Anyone have a stand mixer?

[Holbeird]

So my birthday is Tuesday, and for my birthday I really, REALLY want a stand mixer. I've asked all of my family for gift cards or money to put toward getting one. I'm torn between two brands. I've always wanted a kitchen aid. They're awesome, time tested, and I love the look of them. Recently I've been doing some research and have heard amazing things about the cuisine art stand mixers. I tried signing up for cooks illustrated's website but I keep getting some error so I can't read their reviews but on one of the cooking forums I belong to I've read that cooks illustrated has placed cuisine art's stand mixer on the list for best stand mixer. I looked them up and watched videos and now, while I've always wanted a kitchen aid, I'm torn now! All in all for the money it seems like the cuisine art is a better deal, but kitchen aid has been around longer and has the longevity that makes me want to go that way. Also one of the other perks about the kitchen aid is the attachments. While they both have attachments some of kitchen aids are cheaper than cuisine arts, like the meat grinder which is the one I want the most. They each have an attachment or two that the other doesn't have. The Kitchen aid has an ice cream maker and a pasta roller which I'd like.

I don't know. I'm on the fence and every time i find info that makes me want to lean one way, i find another website that makes me want to lean the other! So do any of you have a kitchen aid or cuisine art? If so what do you like about them, what do you dislike. Would you recommend yours? I appreciate all of the information!

[sassy-pants]

My first love was my Kitchen-Aid stand mixer (a classic, no longer made. my mom kept it when I moved out and bought me an Artisan!). I can't say much for the Cuisinart, but my KA is the best thing with which to make sliced bread

Check around and see if there are any sales or special deals going on for the KA. When I got my black Artisan, there was a deal that if you bought one between x and y dates, you got a free meat grinder or ice cream maker attachment (this was through Kitchen-Aid). I got the meat grinder, but that was an awesome $70 deal! And I got my mixer on a great sale from Kohl's.

Things I Love About My KA: it is sturdy; it is reliable; it's never pooped out on me even when I work it to death making 6 dozen dinner rolls and god knows what else for Thanksgiving; it is stylish in my kitchen; it loves me back.

[Holbeird]

See I looked at the artesian ones but I think if I go with a KA mixer I'm going to go with the Pro 600.

[starrlamia]

Kitchen Aid was bought out by another company and from what I have heard are not as good as they used to be.

[AndrewGeibel]

I bought an old school used Kitchen Aid off of my parents. Yes its old but it works just fine so no complaints there.

[aybe.sea]

you should get an old school 3 gear hobart now theres a machine! haha.

i don't have a preference between KA or cuisine art, i actually forgot the 2 were different aha. only thing i would look for is one that the top/mixer part swings up and out of the bowl, not one of the cheaper ones that you have to wrestle the attachment and the bowl off the bottom to get at.

[Holbeird]

Thats another thing about KA that I'm not as happy with. A lot of the newer ones lift straight up and you have to work to get the bowl out of the machine versus the old ones (and the cuisine art ones) where the machine lifts up and over out of the bowl. I just hate that the meat grinder attachment on the KA is 50 and the one for the Cuisine art is 130 :-\

[reixox]

I also have a KA one, I love it. However, if you really like the Cuisinart why not check ebay or other places online for a cheaper meat attatchment? Sometimes you can luck out.

[Holbeird]

I think I'm going to do that. I have found some for a little cheaper online. I'm still not 100% sure but I think I'm going to go with the cuisine art.

[Old_School]

Kitchen-Aid...hands down