I currently have a 4.5 quart Kitchen aid 325 watt mixer and am
considering getting the 6 quart model to have greater capacity.

I am very happy with the 4.5 quart model except for the fact it is
very difficult to double recipes.

What do people think of the 6 quart machine? I had heard there were
some quality issues when the machine first came out, problems with the
motor.

Peoples thoughts?

Thanks,

Susan

I imagine that the 6-quart would be great for double recipes but it is
not as good for single recipes. The problem comes in with the
proportions of the bowl and paddle and it does not mix the bottom of
the bowl well. (Granted, the mixers are never good at that) but this
one is worse...if you are going to hang onto your 4.5 I would say get
a 6 as well but if you are looking to just have one...I would get the
5 quart with the larger motor.

On Fri, 26 Mar 2004, sgumpel wrote:

> I currently have a 4.5 quart Kitchen aid 325 watt mixer and am
> considering getting the 6 quart model to have greater capacity.
>
> I am very happy with the 4.5 quart model except for the fact it is
> very difficult to double recipes.
>
> What do people think of the 6 quart machine? I had heard there were
> some quality issues when the machine first came out, problems with the
> motor.
>
> Peoples thoughts?

Hi Susan,

I have a 500 Watt, 6 quart Kitchen Aid Custom Edition mixer. I'm very
happy with it. I bought it around two years ago and never had any problems
with it.

Most the time I am creating large recipes (e.g. a half-sheet layer cake)
but I have created small things like 9" round cakes without trouble.

For Christmas it gets a good workout making a lot of heavy dough items.
The motor has always been more power than I have ever needed.

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In article >,
sgumpel > wrote:
= I currently have a 4.5 quart Kitchen aid 325 watt mixer and am
= considering getting the 6 quart model to have greater capacity.
=
= I am very happy with the 4.5 quart model except for the fact it is
= very difficult to double recipes.
=
= What do people think of the 6 quart machine? I had heard there were
= some quality issues when the machine first came out, problems with the
= motor.
=
= Peoples thoughts?
=
= Thanks,
=
= Susan
=

Well, here's my experience. Quite a few years ago, the old
KitchenAid (made by Hobart) went with my ex-wife in the divorce.

Fewer years ago, I bought the KA 5-quart mixer and noticed that,
while it works "OK" the manufacturing is somewhat crude. I
complained to KA and they agreed to swap for the 6-quart which I
agreed to try.

When I took it out of the box, I was DOA. When I advised them of
that, they offered to replace it but I chose to keep the 5-quart
which at least ran. Just before returning the larger mixer, I
tried it again and it ran. I'm guessing a loose connection that
made contact sometimes.

Some things I don't like about current KA production (in no
particular order):

1. The naked metal paddle and dough hook. They claim, as I
recall, that's to make them look "professional"; I suspect it's
because it's cheaper not to coat them. If you get this sort, don't
let them soak in water--they get little chunks of white cruft on
them, at least they do with my water.

2. The various beaters don't seem to fit the bowl as well as I
remember the old Hobart-made version.

3. Manufacturing quality is poor. E.g. the ventilated back cover
of the motor housing is not centered properly. Removal shows that
the hole for the attachment screw is off-center. That is not a
functional problem but if their manufacturing process is so sloppy
what else may be wrong that *will* eventually affect function?


--
Kind regards,

Charlie "Older than dirt" Sorsby Edgewood, NM "I'm the NRA!"
www.swcp.com/~crs USA Life Member since 1965

(Charlie Sorsby) wrote in message >...
> In article >,
> sgumpel > wrote:
> = I currently have a 4.5 quart Kitchen aid 325 watt mixer and am
> = considering getting the 6 quart model to have greater capacity.
> =
> = I am very happy with the 4.5 quart model except for the fact it is
> = very difficult to double recipes.
> =
> = What do people think of the 6 quart machine? I had heard there were
> = some quality issues when the machine first came out, problems with the
> = motor.
> =
> = Peoples thoughts?
> =
> = Thanks,
> =
> = Susan
> =
>
> Well, here's my experience. Quite a few years ago, the old
> KitchenAid (made by Hobart) went with my ex-wife in the divorce.
>
> Fewer years ago, I bought the KA 5-quart mixer and noticed that,
> while it works "OK" the manufacturing is somewhat crude. I
> complained to KA and they agreed to swap for the 6-quart which I
> agreed to try.
>
> When I took it out of the box, I was DOA. When I advised them of
> that, they offered to replace it but I chose to keep the 5-quart
> which at least ran. Just before returning the larger mixer, I
> tried it again and it ran. I'm guessing a loose connection that
> made contact sometimes.
>
> Some things I don't like about current KA production (in no
> particular order):
>
> 1. The naked metal paddle and dough hook. They claim, as I
> recall, that's to make them look "professional"; I suspect it's
> because it's cheaper not to coat them. If you get this sort, don't
> let them soak in water--they get little chunks of white cruft on
> them, at least they do with my water.
>
> 2. The various beaters don't seem to fit the bowl as well as I
> remember the old Hobart-made version.
>
> 3. Manufacturing quality is poor. E.g. the ventilated back cover
> of the motor housing is not centered properly. Removal shows that
> the hole for the attachment screw is off-center. That is not a
> functional problem but if their manufacturing process is so sloppy
> what else may be wrong that *will* eventually affect function?

