KitchenAid is a name synonymous to top-of-the-line and yet still affordable kitchen appliances from blenders to stand mixers. It comes as no surprise then that the KitchenAid Professional 600 series stand mixer is well-known for its great features.
Yes, there were a few concerns about the quality of the materials used and the engineering design during its first release but these have since been resolved by KitchenAid.
Features and Specifications
This Kitchen Aid Professional stand mixer is a beauty to look at. The high-gloss machine comes in many colors with delicious names like Meringue, Caviar Gloss and Licorice as well as the usual Empire Red, Dark Pewter, and Steel Blue, among others.
The 6-quart capacity stainless steel bowl complements the color of the machine, thus, making the KitchenAid Professional 600 a nice addition to the kitchen counter.
Of course, a stand mixer is judged by its performance more than its appearance. We find that this mixer does not disappoint in its later incarnation although the first version had a design flaw, which caused many customers to be disgruntled with the product. The main problem was in the cheap plastic box holding the heavy-duty metal gears that, as can be expected, adversely affected the durability and functionality of this professional Kitchenaid mixer.
Fortunately, this gear box problem was resolved although many customers complained of non-notification of recall. The current version of the KitchenAid Professional stand mixer is now more durable because the gear box is made of metal, too.
The stand mixer runs on a relatively powerful 574-watt motor with direct drive transmission. It has 10 speed controls coupled with features like soft start mode, automatic shut-off and speed sensor, which lessens over-mixing and splatter, respectively. We find that the KitchenAid Professional 600 is suitable for home use as well as for small commercial uses.
The 6-quart stainless steel bowl has a pouring shield with a large chute. With such feature, you can pour the ingredients down the large chute without exposing yourself to possible splatters from the ingredients being mixed in the bowl.
This KitchenAid Professional stand mixer comes with attachments as well. These include a wire whip, a spiral hook for cutting through dough, and a burnished metal flat beater.
Mixing Performance
Once the gear box issue was resolved, this Kitchen Aid Professional 600 performed up to the standards expected of the company’s appliances. The large stainless steel bowl can accommodate up to 14 cups of flour – or 8 pounds of potatoes, for that matter – in a single mixing session. The powerful 575-watt motor drives the machine to do easy work on batters, dough and other mixtures, thus, sparing your hands from mixing, kneading and whipping the ingredients.
We love the electronic speed sensor and the automatic shut-off of this KitchenAid Professional 600 mixer especially on days when looking over the bowl seems too much trouble. Basically, the electronic speed sensor speeds up or slows down the speed of the mixer depending on the desired consistency while the auto shut-off turns off the mixer when the desired mixing time is up. These are convenient features on any stand mixer and we are only too happy that it is on a KitchenAid appliance.
As previously mentioned, this professional Kitchenaid mixer has 10 mixing speeds. This is another important feature in modern stand mixers since batter and dough require different speeds to achieve the right consistency. For example, red velvet cake batter should only be mixed on low speed most of the time while cookie dough requires shifting from medium to low and then back to medium speed.
As for the mixing bowl of the KitchenAid 600, we love its many features that make its use easy, fast and convenient. The hinged hub for the various attachments is easy to operate while the bowl lift makes it easy to position the bowl as needed. Plus, it looks like it can withstand hundreds of uses in its lifetime so we have no cause for complaint on this one.
Let’s not forget either that the pouring shield and the soft start mode significantly lessens the chances for splatters from the batter going all over your clothes and kitchen. Just attach the right attachment – hook, beater or wire whip – place the ingredients in the bowl, place the pouring shield in position and turn on the machine.
And speaking of attachments, the KitchenAid Professional 600 stand mixer not only blends dough and batter. If you have money to spare, we suggest buying the extra attachments that makes it a multi-purpose kitchen appliance. Think can opener, citrus juicer, ice cream maker, sausage stuffer, pasta roller and cutter, and ravioli maker, among others.
Clean Up
Clean-up is easy, too, thanks to this Kitchenaid ‘s seamless one-machine design. Just remove the bowl and the attachment before cleaning it either by hand or by dishwasher.
Consumer Reviews
Most consumers think that this Kitchen Aid Professional 600 stand mixer performs well on the job for the reasons mentioned above. The customers who complained about the design flaw were eventually converted to its merits once the initial problem they had was resolved.
Conclusion
Let’s face it: when it comes to quality, any KitchenAid Professional stand mixer is a good investment and the 6-quart model is no exception to the rule. Well, at least, in its second incarnation, so be sure to check the gear box.
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