KitchenAid Pro 600 Series 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer - KP26M1X

First, let me say Amazon is super-swift in processing orders. I ordered on Sunday (19th) & received in excellent condition (UPS, of course) late morning on Thursday (22nd). Not expecting to receive until Saturday at the earliest. It didn't prove to be a problem on this shipment but there was a sticker on the outside of the box stating that the packing slip was inside the box. There was no packing slip anywhere. I would like to address the negative reviews on this mixer: 1. Beaters clanging side and/or bottom of bowl: I tested with water in the bowl & the beater did touch the bottom in one place - MY ERROR. Bowl was not seated properly on the back side of the bowl. Before realizing it, I moved the set screw & could not tell any difference. It took me about one minute to figure out it was operator error. I readjusted the set screw back to the manufacturer setting as there was obviously no need to change it in the first place. 2. Space, Height, Weight and Tilt Head versus Fixed Head: Being a fixed head actually takes up less space than a tilt head because you're not forced to move it toward the front of the counter in order to use it. Having to move the mixer to tilt the head would mean you would be using even more valuable counter space. My husband is a builder (built our house) & he installs cabinets/countertops to a normal standard. We have at least 2-3" between the top of the mixer & cabinet allowing for heat to escape & to cover the unit without moving it. This mixer only weighs maybe 2 lbs. more than the lesser wattage models. The only time you would need to move it is to give your counter a more thorough cleaning. Yes, it will take some getting used to inserting & taking the bowl out but I think I can manage. This unit is so convenient I may never use a hand mixer again. Ridding myself of the hand mixer would certainly free up an already busy cabinet. 3. Inability to dishwash beaters: Not a problem for me as I only cook for my husband & myself. I clean as I go so the kitchen won't look like an impossible task once I've finished eating. My mother cooks without cleaning during prep & it looks like Hurricane Katrina has taken up permanent residence before she begins cleanup. Since I don't normally use my dishwasher just cooking for 2, I might find it more problematic if I cooked for 4 or more. 4. Mixing 14 cups of flour: I know KitchenAid touts that on the label & in the product description but to me, I don't want to push an appliance to unreal limits. I have to wonder what people are preparing even using 10 cups of flour! Wouldn't it be simpler for them to just spring for a bread machine? 5. 6-Quart Mixer too big for small batches? Why would it make a difference when the beater moves through every part of the bowl? I certainly don't understand why that comment was made. That pretty much sets the record straight on the negativity in the reviews I read. I chose the Nickel Pearl color because it's neutral & will go with any decor. Fingerprints don't show on this color since it is not a shiney finish. "Flour puffs" probably won't show should I overlook one. (By the way, I used a box brownie mix to test it as I was pressed for time & there were no "dust plumes." Although I didn't need it I inserted the pour spout cover just to examine clearance for adding ingredients. The slow start eliminates flying flour). I'm not a flashy gal so red, blue or black were never considered. Why bother with color when I plan to keep it covered anyway. My recommendations are: If you cook, buy good equipment. Looking back, I could kick myself for making me so miserable in the kitchen with cheap stuff. You'll enjoy cooking with the right equipment. And your cooking ventures will prove it to you. Go for the wattage whether you think you need it or not. Cooking habits & desires change with time & circumstances. With this model, you get metal beaters whereas on the lesser models, the flat & dough beaters are plastic. Make sure the mixer has metal gears, not nylon or chances are really good you'll be shopping again soon for another mixer because the nylon gears are stripped. If it's not stated that it has metal gears, it probably has nylon. I did notice on my KitchenAid mixer bowl that the bottom of the stainless bowl where it's concave is finished differetly from the rest of the bowl & left a black substance on my counter top. It wiped up easily but now I know to use a silicone mat or marble hot plate to protect possible damage to my counter. If there's something to dislike about this mixer, it's that there's not as much batter left on the beater for me to lick clean as there was on the beaters of my old glorified Sunbeam mixer diguised as a stand mixer.