I share the same experience with this Kitchen aid mixers that are made
in (Asia) Korea.
It is the same with a lot of Korean made equipment and machines. They
have poor craftmanship, lousy raw materials .It only run for a limited
time and they conk out the rest of it.
Korea is good for its Kimchi only.

Better spend on the money on quality equipments.It may cost more but
that will equate with years of trouble free performance.
Roy

On Sun, 28 Mar 2004, Charlie Sorsby wrote:

> In article >,
> sgumpel > wrote:
> = I currently have a 4.5 quart Kitchen aid 325 watt mixer and am
> = considering getting the 6 quart model to have greater capacity.
> =
> = I am very happy with the 4.5 quart model except for the fact it is
> = very difficult to double recipes.
> =
> = What do people think of the 6 quart machine? I had heard there were
> = some quality issues when the machine first came out, problems with the
> = motor.
> =
> = Peoples thoughts?
> =
> = Thanks,
> =
> = Susan
> =
>
> Well, here's my experience. Quite a few years ago, the old
> KitchenAid (made by Hobart) went with my ex-wife in the divorce.
>
> Fewer years ago, I bought the KA 5-quart mixer and noticed that,
> while it works "OK" the manufacturing is somewhat crude. I
> complained to KA and they agreed to swap for the 6-quart which I
> agreed to try.
>
> When I took it out of the box, I was DOA. When I advised them of
> that, they offered to replace it but I chose to keep the 5-quart
> which at least ran. Just before returning the larger mixer, I
> tried it again and it ran. I'm guessing a loose connection that
> made contact sometimes.
>
> Some things I don't like about current KA production (in no
> particular order):
>
> 1. The naked metal paddle and dough hook. They claim, as I
> recall, that's to make them look "professional"; I suspect it's
> because it's cheaper not to coat them. If you get this sort, don't
> let them soak in water--they get little chunks of white cruft on
> them, at least they do with my water.

This strange. My paddle and dough hook are coated. It was a selling point.
The whole idea is that the cheaper models come with the bare metal paddle
and dough hook. You can purchase the coated one as an accessory. The
higher end models (over 400 Watts) come with the coated paddle and dough
hook. Maybe things are different in the USA.

> 2. The various beaters don't seem to fit the bowl as well as I
> remember the old Hobart-made version.

This makes me wonder. Someone else posted that for small recipes the 6
quart might not work well because the paddle will not get the stuff in the
bottom very well. My KA has an oddly shaped bottom (little cone shape in
the centre of the bowl) to ensure that it does scrap the bottom very well.
Maybe this is different for KAs sold in the USA as well.

Actually, my wife just came in and asked what I was doing. When I told her
about this thread she pointed out that the Professional Series 6 quart KA
does not have the coated paddles and might not have the same bowl as mine.
Apparently, the Custom Edition is better and addresses the problems you
are noting here.

> 3. Manufacturing quality is poor. E.g. the ventilated back cover
> of the motor housing is not centered properly. Removal shows that
> the hole for the attachment screw is off-center. That is not a
> functional problem but if their manufacturing process is so sloppy
> what else may be wrong that *will* eventually affect function?

That would worry me as well. I looked at mine and it is very well made.
There is a definite attention to detial in the Custom Edition.

> --
> Kind regards,
>
> Charlie "Older than dirt" Sorsby Edgewood, NM "I'm the NRA!"
> www.swcp.com/~crs USA Life Member since 1965
>

--
Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
Don't send e-mail to

(Darrell Grainger) writes:

>Newsgroups: rec.food.baking
>From: (Darrell Grainger)
>Subject: Kitchen Aid 6 quart
>Date: 29 Mar 2004 01:44:05 GMT
>
>On Sun, 28 Mar 2004, Charlie Sorsby wrote:
>> . . .
>> 3. Manufacturing quality is poor. E.g. the ventilated back cover
>> of the motor housing is not centered properly. Removal shows that
>> the hole for the attachment screw is off-center. That is not a
>> functional problem but if their manufacturing process is so sloppy
>> what else may be wrong that *will* eventually affect function?
>
>That would worry me as well. I looked at mine and it is very well made.
>There is a definite attention to detial in the Custom Edition.

I don't own one of these machines (yet) but I often go to our local
"authorized repair center" for various other small appliances.

