Customer Reviews

Viking Professional 7 Quart Stand Mixer - Stainless Gray

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

After extensive research on the web and through friends' experiences, I decided to opt for this 7-qt mixer. Two other major brands I considered are Hobart and of course, KitchenAid. The DeLonghi mixer comes close to specs and features, but is also marketed under Kenwood and Hamilton Beach. I sure wouldn't want to pay premium price for a Hamilton Beach. The Hobart is a true commercial grade mixer but overkill for the occasional home use, not to mention at lease twice the cost. The KA doesn't have the 1000 wattage or the professional feel like the Viking 7-qt mixer. One thing my wife appreciates about this unit is that it has rear wheels for easy maneuverability around the countertop - the average stand mixer weights over 20 lbs so this feature definitely helps. Although the availability of accessories for this mixer is few, however, I do notice that the included beater, whisk, and dough hook are well-made, stainless steel attachments (not plastic coating over metal). Overall, the Viking mixer is powerful, easy to use, and professionally designed that won't look dated 10 years from now. This mixer must be a joy to work with because my wife's been baking almost every week since we got it. By the way, the stainless gray model one sees on the Viking website is grayer in color - only the bowl, attachments, and the front "Viking" attachment cover are stainless. Highly recommended.

I've owned a Kitchenaid mixer for 20+ years. I make bread at least once per week. I'd wanted to try this mixer for a long time, but since my Kitchenaid refuses to die, I'd felt guilty spending the money on the Viking. I had an opportunity to try the Viking in a cooking course, and after seeing how powerful this mixer is, decided to take the plunge.

Pros:
1. The power - the Kitchenaid just cannot compare. The Viking can knead large amounts of the toughest doughs in very short time. In fact, breads that I was accustomed to needing 1/2 hour or more mixing and kneading in the KA took a third of that time in the Viking.
2. The attachments - they are big, and they are heavy. The KA attachments seem very flimsy in comparison. The whip also has more "tines", so that meringues seem to take a much shorter amount of time.
3. The "stir" setting - Bread bakers who use the KA will really appreciate this one. The stir, or slowest speed on the Viking is great for incorporating flour slowly into doughs, and doesn't cause the flour to jump out of the bowl. In the KA, you get a flour haze in the kitchen unless you've got the pour shield on (and remember to use it). No pour shield needed with the Viking.
3. The maneuverability. Despite the size, the Viking is actually quite easy to move around. It has hidden wheels for moving on the counter, and the weight seems well distributed when you pick it up and carry it. In contrast, the KA is very top-heavy.

Cons:
1. Viking should install a "kill" switch that shuts off the motor when the head is raised. My daughter accidentally turned the dial switch on when my hand happened to be next to the paddle attachment - ouch!
2. Viking customer service - it stinks. My first mixer was defective. The bottom half of the mixer was bent, causing the attachments to hit against the side of the bowl. It took over a month to resolve the issue and get a new mixer. Viking customer service goes through a call center, and the people who answer the phones are poorly trained. In addition, the Detroit service center is terrible. They returned the first mixer to me repaired, but scratched and dented. In addition, they were rude and abusive on the phone. Viking, get your customer service in order, and then you'll get five stars.

I'd buy this again, despite the bad start I had with it. It's just so much better for bread baking.

Purchased this mixer for baking bread, especially bagels, with the odd batch of cookies thrown in. I had read about the Kitchen Aid's problems with plastic gearing, and figured the Viking's 1000 Watts could stand up to single batches of bread. I couldn't have been more wrong -- it took a single batch of bagels (about 7 cups of flour) to kill this machine. Granted, bagels are about as tough a workout as you can get while kneading bread, and had the machine simply cut off under the stress of mixing, rather than dying under the strain, I would have continued to use the mixer to start recipes while finishing them by hand. However, several months out of the box and I had to send it in to their service center in Detroit. Out of my hands for 6 weeks, I get the machine back, use it for a couple of batches of cookies and pizza dough, which it does serviceably well, before it chokes again on another batch of bread. The motor just groans at me when I turn the dial. Now, out of warranty, I'm left with a $600 stainless steel hulk of a machine that just isn't worth fixing until its next inevitable breakdown. Desperately I search for a suitable location to mount this to my wall... "Ceci ce n'est pas une mixer".

