KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-quart Stand Mixer Review

Growing up overseas, we made everything from scratch, from cakes to bread.  My mother had a KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer that handled the salt air of a tropical island for more than 15 years and is still functioning now that they're back in the US.  Because food plays a big part in our family, for my bridal shower gift, my mother continued the tradition by purchasing me my own KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer!  I have the pure white mixer, although there are a variety of color options available (black, blue, red, nickel, and others).

This mixer is a monster!  The 575 watt motor can power through almost any recipe you can put into the massive 6-quart bowl.  There are 10 speed options.  Three beaters are included: a whipping beater, dough hook, and flat beater.  Also included is a plastic splatter shield, which has a "spout" that allows you to add ingredients gradually without removing the shield.  I have avoided more flour explosions by using this splatter shield that I can count!

One concern some people have with this mixer is that the bowl has to be raised with a handle to reach the mixing attachment.  When there's a lot in the bowl, this requires quite a bit of hand strength.  If you have muscle weakness, arthritis, etc., this may present a challenge.  The bowl locks into place well, and if you have attached it properly to the mixer, is almost immoveable until you are ready to lower it.

I have only had 1 problem with this mixer: I made a recipe that contained 11 cups of flour and it was simply too much mass for the mixer to handle and the motor started to smell like it was overheating.  Other than that one instance, I have had no problems with the gears slipping, power issues, or the stand getting scratched.  Not only will this mixer last me years, like my mom's, and produce hundreds of cookies, breads, and mashed potato dishes, but I have the pasta maker attachment on my wish list so we can use the mixer for even more of our family events!  While it is definitely not cheap, it's worth every dime that is paid for it!  Five stars!!!