I performed extensive "Review" research on this product, along with other KitchenAid models, as well and other manufacturers products. I also consulted with several friends who have KitchenAid mixers. My primary usage of this mixer will be for making bread, therefore, I selected the Prof 600 series primarily because of the larger and heavier duty motor. The bowl-lift model vs the tilt-head model was also a big consideration. It seems like the more Reviews I read, the more elements of consideration were introduced. The Reviews talk about everything from not being able to put the beater attachments in the dishwasher, to the noise of the motor, issues surrounding an old problem of self-destructing gear boxes, lift vs tilt head, and bowl height adjustment. I guess I am one of the lucky one because I have not experienced any pain from any of these "Review" issues. The KitchenAid Professional 600 stand mixer which I received was in perfect physical condition, all attachments (as advertised) were included, it runs fine, and makes great bread dough. I am very pleased with the product. The lift mechanism takes conditioning, only because it is different. Once you get used to it, it's fine. The larger mixing bowl and a strong motor is a must if you are mixing large quantities (6+ cups flour) of bread dough. Where to buy from....... The Prof 600 and/or similar custom 'packages' are available from multiple sources. I narrowed down my purchase selections to Costco or Amazon. Costco's custom package for this unit does not include the bowl splatter shield, which is a nice feature when adding flour. Costco and Amazon's prices were very close - at the time I believe Costco was $11 more, but Costco will run specials from time to time (for example today, you can get the same mixer for $249 at Costco - that's a savings of $50). Since I live five hours from the closest Costco, shipping was a consideration, however both Amazon and Costco offer free shipping - so that became a non-issue. Costco has a, 'no questions asked' replacement / return policy, which from my experience, Amazon is similar. It came down to the bowl shield and I chose to order from Amazon. Keep in mind; I selected the white model, which was significantly less expensive on Amazon ($288) than the color models ($320 - $400). You can get the color model at Costco for the same price as the white model. At the time I purchased, KitchenAid was offering a $40 Rebate, however I have yet to receive that check (8 - 10 weeks you know....) Also as a word of caution on Amazon, watch for "Remanufactured" mixers. They are less expensive, but that is a risk and decision you will have to consider. The mixer was on my door step in two days - w/ free shipping! Incredible.

I have never owned a stand mixer before, but I knew I wanted to use it to make larger amounts of bread dough than my bread maker can handle. I chose the Pro 600 after reading all the reviews that said you'll need the increased wattage to handle dough. First of all, make sure you have enough headroom wherever you want to keep it - you'll need at least 17" under the cabinet to be able to use it in place. This may be important for many people as this mixer is bulky and heavy to move - over 30 lbs. But since it has the bowl lift feature, the head does not tilt back so you don't need extra clearance - 17" will work fine. The first thing I used it for was an angel food cake and I have to say, the results were amazing. Using the wire whip, the egg whites whipped up higher than I have ever achieved with my hand mixer and in half the time! The cake was much higher and fluffier, too. The plastic bowl collar makes it easy to add ingredients during the mixing process without making a mess. Next, I made a double recipe of yeast rolls. I used the spiral dough attachment and, as directed, never went above speed setting 2. It performed very well and my rolls were perfect. I referred to the tips in the owners manual for fast rise yeast breads. The machine didn't seem to strain or struggle and the resulting dough was lovely. I also made 15 lbs. of mashed potatoes. Following the recipe and directions in the manual, the potatoes were very good. I made them in 2 batches, first using the flat beater attachment and then switching to the wire whip. It seemed like a lot of work and switching when I read the directions but actually, it is quite easy and quick to stop the machine for a moment to scrape down the sides of the bowl or change attachments. Also, the included clear plastic collar keeps things from flying up and out of the mixer when working with large batches. No more mashed potatoes across the front of my shirt! The bowl lift mechanism works smoothly and easily and is very convenient. The 6 qt. bowl has a well designed handle and is thick, sturdy stainless steel. I love the slow start feature! The mixer starts slowly before coming up to speed so you don't get the big cloud of flour bursting up at the beginning of making dough. I got the meringue color, which is a soft white that is a matte, powder coated finish. I took mine in the back of my van to the relatives for Thanksgiving, where it got banged and bumped, and the finish suffered no damage. The 3 included attachments are heavy aluminum and KitchenAid recommends hand washing them. The bowl is dishwasher safe. I haven't purchased any additional attachments but I plan to, along with an extra bowl, which I think would be very handy during the holidays. UPDATE: 10 years later, this mixer is still going strong and I have had zero issues with it. I'm so pleased with it, I bought one for my son and daughter-in-law.

