely readers!
I am excited to announce that I purchased my stand mixer... FINALLY!
This is exciting because, I have been saving up for it for a long time. I started saving two years ago, for a KitchenAid stand mixer (after 3 years of oogling at them) and after almost two years of saving small amounts, I was almost there... then... our dog needed a major operation. So, it was, buy a KitchenAid, or save our 5 year old dog's life. Obviously, there was no inner debate, our little PomChi (Pomeranian/Chihuahua) won that without a second thought. But of course, the sting of $730 flying away to another place certainly made me feel a major downer, knowing I'd have to start again.
Not one to be defeated, I kept my hopes up. As it happens, I was in a large electrical/appliance store recently...Then I saw it.... the Kenwood KMIX Kitchen Machine. There it stood in all it's glory! The pamphlet next to it had all its available colours and lots of information. It looked pretty snazzy, so I started to check for it's features...
It had the planetary mixing action, the tilt lift head, the k-beater, whisk and dough hook. I was a little bit more excited when I saw the $480!! It had a more powerful motor than the KitchenAid, a slightly larger capacity bowl, and a very good warranty deal. I felt a little fuzzy. I then and there decided to save up for this delightful contraption. It was about $300 cheaper than the KitchenAid and seemed just as good. Hope had been restored!
I left the store with plans to sift over every review I could find. Some sites had awful reviews, but most had great ones! I even found a kitchenaid and kmix comparison review which was helpful. If I ever find it again, i'll add the link here.
To cut a long story short:
as it happens, the very same week I was blessed with enough money to go and buy a mixer, I decided on a Kmix, and I am so so so glad that I did. The more I read about it, and the more I use it, the more convinced I am that I have made the right decision. I have to admit, being a girly girl through and through, the kitchenaid's signature beauty pulled on my heartstrings a little more, but, the Kmix, although not "beautiful" is somewhat "handsome" in appearance, and looks quite the part in my retro kitchen.
The mixer comes with:
I was pleasantly surprised about the shield. I didn't realise it came with it! I haven't needed to use it for much yet. But I did a large, heavy bread dough and that one needed it. The shield goes on nicely, it's designed better than the kitchenAid's as it attaches easily and nicely to the head of the mixer, and when you tilt the head up it just goes with it. No need to mess with it during mixing.
The Instruction booklet is simple, short, and common sense really. But its important to read as it points out maximum capacities and what max speed to use for certain ingredients.
The scraping spatula is very good. Its a white, flexible plastic spatula that fits the shape of the bowl nicely, so you get every last scerik of stuff out of the bowl.
Speaking of the bowl, I was worried it would be hard to keep clean because It's so shiny steely. But it washes well. I just use detergent on it and dry it straight away with either a tea towel or paper towel and it comes up like new again. In fact, all of the parts are very easily cleaned. I wash mine pretty much straight away and I'm sure that helps. Sometimes all i need to use is very hot water, other times detergent is needed. I have also put the bowl in the dishwasher and it comes up great.
The recipe cards are disappointing. Most of the recipes look horrible, but everyone has different taste so some may love it. I think KitchenAid wins that war. They include a full cookbook and DVD... or at least they used to?
the small adjusting tool, is to change the position of the tool your using (kbeater etc). I read some reviews where people complained about it not being close enough to the bottom of the bowl and they had to scrape all the time and were very unhappy about it. The tool that comes with it, fixes that problem if you have it. Mine was perfect, I didnt need to do that. I will add here, when I was making macaroons, I found I had to scrape once or twice, but it was my first time using the machine and I havent had to do it with any recipes since so maybe that was user error.
As far as noise factor goes, I have been told that the KitchenAid has a high pitched annoying sound. Well this has its own sound too. With its powerful motor that's to be expected, but its not too bad. My daughter runs away from the kitchen any time I put on a noisy appliance, she doesnt seem to mind this one until it hits full speed so thats an indicator that it isn't too bad. She hides under her bed when I use my old food processor!
The K-Beater and dough hook are quite solid. Im not afraid of knocking them on the bench or anything, they seem like they will last a very long time. They arent overly heavy though which is good. They click very nicely into the machine, and once you get used to it, you can do it with one hand no problem. The whisk is more delicate, but still not rubbish. The manual says not to place it in the dishwasher, but you can put everything else in the washer. I will be fair and note that the kitchenAid whisk is definately thicker/sturdier looking.
The Speed Control - This wins against the KitchenAid speed control for sure. I've used a KitchenAid before and found the knob to be stiff and sometimes hard to switch speeds, but the KMix has a better set up. Its a knob that smoothly turns, no clicks. A little light indicates when the machine is on also.
one feature that the Kmix has that the KitchenAid does not have, is a unique "fold" option. It mimics the folding action, gently and slowly, stop starting, to fold in ingredients. I have used it a few times now and am impressed, but beware, dont over do it! It takes half the time to fold things in with the machine than by hand. I messed up my macroons by too much "folding"! Its a handy option, but you do have to keep a close eye on it, so its not particularly more convenient than doing it yourself except for the fact you know its evenly folded in.
