KitchenAid K45SS Classic 275-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, White
by admin on Wednesday, May 19th, 2010 | 10 Comments
KitchenAid K45SS Classic 275-Watt 4-1/2-Quart Stand Mixer, White
Perfect for kitchens of all sizes, the classic series stand mixer delivers the power and durability to mix large batches. 8 cup flour power. Powerful 275-watt motor. Versatile 10 speed control. Durable, direct drive transmission. Multipurpose attachment hub w
List Price: $269.99
Sale Price: $175.00
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I truly love this KitchenAid mixer! It’s got the power to knead my bread dough while I’m busy greasing the pans. The option of adding attachments like the Pasta Maker, the grater/slicer and the Meat Grinder make this a fantastic all-purpose mixer. I love being able to just toss in my ingredients and let the mixer do all the work. Turns making home made bread into a joy instead of a chore. I can’t believe the quality that has gone into this mixer. I think that this is one of the finest wedding presents you could get for a new bride.
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The mixer I grew up with was a Mixmaster…and when I became an adult, I bought and used Mixmasters…plural. They kept dying! They are cheaply made nowadays, not like Mom’s old workhorse.
I got to know KitchenAid first in the massive industrial size, in a school kitchen, baking large quantities for 100 people. Then I got to know KitchenAid home (nonprofessional) mixers because my sister got one, and we were doing some baking together. I decided I liked it. As soon as I had enough money to spare, I bought one for myself. This entry-level model is enough for most households.
(I use a bread machine to bake bread or prepare bread doughs for hand finishing, so I have never used my KitchenAid for kneading bread doughs. If you knead bread doughs frequently, you might want to get a higher level model with a more powerful motor.)
Mostly, I use the KA for baking cakes and cookies. I try not to bake a lot for myself, because I don’t need the weight gain. But I love baking and am really a master at it, so I look for excuses to bake…as holiday gifts, to take to the office, or to church or parties. The KA does a great job at perfectly preparing cake and cookie batters/doughs. Also, pancake, waffle, and muffin batters–but don’t let the machine run too long, it’s very efficient, and muffin batters should just be moistened, not thoroughly blended, or they turn out “flat” and tough. If you are following a recipe or directions on a box, estimate a shorter mix/blend/whip time, because this machine works a lot quicker than most directions allow for.
The whipping beater is really excellent at whipping cream or egg whites. When making waffles, or lady fingers, or madeleines, start with the KA whipping beater, then remove the bowl and fold in the remaining dry ingredients with a spatula, gently, until you don’t see flour any more; don’t overstir. That keeps the air bubbles in your superlight, airy batter for these types of whipped batters. It sounds complicated? Nah. The KA makes easy work out of such things. Don’t be afraid, give it a try.
I used to make mashed potatoes from a box, but since getting a KA mixer, I have switched to making real mashed potatoes, because it’s easy to mash using the KA.
I’ve bought a lot of attachments but not bothered to learn them, I really must get around to tinkering with them!
I wish I would have waited and saved up more to buy a KA mixer in a pretty color–the pink Susan G. Komen fundraiser model is fabulous…and lavendar. So, now I’m looking for the first excuse possible to order a pretty one in a neat color! I am totally satisfied with this entry level model, and it is great for most households. I just want a neat color, and that requires moving up to the Artisan 5 qt. model. (The attachments I have will work with any size KA mixer, they are universal.)
KA is known for its workhorse motors that last forever. I also have a five-speed hand mixer, and the five-cup food processor. I am totally satisfied with the high quality of KA appliances. They are definitely worth it! Skip the cheapie brands that have a short lifespan. Wait, save up, buy KA. (I am NOT a paid endorser! LOL)
I bought mine at W**-M***, but Amazon’s kitchen promotions and free shipping, plus occasional KA rebates, make ordering from Amazon very sensible. Go ahead and comparison shop on price, and you’ll probably conclude the same thing.
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I’ve had my KitchenAid 4.5 qt mixer for 8 years and love it! I am a cake decorator, so I use it a lot for mixing cakes and icing. It also does an excellent job of mixing double batches of cookie dough. I have started making homemade yeast bread a few times a week lately and I love using my dough hook to knead the dough. I barely get my hands messy since I don’t knead by hand anymore.