After extensive research on the web and through friends' experiences, I decided to opt for this 7-qt mixer. Two other major brands I considered are Hobart and of course, KitchenAid. The DeLonghi mixer comes close to specs and features, but is also marketed under Kenwood and Hamilton Beach. I sure wouldn't want to pay premium price for a Hamilton Beach. The Hobart is a true commercial grade mixer but overkill for the occasional home use, not to mention at lease twice the cost. The KA doesn't have the 1000 wattage or the professional feel like the Viking 7-qt mixer. One thing my wife appreciates about this unit is that it has rear wheels for easy maneuverability around the countertop - the average stand mixer weights over 20 lbs so this feature definitely helps. Although the availability of accessories for this mixer is few, however, I do notice that the included beater, whisk, and dough hook are well-made, stainless steel attachments (not plastic coating over metal). Overall, the Viking mixer is powerful, easy to use, and professionally designed that won't look dated 10 years from now. This mixer must be a joy to work with because my wife's been baking almost every week since we got it. By the way, the stainless gray model one sees on the Viking website is grayer in color - only the bowl, attachments, and the front "Viking" attachment cover are stainless. Highly recommended.

I have worn out 3 Kitchen Aid mixers in 30 yrs. So the Viking 7QT has some big shoes to fill. I let the mixer set on the counter for 3 days before using it. Just wanted to admire the BIG beautiful red thing. First test was a triple batch of my grand childrens favorite cookies. 6 cups of flour and 6 cups of oatmeal did not phase the Viking. It has ample power to accomplish most any kitchen task put before it. I have seen some reviews that the beater does not clean the ingredients from the bottom of the bowl. I did notice that on my first use but my husband was able to make a simple adjustment according to the manual and it is perfect now. Nothing against KitchenAid, as the brand served us well for such a long time but I am certainly happy with this purchase. Only wish I had not waited so long.

A decent large capacity mixer but no miracle. Heavy (31 pounds) but has wheels in back for moving it. Is very LOUD when running- -no help period from customer service, so don't even call them. The seller may help you, but Viking will not. Mixer (VSM700) is too large to use under cabinets, tho I can store it under mine. Another con is that you have to stop the mixer and lift the beater to add ingredients or scrape down the bowl.
Also, we've had trouble with the mixer missing ingredients in the bottom of the bowl, so you have to stop and scrape the bottom up thoroughly. And the grey finish stains easily, so wipe down promptly. We left some batter on one side of the base while we baked some of it and now have permanent stains along that area. Disappointing.
It is not necessary to slam the mixer head down to lock it (as stated in some cooking magazines) you just pull the lock lever forward, put the beater down into position and let go of the lever. It's locked down. (One magazine review said it "requires a ridiculous amount of force to lock mixer head into position.") One pro is the large capacity which allows doubling or tripling of recipies. When lean ground beef is on sale, we make four meat loaves at once and put the extra three in the freezer. One mess, four dinners. Another pro is the 1000 watts, which handles it all.

After much research in December 2004, I purchased the Viking 7-qt. mixer. The Viking VSM-700 was well made - all metal parts;it was powerful enough to handle heavy doughs. I decided on the 7-qt. model after e-mailing Viking's customer service. They were very responsive and answered all my questions; if their commitment to service has changed in the last 4 1/2 years, that is a real shame.

Customer service said the 5-qt. model was their recommendation for someone who wanted a mixer for everyday use or who only made one loaf of bread at a time. However, since I was interested in making artisan breads, two loaves at a time, and bagels, they recommended the 7-qt., 1000 watt model. The bowl is very deep, so if you are making something in a small batch, there may be problems getting everything off the bottom. I would recommend buying a beater blade to help solve this issue - I bought one and it does the trick.

This is an expensive mixer, but I believe well worth the money. Although I bought the mixer, intending to save money, I'm not sure I have done so. After purchasing the mixer and numerous books, and after 4 1/2 years, I calculate I have finally amortized the cost of a loaf of homebaked bread to single digits.

