My apologies for the long reply but here goes:

I was torn between the KA 6qt, Cuisinart 7qt, or the Breville 5qt, as I already have a 4.5qt KA Classic. My KA Classic is probably on its way out of commission because it just isn't performing with the reliable results it used to and i noticed grease coming out of the top . I retired it and my search began for a replacement . I was just about sold on the Cuisinart until I took a class at Surlatable. They were using both the 7qt Cuisinart and the Breville in the class so I had the perfect opportunity to test the two mixers! I always thought I needed the 7qt bowl offered by Cuisinart but I quickly changed my mind after using the Breville in our class that day! The 7qt Cuisinart had an oddly shaped bowl that was narrow and difficult to access and the top flat part of the paddle attachment (that you lock in place on the motor) was actually cupped so the flour had gotten trapped in it a few times. I wouldn't say it is a defect but just my personal preference. I asked the pastry chef which mixer she would choose between the three and she said hands down, the Breville first (actually least expensive of the three), the Cuisinart a very close second, and the newer KA's absolute last. I am a hobbyist (don't really need a 7qt bowl and the 5qt is bigger than my KA Classic) I make bread in a bread machine so my mixers are used primarily for cakes, cookies, and icings. So far, I am happy with my purchase but only time will tel.l I should have bought my mixer from W&S because of their lifetime guarantee, just in case.. ..My Breville came packaged with a scraper spatula, beater blade, paddle, dough hook, whipping attachment, and splatter shield . I am not knocking any of the other brands but this is just my personal experience from my own stand mixer quest.

Ok now i have a gripe about my beloved ka....the paddle broke right in two yesterday.... I can't use the metal one becaus eit chips paint off it...so I replaced it with the plastic paddle and it broke....so now I am not so thrilled about it.........i want to know more about cuisinart and how much are they????

This is a great thread. Good stand mixers like KA and Cuisinart are really, really expensive where I live so I really need to do my research before I leap in and buy one.
Up til now, I have only ever used a hand-held mixer which makes it very difficult to do a decent meringue frosting.

I think I will definitely go for a tilt head version now.

Thanks for all your comments.

I noticed that Tigachu recommended the Breville. I have never seen a Breville standmixer, but will search online. What kind of warranty came with it? Has anyone else used a Breville?

OP, after you post a new topic, you have to click on "Watch this topic" at the bottom of your post (it's just below the "new topic" "post reply" and "print topic" boxes.)

I have the Bosch, and I love it. I make bread/pizza dough roughly twice a week and the Bosch is a dream for that. Beating cream or egg whites takes a fraction of the time (I had to beat cream in a KA once...it took forever!!). If you make your own fondant (I don't), this machine is awesome! My only concern with it (I've had it for eight years now) is that sometimes I feel like it's too powerful (I use setting 1) and wish there was an option to use less power.
HTH

Checked out Consumer Reports for ratings. Here is what I found....

1st place KitchenAid Classic K45SS[WH

Tied for 2nd place
KitchenAid Classic KSM75WH
Kenmore Elite 89208
KitchenAid Artisan KSM150PS[WW]
KitchenAid KSM450[ER] (Sears)

3rd place Bosch Universal Plus MUM6N10UC
4th place Viking Professional VSM700

KitchenAid Professional 600 KP26M1X[DP].....this one came in 8th place

That's all the one's I saw mentioned. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Consumer Reports, they test out all sorts of electronics among other things . They then rate them according to reliability, convience, performance, and so forth. I rely on them for major purchaces so I wont be distracted by price and go straight for performance. Most of the time higher cost does not equal better product. HTH

I am buying a Cuisinart in the next few days-so excited! I have been researching for several months by internet, friends, emails, etc and hands down I have heard nothing but good about Cuisinart and complaints about KA. Seems KA start to leak fluid if not used weekly as they oil the gears, probably what one of the other cakers was referring to. The problems seem never ending with KA. I have never owned either but there is the info I have been given. HTH

Forgot to add the Cuisinart. The SM70 model came in 10th place and the SM55 came in 11th place.

I have a Cuisinart 7qt. It's still working flawlessly. I also bought my sister the 5qt. I'm buying an extra 5qt next month.

