On Jun 4, 10:29 am, pltrgyst > wrote:
> Has anyone bought or fondled the new Kitchen Aid 1,000 watt stand mixer -- 7 qt,
> tilting head, electronic controls and timer, styling somewhat like the Kenwoods
> -- featured in the latest Williams Sonoma catalog? Opinions?
>

It does look a whole lot like the 7 qt Kenwood - so much so that I am
pretty sure there is a common lineage. Assuming it is a whole lot
like the Kenwood with some new features added and updated styling.

My thoughts on our Kenwood, which we have had for a few years:

1) It is big and heavy - not something you want to have to drag out
of a cabinet to use. It is best left on the counter.

2) The 7 qt bowl is tall. You look at it and think it is silly to
use it to whip a bit of cream or a few egg whites, but by virtue of
the tall narrow shape, it works fine on small amounts.

3) It is strong. I have never really seen it strain kneading pasta
dough or bread dough, but I know we aren't as hard on mixers as some.
We don't make huge bread dough batches.

4) It is loud. Very loud - the worst feature of the whole thing.

5) We have the meat grinder attachment. I can't compare it with
others, but I can say it works fine and has given me no problems.

6) The speed control is great - it goes from off to 10 (sorry, no 11)
in one smooth motion, with it being very easy to set it at a very low
speed. It is no problem to keep dry ingredients in the bowl and not
floating about the kitchen.

7) The head tilt is well designed and built. It uses a spring of
sorts to balance it. To raise the head, there is a knob you turn
which releases the thing, and it comes up on its own - not too fast,
not too slow. To lower it, you push it down against the spring until
the catch clicks.

8) The planetary motion works well. It covers the whole bowl with
little fuss.

9) The metal bowl seems seriously overdesigned. It is very thick and
heavy. The plastic bowl works fine, and it is a real convenience to
have two bowls.

Later,
Mark Muller