The senior technician there was telling me that there is very little
difference between the 325 watt and larger motors other than the
windings. i.e., the mechanical parts like armature and bearings and
gear train are the same.

Also, he sells "factory refurbished" K.A. mixers and he likes them
better than new production run machines. I asked him why and he
explained that problems occur on the production line because of the
repetitive tasks performed by humans and by machines. When a mixer
is refurb'd by a skilled technician, everything is checked over and
done correctly by hand and to design specification. The warranty is
the same but, in his opinion, there is less risk of getting something
that is on the edge of acceptable spec.

(Refurbs are machines which come off the production line inoperative,
arrive at the retailer D.O.A., or fail within a short period after
being sold and are exchanged under warranty.)

I know that he as something of a vested interest because he sells
these factory refurbs (he does not refurbish them himself), but I have
done business with his shop for over ten years and he has been a very
straight shooter. (He told me it was not worth spending the money to
repair my son's inexpensive bread maker but he was willing to sell me
the $2 part and explain how I could spend an hour or so installing it.)

Cheers,
The Old Bear

On Sun, 29 Mar 2004, Darrell Grainger wrote:

> On Sun, 28 Mar 2004, Charlie Sorsby wrote:
>
> > In article >,
> > sgumpel > wrote:
> > = I currently have a 4.5 quart Kitchen aid 325 watt mixer and am
> > = considering getting the 6 quart model to have greater capacity.
> > =
> > = I am very happy with the 4.5 quart model except for the fact it is
> > = very difficult to double recipes.
> > =
> > = What do people think of the 6 quart machine? I had heard there were
> > = some quality issues when the machine first came out, problems with the
> > = motor.
> > =
> > = Peoples thoughts?
> > =
> > = Thanks,
> > =
> > = Susan
> > =
> >
> > Well, here's my experience. Quite a few years ago, the old
> > KitchenAid (made by Hobart) went with my ex-wife in the divorce.
> >
> > Fewer years ago, I bought the KA 5-quart mixer and noticed that,
> > while it works "OK" the manufacturing is somewhat crude. I
> > complained to KA and they agreed to swap for the 6-quart which I
> > agreed to try.
> >
> > When I took it out of the box, I was DOA. When I advised them of
> > that, they offered to replace it but I chose to keep the 5-quart
> > which at least ran. Just before returning the larger mixer, I
> > tried it again and it ran. I'm guessing a loose connection that
> > made contact sometimes.
> >
> > Some things I don't like about current KA production (in no
> > particular order):
> >
> > 1. The naked metal paddle and dough hook. They claim, as I
> > recall, that's to make them look "professional"; I suspect it's
> > because it's cheaper not to coat them. If you get this sort, don't
> > let them soak in water--they get little chunks of white cruft on
> > them, at least they do with my water.
>
> This strange. My paddle and dough hook are coated. It was a selling point.
> The whole idea is that the cheaper models come with the bare metal paddle
> and dough hook. You can purchase the coated one as an accessory. The
> higher end models (over 400 Watts) come with the coated paddle and dough
> hook. Maybe things are different in the USA.
>
> > 2. The various beaters don't seem to fit the bowl as well as I
> > remember the old Hobart-made version.
>
> This makes me wonder. Someone else posted that for small recipes the 6
> quart might not work well because the paddle will not get the stuff in the
> bottom very well. My KA has an oddly shaped bottom (little cone shape in
> the centre of the bowl) to ensure that it does scrap the bottom very well.
> Maybe this is different for KAs sold in the USA as well.
>
> Actually, my wife just came in and asked what I was doing. When I told her
> about this thread she pointed out that the Professional Series 6 quart KA
> does not have the coated paddles and might not have the same bowl as mine.
> Apparently, the Custom Edition is better and addresses the problems you
> are noting here.

We got my wife wondering. I gave the computer up to her and she did a
little checking. Apparently, our Custom Edition mixer does not appear to
be available in the US. It is made in the US but only appears on the
Canada web site (www.kitchenaid.ca). I guess you could always order it
from the Canadian web site.

> > 3. Manufacturing quality is poor. E.g. the ventilated back cover
> > of the motor housing is not centered properly. Removal shows that
> > the hole for the attachment screw is off-center. That is not a
> > functional problem but if their manufacturing process is so sloppy
> > what else may be wrong that *will* eventually affect function?
>
> That would worry me as well. I looked at mine and it is very well made.
> There is a definite attention to detial in the Custom Edition.
>
> > --
> > Kind regards,
> >
> > Charlie "Older than dirt" Sorsby Edgewood, NM "I'm the NRA!"
> > www.swcp.com/~crs USA Life Member since 1965
> >
>
> --
> Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
> Don't send e-mail to
>

--
Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu
Don't send e-mail to