Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

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js2012
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Joined: Tue Dec 25, 2012 4:13 pm

Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by js2012 »

I'm going to look at a used Kitchen Aid Artisan tomorrow afternoon. It's $150 and the seller said it's barely used. What should I be looking out for to make sure it's in good working condition? I've never even touched one before but have wanted one for a long time.
Thank you!
Jen
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sdsailing
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Re: Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by sdsailing »

I thought they were mainly for display.
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Phineas J. Whoopee
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Re: Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by Phineas J. Whoopee »

sdsailing wrote:I thought they were mainly for display.
They're really just loud, so guests never get to see them in use.
PJW
Angrypuppy
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Re: Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by Angrypuppy »

We use ours a lot and love it. We got one of the heavier duty models.

It's hard to find on the Kitchenaid website but they have a refurbished section. That is how we bought ours. Saved quite a bit. It's been 6-7 years now since we purchased.
Raladic
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Re: Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by Raladic »

Check that the mixing attachments don't touch the bowl, they should just barely rotate around the edges of the bowl.
Also make sure the front attachment port (for pasta, meatgrinders..) looks intact and ideally the hood that closes it off when not in use is there so you can't stick your finger in it by accident.
Other than that if all speeds work it should be good to go.
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interplanetjanet
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Re: Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by interplanetjanet »

This is kind of a complicated subject.

Kitchenaid used to be a brand owned by Hobart, a large commercial mixer manufacturer. Their stand mixers were just about as tough as rocks. In the '80s, Hobart sold off Kitchenaid and they were eventually acquired by Whirlpool. A number of changes crept into the design after that. The Whirlpool ones are generally not quite as robust but if maintained well and operated within their limits they can still be excellent tools.

The #1 failure mode in these mixers is a fiber gear that most of them have in the geartrain. If you heavily stress a mixer with one in it, it will strip and require replacement. This is actually not very hard if you're mechanically inclined, and my own Kitchenaid ran better than it ever had once I did the replacement and regreased it (the factory greasing job was atrocious). Listen carefully for unusual noises when operating.

If you want to make bread frequently or do other things with thick batters, I would recommend the Bosch Universal in place of the Kitchenaid. It's not as pretty to look at but is, I think, a much better design. They can be hard to find used, though. Also, you can't make marshmallow in them if you have a plastic bowl - one more reason I hung onto my Kitchenaid as well.
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yatesd
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Re: Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by yatesd »

I agree, just run it and make sure you don't hear any strange noises. We've been happy with ours...
littlebird
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Re: Kitchen Aid Folks - I need your help!

Post by littlebird »

Unless you're handy and willing, make sure there's a small appliance repair shop within your acceptable driving distance; there are few of them now. These machines are NOT what they were when their reputations were built and will likely need repair/adjustment within a very few years of light use, if my experience is typical.
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