With a choice of ten speeds and three attachments--flat beater, spiral dough hook, and stainless-steel wire whip--the mixer handles everything from egg whites to meat loaf to pizza dough. Rather than rotating the bowl, KitchenAid stand mixers feature a fixed bowl with a unique mixing action: the beater spins clockwise as the shaft spins counter-clockwise, thus projecting the beater to 67 different points inside the 5-quart stainless-steel bowl. In deference to its power, the Soft-Start feature prevents splashing and flour clouds by gearing up to each speed gradually; then the electronic speed sensor kicks in to maintain a constant speed even when mixing the thickest batter. The bowl features a handle as well as two pins that hook into the lifting mechanism, which consists of a solid metal arm the same color as the mixer and a stainless-steel lever. A hinged attachment hub makes changing attachments easy. For safety, the mixer shuts down if an object obstructs the mixing process or if overloading occurs. The bowl, beater, and dough hook are dishwasher-safe. Assembled in Ohio, the mixer measures 16-1/2 by 12 by 14 inches and is backed by a hassle-free, one-year warranty. --Ann Bieri

What’s In the Box
Stand mixer; 5-quart stainless-steel bowl; flat beater; spiral dough hook; wire whip.