EDIT after 3 months of use: I continue to really like this mixer. It's gotten a little less quiet, but is still "quiet' for a stand-mixer of this size and power. Stand-mixers in general are not quiet appliances, so expecting one which literally makes very little noise is not realistic. I am impressed by the efficiency and power of the bread hook. My ciabatta has improved greatly since switched to this machine. I do want to repeat my warning: This is not a machine you should allow children to use. If I had young children, I would not have one in my kitchen, except under lock and key. I was a kid once, so I remember trying things out even when my parents told me absolutely not to do so. The welts have long faded from the several spankings I got after I absolutely did so. In careless or unwitting hands, this is a dangerous piece of kitchen equipment. You wouldn't let your kids play with good kitchen knives or a food processor, so just add this to the list of NOT FOR KIDS. Original comments: This is in-between a commercial model and the usual stand-mixers I've used. It's not for use by children or careless teens. It's for serous cooks. There are some things about it which could present minor safety issues if you're not paying attention - such as not turning off the mixer before you lower the bowl. To repeat: the motor does not turn off when you lower the bowl. That could cause the beater to catch the splash-guard and break it. It could also splatter batter outside the bowl. However, being able to raise and lower the bowl is something that I find extremely useful, and would be disappointed if there were a switch incorporated into the stand mechanism. I broke the dough hook on my Kenmore 800 Watt 5-quart mixer, and the thing is so old now (15 years), I can't find a replacement hook for it. So I splurged on a new KitchenAid 6-quart Bowl Pro 600 model (a retail "professional" model) for about the same price I paid for the Kenmore 15 years ago. So far, it's been a pleasure. Everything has small tolerances, so that the beater and Whisk come close to the bowl. The bread-hook is exactly like the ones I've seen on commercial models. The mixer is relatively quiet compared to the Kenmore. (As it aged, I started wearing ear-plugs when using it. If I keep it, I will look for new gears to install in it.) The KitchenAid has a slow-start protocol built in, so that when you turn it on (by advancing the speed lever - there is no on/off switch) it doesn't sent a puff of flour in the air or splash liquid out (unless you go immediately to high). The Kenmore I had apparently was engineer with a fast-start; I resorted to starting the Kenmore with the beaters up and then lowering them into the bowl when the mixer had gone to it's appropriate speed. Still, if I had a lot of flour in the bowl of the KitchenAid, I'd start with the bowl lowered, and slowly ight the bowl to reduce splatter, etc. I like it because it's the closest I've seen to a real commercial mixer. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it is used in commercial kitchens for smaller jobs. I have just begun to use it, so I don't know how it will wear. If it develops problems from early wear, I'll be back to report on them.

The first four months I owned this thing I did nothing with it, and even had occasional bouts of buyer's remorse. (Well, a good stand mixer IS an investment, at least on my salary...) But then I started occasionally mixing up fresh whipped cream (to have with strawberries etc). And then I found it can make good, frothy, well-mixed hot cocoa, from pure cocoa and brown sugar (no blechy powdery hot chocolate 'mix'). And then I learned how to make matcha latte. And then I got into baking, which I'd always found too much of a pain. It's easy now. (^_^) For a while, I was using the mixer every few days. Then I managed to track down a second-hand veggie-slicing-and-dicing attachment for this thing off Craigslist, and boom, instant Cuisinart. No, forget that. BETTER than a Cuisinart, cuz you have way more control: You can separate your ingredients, chop at different speeds... whatever. Now I use it several times every day, for mixing, slicing, dough-kneading, etc. But it's built like a tank, so I'm still betting I'll be an old lady by the time it gives up the ghost. I have only three minor complaints, two of which are my own fault. ;D 1. I'm single, and so I don't really ever cook in massive batches. The 5-quart model would have been more than sufficient for my needs, or maybe even a smaller one. But... maybe I'm just being weird here, but I don't FEEL single when I have such a strong, handsome, darling mixer to come home to. (Joking! Moreover, it's well-engineered enough that despite its big bowl size, it easily mixes even very tiny quantities of ingredients. They might look lost in that big six-quart stainless-steel bowl, but they'll get mixed alright. In mixers, bowl size counts, and my mixer has a big one, AND knows how to use it. <3 ... why was I listing this as a problem again? 2. It can be tricky to get the beating attachment off, until you learn the secret, which is to take it off BEFORE you've removed the bowl. Still a touch on the fiddly side, though. 3. The dough-kneading attachment comes with a sticker that cautions you to avoid high speeds while using the kneading attachment. (sensible, no?) Trouble is, I can't remember whether the cut-off was #2 or #1 or ... Really, it should be marked on the machine itself somehow, or at least stamped on the kneading attachment. Dammit, I should have used my Brother labeling kerjigger. All other complaints I can imagine having are things like: it wasn't free, it won't do my income tax, drive me to work, or have dinner ready for me when I get home. ;D Oh, well, I guess one other thing: The colour is described as 'meringue', which is a fancy way of saying off-white. This may be your taste, but for me, I should have gotten the red one. Red is my favourite colour. :3 Fortunately I found a website that sells decals for the thing -- like, swoops of yellow-orange flames. This makes it look pretty awesome, and they stand out right nice against the 'meringue'.

