Kitchen Aid Pro 5 Plus: A True Workhorse!

After using the Cuisinart 14 cup food processor for a few years, I realized I badly needed a stand mixer to help me accomplish many of my cooking and baking chores. Things like mixing cake batter or cookies and even certain breads are much more difficult to do without a sturdy mixer.

After a few months of researching cooking forums, visiting stores and reading chef's reviews online, I decided on the Kitchen Aid line. The much advertised Artisan line with its attractive colors was my first choice. But.. as I looked deeply into actual product specifications, I realized the Artisan line had a smaller motor. The Professional Plus has a powerful 450 watt motor, while the Artisan has a 325 watt motor.

In addition color seemed to play a big factor in pricing, with certain colors like black increasing the prices I saw by around $100.00. I also realized why I was buying this appliance, and that color didn't factor at all in my decision. This stand mixer would be used heavily, and not sit out like a decorative item in my kitchen.

The Professional 5 Plus had increased the power of this stand mixer by 35% over previous models. When I asked a chef I knew, he assured me that this was a true kitchen investment that would simplify many basic kitchen routines. So after getting various prices both on and offline, I settled on Amazon.com as the place to buy.

Wow! Did I ever get a deal on this appliance!!! With discounts and free Amazon Prime shipping, my total costs came to $79.00. Talk about the deal of the century. I bought a factory reconditioned unit, along with Amazon's extended warranty.

When it arrived, I noted it was packaged in a Kitchen Aid box, along with instructional materials, and a limited warranty. This is a big appliance. I keep it out on the counter, where I can access it quickly during meal prep. It is easy to set up, and fairly easy to operate. The deep 5 quart metal bowl handles all my big tasks easily. Because this bowl tapers, you need to stop the machine and scrape your food from the bottom to ensure even mixing.

It comes with a dough hook, a balloon whisk and a mixing paddle. Most recipes can be mixed handily on setting 3, except for egg whites or whipped cream, that require the higher settings. This is an easy to maintain mixer, that cleans up quickly, and requires only an occasional wipe down with a clean up cloth.

If like me, you do alot of home cooking and baking, the Professional 5 Plus will make your job so much easier and faster. When making a decision on which model to buy, be honest with yourself about what you want it for. If you occasionally bake cookies and cakes, or even breads, the smaller models will do just fine. But if you spend many hours in your kitchen, go for the best and buy the Kitchen Aid Professional 5 Plus. It will pay for itself very quickly in saved time and labor.