Review: KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer!
Seduced by seeing it on The Great British Bake Off, Alex Galbinski tries out the strong, sturdy vintage design of this fab mixer while baking!
Alex Galbinski is a Jewish News journalist
As a keen home baker, I’ve always hankered after a KitchenAid stand mixer, joining a long line of others who have it on their wish list. Seduced by seeing it used on any TV show worth its flour, like the much-loved The Great British Bake Off, and the strong, sturdy vintage design, I jumped at the chance to test one out.
I excitedly took receipt of a stunning Azure Blue Artisan machine (it comes in 24 hues, including the new Kyoto Glow – pictured). The mixer, which is very similar in design to the original American-made 1930s version, came with a 4.8-litre stainless steel bowl, a three-litre bowl that is stored inside the larger one, a whip, flat beater and dough hook.
It was heavy (being made from die-cast metal) – yet, despite this, I was scared of mishandling it; somehow, the tilt-head mechanism felt fragile compared to my multifunctional plastic (and decidedly unsexy) food processor. Once I got the hang of lifting up the head to add in ingredients, fitting the attachments was a piece of cake (excuse the pun).
I decided to make challah. After analysing the instructions and doing various calculations, I worked out how much flour and which, out of the
10 speed settings, I should use to knead it.
Being able to see the dough transforming at close quarters was great, and kneading took no time at all; just two minutes in the KitchenAid is equivalent to 10 to 12 minutes of kneading by hand.
I also used the mixer to make my son’s birthday cake, as well as several others, including the obligatory lockdown banana bread. While testing it, I ate far too much sweet stuff, but it was a real delight to use. And cleaning it was a cinch – quick and without any awkward angles.
The downsides are the expense and the fact food prep accessories, such as pasta-making, processor attachments and meat grinders, have to be purchased separately. However, the mixer is very solid (hence its weight) and durable. The only other drawback is that the mixer is so pleasing on the eye, you won’t want to put it away – so you will need a counter big enough to show it off.
The KitchenAid Artisan 4.8L Tilt-Head Stand Mixer is available from www.kitchenaid.co.uk. The Kyoto Glow is priced at RRP £599.
Alex gives the KitchenAid Artisan 4.8L Tilt-Head Stand Mixer – Four and a half out of 5!
Reviewed by Alex Galbinski
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