Update 8/22/08 - This mixer still works beautifully. While I don't make bread daily, I do make pizza dough almost weekly and I love this mixer. It also whips cream better (because of the flatter bowl bottom design) than my slightly smaller, older KitchenAid. I'm still thrilled with this product and Amazon.com.....(Previous Review) Like the reviewer, "Cats Rule", I, too, have an old workhorse KitchenAid mixer that is about twenty-five years old and has only needed one repair throughout all of those years and hundreds of cookies and cakes. I will never let "Old Reliable" go (I had withdrawal symptoms when I had to send it to KitchenAid for the repair which took a month) but I also wanted a larger capacity mixer. I purchased this one from Amazon.com a couple of weeks ago and so far it has been fabulous. For the first time in my life I made pizza dough, three batches in two weeks, using the KitchenAid recipe, at the recommended speed of 2, and both the mixer and pizza dough are great. I did find another recipe that differed only in the amount of olive oil used (1 Tablespoon vs the KitchenAid 1 tsp) which worked even better for us (slightly less crisp crust and works beautifully with the dough hook). I found that if I use too much flour and/or too little olive oil, the mixer did vibrate a tiny bit but still kept mixing. One really great difference between the older, five quart mixer and this new, larger one is the shape of the bowl. The 600 Series has a slightly flatter bowl which allows better mixing without having to use a spatula at frequent intervals to incorporate the batter at the bottom of the bowl. I read all of the reviews before purchasing this mixer, which really helps, and I am looking for any sign of the gear box breaking (we haven't taken it apart yet to see if we have a metal or plastic box). I did speak to KitchenAid before I made this investment and they said they would replace the gear box with a metal one if mine should have a problem. I intend to keep making bread or pizza dough each week, and larger batches of cookies during this first year - not only to test the mixer, but because the mixer works so well, so far, and there are so many fantastic cookie, cake, bread and pizza recipes out there! My husband (voluntarily) said that he would rather have our pizzas than any other he's ever tasted, and we can choose healthier alternatives by making our own - like canadian bacon or turkey, Italian sausage pizzas. I have noticed a difference in sound when mixing pumpkin pie ingredients, but that might be normal (and I might be overly concerned about the gear box). KitchenAid documented my concern, at my request, in case I should have a bigger problem down the road. I might also take an idea from "Cats Rule" and purchase a few other attachments from Amazon.com. I am thrilled with my KitchenAid mixer, the KitchenAid company, and always with Amazon.com!

It's a KitchenAid - of course it's good quality. they are the best working, easiest to use stand mixer available. This color fits nicely in a kitchen with stainless appliances. This prices was good. The only reason it doesn't get five stars? the beater and dough hook were plastic coated metal and the plastic started flaking off. Amazon had replacement stainless steel attachments we purchased to solve the problem.

