Customer Reviews

Hamilton Beach Electrics 63227 All-Metal Stand Mixer, Licorice

5 star:		(73)
4 star:		(28)
3 star:		(10)
2 star:		(6)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I purchased this unit just over a month ago. It arrived in less than a week. I've had no problems with it yet. It is truly all metal except for the splash guard/ingredient chute. To address some other reviews that had me concerned. The head doesn't slap around. That is a warranty issue for her. It does walk with big stiff dough recipes such as a two loaf all wheat. Simple physics, considering size and weight, tells you at medium to high speeds it will. Kinda lets you know it is a powerful electronic speed controlled mixer. I can easily steady the base for the few seconds to finish mixing. All other mixing jobs are done with ease. I, personally, like the tilt head. All stand mixers will require side scraping with some recipes, even the expensive KitchenAids. Although I made a five bar cheesecake yesterday and as I was watching the eggs, dropped in at the side one at a time, they were all fully captured and mixed in. I usually scrape once at the beginning and it spins into a dough ball at the end anyway. There is a dimple at the bottom of the bowl to help pick up added flour during the mix. Speaking of KitchenAid, have you read the reviews of those "attachments"? Besides being expensive they say all of them suck. It seems you can buy better and cheaper items to do the same thing taking up the same amount of space.
So far I've made 4 loaves of baguettes, 4 loaves of wheat, 2 loaves of sourdough, numerous cakes, batches of cookies, and of course a large cheesecake since I've had it with no problems. (Now you can see why I needed a strong stand mixer! My church loves me now too!) The key is to read the instructions more than once to ensure you understand how to operate this model. It has some cool recipes in there too! And yes, it is very easy to clean as well.
If you want a mixer to crank out mega-loaves of all wheat bread daily, (commercial), then this is not it. If you want to make great bread, dishes and pastries for your family then this can't be beat at this price range with this much power. After all, as one consumer already stated, this is a "Consumer Reports best buy". I've had a Sunbeam Heritage, (like the one shown on the Cookin In Brooklyn show), and contrary to popular belief there is NOT a motor under the bottom pedestal. It's great for everything else but gluttonous bread dough's. A white loaf every once in a while, maybe. But, I wanted to be more artisan and organic with my breads so I upgraded.
Note: the short time I've had it is the only reason I've given it 4 stars. For me, longevity counts as one star.

Hobby Baker

This is a great mixer with only one fault. You have to stop on occasion to scrape the bowl to make sure everything is mixed. It is much better than the Sunbeam, better than the comparably priced Kitchenaid, but not as good as the top of the line Kitchenaid, but for the price, who cares. I make almost everything from scratch and this mixer can handle the stiffest batters and doughs. The attachments are great except the shield can be awkward. It doesn't mention, but I think the bowl is 4 quarts. I have made double large batches of cookies with it without any trouble. I love that the mixer tilts up out of the way, and the beaters will still drip into the bowl - no mess. I plan on keeping this until my daughter needs a mixer someday, then buying myself a 'perfect' mixer. This mixer will last, just like a Kitchenaid.

Every since Whirlpool took over Kitchen Aid the quality has gone way down with regard to Kitchen Aid mixers. I bought my first Kitchen Aid mixer a couple weeks ago, came home, turned it on and sparks flew out of it, and a few seconds later, a fuse blew. I took the mixer back to the store and got another mixer only this time the second speed didn't work. I then took the second mixer back but this time asked for a refund.
I finally found the Hamilton Beach mixer on line, and I couldn't believe the price for an orbiting, metal, stand mixer with a three year no questions asked warranty (Kitchen Aid only offers a one year warranty), so I bought it. The mixer arrived the other day, and I have been baking like a maniac every since. My first test was cherry, pecan scones, and the mixer didn't hesitate once while pushing through the thick, heavy dough. My second test - chocolate chip cookies with walnuts. This machine didn't bat an eye (eyes not included) forging through a double batch. Also, it's relatively quiet compared to Kitchen Aid - you can hear the quality in the motor. I can't even begin to say how much I enjoy this mixer.

I bought this model instead of the comparably priced Kitchenaid because of the 400 watt motor. Of course the watts rating just means how much electric current the motor draws, not how much power it delivers, but I figured it had to be better than the 250 watts or therabouts the Kitchenaid rates.

The good news is this mixer works large batches of bread dough with no signs of overheating. But the workmanship is unimpressive. My biggest complaint is the hinge that connects the motor assembly to the base has loose tolerances. The result, when you make bread dough or anything thick, the top part slaps back and forth and the mixer walks across the counter, even though it is quite heavy. This happens consistently at speed 6 and sometimes on 4. I'm concerned that eventually the hinge will fail, probably a few weeks after the warranty expires. Also, there is too large a gap between the bottom of the dough hook (or whatever attachment you use) and the bowl, and there is no way to adjust it. This means more scraping, and using a higher speed to help keep the dough in contact with the bowl (which leads to the "walking" problem above).

It does the job, more or less, but I regret buying the thing.

I think this is the best mixer available at this price point. If you are going to bake huge batches of bread or if you have the money to spend, you should probably spring for the biggest and most expensive Kitchenaid. However, if you have a small kichen (the unit is light and more storable than bigger, more expensive mixers), a young child (it's one of the quietest mixers available), or limited funds to spend on kitchen equipment, this is an excellent choice. This is sturdier than the comparably priced Kitchenaid and its performance has been flawless. Unlike another reviewer, I have had no problems with the mixer walking or shaking during mixing, and I do make bread and other thick doughs. I bought this mixer because of its high Consumer Reports rating, and I haven't been disappointed.

