Comments on: KitchenAid Just Doesn’t Give a Damn

By: Rebecca

Rebecca — Mon, 26 Dec 2011 16:18:40 +0000

I read this 5 years too late
My professional 600 KA just died. Same issues as listed above. I am one of the few die hards that make bread every day, bake everything from scratch and my mixer gets used daily. KA told me that they would send me a refurbished one. The gal failed to give me an order number and told me she was instead email it to me, that email never came and I am now on day 6 (they told me 7-10 business days and it would arrive via FedEx) and I am not holding my breath that a refurbished one will show up. I posted to FB and got tons of comments from people that just change out their own gears as they break. Seems like a pain to do though but this morning I took it apart. I can see what needs to be replaced. I am not hopeful though for long term use….vacillating on what to do….

Chad, did you get a new mixer and if so what did you get? I would seriously pay to get something that will hold up “forever”. It’s my main kitchen tool and I use it mod-heavy every day so it would be worth every penny. The most I make at a time is 4 loaves (10cups flour).

By: jots

jots — Tue, 11 Oct 2011 06:30:38 +0000

This is really said for our US companies. My Professional 600 just died (feels like the gear is stripped). Years ago, I was really proud and felt patriotic when I bought a Maytag Neptune front load washer dryer. But the washer kept on breaking. The company refused to own up. And in the following years, the Korean companies has introduced their washer dryer into the US market and have taken away a big chunk of the market. KitchenAid must watch out. Our companies should not be complaining that foreign companies are undercutting into the market when they themselves sell badly designed products and won’t own up to the problems. Next thing you know, we may be seeing Samsung mixer or LG mixer.

By: DR

DR — Wed, 27 Apr 2011 18:38:31 +0000

I work in a bakery and we have a couple of kitchenaids.
They’re for whipping cream mainly and smaller batches of frosting.

We have 6 more mixers increasing in size that we use for doughs and breads.

I own a kitchenaid at home and it’s incredible not only how noisy it is, but how much it obviously does not enjoy bread dough. I bought it for bread and so I use it for bread, but I can tell it isn’t long for this world.

The absolute nonsense in the manuals about how the dough is ‘ready’ when it climbs the dough hook (about 4 minutes of kneading) is hilarious. The gluten has barely been touched at this stage and you’re supposed to finish it all by hand?
Err, why did I buy the mixer again? How are they allowed to market it in this way? It’s simply lies.
They look nice, but they’re underpowered, noisy and a waste of money for anything other than light duty work.

Unfortunately the real mixers are a lot more money and are hard to find in smaller home sized models. Hobart makes a very nice 5 quart, but brace yourself for that price.

By: jane naomi

jane naomi — Tue, 08 Feb 2011 01:24:10 +0000

Agree with the terrible performance of the Kitchenaid Professional Mixer – mine was in the repair shop three times in the two years after it went off warranty. Each time I”d call customer service, the implication was that it was MY fault for not knowing how to use it. I finally junked it and bought a Cuisinart but am not happy with it and have the feeling that it, too, is not long for the bread baking world. Maybe I’ll try a Viking next. Too bad, because I have a 25 plus year old Kitchenaid that is going strong – just too small for bread making.

By: Todd R.

Todd R. — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 07:08:28 +0000

I bought a NEW Pro 600, 575 watt, 6qt mixer about 3 years ago as a back up. I got into making breads with my grandmothers nearly 50 year old 300 watt 5 qt bowl lift mixer. I knew it wouldn’t last forever, a good price and rebate came along on the “Big 600″ heavy duty mixer. I bought extended warranties also. I have NEVER used in 3 years since buying it, because the little one keeps going. I decided to get it out for it’s FIRST maiden run, I was “5 minutes”, thats right FIVE MINUTES, into the mixing / kneading of the bagel dough (which I think I finaly mastered), and the mixer died. I thought maybe I messed up and made a super stiff batch, NO I didn’t and I was FURIOUS, nearly $400.00 for this JUNK mixer and it dies in 5 min. Grabbed the old 300 watt 5qt mixer, threw the batch into the bowl, and it finished the job like a champ. I’m calling KA tomorrow, and they had better well take care of me. My warrant is current thru 2012.
Posted 9/15/2010

By: Pat

Pat — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 18:36:07 +0000

I’m so glad I read this…I was thinking about buying a Kitchenaid, but now I will NOT. Between the truly expensive lousy product and poor customer services complaints I’m reading here and in other boads(including researching consumer complaints, I am convinced that this mixer is not for me. This machine is too expensive for light use. I want to use it for my baking bread and my cake decorating business. I wonder if Kitchenaid appreciates the bad reputation they are getting…

By: Jennifer

Jennifer — Wed, 11 Aug 2010 15:53:47 +0000

Try having a KitchenAid oven that locks up and dies if you try to use the self-cleaning function! The company’s poor design is not their fault either – leaving the owner to foot the bill to repair the oven and buy Easy-Off.

