Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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240 of 250 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
The Gold Standard in Mixers Made Affordable, August 16, 2004
I've always had a Tim Taylor attraction to quality kitchen appliances, and have always dreamed of owning a good Kitchenaid stand mixer. About 10 years ago while in grad school, I needed a stand mixer for some of my baking and kitchen experiments. The Kitchenaids were priced well out of my reach, but I was able to get a Sunbeam Mixmaster, which still had a good reputation as long as it was operated within its limits. That Mixmaster has served me well until I started experimenting with pizza making lately. The poor Mixmaster got pretty hot while kneading dough. Finally, the other week, a puff of smoke came out, and it was no more. I had already bookmarked this factory-refurbished Artisan on my Amazon wish list. I gave my wife a chance to veto the purchase, but she realized that losing my stand mixer was like losing a few arms and legs to me, and told me to get blue. (And she accused me of purposefully killing the Mixmaster so I had an excuse to the get the Kitchenaid!). I placed my order.
The Kitchenaid mixer has always had a good reputation, and is mentioned in several cooking books and web sites. In GEAR FOR THE KITCHEN by Alton Brown, host of the Food Network's GOOD EATS, Alton highly recommends the Kitchenaid, as well as Dominick DeAngelis in THE ART OF PIZZA MAKING. Alton highly recommends a tilt-head design, as this allows easier bowl scraping, and specifically mentions the Artisan by name. The Artisan is Kitchenaid's most powerful tilt-stand mixer. (The more powerful models are bowl-lift.)
With the Kitchenaid mixers, I really like the one big beater. It's infinitely easier to clean (and lick off) that trying to clean inside the tines of the two smaller Mixmaster beaters. The Kitchenaids have an accessory drive, which may be of dubious use for me, and of course, have the power to do the job (the Artisan features 325W) and the reputation for holding up. The bowl locks to the base, and the head locks down. The machine is heavy and doesn't walk across the counter while kneading dough like my old mixer did.
On the downside, if you are like me and believe, in the manner of the priests of Old Testament Israel whom were allowed to stab a fork into the boiling sacrifice and keep for themselves whatever meat came up, that whatever is left on the beater is yours, you may be disappointed at how it just sheds dough. I am also used to the fact the bowl of my old Mixmaster rotates, which made it easier to scrape. As for the Kitchenaid accessories, they are expensive. It may save a little counter space to add a can opening attachment, but a good, easier-to-use stand-alone model costs a third as much. In GEAR FOR YOUR KITCHEN, Alton Brown recommends the Krups ice cream machine which costs less than just the attachment for the Kitchenaid.
This is a factory-reconditioned model. Often, factory-refurbished products prove more reliable than new because someone has carefully examined and tested the unit. There were minor cosmetic flaws. There were scuffs in the bowl as though it had been used before, and a barely-noticeable dent as though the beater and head were dropped into the mispositioned bowl. Also, there are minor scuffs on the base of the mixer as though a monkey struggled with getting the base of the bowl into the base of the stand. I would have scuffed the bowl by now myself. You are warned in the description that there may be minor cosmetic flaws. The mixer comes with the manual and all the packing material as though it were new, but with a specially-printed box clearly indicating that this is a reconditioned unit. A sticker in the manual points out that the warranty is only six months.
In the years since I bought my Mixmaster, Sunbeam has REALLY upped the ante. For two-thirds the price of the Artisan, the new Mixmaster features 350 Watts, a head that locks down, and a bowl that locks on. What did the Kitchenaid give me for a 50% more? A drive for overpriced accessories that I may never use, 25 fewer Watts of power, the nice, single beater, and one bowl. (Mixmasters have always been supplied with two bowls.) I went with the Kitchenaid anyway. Probably has to do some with its excellent reputation, (just because the Mixmaster can put out 350W doesn't mean it can do it for a long time.) the image it projects of its owner, and the fact that I always wanted one. I went with the Artisan, but as an alternative, you may want to consider the new Mixmaster.
I AM very pleased with my Artisan, and, in fact, my mother is ordering one for my sister, and we will probably get one for my mother. Buying factory-refurbished just can't be beat.
