If this is you now, you need a stand mixer.
Even novice chefs know they need a stellar stand mixer as part of their kitchen appliance lineup. KitchenAid has been creating kitchen appliances for over 100 years now, which includes the KitchenAid Classic Series Stand Mixer (model K455. In this review, I’ll test the mixer out on a variety of kitchen and baking tasks, share the features and performance of this device and let you know if I can recommend it for you.
KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer
Summary
Overall, I spent many years thinking one of these mixers was too expensive and probably not worth it. I wish now I had gotten one when I first moved out on my own. Having one of these mixers not only saves time, but it saves a lot of effort, particularly with stiff doughs.
Pros
- Good size: 4.5 qt
- Works well
- Decent speed options
- Comes with 3 attachments
- Compatible with power hub and bowl accessories
- Easy to clean
- Fits under overhead cabinets
- Tilt head is convenient
Cons
- Size might not be big enough for larger families
- Bowl could use a handle
What is KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer?
This mixer is an AC-powered mixer that can automate cooking an baking tasks. This particular model is what’s known as a tilt-head mixer, since you need to unlock the head of the mixer and tilt it back to change attachments, or to add some ingredients.
What’s the difference between KitchenAid Classic and KitchenAid Artisan?
KitchenAid K455 Stand Mixer: what you get
KitchenAid’s K455 Stand Mixer is made with durable metal that can withstand many uses and it has 59 touchpoints inside the bowl to ensure mixing is thorough and even. The touchpoints refer to areas where the beater and bowl come into close contact and the more the better, since that’s what helps your ingredients get incorporated thoroughly. Regardless if using the included wire whip, dough hook, or beater, the KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer uses nine-point planetary mixing action to combine the ingredients all the way through. So what’s planetary mixing action? Planetary mixing keeps the bowl steady and has the mixing arm move around the bowl like a planet orbiting a sun.
Included in the box is one 4.5-quart stainless steel bowl, one coated flat beater, one coated dough hook, and one 6-wire whip.
The mixer feels quite heavy and it’s substantially weighted, and you definitely want that since lightweight or plastic mixers can shimmy and shift while they’re working, which could lead to them moving or falling off the counter.
The K455 Stand Mixer is made of stainless steel and comes in onyx black. It weighs 22 pounds and features a capacity of 4.5 quarts, voltage of 120 volts, and wattage of 275 watts. The dimensions of the mixer total 8.8″D x 14″W x 14″H.
Should I choose a tilt-head mixer or bowl lift?
The tilt-head design is a nice touch, as it makes it easy for users to add ingredients in between mixes. You just unlock the safety switch and then lift the head up. The technology is in contrast to other mixers that utilize a bowl lift mechanism, which instead holds the top of the mixer in place and raises and lowers the bowl.
A bowl-lift mixer.
One consideration is that tilt-head mixers need space to lift up so while you can store then underneath an upper cabinet, you’ll need to pull it out to operate it, so if you have limited space, a bowl-lift version might be better. Sometimes bowl lift mixers are a bit on the taller side, so be sure to check measurements before you buy.
Speed options
The K455 Stand Mixer features 10 speeds of mixing, theoretically making it usable for all kinds of mixing jobs regardless of what is being made with it. Changing the speed is simple, just toggle the lever on the side to the desired speed.
Capacity
The mixing bowl with this version of the KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer is large enough to handle heavy kitchen tasks at once. For reference, KitchenAid says this mixer’s 4.5-quart bowl is able to make 72 cookies, six pounds of mashed potatoes, or three loaves of bread at once.
Since the bowl is dishwasher-safe, it doesn’t leave you with a huge mess. The beater, dough hook, and 6-wire whip are dishwasher-safe, but KitchenAid warns that if you put the whisk in the dishwasher is will dull and turn kind of gray. This happened on one of my old machines, and it doesn’t change how it works in any way.