I keep wondering how long my machine will last with the way I abuse it, but it just keeps going! If I ever wear this out, I will definitely get another one, perhaps the larger one as this one barely holds three cake mixes.
They seem costly, but my Mom went through two lesser mixers of another brand in less the time that I have had my KitchenAid. Replacing multiple cheap mixers will add up quickly. This is one item that is definitely worth the money!
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This is an amazing mixer. I do a lot of cooking and this mixer has taken so much of the work out of cooking. I have used all three attachments and am completely pleased with all of them. I highly reccommend this product for the avid cook.
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I have had my KitchenAid mixer for 16 years, and I love it. I use it for everything from cakes and cookies, to cinnamon roll and pizza dough and I have never had a problem. I originally was given an Oster brand mixer as a gift, and it was pathetic. I couldn’t even mix up a cake without the thing wobbling all over the counter. My husband bought me the KitchenAid as a birthday present, and I can’t imagine doing any baking without it. I’ve shopped around, and tried the others, and would 100%recommend this to anyone looking at buying a mixer. It is the best!
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I’m one of those lucky people who has a kitchen full of top-quality appliances because I love to cook. Over almost 50 years of preparing meals and catering parties for family and friends, I’ve worn out several mixers. When the last one gave out I decided to try the Kitchenaid. After all, the brand had produced a dishwasher that I loved and the mixer certainly seemed sturdy enough.
Actually “sturdy” is an understatement; this is the most rugged, most solid mixer I’ve ever owned. It attacks the heaviest ingredients with efficient dispatch and never “walks” on the counter. On the other hand, it can be gentle with more fragile ingredients and processes. Its versatility is amazing.
The machine itself is no lightweight — too heavy to move around much so it really needs to be easily accessible on top of a counter. Fortunately it’s attractive enough to keep in full view!
There’s a locking mechanism that attaches the bowl firmly to the base so it won’t move when you turn the motor on. The three mixing attachments lock in place with a slight twist and are easy to remove. The paddle attachment is great for mixing cake and cookie batters, whipping potatoes, and blending any combination of ingredients. The wire whip incorporates air into egg whites or other blends with an impressive efficiency and the hook makes quick work of yeast doughs. It’s easy to shift the speed lever even when the machine is operating so the cook has complete control of the process.
If you love to cook and you have a limited budget you can’t go wrong if you splurge on this mixer. This machine is a winner.
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My grandmother used this mixer, my mother used it, and now I use it too (my grandmother still has her 1954 model and it runs well!). This medium-size mixer is powerful, easy to clean, and impossible to damage. It weighs, a ton so find a place on your counter and keep it there. But don’t be afraid to try anything with this machine — it can blend the thickest chocolate chip cookie dough, kneed the stiffest bread dough, and create the stiffest eggwhite peaks. If you splurge on only one kitchen tool, make it a KitchenAid mixer — and don’t forget to leave it to someone in your will, it’ll still be working long after we’re gone!
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I have owned my KitchenAid K45SS for almost 12 years and it has worked hard and performed well consistenly without need of repair. It can handle the toughest kitchen jobs without over-straining its motor. I have used it to mix batters and doughs, to grind grain and coffee, to shred cheese and veggies and grind meat and stuff sausage. I have tested it to the max and it has never let me down. It has been my best asset during the last 11 1/2 years as my family has grown from 7 to 11 in all.
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It’s not just the creme de la creme of mixers, it’s the only one you should ever own. If you’re new to Kitchenaid, I know what you’re thinking. “Gee, this is a really expensive mixer! Why would I want to pay this much when I can easily get one of a hundred other brand mixers for 50 bucks?” It’s simple — there is a reason why in every movie or television show containing a kitchen scene, you’ll see a KitchenAid mixer somewhere. It’s not just slick product placement. It’s the simple fact that there is nothing, and I mean NO OTHER MIXER that even comes close to being of the quality and durability that even the most CASUAL user would need!
For example: I discovered baking when I was 8 years old and would haul my mother’s mixer out of the bottom cabinet on a regular basis to make some increasingly divine concoction. This passion for baking continued the 10 additional years I lived at home. During that time, we went through three mixers (motors burnt out) and more than a dozen new pairs of beaters (a real pain to order). For the price of all of this, we could have easily bought a KitchenAid, which I did — as my first kitchen item in my 1st apartment at 18. I’ve been a KitchenAid owner for more than 10 years, and still on my original mixer and beaters! [grin] And . . . did I mention it mixes better and more thourough and it’s easier to clean? Yep! What more could you want?