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148 of 152 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Tis The Season for Help in the Kitchen with the KitchenAid RRK 150WH!, November 2, 2005
WOW! It's hard to believe the price on this incredible mixer-even considering it's reconditioned. Before making my purchase, I contacted KitchenAid's Support Center (a toll-free phone number for anyone to use)and wanted the bottom line of a "Factory-Reconditioned" Product. In my own personal experience, I've dealt with companies that had differing ideas on what they meant by "Reconditioned", "Refurbished", "Like New" and some others.
I wanted this review to be as useful as possible so I did as much research as I could, hopefully it will help you to make a more informed and comfortable decision. The wonderful and personable customer service representatives as KitchenAid were very helpful in answering a list of questions that I had prepared. I already had the mixer but wanted to make certain that the information I was passing on to you was as up to date as possible. They reassured me that when they put the "Factory-Reconditioned" stamp of approval on the KitchenAid RRK150WH Artisan 5-Quart Mixer they're basically saying that you're getting a brand new-ish machine that has met or exceeded every standard necessary to place the original product on the shelves in the first place. I followed up with another question, "So how can that be since it IS different for whatever reason?" They gracefully explained that every KitchenAid Appliance must meet several strict standards (appearance, safety, etc.), standards that are manually checked and rechecked by actual quality control people in the factory, before they will place it for sale as reconditioned. I asked what the number one reason was for these great machines, and they really ARE great and powerful mixers, to be returned to the store or factory. The main reason is that most returns are a result of people receiving the 5-Quart Mixer as a gift (Wedding Shower, Wedding, Anniversary, New Home, etc.)and deciding that they already have one or that they don't have the need for a new mixer. As a result, the product is returned, often never opened, to the retail store and then shipped back to the factory.
KitchenAid gets FIVE STARS, in my books, for never assuming anything. Even if the tape is still securing the box, the unit is removed completely and sent through the entire quality control process-each and every part of the Mixer is scrutinized. If, as another example, a customer returns a unit because one of the covers is missing, the same lengthy process is taken to ensure that NOTHING leaves the factory with the "Factory-Reconditioned" status unless they can stand by the product in the same way they do with the original.
With a unit priced this low, it's hard to imagine that anyone is making a great deal of money on the deal. This is one case where I would tend to believe that we, the curious consumers, are definitely getting the best part of the bargain.
I'm Italian and love to cook and love to bake. My family used to do almost everything by hand, but then I purchased the KitchenAid 5-Quart Mixer and my life changed. I will NEVER make another loaf of bread or knead pizza dough, not even for $10,000.00, after learning that this dependable machine does a much better job than myself and even my Grandma can do! The other part of baking that I am not excited to partake in is the cleaning process. Thankfully, the colorful and trendy-looking mixer is as easy to clean as is cleaning a bowl of popcorn! It's honestly that easy and a point that I wanted to pass onto you.
I sure hope that this review helps in some way. I've not covered all of the nitty gritty details, most all of them are found here on the site or can be located on KitchenAids extensive and resourceful site. What I wanted to do is personalize this purchase for you and focus on what they mean, as an individual company, in regard to a product that is not brand new-but is "Factory-Reconditioned!"
I've spent this same amount of money and much more on items I never ended up using. And even if you're the type of baker who only does baking on Holidays, you'll absolutely love your KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer. Choose your favorite color and mix and blend until your heart and tummy are content.
And feel free to email me if I can ever be of any more assistance to you. Thanks for taking the time to read my review.
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135 of 139 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Refurbished is the way to go - but only 6 month warranty, June 19, 2004
We purchased this mixer as soon as we saw it for this incredible price. I read others who received a mixer with scratches, etc, but ours is in like new condition. There are a couple of very small nicks, but you have to look hard to see them. The mixer works great.As is stated in the description, this doesn't come with a pouring shield, but personally I don't mind. We wouldn't ever use that, anyway. It would just be something else to clean. Besides, the bowl is so deep with such tall sides that it's nearly impossible to splash out of the bowl. I added water to the bowl with the wire whip attachment and turned it on full power and there was no splashing outside the bowl! NOTE: The warranty that comes with this mixer is a 6 month limited warranty instead of the full 1 year warranty with a new mixer. Amazon did not state that explicitly anywhere that I could see.
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