As far as the machine jumping around goes, my old mixer used to literally jiggle across the bench with pizza dough haha. This machine is too heavy and sturdy to do that. It shakes ever so slightly with big jobs like a 1kg heavy bread dough, but, it has very small but very strong suction "feet" and a heavy body to keep it in one spot very well. Its never moved, just a slight shudder. Even when making a large batch of fondant!
A great feature that it also has over the KitchenAid is that it speeds up slowly to the chosen speed. So with the KitchenAid you turn it on and it goes like a toddler high on cordial, tearing through the ingredients and making a mess. Wheras the KMix calmly works up to speed, and get this, even changes the speed when it "feels" whats in the bowl, If it needs to slow down for a bit. This is an excellent feature because it means you cannot accidentally over-work the motor.
Ive had it for about a month now and so far ive used it to make macaroons, 2 types of bread, both tough and soft, pizza dough, the cake-dough for a Bee Sting cake, mashed potatoes (super handy and the bowl keeps them warm!), marshmallow fondant, buttercream, carrot cake and a small sponge cake, which turned out very very nicely.
Im very happy with this machine, it has its special place on the counter and It is used quite often. It does the job, and does it well. Its alot cheaper than a kitchenAid, so for a loss of "Prettiness" and sacrificing a cookbook, I'd say its well worth it. Im glad I got it, I recommend this Mixer with confidence.
A word on price. Do your homework, be a good steward of your money. The KMix retails for $699 at some stores! The cheapest I have seen it was during a mothers day sale for $480 with bonus pasta maker attachments! Which is fabulous, I missed out on that deal sadly. But, you can get this machine for $549... that's quite a bit less than $699 so do look around! I also got a 5 year replacement warranty, which is far better than a repair warranty, so ask in stores about their warranty offers also.
Kenwood has a very good name in Australia and the UK as a reliable brand, especially for its mixers like the classic Kenwood Chef. Because appliances are sadly no longer built to last, I dont know if my mixer will last 40 years like my nanna's one did, but it is built well, and should last maybe 20, I hope. If your in Australia, warranty is easier with a Kenwood as its not a USA product.
So reasons I picked the Kenwood over the KitchenAid:
I hoped this has helped anyone on the hunt for a new mixer, I recommend seriously considering the Kmix! It's great!
Happy Baking :-)
I am excited to announce that I purchased my stand mixer... FINALLY!
Not one to be defeated, I kept my hopes up. As it happens, I was in a large electrical/appliance store recently...Then I saw it.... the Kenwood KMIX Kitchen Machine. There it stood in all it's glory! The pamphlet next to it had all its available colours and lots of information. It looked pretty snazzy, so I started to check for it's features...
It had the planetary mixing action, the tilt lift head, the k-beater, whisk and dough hook. I was a little bit more excited when I saw the $480!! It had a more powerful motor than the KitchenAid, a slightly larger capacity bowl, and a very good warranty deal. I felt a little fuzzy. I then and there decided to save up for this delightful contraption. It was about $300 cheaper than the KitchenAid and seemed just as good. Hope had been restored!
I left the store with plans to sift over every review I could find. Some sites had awful reviews, but most had great ones! I even found a kitchenaid and kmix comparison review which was helpful. If I ever find it again, i'll add the link here.
To cut a long story short:
as it happens, the very same week I was blessed with enough money to go and buy a mixer, I decided on a Kmix, and I am so so so glad that I did. The more I read about it, and the more I use it, the more convinced I am that I have made the right decision. I have to admit, being a girly girl through and through, the kitchenaid's signature beauty pulled on my heartstrings a little more, but, the Kmix, although not "beautiful" is somewhat "handsome" in appearance, and looks quite the part in my retro kitchen.
The mixer comes with:
- A gigantic box
- The mixer itself (of course!)
- dough hook
- K-beater
- Whisk
- scraping spatula
- recipe cards
- an adjusting tool (spanner thingy)
- Instruction Booklet
- Splash guard shield
I was pleasantly surprised about the shield. I didn't realise it came with it! I haven't needed to use it for much yet. But I did a large, heavy bread dough and that one needed it. The shield goes on nicely, it's designed better than the kitchenAid's as it attaches easily and nicely to the head of the mixer, and when you tilt the head up it just goes with it. No need to mess with it during mixing.
The Instruction booklet is simple, short, and common sense really. But its important to read as it points out maximum capacities and what max speed to use for certain ingredients.
The scraping spatula is very good. Its a white, flexible plastic spatula that fits the shape of the bowl nicely, so you get every last scerik of stuff out of the bowl.
Speaking of the bowl, I was worried it would be hard to keep clean because It's so shiny steely. But it washes well. I just use detergent on it and dry it straight away with either a tea towel or paper towel and it comes up like new again. In fact, all of the parts are very easily cleaned. I wash mine pretty much straight away and I'm sure that helps. Sometimes all i need to use is very hot water, other times detergent is needed. I have also put the bowl in the dishwasher and it comes up great.
