KitchenAid is the household name in mixers. Known for their sturdy construction, a KitchenAid stand mixer is likely to be on the wishlist of any avid home baker. They look good and come in a variety of colours and designs to suit any kitchen aesthetic.
There’s no need to reinvent the wheel when you’ve got a good thing going, and for years KitchenAid has stuck with the tried and true flagship Artisan mixer. That is, until now.
For years KitchenAid has stuck with the tried and true flagship Artisan mixer … until now
With the release of the Artisan Plus, KitchenAid has made the first major advancements to this model since 1955, with new features designed to improve precision, control and visibility. But are these features genuinely useful and worth upgrading for?
CHOICE kitchen expert Chantelle Dart is currently putting this mixer to the test against rival brands Kenwood, Kmart Anko, Breville and more. Full results will be published soon in our kitchen stand mixer reviews, but here Chantelle shares her first impressions.
What’s new in the KitchenAid Artisan Plus?
At a glance, the Artisan Plus looks just like any other KitchenAid mixer. Same sturdy construction, same aesthetically pleasing look.
Like other KitchenAid mixers, it’s manufactured in the USA, comes with a 5-year warranty on the motor and is available in a range of colours.
The advancements come in the area of functionality, with a focus on improving precision, control and visibility.
Integrated LED bowl light
This is the only mixer in the KitchenAid line-up to have a built-in bowl light.
The light sits above the mixing bowl, illuminating the contents of the stainless steel bowl to improve visibility.
Chantelle says this is a welcome feature. “The light illuminates the bowl more clearly and gives you better visibility over whatever you’re mixing, whipping or kneading,” she reports.
“This means you can check how the ingredients are developing without having to stop the mixer partway through to look.”
Precision speed control
CHOICE experts have found that the traditional speed control lever on earlier models of KitchenAid mixers can be a bit stiff to operate.
This control has been redesigned on the Artisan Plus.
You can either stick to the traditional ‘click’ speeds, or twist the lever’s cap to more smoothly transition between speeds, allowing for gradual and precise speed control.
Double-edged silicone beater
Current KitchenAid owners may be familiar with the standard single-side beater accessory with the flexible silicone edge that comes with some models.
This double edge silicone beater acts as a built-in spatula.
Now there’s a double-edged silicone beater that’s designed to ensure no bits of mixture gets left behind, acting as a built-in spatula to gently scrape the sides of the bowl while mixing.
This accessory isn’t completely new to the world of stand mixers – we’ve tested Breville and Sunbeam mixers that also come with a double-edged silicone beater.
The ‘double flex edge beater’, which is what KitchenAid calls this accessory, joins the three stainless steel accessories you’ll usually find with a KitchenAid mixer: the flat beater, dough hook and wire whisk. All but the wire whisk are dishwasher-safe.
You’ll also get a splash guard with the Artisan Plus, an accessory that doesn’t always come standard with KitchenAid mixers.
Fold speed
For delicate recipes that require gentle folding of ingredients (think adding blueberries to a cake batter or folding whipped egg whites), KitchenAid has introduced a dedicated half-speed setting.
Soft start function
Have you ever braced yourself when turning on your mixer for fear that the flour and sugar will come flying out of the bowl? With KitchenAid’s “soft start” feature, the mixer will gradually build up speed rather than jumping instantly to the selected speed, preventing mess and splatters.
Can I use my existing KitchenAid attachments with the Artisan Plus?
All KitchenAid mixers have a multi-purpose attachment hub at the front of the unit. It’s an outlet where you can attach KitchenAid accessories that can be bought separately, such as the food grinder, food processor or pasta roller.
These optional extras can give your mixer more versatility, meaning you won’t need to buy each dedicated appliance separately, but keep in mind they’ll add a significant amount to the cost of this already expensive appliance.
The good news is, these attachments are universal and can be used on any KitchenAid stand mixer, including the latest Artisan Plus. So if you’ve already bought these attachments for an older KitchenAid stand mixer, they’ll be compatible if you upgrade.
CHOICE verdict: Should you upgrade to the KitchenAid Artisan Plus?
Our kitchen expert Chantelle Dart is an avid baker and regularly puts mixers through their paces in the CHOICE kitchen lab, whisking egg whites, and making pizza dough and cake batter. These tests assess the three main mixing tools that come standard on almost all mixers.
It’s also important that your kitchen mixer is easy to use, so that’s a big part of our CHOICE testing.
The KitchenAid mixers we’ve previously tested all do well across our various performance tests, and initial testing of the Artisan Plus looks promising. However, KitchenAid mixers aren’t always the easiest to use in our experience.
Its more advanced features will be useful for keen bakers and for regular home cooks who are after more professional results
If you’re in the market for a new mixer, and a KitchenAid has been on your wishlist, the Artisan Plus might be worth considering. Its more advanced features will be useful for keen bakers and for regular home cooks who are after more professional results, but they may not be worth paying up to $350 more for if you only use the mixer occasionally.
It’s also worth keeping in mind that there are many cheaper mixers in our CHOICE review that perform well in our testing – and even outperform some of the leading brands, including KitchenAid. So you may find another model that better suits your needs and budget.
To see how the KitchenAid Artisan Plus stacks up against other models from Breville, Kenwood, Sunbeam and more, stay tuned for the full test results.
Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney. LinkedIn
Rebecca Ciaramidaro is a Content producer in the Household team at CHOICE. Rebecca writes about a wide range of children's and household products, ranging from cots and strollers to ovens, BBQs, espresso machines and electric blankets. And also grocery items such as nappies, sanitary pads and laundry detergents.
Previously at CHOICE, Rebecca worked as a Test officer in the kitchen lab.
Rebecca has a Bachelor of Science (Nutrition and Food) from the University of Western Sydney. LinkedIn
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