I am looking at taking the plunge and investing in one of these. I am a hobby baker and do not plan on making bread in it (I do that by hand, and use my bread machine dough cycle in a pinch which seems to be the biggest gripe with the 7 qt cuisanart). I have done exhaustive research on both of these and am wondering if any hobby bakers here have experience in regards to which way to go on this on. ANY help would be appreciated! Thanks.

I have both mixers and while I love my KA, I REALLY love my Cuisinart. I can double and sometimes triple my recipes in it no problem. It's very powerful. I still use my KA for smaller projects, but if I had to pick one it would be my Cuisinart.

I have a 4 qt. KA and a 7 qt. Cuisinart and use both of them. My hubby got me the Cuisinart for Christmas last year and I LOVE IT! It's so nice for doubling or tripling recipes and has a timer so you can walk away and do other things. That being said, I still like my KA for smaller recipes (or I can have both mixers going at the same time on busy days). I can recommend the Cuisinart.

I have two 6 qt KA's and they're great....

Would love to see everyone's thoughts on this. I had a 6qt KA for years and then it broke down last year. Got if fixed through my local repair man (KA recommended) and within a week after getting fixed it broke again. The repairman said that I was pushing the gears too hard and I had to make sure everything was room temp/soft when mixing...he then fixed it again for free.

This threw me b/c I've been mixing the same for years w/o a problem...I'm thinking the replacement parts were cheap.

Long story short, it recently broke again and I'm looking at getting the Cuisinart 7qt (it's fluctuating between $355 - $370 on Amazon).

I'm going to have to make a decision soon b/c the holidays are coming...

My KA is OLD! And it still works great. I used it a LOT too. My friend has a newer KA and it has already broke down. She bought another one after hers broke and it's already starting to make a funny noise. I don't know what KA did, but their stuff isn't as great as it used to be. I'm glad I bought mine years and years ago (=

I just bought the KA 5, which I am loving. Of course, part of the reason is I used a hand electric mixer for years because I didn't think I had the space for it. Now that I got a nice tangerine color I enjoy leaving it on the counter. Btw I bought mine from cooking.com which was tax free, free shipping and there was a $30 rebate (which everyone has). So that was a good deal to me! I am not feeling like I should have sprung for the "7" at this time!

I have had both and much prefer the Cuisinart, both for the larger capacity and for the timer, which automatically shuts the mixer off when the time is up. I sue doctored mixes and the Cuisinart will take 3 batches at the same time.

I have both mixers you are looking at. I just purchased the 7 quart Cuisinart a couple weeks ago. I love how much more capacity I have with the Cuisinart! I purchased it from Bed Bath and Beyond using the 20% off coupon (they ordered it for me online when I went in the store and they didn't charge me shipping so it was a great deal). I love it! The timer is a great feature and the pouring shield when attached provides a tight seal to eliminate powdered sugar puffs. When I made a two tier cake last week I was able to mix all my batter and still had room left in the mixer. That same amount would have been up to the rim in my 5 quart Kithcenaid.

Just yesterday I viewed a wonderful comparison of the 7 qt Cuisanart and the 6 qt KA on you tube by a CC member. Here's the link:

William Sonoma now carries a KA 7 quart stand mixer. Reviews on it are great. I was going to buy the Cuisinart from BBandB with 20% off but I think I will save and buy the KA.

Thank you everyone!

I was already leaning toward the Cuisinart because of the size of the bowl, the timer, the longer warranty, and the auto shut off to prevent overheating. I also thought this was my best chance at tripling my BC frosting recipe. That comparison between the 7 qt and 6 qt was very helpful for getting to look at the 7 qt mixer.

I see that the black 7 qt Cuisinart is less money than the white or chrome. Does anyone know why? It looks like they are all constructed the same way.

I know that Williams and Sonoma has the 7 qt KA, but I find it hard to justify the price when the Cuisinart is significantly less, has a longer warranty, and tends to get good reviews.

My main hesitation with the Cusinart is the customer service issue. It looks like if you get it through Amazon the return period is 60 days if something goes wrong. What about Bed Bath and Beyond? (I don't have one right by me, but I could order it online and get to one if I had to). At what point will Bed Bath and Beyond not accept a return?

I have the 7 qt Cuisinart and the 5.5 Cuisinart. I got one at Bed Bath and Beyond with the 20% coupon and the other one at Amazon. I guess I cannot answer your question about returning them because I've got them for the longest time, and never had any problems.

About the color, not too many people want the black one, so they usually sell it for less. If black is OK in your kitchen, or if you don't care, then by all means, save some money.

I wanted the chrome, nothing else, so I had no choice.

Remember the 7 qt KA comes from the same company that makes the others that break frequently. Only the very old KAs work flawlessly.

I just ordered the 7quart cuisinart and I found the best price at everythingkitchens.com it came with free shipping and a free blender attachment and a rebate for the food processor attachment and it was also the lowest price.

I am really frustrated with KA. I have burned through three 6qt KA's. My four quart KA that I got as a wedding gift 18 years ago is just now starting to act up. They just don't make KA's the way they used to. I would go Cuisinart.

I have a 5 qt KA and a 7 qt Cuisinart. I LOVE my Cuisinart !! As others have stated, you can easily double and triple recipes (I triple IndyDebi's BC in it all the time); it has a timer so you can walk away (if you want) and it will shut off; it has a pulse button which is great for when you are just starting to mix batters or frosting...I could go on and on . I still use my KA but I reach for my Cuisinart first!