I got it two days ago, had to go shopping yesterday but have already made 24 muffins, six dozen cookies, and four loves of bread. This is my forth Kitchen Aid. My first was one made by Hobart and it lasted fifteen years cooking for my family baking bread and other baked goods, it was really a terrific machine. The next you was made by Kitchen Aid and it lasted me six years of heavy use and while it wasn't as strong as the first I had no complaints. The third one lasted four years and it was a replacement for one I purchased and had to return. Again, no problem, I had started to use whole wheat in my bread and I gave the machine a real workout. The forth machine right from the beginning sounded noisy and the bowl would not stay in it's place due to the screw always falling out but I continued to tighten the screw and it did do the job and although it only lasted three years I was still able to turn out the baked goods. When that one blew it gears I debated getting a new Kitchen Aid stand mixer because it seemed the machine just wasn't able to stand up to what I wanted it to do. After researching what was available I ended up again ordering a new Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer and two days after I have been using it I am very pleased. The motor is not too loud at least until you move it up to the highest speed. It did turn off after eight minutes of kneading the dough for four small loaves of bread, half whole wheat and half white flour so that is a passing mark at least from me. It does get very hot and turned off after 8 minutes of kneading but that only left another three minutes for me to take over the job. Not bad at all. I don't think it would be acceptable to use the 13 cups of flour advertised to use, that would really fill up the bowl, maybe even too much. The bowl was overly full after I used five cups of flour for the 72 cookies but I also had to add four cups of chocolate chips and another two and a half cups of nuts so I would say it easily can hold ten cups of ingredients in a recipe.. I had purchased a stand mixer before this one that claimed to be heavy duty machine, strong enough to do the job, it was way less expensive and a bit too much of a temptation to replace a kitchenaid and not have to spend to much. I am going to give it away to a Hospice thrift store, it would be okay for someone who just did easy mixing. I am so happy to have a real machine in my kitchen. I hope this one can do the job for at least another three years of more? (hopefully).

I bought this mixer primarily for making breads, making my own fresh pasta and preparing desserts and have been extremely satisfied......and I am not usually easily satisfied. This mixer is heavy duty and has a big footprint. It will take up a good chunk of your counter. Probably best suited for large kitchens. But it is so beautiful, it is a showpiece. Preferred this model over the Artisan because of the all-metal gear construction and more powerful motor. If the Artisan had all-metal gears, I might have bought that one. Quality and longevity are very important to me. With the price difference being small (on promotion) it was hands down for Pro 600. Just a couple of minor issues: the bowl is quite big, larger than it looks in the picture and the attachments (dough hook, beater, wire whisk etc.) are not at shiny as they appear in the picture either. Although I knew that they were not stainless steel, the sheen is flat and they do have to be washed by hand. They do however wash very easily. Kitchenaid should consider making them from stainless steel so that they can be thrown into the dishwasher. Otherwise, awesome and strongly recommend.

Good product my wife loves it

The flat beater paint is coming out and mixing with the batter, which is really harmful. Within 10 days paint coming out with this product

Esta es una batidora profesional, es potente y de gran calidad. Muy estética y lucidora. No sirve como reemplao de una Hobart de panadería pero si que sirve para hacer volúmenes un poco más contenidos. La calidad del equipo es de primera, sin problemas aquí. El motor es muy potente y tiene buen torque. La batidora es pesada y bastante sólida. Los acabados son muy buenos. Incluye 3 accesorios de metal; batidora de huevo, gancho batodor de masas y otro gancho tipo "flat beater". No se si vaya a ser muy durable, pero lo que si puedo decir es todavía existen en la familia batidoras Kitchen Aid de 20 años y siguen dando batalla. Importante: esta batidora no tiene cabeza pivotante, es decir; la cabeza es fija y no se levanta. En lugar de eso, uno tiene que quitar el bowl haciendo un par de malabares. Esto es importante porque algunas personas prefieren que la cabeza sea la que se levante y las aspas queden en el aire. Esto es para dar mayor eficiencia en los batidos. +ME GUSTA + Color muy estético (la mía es la roja quemada) +Pesada y sólida +Excelente calidad +Motor profesional con gran torque +Accesorios de metal +Buen precio en Amazon +Variedad de velocidades +Muchos accesorios que se venden por separado -A MEJORAR - Un poco ruidosa - Cabezal no se levanta (modelos pro) Puedo decir son lugar a dudas que esta batidora es 100% recomendable. Gracias por leer mi reseña.

Came a couple days late, but less than a week. All the pieces were there and packaged nicely. My wife gave it a good workout and she was happy. She's happy, I'm happy. That's all that needs to be said.