Kitchenaid 4.5 Classic Plus - Keep Or Exchange?
Decorating By GeorgiaC Updated 19 Jan 2015 , 9:07am by bakemommy
My sister gave me a Kitchenaid Classic Plus 4.5 qt 275 Watt bought at Kohl's.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00063ULMI/?tag=cakecentral-20
I have never used a stand mixer, so I don't know anything about them, but it seems like everyone uses 5 and 6 quart mixers with 325 or more watt.
I'm trying to decide if I should keep it or go to Kohl's to exchange it for a larger, more powerful KA. Big quantifier - this is only going to be for home use. Triple batches of buttercream or royal icing and double cake batter. No breads.
Are people happy with their Classic? Is it worth the hassle to exchange? I have not opened it yet - waiting to see if it would really make more sense to upgrade it.
I have 2 of them in my bakery, and they are in constant use, and have been for a about a month. Hopefully they will hold up until I can get a bigger one. But for now, they are are doing the job.
I have the big 6qt, and for normal home baking I think it is too big. The bowl is so wide and deep that it is hard to cream small amounts of butter. I constantly have to scrape down the bowl to get the butter and sugar within reach of the beater 
I have seriously thought about buying a second KA for my small/single batch baking, but I just cant justify the expense (and the storage room). Wouldnt it be wonderful if they sold a model that had interchangeable bowls?
But if you are going to make triple batches of buttercream you will need the larger one. It is no fun when you KA overflows.
My DD's gave me the same in Oct for my birthday...I worried it might be too small or not powerful enough for my double/triple batches of cakes and cookies. I've found it will hold a two cake custom recipe (have not tried triple cookie dough yet). I am a hobby baker and only make an occasional wedding cake for friends and family. But I have limited counter space and a larger mixer is out of the question. Am making a wedding cake in May...will know more then. So far, I love this mixer and have received a nice selection of accessories for Christmas. Sorry I'm probably no help...either way, you'll love your KA. Happy Baking/Caking!!
I used my 4.5qt for 15 years. Just upgraded to the 5qt (I couldn't go bigger because they are too tall to fit under my kitchen cabinets). The 5.0 is nice (a little extra room) but the 4.5 can handle double batches of BC and box cake mixes. I always use mine for cookie dough too. For a home baker the 4.5 should be fine. I would recommend an extra bowl though. That is the best thing I ever bought! 
I have 2 KA's and I love them both. I think what you will have to decide is how much batter, icing, etc you are going to make at 1 time. I think that if you decide a smaller one is fine for you then you might still take it back to Kohl's and exchange it for an Artisan, it is more powerful and still small enough to do whatever you need it for. Otherwise, I love the big 6 Qt one, the "Binford" of Kitchen Aids with all it's power and large bowl. 
evelyn
I used my 4.5qt for 15 years. Just upgraded to the 5qt (I couldn't go bigger because they are too tall to fit under my kitchen cabinets). The 5.0 is nice (a little extra room) but the 4.5 can handle double batches of BC and box cake mixes. I always use mine for cookie dough too. For a home baker the 4.5 should be fine. I would recommend an extra bowl though. That is the best thing I ever bought!
Wow, glad to read this. Makes me less worrisome about getting the smaller KA. I did received an extra bowl w/handle, cover w/pockets and lids and pouring shields from DD's for Xmas. I am happy.
GeorgiaC, if you've never had a stand mixer before, this will be like the difference of doing your laundry by beating it with rocks in a stream or having a dishwasher. You will love your KA.
I wouldn't bother upgrading it. I'm a hobby baker since March this year and went thru all the "which stand mixer should I buy???" quandary. I researched the absolute heck out of the subject, looked at hundreds of reviews and ended up getting a used Artisan from Craigslist for $150. If I could have found a used Classic for $150 I would have gotten that. The differences are very slight.
I'm pretty sure the only reason KA came out with the Artisan was to sell the pretty colors for a lot more money. They threw in a couple of small changes, but basically it was the color choices.
Give your sister BIG hugs, keep the gift--you won't be sorry.....AND...Merry Christmas!
ccc407, Congrats on your October Classic and the accessories for Christmas! You really do have dear daughters!