REAL LIFE EXPERIENCE REPORT ON FEATURES:
MIXING: A big plus with a single flat beater vs a double beater is it’s WAY easier to clean! But does it mix thoroughly, yep! With its unique “67-point Planetary Mixing Action” the single beater is spiraled around “to 67 different touch-points within the bowl for quick, complete mixing.” I assure you, my old ones never did that! The single beater is 100% effective for mixing along the sides and the bottom of the bowl without additional scraping. If you find that yours is not mixing completely down on the bottom or sides, you may need to do a one time adjustment to the little screw that will raise or lower the mixing assembly ever so slightly to get the beater to just touch the bottom of the bowl.
ADJUSTING THE CLEARANCE: There are very simple and easy to follow instructions to do this in the manual but if you tossed yours, here’s how you do it:
Pace the mixer in the `unlocked’ position and raise the mixer head. There is a screw in the `neck joint’ of the unit. This is the screw that adjusts the height of the beaters. Unplug the mixer first! and then turn the screw a 1/4 to half turn counterclockwise to raise the beater OR a 1/4 to half a turn clockwise to lower the beater. If you have over-adjusted the screw then the head will not lock back so try turning the screw only 1/4 turn at a time. If you want to know if you have made a correct adjustment without filling the bowl with your next recipe, you can put a dime into the empty bowl, put the flat beater in, and turn the mixer on a very low setting. The beater should move the dime 1/4 – 1/2 inch each time it rotates around the bowl. If it does, your mixer beater is now at the exact clearance mix everything at the bottom and sides of the bowl but not so low that the beater will wear out from coming into constant contact with the bottom. I made an adjustment upward because the bottom tip of my beater had a slighly `rubbed’ look after a few uses and a 1/4 turn was all I needed. Have your husband do this so he will feel helpful.
MOTOR: No burnout! Even the motor of this model is extremely powerful; I’ve never needed to use speeds 9 or 10 — even for beating egg whites to stiff peaks! I only turned it up to 10 (it doesn’t go to 11) just once for fun. Whoooo! Watch it go! It actually blew my hair back when I did. A woman who owns a successful restaurant in my home town told me that you would only need the larger motor version if you used your mixer professionally or frequently made double batches of bread dough. This one is perfect for even heavy home use. The bowl locks into place and although I’m not ignorant enough to leave it running unattended on the countertop, it’s so heavy that it won’t vibrate off the countertop while I’m performing other kitchen duties. However, it always does such a thourough mixing job — and quickly too — that I find I rarely need to leave it at all. In fact, I find that it mixes thoroughly enough that there’s no need to mix most recipe ingredients for the full time recommended by a recipe.
ACCESSORIES: The `splash guard’ has been appropriately named “Pouring Shield.” Flour will still pouf up a bit when added while the beater is running but the mess is greatly lessened and kept off of you. I wouldn’t run the mixer without it. You’ll have to toss a bit of flour onto your face yourself so your family will know all the `hard work’ you’ve been up to in the kitchen. The pouring shield provides an easy place to add ingredients. What a bonus.
NOISE LEVEL: Yep, it’s quiet.
PRICE: It’s WORTH IT but keep checking Amazon.com for a sale price on some of the more common colors. They often go on sale for only one day at a time before going back up to regular price again and with Amazon.com’s free shipping, you can often get it for much less here than elsewhere.
PS, my grandmother willed me the one she owned for more than 40 years so now I have a black one and a white one. Both, I’m sure will last long enough to put in my own will.
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I recently purchased this stand mixer because my extremely old Sunbeam mixer was underpowered and lacked the features of the KitchenAid. Needless to say, I am extremely pleased with this purchase! I had been coveting the larger KitchenAid mixers for a while, but I was not able to justify their price tag. The 4 1/2 quart mixer is perfect for a home hobbyist/cook such as me. It has a VERY powerful motor and has handled everything I have thrown at it with ease. The recipe booklet included with the mixer is great – the pie crust and cookie recipies were wonderful, and I have never had mashed potatoes as silky smooth as the ones whipped in the KitchenAid!!! I highly recommend this mixer for its intended use – home baking and mixing (not commercial). Anyone who buys it will not be sorry!