KitchenAid® Professional 600™ Series 6 qt. Bowl Lift Stand Mixer in Contour Silver

So there she stands in my kitchen...a tall, gleaming, stately and classy 6-quart onyx-colored professional stand mixer. Her predecessor, a white classic 4 1/2 qt. beauty from 15 long years ago, dejectedly sobs in my pantry. :( When Whirlpool first took over Kitchenaid from Hobart in 1986, it appeared that they held the product to the same high standards for some years. However, they apparently began tampering with the stand mixers to make production costs less and profit margins higher, it seems, and ended up with a modified product. Most of us are aware of this. After all, this has also happened to the once best of the best products worldwide. At the very least, I checked to make sure this stand mixer that I purchased from BBB did in fact have the metal gear box housing rather than the plastic housing that was wreaking havoc in consumers' kitchens a while back. I am hoping that the 600 Professional series mixers are no longer being manufactured with plastic housing They did not work out very well either for Whirlpool or for its consumers! Let's get to the fun stuff: After owning the mixer for only 1 1/2 weeks, I made banana nut bread (a PHENOMENAL recipe!!), pizza crust from Mario Batali's thin crust margarita pizza recipe, chocolate chunk (chip) cookies with flaked sea salt (to die for), and I mashed cooked sweet potatoes. I did not have any problems that turned me off to the mixer. All of the above turned out fabulous!! These uses so far have not resulted in a straining motor, or uncharacteristic numbers of bowl scrapings. I love the heftiness of the stainless steel bowl and the bowl's handle, and the large, padded lift handle. These are definite improvements over my earlier 4 1/2 qt model. I will answer to complaints that I've read about this mixer: 1. Longevity: I can't attest to longevity, since I have only owned the mixer for a few short weeks. Sadly, I do not expect for it to last nearly as long as my 15-year-old KA mixer, but I have read many happy stories (and many not so happy) about Kitchenaid's customer service. Even Bed, Bath & Beyond will work with customers to solve problems. I never worry about buying anything from BBB!! 2. Gray matter from the accessories: TRUE!!!! It's a good thing that I had read stories about residue from the manufacturing process on the uncoated dough hook and flat paddle beater causing black/gray streaks in the food. They are made from aluminum. Before I used the accessories, I washed them thoroughly, and then went over them MANY times with a Mr. Cl@@n Magic Eraser knockoff before using them- rinsing well each time, until I did not notice any more black coming off. I did the same with the whisk, but I believe that is made from stainless steel. I still managed to get a very slight amount of gray streaking when I first used the dough hook. So, I "erased" it again but have not had cause to use it since. Now, should consumers have to go through that? NO That leads me to 'Why does Whirlpool/Kitchenaid ignore customer complaints for so long?' Consumers have been complaining about this streaking for a number of YEARS, just as they did the cracked plastic housing issue. With a sinking feeling, I can only surmise that they don't give a BLANK about the consumer, because as consumers, we will purchase their products anyway. We have little choice and they know it, since they pretty much own the market. 3. The dough hook and paddle can't be put in the dishwasher: NO, they CANNOT be put in the dishwasher, so PLEASE don't do it! You and the those accessories will suffer if you do. :( Due to their oxidizing, you will have more black/gray streaks than you ever thought possible! Not being able to put them in the DW has bothered many people, but it doesn't bother me. I would rather wash them by hand, dry them well, and put them away quickly. I wouldn't want them rotting in the DW, anyway. 4. Plastic gear housing: Appears to have been replaced with metal. Call KA to ask questions if you're not sure. Give them the serial number of the unit you've either purchased or plan to purchase. 5. The bowl is impossible to put on: (No it isn't) :) There is a definite trick to properly putting the bowl onto the "pins" of the lift mixer. I don't know if the tilt-head mixer is any different, but my old lift classic was the same way. Standing in front of the mixer with the bowl's handle towards the left, the front of the bowl should be angled down, and the holes of the bowl's side tabs fitted onto to the pins of the mixer (still in the front angled-down position). As it sits on the pins still in that position, push down on the back pretty forcefully with both hands until you hear it loudly snap into place. After doing it a few times, you'll become an old pro! 6. The beater doesn't reach the bottom of the bowl to mix small quantities, and the bowl has to be scraped too often: There is a bowl adjustment that have helped some people, but not others. The bowl height adjustment can be changed by working with the screw on the front of the mixer above and behind the bowl. My smaller KA mixer behaves the same way. I have ALWAYS scraped the sides and bottom of the mixer bowl multiple times on almost everything I've ever made, in order to be sure that every ingredient is incorporated. I expect this and it doesn't phase me. The problem with my smaller lift mixer was that the bowl was so small, that trying to scrape it was very difficult. I don't feel that way with this one. There is plenty of room away from where the beater stands to scrape with relative ease. 7. The mixer is heavy, and a trick to help: Yes, it is. So was my earlier version. I keep mine pushed back into an accessible corner on my kitchen counter. Of course it is still heavy to pull out...so...enter another trick. I had 4 plastic cutting mats (also purchased at BBB), where one is for beef, one for chicken, one for fish, and one for veggies. At the time I purchased them, they were hourglass shaped, not that they have to be. One side is "grippy" while the other side is slippery. Well, turns out these are the ideal size for fitting under the KA stand mixer and sliding it out effortlessly. I put the grippy side underneath and facing the bottom of the mixer, and the slippery side down against the countertop. There is over 2" left around the front of the mat that is ideal for grabbing and pulling it forward to a more suitable counter area. It works like a dream and doesn't scratch my countertop (which I make sure is crumb and dust free before sliding it out or back). 8. As of this writing, the Ice Cream Maker rebate (July 29-October 30, 2016): I have read that in order to receive the rebate when the stand mixer is purchased at BBB, the rebate must go through BBB and not Kitchenaid directly. People have reported that their rebates were denied if sent to Kitchenaid directly. I don't want to risk not getting my item, so I will send my information through BBB. That being said, leads me to... 9. The Ice Cream Maker I questioned KA about this IC maker, since many many consumers have reported that the IC maker quickly begins to leak blue goo through the seams, leaving puddles in freezers, on countertops, and oftentimes ruining them. I asked if this issue had been resolved, and the only response from KA was that if anything went wrong with it, it would be replaced. Was I wrong to expect a direct answer? It appears that they have been repeatedly replacing hundreds, if not thousands of these as they leak. Why would they not just fix the issue? It is absolutely mind boggling. I will definitely send in my IC maker rebate, but again, I am not expecting miracles. 10. USEFUL HINT about leaking grease!! (if it is NOT related to a cracked gear housing) USE your KA stand mixer more than a few times a year! If you take out your KA one day after not using it for a long time, or rarely use it, you may see oil dripping down the sides of it from the top. My old one was dripping all around the band. There is technically nothing "wrong" with the mixer. From lack of use, the gear lubricating grease can separate as it sits unused. Hence, the liquid portion takes the path of least resistance and ultimately winds up dripping down. The grease will need to be replaced by a skilled homeowner or a professional. 11. What I did not expect more than anything: The enameled finish on the bottom front of the mixer is already scratched, and a small area of paint is actually BLISTERING on the wide post behind the bowl. I plan to call KA about it. Bear in mind that I purchased it brand new in a sealed box (albeit from the BBB clearance rack for an insane price) only a few weeks ago, and have used it 4 times. By the way, always check those clearance shelves. Some of my greatest shopping bargains have been had there!! :) I love Bed, Bath & Beyond, and all things considered, I love my new KA Professional 600! I am hoping that functionally, it will be problem-free, and that the ice cream maker will not fill my life with blue goo. :)