That being said, I am thrilled with the performance and durability of my Viking mixer. It performs in a workmanlike manner, handling even bagel dough made with high gluten flour with ease. It does not bog down or struggle to mix even the heaviest doughs. I average 3 batches of artisan breads (2 loaf recipes) per week; one batch of bagels per month; and a batch of oatmeal, chocolate-chip cookies biweekly. As you can see, this machine gets a real workout.

My only warning to those considering purchasing this mixer is that it is noisy. Since I have nothing to compare it with, this may be a standard for the 1000 watt mixer. If you are serious about home-baking, don't let this criticism scare you away from the best mixer made.

I grew up and worked in a family owned bakery business. I worked with Hobart and AMF mixing machines up to 120 quarts. I was always impressed with the reliability of Hobart machines, and when I bought a mixer in 1978 for home use it was a Kitchen Aid made by Hobart. I eventually bought a Kenwood for it's 7 quart capacity, and both my machines are still in use today. For bread and bagel doughs I have a 12/20 quart commercial Hobart mixer (model A200) that I have at home. The Kitchen Aid and the Kenwood mixers can easily handle small batches of bread and bagel doughs, but for serious quantities of these doughs you need a mixer made for the job.

I recently gave the Kenwood to my daughter, and bought a Viking 7 quart mixer. The Viking is an upgraded version of the Kenwood mixer. The motor is 1000 watts compared to the Kenwood's 800 watts. The paddle, dough hook and whip are stainless compared to what appears to be an aluminum alloy in the Kenwood. The access panels to the two power take offs are more substantial and lock down much better than the Kenwood. The base of the Viking is wider and longer, making it more stable. The Viking has a "stir" speed, eliminating the need for a plastic shield found on the Kenwood. The bowls for the Kenwood are interchangable with the Viking, and with close inspection there's little doubt in my mind that the Viking is an improved Kenwood. Viking has taken a really good machine (Kenwood) and made substantial improvements to it.

Kenwood was bought out by Rival, and subsequently Rival sold to Delonghi. If you search Amazon for Delonghi mixers, it brings up Cuisinart for $340, Hamilton Beach 7 qt. mixers for $517, and the Viking for $476. I haven't gone to a local "kitchen" type store to physically inspect these machines, but if you look at the descriptions in Amazon you will see the similarities to the Kenwood. In fact the Hamilton Beach is almost identical. The Cuisinart has warranties of 3 years overall and 5 years on the motor. I was fortunate enough to have found my Viking new on Craigslist for $300, and did not look at Cuisinart or Hamilton Beach. Without a deal, it would pay to look into all three mixers and make the choise best suited to you. As a point of interest, I had been following ebay for original kenwood mixers for the past 10 months. The last one I tracked went for $276 used, which sold around November 28th. People bidding on these machines recognize thier value.

As much as I liked the Kitchen Aid made by Hobart, the Kenwood became my favorite for normal household use. Over the years I made wedding cakes, birthday cakes, yeast goods, etc. for family members, relatives, friends and charitable organizations. My endevers sometimes went beyond normal household use, and when that took place the 12/20 quart Hobart came to the rescue. I look forward to using the Viking as it is an improved version of the Kenwood.

We used to have kitchen Aid mixers. They're junk. I ended up replacing the transmission in one of them myself only to have it go out again. So, after much review, and a belief that Viking was a high end product we bought the 1000 watt mixer. It works fine for light loads, but at the first attempt to knead wheat bread dough, a fairly hefty mix, a few months after buying it, it started make gear grinding noises and slipping. When I called the factory to see if they would "stand behind" their product and replace the transmission, I was told that "no it would cost me $250.00 just for the part". Very disappointing. It still works for light loads, but I am going to try the Electrolux and hope for better results.

A motor this size is going to mix anything! Everything I have mixed in the Viking so far has been blended to perfection. After working at one of the best reviewed bakeries as a pastry chef, I knew I would need one of these for my home. The motor is more noticeable at home than in the bakery, but I don't mix all day long and it doesn't wake my daughter. I would recommend this mixer to anyone who takes pride in what comes out of their kitchen, whether for commercial purposes or serving friends and family.