With a huge seven-quart capacity and ten speeds, the KitchenAid Pro Line Series Stand Mixer will make light work of any task you throw at it. In this review, we’ll delve into exactly what makes this mixer so impressive and detail exactly how it performed when we put it through its paces in a series of tests.
Of course, if you’re on the hunt for one of the best stand mixers to elevate your baking experience, then the KitchenAid line has likely already caught your eye, with a range of shiny models and colors to choose from. If you want to learn more about the battle for the title of the greatest stand mixer brand, check out our feature on KitchenAid vs. Cuisinart.
KitchenAid Pro Line Series Stand Mixer: Design
The tagline of the KitchenAid Pro Series Stand mixer is ‘built to take it all on.’ Even from the initial unboxing of this stand mixer, it’s clear that this is true in size, with this appliance weighing a heavy 32lbs. You’ll likely want to clear a dedicated space on your countertops for this appliance, as it’s not the sort of thing you can easily stash away. However, given its polished exterior, it’s easy to see how it would be an aesthetically pleasing addition to any kitchen.
With this sort of mammoth design, the sheer amount of baked goods you can whip up with this appliance is very surprising. Capable of creating 14 dozen cookies in just one batch, this mixer is perfect if you’re the designated baker for large functions or if you need to bake to a more industrial output level. It’s the largest residential capacity of any KitchenAid mixer, so if you’re in the habit of turning around a large number of cakes, cookies, and other treats, then bear in mind just how useful that large capacity will be in your kitchen.
One of the features of this KitchenAid Pro Line Series mixer is that it is a little different from classic models in that it caters to this huge capacity. Rather than a tilt-head design, as detailed in our KitchenAid Artisan Mini stand mixer review, this mixer has a bowl-lift design, which makes its whole appearance and running pretty different. The head of this mixer is a stationary element, and it is the bowl instead that is lifted (with a lever) after you’ve interchanged the mixing heads.
This might seem baffling for anyone accustomed to the tilt-head design, but we found that after just one use, the procedure of lifting the bowl was very straightforward. It definitely added a level of security and safety to the entire process. The bowl locks in at three different points, so there’s no risk of this powerful machine causing any trouble in your kitchen if fitted correctly.
The ten speeds of this machine make it a versatile purchase for any keen baker. Whether you want to whip cream at speed eight or combine ingredients more gently at speed two, you’re all set. This mixer also benefits from a slight delay before mixing starts so that your ingredients don’t get whipped into a frenzy and spray all over your kitchen. The added benefit of the included pouring shield is that you can keep your countertops cleaner.
The color range of the KitchenAid Pro Line Series comprises six shades: Sugar Pearl Silver, Onyx Black, Candy Apple Red, Cast Iron Black, Frosted Pearl White, and Medallion Silver. This is a more basic range than you might find with models like the Kitchen Aid Artisan, but it will likely suffice if you’re shopping for a large capacity mixer rather than an appliance to add a pop of color. There’s no denying that the KitchenAid Pro Line Series is a seriously expensive stand mixer, with an MSRP of $649.99, which is likely out of budget for a casual baker. However, if you need an industrial capacity and a high standard of mixing at home, this mixer will not disappoint and will earn its price back with the staggering amount it can churn out.
KitchenAid Pro Series Stand Mixer: Performance
We put the KitchenAid Pro Series Line Stand Mixer through several tests to see if its performance was as equally impressive as its capacity. For these tests, we used the three interchangeable mixing heads that come with the mixer: the Flat Beater (for creaming butter and sugar and general mixing), the PowerHead dough hook (for mixing doughs), and the Wire Whip (for lighter mixes). All the attachments are heavy metal and feel unbelievably sturdy as you handle them, though they might not suit anyone with dexterity issues.
Our first test used the dough hook to mix a sizable amount of bread mix, with enough mixture in the bowl for two large loaves. The size of the seven-quart bowl meant that even with this amount of dough, there was plenty of space left over, indicating just how much you could mix with this appliance. The bread mixing process was seamless, and even though the machine shuddered a little at the maximum speed, we felt reassured that it was firmly positioned to the main body of the mixer. It produced a satin-smooth dough at the end of the process, though anyone sensitive to noise might want to avoid mixing on speed ten, as it measured 80 decibels.
Next, we set out to test how capable this machine was at whipping up cookie dough, with a recipe capable of making 25 cookies. Once again, this mixture appeared insubstantial within the huge mixing bowl, indicating the size of this appliance. Even though the ingredients were pooled at the very bottom of the bowl, the bowl-lift design of this mixer meant that the Flex Edge beater got into all of the necessary spaces anyway and took just a few minutes to cream the butter and sugar together.
The integration of chocolate chips into the mix was also painless, as extra ingredients can be inserted through an opening in the pouring shield. We also re-tested the process of creating buttercream to see how food coloring was integrated into the mix and found that it spread evenly throughout without leaving uncolored pockets.
The mixer also performed well in an egg white test, where four room-temperature egg whites took less than three minutes to form stiff peaks. As with any procedure on the highest setting, the mixer does shudder slightly, but the rubber feet that keep the appliance rooted to the countertop should alleviate any worries about your machine moving around. In terms of noise, we recorded around 70 decibels on slightly lower settings, such as speed eight, which is said to be ideal for whipping. Given that the noise of an average conversation is around 60 decibels, this might be too loud for those who need to make minimal noise when baking.
KitchenAid Pro Line Series Stand Mixer: User reviews
The KitchenAid Pro Line Series Stand Mixer has a rating of 4.7 out of five on the KitchenAid website, with the score generated from 1465 user reviews. 95% of reviewers would recommend this product after using it.
One reviewer detailed how the large capacity was their reason for purchasing the mixer, saying that they had a “lifelong dream of starting a bread, pasta, and cracker business” and that the size of this mixer had “finally allowed me to build out a business plan.” Another pleased reviewer said that their mixer was so powerful they were “amazed” by it and that they can “make double recipes with ease, add flour without the worry of making a mess from spill-over”.
One less impressed user commented that the process of attaching the various mixing heads might be a little puzzling at first, saying, “It is a little clunky to figure out at first, and my kids have a hard time getting the bowl to click into place because you have to push harder than you would think to get it locked in.”
Should you buy the KitchenAid Pro Line Series Stand Mixer?
If you want to buy the KitchenAid Pro Line Series Stand Mixer, you’ll need a big budget and a countertop with enough space for its proportions. However, if these requirements are not an issue for you, then it’s hard to think of a better baking appliance than this one. It has a huge capacity, excelled in every test we put it through, and has a clever design to cater to any stability issues.
If your budget isn’t quite as large as this mixer's measurements, or you don’t need to bake to such extremes, then why not check out our Oster Planetary stand mixer review for a more affordable alternative? It has a decent capacity of 4.5 quarts and 12 speeds to experiment with.