The recipe cards are disappointing. Most of the recipes look horrible, but everyone has different taste so some may love it. I think KitchenAid wins that war. They include a full cookbook and DVD... or at least they used to?
the small adjusting tool, is to change the position of the tool your using (kbeater etc). I read some reviews where people complained about it not being close enough to the bottom of the bowl and they had to scrape all the time and were very unhappy about it. The tool that comes with it, fixes that problem if you have it. Mine was perfect, I didnt need to do that. I will add here, when I was making macaroons, I found I had to scrape once or twice, but it was my first time using the machine and I havent had to do it with any recipes since so maybe that was user error.
As far as noise factor goes, I have been told that the KitchenAid has a high pitched annoying sound. Well this has its own sound too. With its powerful motor that's to be expected, but its not too bad. My daughter runs away from the kitchen any time I put on a noisy appliance, she doesnt seem to mind this one until it hits full speed so thats an indicator that it isn't too bad. She hides under her bed when I use my old food processor!
The K-Beater and dough hook are quite solid. Im not afraid of knocking them on the bench or anything, they seem like they will last a very long time. They arent overly heavy though which is good. They click very nicely into the machine, and once you get used to it, you can do it with one hand no problem. The whisk is more delicate, but still not rubbish. The manual says not to place it in the dishwasher, but you can put everything else in the washer. I will be fair and note that the kitchenAid whisk is definately thicker/sturdier looking.
The Speed Control - This wins against the KitchenAid speed control for sure. I've used a KitchenAid before and found the knob to be stiff and sometimes hard to switch speeds, but the KMix has a better set up. Its a knob that smoothly turns, no clicks. A little light indicates when the machine is on also.
one feature that the Kmix has that the KitchenAid does not have, is a unique "fold" option. It mimics the folding action, gently and slowly, stop starting, to fold in ingredients. I have used it a few times now and am impressed, but beware, dont over do it! It takes half the time to fold things in with the machine than by hand. I messed up my macroons by too much "folding"! Its a handy option, but you do have to keep a close eye on it, so its not particularly more convenient than doing it yourself except for the fact you know its evenly folded in.
As far as the machine jumping around goes, my old mixer used to literally jiggle across the bench with pizza dough haha. This machine is too heavy and sturdy to do that. It shakes ever so slightly with big jobs like a 1kg heavy bread dough, but, it has very small but very strong suction "feet" and a heavy body to keep it in one spot very well. Its never moved, just a slight shudder. Even when making a large batch of fondant!
A great feature that it also has over the KitchenAid is that it speeds up slowly to the chosen speed. So with the KitchenAid you turn it on and it goes like a toddler high on cordial, tearing through the ingredients and making a mess. Wheras the KMix calmly works up to speed, and get this, even changes the speed when it "feels" whats in the bowl, If it needs to slow down for a bit. This is an excellent feature because it means you cannot accidentally over-work the motor.
Ive had it for about a month now and so far ive used it to make macaroons, 2 types of bread, both tough and soft, pizza dough, the cake-dough for a Bee Sting cake, mashed potatoes (super handy and the bowl keeps them warm!), marshmallow fondant, buttercream, carrot cake and a small sponge cake, which turned out very very nicely.
Im very happy with this machine, it has its special place on the counter and It is used quite often. It does the job, and does it well. Its alot cheaper than a kitchenAid, so for a loss of "Prettiness" and sacrificing a cookbook, I'd say its well worth it. Im glad I got it, I recommend this Mixer with confidence.
A word on price. Do your homework, be a good steward of your money. The KMix retails for $699 at some stores! The cheapest I have seen it was during a mothers day sale for $480 with bonus pasta maker attachments! Which is fabulous, I missed out on that deal sadly. But, you can get this machine for $549... that's quite a bit less than $699 so do look around! I also got a 5 year replacement warranty, which is far better than a repair warranty, so ask in stores about their warranty offers also.
Kenwood has a very good name in Australia and the UK as a reliable brand, especially for its mixers like the classic Kenwood Chef. Because appliances are sadly no longer built to last, I dont know if my mixer will last 40 years like my nanna's one did, but it is built well, and should last maybe 20, I hope. If your in Australia, warranty is easier with a Kenwood as its not a USA product.
So reasons I picked the Kenwood over the KitchenAid:
- Cheaper, with more features. So, definately more value for money
- optional attachments like the pasta maker are made very well with steel etc, wheras the KitchenAid attachments are now made with plastic parts! They are also less expensive, and more readily available online second hand (or new and unused).
- Comes with splashguard (i didnt know that but its for your consideration)
- The motor of this machine is at the base, not the head. I like that. Because Its not being lifted up and down all the time.
- Warranty is easier and faster with Kenwood
- The reviews were just as good as the KitchenAids
- It has a kind of retro look which suits my kitchen to a tee
- It has a slightly bigger bowl capacity and is a slightly smaller machine
I hoped this has helped anyone on the hunt for a new mixer, I recommend seriously considering the Kmix! It's great!
Happy Baking :-)
Thank you for posting this - I had the exact same dilemma. You have helped me to decide. The Kenwood it is - I think it fits my modern kitchen best anyway - I just wanted to be sure I wasn't losing out on anything. I think I was being seduced by the style and marketing!!
ReplyDeleteyou are very welcome! Hope your enjoying your kmix... mines still fabulous! glad you saved some $$ too :-)
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