Customer Reviews

Sunbeam 2349 Heritage Series Stand Mixer

5 star:		(23)
4 star:		(8)
3 star:		(8)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(30)

 

 

I love my Heritage stand mixer! I used a sunbeam stand mixer for aprx. 25 years and it finally died on me. It was great except for the real heavy duty mixing (it had fewer watts than the Heritage model does). I replaced it with a KitchenAid stand mixer. I put up with it for 5 years and mostly hated it. It beat things too light... mashed potatoes, cookie dough... which changed the texture and taste of foods. Worst was how frustrating KitchenAid's are to use. The mixing bowl is deep and small in diameter. That means every time you need to mix a bit with your spatula, you have to turn off the mixer, unlock the head, lift up the head, then mix your ingredients, then put the head back down, then relock the head, then turn the mixer back on... every time you want to stir a bit. There just isn't room for reaching into the bowl it's so small in diameter. When you add in dry ingredients to your dough you can't get into the bowl enough with anything other than a stirring spoon. I just found that it wasn't worth the frustration.

Compare that to the Sunbeam Heritage which I bought 5 months ago... powerful motor (in fact, more watts than the KitchenAid most people buy and more watts than my original Sunbeam)... large diameter bowl so you can add ingredients easily and mix when you want to.
Only thing I would like on my Sunbeam Heritage that I don't have is a glass bowl. My original one had glass bowls and they were great for mashing potatoes in and then heating them up a bit in the microwave, without having to transfer them. (KitchenAid's bowls aren't glass either.)

If you are like me, and simply cannot justify spending $200 (or more) for a heavy duty stand mixer that you will really use only once a month, look no further. If you do use a stand mixer often, this is a good alternative for the budget-conscious, to Kitchenaid!

This mixer will handle the toughest chores, including six pounds of bread dough. It isn't the same inside, as other Mixmaster stand mixers. This one has TWO motors. One for the beaters, another, at the base, drives the bowls counter to the beaters, for a more complete mixing. It also comes with three sets of attachments: Beaters, dough hooks AND whisks. Other models that look about the same do not include the whisk attachments. On this model, the bowls twist-lock onto the base rather than ride on a turntable, an important difference. It is heavy, rests on rubber feet for complete stability. It features a "soft start" which ramps to any of the selected 12 speeds quickly, as opposed to instantly, saving splashing and snow-storming.

I gave it four stars instead of 5 simply because Sunbeam makes no provision for attachments. But really, how often does one need a meat grinder attachement or one for ice cream, instead of simply using the real deal?

So, if you are looking for a quality, heavy-duty stand mixer, with a full two year warranty, under $200, that will stand up to anything you need to mix, this is the one for you.

I bought one of these mixers several months ago and have used it extensively. I have used it to knead bread dough, beat egg whites for souffle, cake batter, and quick breads. I have even made mayonnaise with it. It always has the power I need for the job and the speed control I need as well. I particularly like the wide range of mixing speeds.

I agree with the earlier reveiwer about the value of the bigger bowls compared to the kitchenaid mixers. Combined with the speed controls, the better access I get with these bowls makes it easy to introduce ingredients while beating.

I do not agree with another reviewer about the beater release button. I have never found this button to be difficult to use. In fact, I have found it very convenient and would not like to see this feature changed.

I also found the bowls, beaters and the base mechanism really easy to clean.

I purchased the Heritage Mixer a few weeks ago to replace my old Sunbeam Mixmaster (my second in 27 years, only because the movers broke the first one). I had grown up on a Mixmaster (my mother still has her original one), so this was the first mixer I looked at. I admit I had looked carefully at the Kitchen Aid mixers (they're advertised EVERYWHERE), but they are honestly just too expensive for my needs. I am in no way a professional cook or baker.

I had to replace my Mixmaster because it was getting this funny whine when I mixed heavy stuff or when I was running it for a while, like for fluffy mashed potatoes. Also, I think I had some dough that went up through the beater shafts a few times, and it fell out into the newly mixed food when I pulled out the beaters. Anyway, we decided it was time to get a new one.

GOOD THINGS: I like the thoroughness of the mixing. My old mixer needed a lot more help scraping the side of the bowl. I've only done mashed potatoes and cookie dough so far, but with the holidays coming up, I have other things to make in it.

I love how powerful this mixer is. Everything I mix seems so effortless. The old mixer was definitely straining to get the job done.

I like locking the bowls in place. They are very easy to lock and unlock.

THINGS I'M GETTING USED TO: The mixer is very easy to turn on. This can be awkward if you have the head tilted up with the beaters still in place. I've gotten cookie dough and mashed potatoes all over my canisters so far.

The bowl turns in a different direction than my old Mixmaster. This takes some getting used to.

The only bowl available for this mixer is stainless steel. I loved the glass bowls on the old mixer. In fact, I saved them when I replaced the old mixer. They're still good for holding stuff. I'm not sure whether the stainless steel or the glass bowls lose heat faster, but I'd put money on the stainless steel. The potatoes were not piping hot by the time I got them to the table, but they were very fluffy.

The locking head can be inconvenient when you just want to tilt the beaters a little to get the dough/batter off. It's also a more involved operation to put parts back with the mixer after washing them. I can't easily move the head out of the way to put beaters into the bowl. In fact the bowls are a little tricky to put back also.

THINGS I DON'T LIKE: I'm finding the beater release to be very difficult to operate. I hope that it will loosen up a little over time.

This mixer is VERY heavy. Yes it's steel construction, not plastic, but I lift it in and out of a lower cabinet, and it's not for the weak-armed person!