The main thing that differentiates this stand mixer from some of the more expensive brands is that it's slightly lighter, doesn't take power attachments and it runs much quieter. It's still solid and powerful enough to knead dough or mash potatoes without straining. It also works great for whipping meringue, cream or mixing cakes. Unlocking the bowl from the base and lifting it slightly while the mixer is running allows the plastic-coated beater to reach the bowl's bottom, eliminating the need for scraping.

Not surprisingly, Consumer Reports gave this mixer its "Best Buy" rating because it performs well and costs much less than many competitive models. This replaced my old two-beater stand mixer that I had been using for about 20 years before it fell apart. Though beauty is often in the eyes of the beholder, this mixer looks handsome to me like it belongs in a modern, home kitchen. Some of the other stand mixers look like they belong in a restaurant kitchen, not a home.

I ordered this mixer after 9:00 p.m. on a Tuesday night. It was shipped FREE to me via UPS ground on Wednesday and I received it on Thursday. I could not have been more pleased with the service for this order. No sales tax was added and the price was competitive.

The mixer I bought 6 month ago stopped working today. We didn't use very often, may be once in a month at average for mixing pancakes. I contacted the customer service by phone and spent 20 minutes trying to get "No-Hassle Replacement Warranty" as described in my warranty information. First lady I spooked to gave me customer number and told that I have to send them check for $15.75 and the plug from the mixer. When I asked the lady why the warranty instruction says that it will be "at no cost to you" she told me that I can send them only $7.75. When I asked her if I can discuss this with a manager she connected me to another lady who introduced herself as "corporate manager" but refused to give her name. I asked her how can I get the replacement at "no cost as" it's promised she reconnected me to the third lady who told me that I will have to send them whole unit instead of just the plug. She also told me that I should include each and every attachments and the tone of her voice was saying that I will regret that I asked them for the free replacement shipping. It doesn't feel like "No-Hassle" to me. I will update this post as the replacement progresses.
Update 1:
I've got the call from HB customer service next morning. They apologized for this story and told me that their representative was not trained appropriately and they will retrain her. They also told me that they shipped replacement and the UPS label for returning the broken unit. I'm adding two stars for the product and changing the title, because we were happy with the mixer before it has broken.
Update 2:
The replacement unit worked only once. The second time we turned it on, speed regulator didn't work. It was rotating very fast on the lowest #2 speed, as fast as it usually does on speed #8 or #10. The customer service communicated to me that the replacement unit will not be under the same 3 years warranty as the one I bought from Amazon. This is strange and there is no such information in the manual. I remove back two stars from the rate.
Update 3:
The second replacement worked twice to mix pancakes dough. On the third time it just didn't start. I have to replace it again. It looks like the quality of the mixers had worsened dramatically since I got my first mixer that worked for 6 month.

I thought I wanted a Kitchen Aid mixer just because they are known as "the mixer" to have. But when I read the reviews, I became less impressed. KA has its fanatics, but mixed into the raves, you learn about real limitations of the mixers. Hamilton-Beach has designed a top rate mixer that is well built, works well, and just plain looks good. A plus was it is not as heavy as the KA, but still works the same way. What you are giving up is the possibility of using attachments. We liked the idea of using attachments, but the idea of them and actually using them were two separate things. We decided if we ever, ever get the urge to make home made pasta, we will buy stand alone kitchen equipment for less than the added cost. If I had gotten the more expensive KA, I would have probably talked myself into several attachments that I would use once, and then store in my cabinets forever. I like the Hamilton-Beach so well I leave it out on my counter all the time, and am always getting comments about what a neat looking appliance it is. If you like having a top quality machine and can bear breaking away from the pack, this is a good mixer.

I was wanting a Purple (my fave color) Kitchenaid Standmixer for the LONGEST time. I have gone back and forth, and read other reviews for different stand mixers, including this one. After my boyfriend had gotten back from his tour in Iraq, I knew that I would be doing a lot of cooking and baking for him, and I just didn't have the time to mix/knead everything by hand.
We had gone to Fry's Electronics here in San Diego, and they had a kitchen section, and I was able to look at the Hamilton Beach Eclectric up front. Although I had my heart set on my Purple Kitchenaid, I was immediately drawn to the sleek black Eclectric Mixer. My bf says, "You want it, and you need it" and put it in the cart and MADE me purchase the appliance. Although paying for a Kitchenaid was going to be steep, I bought the Eclectic for just $167. Let me tell you, I was SOOOOOOOOOOOOO happy with it when I took it home!
I use it at least 2 to 3 times a week for a year now, and with me making homemade bread every week, it stands up to even the toughest dough such as Whole Wheat which is not always the most pliable. It's powerful, quiet, attractive to the eye (very sexy & sleek, lol) and very reliable.
A lot less expensive than the Kitchenaid, and works like a charm! I would recommend this to anyone, and if you are contemplating looking for a Stand Mixer, but don't want to shell out 300 bucks, than this is a wonderful buy!

We bought this instead of the Kitchen Aid; it looked like it was very well built and the price was right. Wish we had bought the Kitchen Aid [this replaced an old Kitchen Aid]. The beaters do not come close to the bottom of the bowl, always leaving an unmixed area. There is no adjustment for it. When I contacted their customer service about it, they were not concerned about it and of no help, so I would rate their customer service even lower than the usefulness of this appliance. It's about ready to go to the Goodwill and get a mixer that works. Stick with Kitchen Aid... they work the way that they are supposed to.