KitchenAid KP26M1XDP Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer, Dark Pewter
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Kitchen and Housewares Reviews of KitchenAid KP26M1XDP Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer, Dark Pewter
Customer Review: It's Everything I Hoped It Would Be
Summary: 5 Stars
I replaced an old Sunbeam Mixmaster with a KitchenAid 250-Watt mixer more than 15 years ago, and it has served me well. Having lately gone to mixing bread dough with a mixer rather than by hand, I had for some time been thinking of upgrading to the KitchenAid Pro 600. Some of the reviewers scared me with their criticism. I went to the internet to see what else I could find out. I found one site where the writer said he had expressed concerns that matched my own. He was finally persuaded to set aside his qualms when he read an article from America's Test Kitchen. From a field of 18 stand mixers, the final three included the KitchenAid Pro 600 and the Hobart 5-qt mixer for home use which sells for somewhere in the neighborhood of $1500 dollars. The KitchenAid Pro 600 actually performed better at mixing than all the rest! Since, in my case, it was either get a stronger mixer, or give up making homemade bread due to the many ravages of age (I have long since celebrated by "diamond jubilee" birthday,) I opted for the Pro 600. I ordered it from Amazon on October 10, 2007 and it was delivered to me October 11th! Coming to Vernon, Texas from Dallas, Texas makes for overnight deliveries! I made pizza dough from the KitchenAid recipe that weekend. It was the easiest pizza I'd ever made. Early this week I tried the mixer with one of my own recipes for San Francisco Sourdough Bread. Again, perfect results with nothing but shaping on my part. Then today I made up a recipe for Everlasting Icebox Rolls that my grandmother, born in 1877, had used. That really put the mixer to the test. There's a quart of liquid in the recipe, so that takes a lot of flour. Again, not a grunt or groan from the KitchenAid. The spiral dough hook is wonderful. A little shaping with my hands to make the dough into a ball, and it was ready for the storage container that is sitting now in my refrigerator. I did go ahead a pinch off enough to make two dinner rolls tonight. I have a wonderful Maytag Gemini range with a small oven at the top that I find great for two little pie tins holding one roll each. I would say to anyone with concerns about this mixer, just be sure you understand the rules: one minute of kneding with this mixer is equivalent to 12 minutes of hand kneading. Change your personal recipes to the method used in the KitchenAid ones. I believe you'll find yourself pleased with its performance. I can hardly wait to try the Honey Oatmeal Bread from the KitchenAid booklet.Customer Review: I have a lot to say!!
Summary: 5 Stars
I still have my Kitchenaid Classic Stand Mixer for 17 years and it is still kicking, but I have wanted this newer, bigger Kitchenaid for sometime. The price was the only thing keeping me from buying. My husband convinced me that in spite of the price tag, it's a well-made machine and if it lasts as long as my Classic, it would be well worth the plunge. I checked prices all over and Amazon was the best price (especially since I got mine w/o shipping costs!). I also lucked out because I opened an Amazon account, and Kitchenaid offered a mail-in rebate!! It was a great Christmas gift to me! I purchased dark pewter which wasn't what I thought it was when I got it. I called customer service at Amazon and they couldn't have been nicer. They said that I could switch it for the correct color, no problem, since the color appeared different on the website. I decided I didn't want to wait any longer and kept the dark pewter--which still looks good with my black appliances (licorce was my other choice). It's great to know that Amazon was so cooperative. I also like purchasing from Amazon because of the very helpful reviews.
Now about the machine. It's beautiful. I don't have a problem with the size, but please note it is BIG (height and width). I love the fact that the bowl is 6 quart so you can mix batches of cookies, potatoes, etc. You can even add ingredients easily since the bowl was made wider--I can add while it's mixing. I love the bowl-lift design...easier than the tilt head of my older Kitchenaid. And the soft-start feature really does work. I can't comment about the different speeds, because in the 17 years of having Kitchenaid stand mixers, I hardly use the higher speeds (except the occasional home-made whipped cream, etc). At any speed, Kitchenaids are very powerful work horses. I haven't used the accessory hub yet, but I know it will work wonderfully. You used to have to unscrew the cap; now they put it on a hinge so you just have to flip it!
If you want a dependable, long-lasting, well-made, beautiful machine, forget the other machines and get a Kitchenaid. You won't regret it.
Customer Review: Can't fit spatula
Summary: 2 Stars
I've had a KitchenAid for about 4 years now. Everytime I use it, I curse it. The power of the mixer is fine, but with the beaters straight in the middle of the mixer, it's impossible for me to scrape down the sides while it's turned on. I've heard that the beaters should get all the way to the sides and not need scraping down, but this is not the case. The beaters don't get close enough to the side, so the ingredients end up on the side with nothing in the middle. So I need to shut it off and lift the head to scrape down the sides and then mix again. The mixer my mom had when I was learning to bake had the beaters off to the side. You could easily fit the spatula into the bowl and scrape it down while it was mixing. Maybe that's not the appropriate way to use a mixer, but it's what I've always done. I curse the mixer because I still try and use the spatula while it's mixing and usually end up hitting the beaters and ruining the spatula. Thus only 2 stars, because it never fails to frustrate me.Customer Review: Super Mixer
Summary: 5 Stars
We always wanted a KitchenAid mixer, the time has come. This mixer does what you always wanted your (Other) mixer to do. The first time I used it I was so impressed that I didn't have to use a bowl scraper to get all of the mix blended together. I made the same recipe two weeks early with the other stand mixer and it seemed like I had to do part of the mixing by hand because the batter was really thick and the smell of the motor being overloaded. The KitchenAid mixed it completely like it was mixing water. I have not found anything that I disliked about it. This is truly the best mixer that I have ever used.Customer Review: Mean Machine
Summary: 4 Stars
This is a monster. The (semi) professional 600 Kitchen-aid comes with a cover over the bowl. I don't use it, it's flimsy and not handy. But without this cover on the bowl I have to warn you: Don't put your hand in the bowl while the machine is working, it will be torn off! So powerful is this Kitchen-aid.
That was the bad news. Goodies are that this thing will make your live a lot easier. Fast, strong, quick, easy handle etc. And the boeing 747-sound it makes when you put it on full throttle..... Sounds like music to me.