HTH

Sheryl

I've had my Kitchen Aid about 20 years and love it! Works as well as the day I bought it. That being said, I've heard that they now use plastic gears and just don't last as long. I have a Cuisinart hand mixer and love it. There are other options to consider also.

Do your research. Here is something you may find worth reading. http://www.cooksillustrated.com/equipment/overview.asp?docid=12382

Happy baking

Cabashon: I ran across that article earlier in my research. It has a wealth of information. Thank you for sharing. I would highly recommend that article to anyone who has little knowledge about a stand up mixer (as I did when I first started looking into this).

Cakeladytx: That is a fantastic price! Thank you so much for sharing. Off I go to purchase my new 7 qt Cuisinart with a free blender attachment and a rebate for the food processor attachment!

Thank you everyone for helping confirm what my initial instinct was telling me.

let's just say that the KAs of years past are not the same that are on the market today. I have a new artisan 5qt KA and it regularly slips the higher gears and when I really need the extra power, tops out at around speed 7.

My next mixer will be the Cuisinart 7. I won't buy another 'new' KA unless I can find out if they have a NSF that is built a bit better inside. I still look around on Craigslist for an old KA with a Hobart motor. Those are the KAs that will last. Not these new ones.

let's just say that the KAs of years past are not the same that are on the market today. I have a new artisan 5qt KA and it regularly slips the higher gears and when I really need the extra power, tops out at around speed 7.

My next mixer will be the Cuisinart 7. I won't buy another 'new' KA unless I can find out if they have a NSF that is built a bit better inside. I still look around on Craigslist for an old KA with a Hobart motor. Those are the KAs that will last. Not these new ones.

Let's see -

bigger bowl
stronger motor
timer
same price

The only thing left is to research the warranties and accessories before you buy.

Personally, I would go with Cuisinart for sure. I already have 2 KAs (had 4, sold 2) and a 20 qt hobart, or I would be right behind you in line.

Theresa

That's a great price on the Cuisinart...quick question to Cakeladytx (or anyone else who ordered from that site)...did you add the blender to your cart or it's just assumed? I was going to order it and added it to my cart but the price doesn't reflect that it's free.

Thanks

buttercuppie: When I just ordered mine, I was reading a bunch of stuff and somewhere on the site, or during the order process, it said that it is automatically included. It was 3 a.m. so my memory of exactly where that was is not exact. But I am extremely excited to get it!

There is a 3 year warranty, 5 years on the motor. That beat the KA warranty and while the attachments don't appear to be quite as many, there is nothing that I want that the CA does not offer. I am as giddy as a school girl!

edited to fix quote

I've had a KA600 Pro for almost 3 years. I have replaced the gears 4 times - it is HORRIBLE! I am so disappointed. I have two OLDER KA mixers (like the first plain white kind) which it is my udnerstanding were manufactured by Hobart (under the KA name) and the newer ones are made by Frigidaire...(?) I have never even had a whimper from the old ones. This new one: I'm ready to throw it out the window! Kind of glad to hear it isn't just me having issues....I don't even make much buttercream or thick dough, so it isn't really 'pushing the gears' too hard in this case. i think it's just poor workmanship.
Going to look into the Cuisinart...

Whirlpool makes the newest Kitchen Aids. djs328, you'd better keep the old KAs. People keep on saying that the 600Pro is OK and that the other problems have been fixed, but I don't think it's true. I keep on hearing all about the gears breaking, about the oil leaking into your dough and about the speeds going crazy and only working from 7 to 10.

Back in 2009 when I got my 3 Cuisinart mixers, I read every entry at this website and made up my mind. I sent one of the mixers to my sister in South America and she's been using it constantly every day to make desserts for a café. I make bread with the other two, just a hobby baker.

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

Ahh, yes, you are right, it's Whirlpool. Thanks! Had my appliance manufacturers mixed up...lol!!

Chef Wolfgang Puck just had a 6-qt, 700 watt, commercially graded mixer that looks and acts like a KA, with shield and grinder, for $299. I have his knives - would buy them again. I used them for 3 years before I had to have them sharpened.

Theresa

I love both of my mixers. WOlfgang Puck and Cuisinart

I have had my Cuisinart now for just a couple days but I have used it almost non stop. I absolutely LOVE it for making triple batches of butter cream! I may get really adventurous and see if I can quadruple the recipe as I have not seen any signs that it breaks a sweat with the triple batch and there is still plenty of room in the bowl. I don't know why I did not make the switch years ago. I have no regrets so far. In fact, I am now debating getting the Cuisinart 5 qt for smaller jobs.

Now I just have to find time to mess with the blender attachment and send in my rebate for the food processor attachment. It will be nice to do my ganache using the mixer food processor attachment so I don't have to take up more counter space with my food processor.

Williams-Sonoma offers a lifetime warranty. I have a Pro610, Artisan 5 and Heavy Duty 5. The Artisan doesn't have enough power to even make IMBC. The head gets warm and slows the process. The old Heavy Duty is still going strong. My next purchase will be a KA 7 from WS.

OP, I always used my bread maker for dough only too. But lately I have been using my Pro610 and it has been a dream. Now I never get out the bread maker.