I have the same one and it's fabulous- I will say, it is just barely big enough for double batches of wasc. I usually do only scratch and I do all my recipes by 1.5x, but for doubling I find that I have to be so careful not to slosh over the sides that it's just easier to do smaller batches & more of them. If you're just using two box mixes, you'll be fine, but the extra sugar and flour volume of the doctored mix recipes really do fill it to the absolute brim. If I had the space and $ for larger, I'd do it.
I've had the 5qt for a few years now. It works great, except when doubling recipes. It's really tight for a double recipe of Indydebi's icing. My children just got me the 6qt for Christmas and I am dying to use it, especially when making my cookie dough......
From what I read above, as long as you have a KA, you should be happy! I have always had a 6 qt. and I can do everything I want with it - small, medium and large batches with no trouble at all, so I would recommend that you exchange, simply because the 4.5 may be very good but it's not as versatile as the 6 qt. Unless you can look into the future and she that you will NEVER need the 6 qt., then get it. That way you will be assured of a KA that will help you with a batch of cupcakes and a 10-tier wedding cake! Whatever you do, congratulations on this gift and enjoy!
I have the 4.5 quart and love it. I am not a professional, but I have mixed up double batches of icing and cake in it. I have also made marshmallow fondant and homemade bread and cookie doughs. Works great...I would be lost without it. I have only had few instances when it wasn't big enough to do everything I wanted. If I were you I'd keep it and invest in a spare bowl and spare beater. This way you would have one bowl for mixing up your batters and a spare to mix up icings...without having to wash between...only after you finished.
From what I read above, as long as you have a KA, you should be happy! I have always had a 6 qt. and I can do everything I want with it - small, medium and large batches with no trouble at all, so I would recommend that you exchange, simply because the 4.5 may be very good but it's not as versatile as the 6 qt. Unless you can look into the future and she that you will NEVER need the 6 qt., then get it. That way you will be assured of a KA that will help you with a batch of cupcakes and a 10-tier wedding cake! Whatever you do, congratulations on this gift and enjoy!
i have a 4.5qt and bought a 5 qt after thanksgiving. i kept hemming and hawing over it, did i really need the extra .5qt? I do double batches (2lbs of PS) of icing regularly and doubles of cake batter/mixes with no problems. I was also able to do sugarshack's icing and had SO much that i wasn't sure i really needed more.
i ended up returning the 5qt and am still happy with my decision. I am a hobby baker, so i rarely need to do more volume at one time.
From what I read above, as long as you have a KA, you should be happy! I have always had a 6 qt. and I can do everything I want with it - small, medium and large batches with no trouble at all, so I would recommend that you exchange, simply because the 4.5 may be very good but it's not as versatile as the 6 qt. Unless you can look into the future and she that you will NEVER need the 6 qt., then get it. That way you will be assured of a KA that will help you with a batch of cupcakes and a 10-tier wedding cake! Whatever you do, congratulations on this gift and enjoy!
I ended up returning it to Kohl's. Their commercials about their return policy is every bit true. No hassle at all - done in 2 minutes!! No receipt - just a gift item. They offered a store credit, but I read online that they will mail you a check for the return. I opted for the check of $198.
Amazon has the 6 qt Pro for $279. With the $50 rebate, it is $229. I think for $30 more, I'm getting a great deal. The 6 quart is bigger, has the same metal components, stronger motor. Maybe come out ahead because the pouring shield is included.
http://www.kohlscorporation.com/ecom/valueadded/ProductGuides/KitchenElectrics_StandMixers.htm
Koh's has this comparison chart in their product guides for the Kitchenaids. More info than I could find on the Kitchenaid site!
I have a pro 6 (and two 5 qts). I can whip one egg white in my pro 6 perfectly. Look into the Metro beater blades. No scraping and no residue on bottom. I can even whip egg whites and whipping cream. I can't say enough good about them. They come in lots of sizes.
All the KA tilt head mixers have nylon gears and will break -- it is just a question of time. For as much as they charge for them I can not believe that they won't switch to a metal gear.
My advice is trade it for a 600 or 650 which have metal gears, if you are going to get a KA.
I am a former, but very irate KA tilt head mixer owner. My KA mixer quit this past holiday season a few days before Xmas. I hauled out my 1949 Sunbeam to use while I decide what to replace it with and it won't be a KA!
If you are not professional bakers, you'd like to bake for a small family semi-regularly, KitchenAid Classic Plus 4.5-Qt. is really a good choice. Keep it.
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