KitchenAid Classic Mixer
Product Reviews

The K45SS KitchenAid Classic mixer is the basic model in their much hailed stand mixer series. Available in White only, the K45SS KitchenAid does an outstanding job of whipping cream, creaming butter, or kneading dough.

Its 250 watts of mixing power make the Classic a formidable piece of equipment which simply gets the job done every time without fuss.

Its 4 1/2-quart bowl can hold up to 8 cups of flour, making child's play of mixing as many as 192 sweets treats.  It also has a tilt-up head for easy access to bowl and beater.

You are free to use this website for information on the KitchenAid Classic Mixer and to compare prices; Compare KitchenAid Classic Mixer prices...

KitchenAid Classic Mixer Review

I ordered this thru Amazon. This is my first KitchenAid mixer. Due to the popularity of the Brand name I thought I would like it better than my other mixers, the last being a Kenmore that you can't get replacement parts for. The mixer does the job, I haven't had the time to use the dough hook or whip. It is easy to use and clean and the price was right. As usual, I am very glad I used Amazon to make my purchase. It is the best web site to use, very quick and efficent.

Barbara J. Brown, Tucson (AZ)

K45SS KitchenAid Review 2

This (K45SS) stand mixer, a real classic piece of kitchenware, is just perfect for the amateur home chef or baker. It is like having your own prep team there to whip egg whites into meringue, knead pizza dough for 30 minutes, or just keep stirring while you add a stream of hot butter. I was happy with this for years until my hobby became an obsession (and my light reading included confectionery text books).

My only complaint with this sturdy standby is that it is no longer large enough to deal with the yields I'm demanding. I also tend to store it in the pantry instead of on the counter for space. I did not buy any of the attachments either, so this is based solely on the item as is (stand, bowl, paddle, whisk and dough hook). They did not seem necessary, although I heard a rumor there was an option with one model for an ice-bath bowl. That would be VERY helpful. Other than that - she's a classic kitchen icon. A must have.

On a side note, white may not be as sleek and stylish as the chrome, but it is so much easier to keep clean.

Wityshyn, Savannah (GA)

KitchenAid Classic Mixer Review 3

Unlike many of the reviewers, I've only had this mixer for about a year, and it's this specific model, the 250W 4.5 quart mixer (the bottom of the Kitchenaid line). It was a real splurge at the time we purchased it, but it has turned out to be well worth it.

Before the Kitchenaid, I didn't do much baking. I tend towards more "manly" cooking techniques: the hotter the fire, the spicier the recipe, the better as far as I'm concerned. But this machine is as satisfying to use as any power tool in the garage -- there is something about using the *right* tool for the job, and I've found no tasks that one might consider using a mixer for that the Kitchenaid doesn't excel at. But it's especially good for baking, and once you start using it, you'll have your oven running a lot more than you used to.

The big difference between this mixer and the standard "two beater" models you may be familiar with is that it uses a single mixing attachment that rotates in two motions- it not only spins on its own axis, it also is rotated around the edge of the bowl. This does an extremely effective job of mixing ingredients without need for the bowl rotating, since the mixing motion covers the entire bowl. For most mixing jobs, it also requires no scraping of the sides with the spatula. IE: when it's mixing, you can ignore it and work on other stuff.

The first attachment I'll mention is the dough hook, which is a godsend for kneading. In the last day, I've made pizza dough, bagels, and whole wheat bread. Although this is the least powerful machine Kitchenaid makes, it kneads stiff dough (like the aforementioned bagels made with high-gluten flour) that would turn your mother's mixmaster into a smoking, stinking heap of fried motor components. Machine kneading takes a *lot* of the effort and variability out of making bread... you never "knead in" too much flour to keep it from sticking to your hands, and the 20 minutes you normally spend working the dough turns into 10 minutes you can use to clean up the kitchen.

The other two attachments are the paddle and the whisk. The paddle is the all-purpose "workhorse" beater, and works extremely well for creaming sugar and butter together, mixing cookie dough or cake batter, or any other general-purpose mixing job. With the orbital motion, it comes right up to the edge of the bowl, so it is effectively scraping as it goes. The whisk is great for egg whites and making whipped cream. I'm sure it's good for something else, but that's what I've used it for.

As for capacity, the 4.5 quart model is suitable for pretty much any "normal" home recipes. It's a "standard mixer". It will easily knead enough dough at once for two loaves of bread, or mix a double-batch of cookies.

As for downsides: this thing is HEAVY. You won't be moving it once it's in place. If you knead very stiff dough, the bowl sometimes will get tightened to the extent that it is very difficult to remove from the base. It's OK if you remember to leave it a little loose beforehand, but I always forget and I end up wrestling with the machine to twist it out. The metal trim band on the mixer right above the bowl has come a little loose on my model- the machine got a bit hot after some heavy kneading, and I think some adhesive got soft. It's held in place well by something else, but sometimes it will slip when I'm wiping the machine off. It's purely cosmetic from what I can tell, and it's the only thing that feels cheap in any way about this machine. Other than that, I honestly haven't had a single complaint.

In summary: this is an expensive mixer, but it is very well worth it. Even novice cooks will find it's use enjoyable, and it will inspire you to explore new things that you probably didn't do before because of the time and effort involved.

R D, Springfield (VA)