Using KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer
Using this mixer is super simple and intuitive. The bowl sits in a divot in the base and locks into place with a gentle twist. The beater attachments fit on the end and also twist and lock on. When you’re ready to mix, lower the head and lock it into place. A word of warning that there’s nothing to catch the head or ease it down, so you need to lower it carefully, lest it slam into place.
From there, start mixing.
Well there are technically 10 speeds on this mixer, it doesn’t really feel like a full 10 to me. There’s quite an incremental difference between each of the steps, and I really feel like this mixer could use a wee bit more speed and power on the higher end. With that said, the 10 speeds do offer a good range, and using it for whipping egg whites for example only takes a few minutes.
I used the KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer to make a variety of foods. I tried whipping cream, and it was able to whip it using the wire whisk attachment in
I made paleo pumpkin muffins that came together in a jiffy… as well as Apple Cider Donut cake. This mixer makes doing things like whipping eggs, or creaming butter and sugar a breeze. No more tired arms!
I made a panetone for the holidays, and used the dough hook which is perfectly made to knead breads. I found it did a great job at mixing up my panetone dough just right.
I also used it on a rather stiff chocolate chip cookie dough and had no trouble with getting about 48 cookies easily mixed in one batch. Power wise it felt like it could still handle more, but those four dozen cookies filled up the ball quite substantially and I’d be concerned that doing much more than that would overflow things.
One of the last things I tried making during my testing. Was a bowl of no need bread dough using the add on baking bowl with lid. This unique replacement bowl is made of ceramic and locks in to place the same as the metal bowl. You can mix your dough and let it rise in the bowl then tip it out onto the baking plate, clean the bowl, then use the bowl as a lid to create a hot oven-within-an-oven effect that delivers a nice crispy crust.
Optional Add-Ons
The power hub, located in front of the mixer.
To make the mixing experience even better, KitchenAid offers over 15 attachments that can be purchased separately. These work with the device’s so-called power hub, which uses the mixer’s power to carry out various tasks. Fan favorites include the pasta roller, grinder, spiralizer, and vegetable sheet cutter. There are also attachments that can assist in making other items in the bowl including burgers and ice cream.
Bread bowl with baking lid.
There’s also a cool little add-on called the Bread Bowl with Baking lid that lets you mix and bake bread in one bowl.
Overall review: KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer
Overall, I spent many years thinking one of these mixers was too expensive and probably not worth it. I wish now I had gotten one when I first moved out on my own. Having one of these mixers not only saves time, but it saves a lot of effort, particularly with stiff doughs.
This particular model is a reasonable size to fit into even smaller kitchens, yet it handles substantial amounts of food. The tilt head design works smoothly and the overall weight and heft of the mixer feels like it’s something I’ll have for a lifetime.
The three attachments that it comes with are more than enough for all of my kitchen cooking tasks, and additional attachments and options are also available. Everything is dishwasher safe too which makes cleanup easy.
Downsides?
Choosing a tilt head mixer may prove problematic in small kitchens particularly where overhead cabinets come in to play. The 4.5 quart capacity may not be ideal for bigger families. I’d also like to see a touch more power on the high end of this mixer, but even so it did handle all of my kitchen tests very well. I think having the handle on the bowl would also be helpful (which as I noted earlier you can get in the Artisan series).
But those caveats aside, I think this is a great mixer, I loved it and I can definitely recommend it for you.
The KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer sells for about $330US/$320CAD and you can get it from plenty of places including Amazon.
**A note about Affiliate Links: TechGadgetsCanada & TechGadgetsInternational is supported by our readers. Occasionally I will include affiliate links in my reviews. I do this partly for convenience of the reader (since I’ll almost always include a link to the company website or similar anyway) in case you want to read more or purchase, but I also may get a small commission from the click, which helps me keep the blog running. If you choose to use this link I thank you greatly for supporting the blog. There’s no obligation or cost to you for using these links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