I think this mixer spatters a LOT more than the old one. Maybe it's a function of the power, but I wish there were a spatter shield available.

I guess this review got a little long. I know that I have greatly appreciated reviews others have written about products, and I hope my comments will help someone. This is a good mixer. I expect it to be my last mixer.

UPDATE 2010: Well the mixer I wrote about above died almost a year after I bought it. Actually what happened is that the beater housing (or whatever you call it) stripped, and the beaters wouldn't stay in. I called Sunbeam, they checked the model, and told me it was still under warranty. So, they sent me a new mixer (even asked me what color I wanted) and told me to throw away the old one. I threw it away, but kept all the bowls and beaters, which has been really handy if I'm making a birthday cake with lots of different frosting colors. Good Customer Service from Sunbeam, and I've had the replacement mixer ever since.

This is a terrible mixer. If you have anything thick that you need to mix (bread for example) you are running a risk of burning out your motor. My mixer has already been replaced 2 times and I have only owned it for 2 months. I called into Sunbeam service center and spoke to a rude young woman who instructed me to take it to my local repair shop. When I called the local repair shop and described the problem they told me that they could fix the product but the problem would happen again because the motor is not strong enough to mix bread! What happened to the Sunbeam that my mother owned? The one that lasted 30 years even though it fell off the counter twice? I am currently arguing with Sunbeam management about getting my money back on this mixer - don't make the same mistake I did.

I received a Sunbeam Mixer when I got married in 1963. It supported me through many wedding cakes, Christmas cookies and making bread. I removed the head to use it in my big bread bowl. It was going strong when 18 years later, I sold it. Now I have the time to cook again, I wanted a mixer as good as my old one. Within several weeks, the motor that runs the bowl section had quit. If the bowl motor is not working, the mixer stays put and the bowl won't move. It is also much louder than the first one I had. This is not a good stand mixer. I sent it back.

Every year I make about 12 kinds of Christmas cookies to give as gifts for family and friends. I've been struggling along with a hand-held mixer or doing it by hand. As a result I always had a carpal tunnel attack somewhere in the process. Not this year!

I'm so glad I took advantage of the sale on this mixer! I got a red one. And no, it's not like the old ones, but I found it worked admirably on many different types of doughs. Beating eggwhites was totally amazing!

The only thing I don't like about it is the 'touchiness' of the speed control. I think it's a bit dangerous how easliy it turns on. They tell you to unplug before lifting the head or removing the beaters and, believe me, I do. They could fix this little foible by having some kind of internal cut-off when you push the release buttons, I think.

Despite the unplugging business, which I am now used to, I am VERY satisfied with my mixer. It sounds sort of like a table saw, but that's ok if it will whip up eggwhites and 12 kinds of cookie dough with no problems whatsoever. I give it 5 stars!

Last April I purchased a 2346 from Sears. The bowl motor sounded awful. I returned it and got another one, and my problem is that the bowl motor keeps overheating and shutting down leaving me to have to move the contents to my old Sunbeam that is over 40 years old. I agree that the bowl motor is to small. The bowl stopped after just beating 4 whole eggs with 2 C sugar.

Contacted sunbeam with no success, I ended up going with the 2350. It is a 350W without the bowl motor.

As far a Kitchen Aide VS Sunbeam. It is like comparing Apples and Oranges.

Kitchen Aide planetary mixing action most closely simulates hand mixing, and is used by most professionals. (Because Hobart the creators of the Kitchen Aide mixer made large machines that are 6 or more feet tall all they way down to a counter top model so that makes testing recipes easier.)

Sunbeam came out for a different audience and was much more affordable for the average home, and thus was more accepted. Sunbeam's rotary action beater does not simulate hand mixing at all; however, because of it popularity and wide use cookbooks in the category of Betty Crocker, Better Homes and Garden, etc.. tested and created recipes for the rotary mixing action and not the planetary mixing action.

That's why I own, and use and love both. It the matter of using the right tool for the right job.

Footnote: My Kitchen Aide was manufactured by Hobart before it was sold out to Whirlpool. After talking with my friends (some of who are professionals) who have purchased their units under Whirlpool. I have no intention of making the same mistake. My next planetary mixer will be made by Hobart. (Even if it cost $1,600.00) Their major complaint is the motor overheats and shutting off when making bread.

I wish both companies would fix their engineering blunders.

This is a really defective and dissapointing mixer. The motor works but the transmission is bad in it. To add insult upon injury I had gotten it as a gift for my wife and we just got around to attempting to use it so the 30 day return policy is expired so amazon wont replace it. Highly recommend buying one locally if your looking for one because if yours breaks like ours has the nearest service center is 75 miles away.

I've had my mixer for a year now and I love it. I use it mainly for flat bread (Indian style i.e. chapati) dough and it's used fairly often (4 times a week or more). It works with a little flour or a lot perfectly well. I've never had a problem with the motor shutting down or burning out. It's never created any problems. I think it's a great mixer to buy for home use.
I wrote this review after recommending it to my friend and trying to find the best price for the mixer online for her. I ended up on amazon reading these reviews. I think that the only people writing reviews for this product are the ones who have had problems. SO, I'll be the first to say that this product has worked well in my home for a year.
P.S. I tried the KitchenAid mixer when my husband bought it for me after my wrist fracture. Frankly, I found it intimidating because I'm no where close to being a pro cook or baker. It was way too expensive and way too much as a mixer to be right for me. Also, it only came with one big bowl which didn't mix well when I had only a little to mix.