KitchenAid KSM150PSTG Artisan Series 5-Qt. Stand Mixer with Pouring Shield - Tangerine

I have always wanted a KitchenAid stand mixer and this year I finally to get myself one for Christmas because I bake a lot of Christmas cookies. The unit is beautiful and heavy duty. I washed the SS bowl well before I used it but I still got a black film on the first batch of cookie dough I made in the mixer. You cannot see the black film in the new bowl so it must be imbedded in the surface of the bowl which has a slight grain to it. The raw dough acts like a sponge to pull the black film off the surface of the bowl. I washed it again and had no problems after that.I have only used the mixer a hand full of times and it functions as expected. But I was surprised at how little space there is between the beater and the side of the bowl making it awkward to add new ingredients. I did use the pour shield that came with the mixer, but it does not fit tight on the bowl and it was also a bit awkward to use.In my opinion, the mixer is best for mixing stiff doughs saving the operator from strenuous stirring or mixing. I think it will be great for mixing bread dough. But for everyday small mixing jobs, I find it is more convenient to use my portable hand mixer. In addition, when baking some of the Italian cookies, sometimes I will use the "old time" method of making a well of flour (and dry ingredients) on a board and adding the wet ingredients into the well. Then you literally mix all the ingredients by hand. This "hands on" method really gives you feel for the dough (too wet or dry) you don't get when used an electric mixer. There is something very rewarding and pleasing about really getting your hands on the dough with this method.So in my opinion, electric mixers have their place, but there is something magical and satisfying about going back to the old fashion way of baking that gives you a "feel" for the dough and the love is transmitted into the dough with your hands.The artisan mixer is beautiful and functional, but in my kitchen it will not be the only tool I use for mixing.

I grew up with a Kitchen Aid in my house and was very happy to purchase this one. I chose the slightly more expensive Artisan model (over the basic model) because of the handle on the bowl (super useful) that I was used to from my parent's model (which is still going strong after 25+ years) and because it came with the splatter shield (plastic piece on top).Unfortunately, the new splatter shield KitchenAid KPS2CL Pouring Shield for 4-1/2 and 5-Quart Stand Mixers, instead of making a full circle as my parents did, is horseshoe shaped and made out of lighter plastic. When you try to mix basically anything (even on the lowest speed), it sprays the flour out the back and up under the crack between the bowel and the rest of the plastic shield because it doesn't make the same close contact that the older models did. This is a serious design flaw and quite annoying since they had a version that worked much better before. In addition to having the splatter shield in place, I now either wrap a dishcloth tightly around the whole top of the kitchen aid, turn the low power on for less than a second to get the paddle to move but not to go to full speed (and repeat until the liquid/solids are mixed enough that they won't fly out), or I just turn it on and then clean up the mess off a 1-foot radius (that unfortunately includes the floor).Despite this drawback, I gave it 5-stars because having this stand mixer is so awesome for cooking and baking. I moved to the UK and just took my kitchenaid hand mixer (to use with an upconverter) and realized how inconvenient it is. The stand mixer allows me to be mixing while I am looking for other ingredients or preparing other steps. The different attachments (including the Flex Edge Beater) work much better than the single set of whisks for hand mixer. I use the Flex Edge Beater (has a spatula like edge that somewhat scrapes the bowl whilst it is mixing) for cookies, cakes, muffines, scones. I use the bread hook for bread (very fun not having to hand knead). And the whisk for whipping cream, cheesecake, frittatas. I find that I bake more and make more interesting foods because of the convenience of the mixer. My spouse and work colleagues appreciate it too.The best part is the US kitchen aid works just fine here in the UK with the upconverter too (make sure the converter is for the appropriate number of watts), and I can bring it back to the US when we return. I am expecting this KitchenAid to last as long as my parents' KitchenAid, which they have been using continuously. If one can divide the cost over 20-30 years, the mixer becomes very economical indeed. I have not tried any of the attachments for pasta making, etc.