By: Chad

Chad — Fri, 16 Jul 2010 01:48:24 +0000

I suppose I don’t have one heavy duty enough. However, it is the Professional 600 — the biggest, most powerful mixer Kitchenaid makes, advertised to handle 14 cups of flour. I break it on a regular basis making nothing more than 8-cup sandwich bread and sausages. You tell me who is at fault, Kitchenaid for a design that doesn’t live up to its advertising hype or me for believing it.

By: Wat

Wat — Sat, 03 Jul 2010 15:13:10 +0000

Have had the Kitchen Aid Deluxe Edition for 6 years now with extreme use. Not a day goes by it is not sued for something. Only the main paddle wears out on ours. Maybe you people bought one to lite for the use you put it through.

By: Carl May

Carl May — Sun, 14 Mar 2010 00:30:12 +0000

I have the 5 Quart Heavy Duty KitchenAid 375 Watt model…the classic one, prior to the new 600 Watt “Pro” Models. I have used it for 10 years, but for the past few months I have taken up bread making every other day. Typically, I use about 6 3/4 cups of flour to make two loaves of bread at a time (the smaller loaves). The mixer does get quite hot and is now beginning to make a slight metallic grinding noise…possibly signaling an impending demise. It obviously does not like the resistance it encounters when dealing with dense bread dough…it often slows down, sometimes almost to a halt,laboring, when the dough gets twisted up and almost over the bowl. It is obvious that my KitchenAid K5 mixer was not really designed for bread making.

If it does die, either by an overheated motor or by gear stripping, I will attempt to replace it. The unit is far past warranty, so I am not optimistic.

In any event, it will be replaced with some kind of stand mixer, but not for bread making. I might not replace it with another KitchenAid. What I might do is buy a VIKING VSM700SG 7 quart, 1,000 Watt Motor (in stainless gray: about $550). Why? Because I own two King Arthur Flour baking books (standard and whole wheat editions, I much prefer their flours),and they highly recommend the Viking. King Arthur also sells it via their hard and online catalogs. So, Chad, give them a call and get some tech info. The Hobart is for commercial use so it seems like you want overkill, having been burnt by a mediocre mixer design.

Another alternative to a more powerful mixer for bread kneading is to buy a Zojirushi BBCC-X20 Bread machine (about $200). This machine makes only one loaf at a time, so you do it daily (at least for my family…we do not want to carb it up too much).
You add the ingredients, and the machine does the rest: Just set the timer when you want it all to happen…awake every morning to hot, fresh bread. The machine does the mixing, handling the rises, shaping the loaf, presto! And it makes various kinds of breads. The King Arthur people say they prefer this method over using a mixer…by far. I absolutely trust their experience and advice arduously gained in their test kitchens. So, I think I am going this route myself…no more minding the mixing, flour on the counter. No more mixing bowl, rising bowl,yeast proofing bowl, and bread pans to grease and clean. No more plastic wrap to grease and place over the rising bowl and bread pans. No more weighing the dough ball to make two equal loaves at a time. No more shaping of the dough to fit the pan. Just way less hassle. Save your mixer for less strenuous tasks such as batter, cookie dough, custards, etc. By the way, I am in no way affiliated with KitchenAid, Hobart, Viking, Zojirushi, nor any other small electric manufacturer, distributor, manufacturers’ representative, retailer, advertising agency, publicist, product social awareness agency, nor am I a member of the organized crime industry nor the Hollywood entertainment racket, not any mind-manipuation arm of any corporation, govermental agency, or political or religious cults. That being said, I am most certainly biased in favor of my opinions.

Anyway I hope this helps you Chad, and all the other readers here. Lets us all hear it for less bitchin’ in the kitchen.