Facts that made me buy the Cuisinart:

Warranty is 3 years for the mixer and 5 years for the motor, as opposed to only one year for the KA

Cooks Illustrated recommended the Cuisinart over the KA (Cuisinart was a newcomer back then, but they did thorough testing before the recommendation came

My friend's KA was leaking oil into the cakes and KA told her that "gears in the KA are oiled for life" and that was why! If she used the mixer more often, they said, the problem would disappear

A friend's husband, an engineer, opened the KA because it kept on breaking and the warranty was over, and he found that the gears housing was made of plastic.

After that I decided to do a lot more research, and I found this link; it's been 3 years, and the same complaints keep on coming in.

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/homeowners/kitchenaid_mixers.html

I don't know if this will help or just muddy the waters even more. I have a the classic tilt head KA from 1977. It works beautifully and has for the past 30 years. I don't know how much it cost then, but it was a lot, about $150. If that were translated into today's prices that would be $556.57. That may explain why today's KA mixers aren't what they were.

I noticed the same thing with their dishwashers, I paid over $500.00 for a basic KA dishwasher in the early '80's. Which would be $1369.50 in today's money. Hobart made a really good product, but they were really expensive. The name is the same, but the quality and prices of KA products are much lower than they were.

Honestly, it comes down to how much you're going to use the sucker.

My KA, from the early 80's made enough cookie dough, to make my brother say as usual I went over the top. KA, Classic, built by Hobart.

I don't think anyone will get it, but it took 300 soldiers, 15 minutes to consume the cookies. My brother ended up being the great guy on the transport plane. Never, blew the thing out.

My guy is built by Hobart. Yours won't be. Don't know your price point. I wouldn't own Cuisinart if my life depended on it. Their customer service sucks.

I would look at Viking. I'd suggest Hobart, but who actually has that kind of money!

This may be a silly suggestion, but keep an eye out for estate sales. My first KA was a estate sale wonder -$12.00-from the 1940's- it looked like my mother's and I knew hers dated from December 1940. Her first Christmas present from my Dad. I used that one for seven or eight years in the early 70's until I got the one I have now. I gave that old one to a friend who used it heavily for another 6 or 7 years. When it finally died she cursed me roundly because she didn't want to spend the money on a new one; but she was so used to having a KA even the WWII relic that she actually broke down and bought a new one.

i make alot of mmf etc in mine.. so i'd need a decent price- heavy duty- nice big bowl

Back to an earlier post... whatever you buy, get it from Williams-Sonoma... lifetime warranty and the very best customer service.

Just call a store or customer service.

I just looked on their site and WS does not have the Cuisinart mixer listed. Call one of the stores and ask when it will be back in stock.

I love Williams Sonoma. I buy everything else there. But Williams Sonoma is not going to have every brand of every item you want.

Be aware also that they have changed their return policy in 2010, it seems.

http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/552158

They do not have Cuisinart. Cuisinart still has a 3-year warranty on the mixer and a 5-year on the motor, as opposed to a standard 1 year on the KA. That's from the manufacturer.

What I did was look for a 20% discount coupon from Bed Bath & Beyond. They're always sending you those; it's just for one item. I save them for big purchases.

Hi. It's me - the OP.

After all your input, I finally decided on the Cuisinart - better warranty, not as many bad reviews as KA.

I had purchased the 7l Cuisinart from Costco online and was so excited when I pulled it out of the box (nice big bowl, splatter guard)...however it was defective (no power when you plugged it in), so I had to return it...and now they are out of stock I got it for $299...so there is no way I am paying $599 to buy the exact same one at Home Outfitters! Frustrating. And everywhere else seems to be out of stock. (I have checked dozens of places). The 7l Cusinart must be very popular! Now what?!!

By the way, Costco will still honor their sale price if and when they ever get more in. (Good customer service). However there is no guarantee that they will get them in.

So sorry pursuing_perfection. And no, you should never pay the full price. Yes, the Cuisinart 7qt has become a hot item. The only advice I can give you is to get a 20% off coupon for Bed Bath and Beyond and get it there.

They're usually $400, and with the 20% you'll get it for a lot less than anywhere else. Just checked online though, and they're out of stock too. Might be online only, though.

What about Amazon? I think delivery is free. If you get the white one, it's cheaper than the silver.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ON65XO/?tag=cakecentral-20

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ON65XO/?tag=cakecentral-20