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Rating:

8/10

KitchenAid’s beloved tilt-heaD stand mixer is generationally renowned for its durability, efficiency, and often, longevity—making it a staple in wedding registries and among new homeowners since 1919.

My family has an heirloom collection of four KitchenAid stand mixers that spans generations: a 1963 model from when KitchenAid was a subsidiary of the larger Hobart; a 1990s model; and a more recent 2017 KitchenAid Artisan 5-quart tilt-head stand mixer. They all keep trucking along with careful usage and upkeep. There have been subtle design changes over the years, with newer models offering extensive colorways and upgraded attachments, such as the wooden bowl included with 2024’s Evergreen Design Series stand mixer. But on March 30 of this year, the news broke that for the first time in over 70 years, KitchenAid is revisiting its stand mixer blueprint with a new Artisan Plus tilt-head stand mixer model.

I tested my family’s lineup of original KitchenAid stand mixers head-to-head with the new Artisan Plus to see if the upgrade is worth it.

Torch Bearer

KitchenAid mixers have always been a focal point atop many counters. Now, with the Artisan Plus, there are new color options and a new “crinkle finish” textured coating. This offering comes in two new colors, Wild Blueberry and Sun-Dried Tomato, as well as traditional satin-metallic Iron Ore Bronze and Oat options. My test unit was the crinkle-finish Wild Blueberry; its matte appearance reminded me of stucco siding. The finish doesn’t hide sprinkles of flour or ingredients that splash out of the bowl, but cleanup was no worse than with my metallic 2017-era stand mixer. Both are easy to wipe down.

There is a $100 price difference between the Artisan Plus and Artisan models. However, the Artisan Plus’s features are small but mighty, and make the cost difference seem like a bargain, especially in higher-stakes recipe scenarios. This upgraded model has a more powerful 350-watt motor compared to the Artisan series model’s 325 watts. With the Artisan Plus’s increased intensity also comes the new precision speed control. Twist the knob of the Artisan Plus and you engage half-speed settings, so you can move between two and 2.5, all the way up to 11. Previous generations capped out at 10 speeds.

The Artisan Plus’s “Soft Start” feature gently transitions between speeds. Coupled with the LED light situated above the mixing bowl, it makes managing the most delicate of recipes exact. While I compared the Artisan Plus and Artisan series models, I found that the addition of the bowl light and precision mixing speeds alone made it worth the slightly higher price point. I’d often stop mixing to visually check progress with my Artisan series stand mixer, while the Artisan Plus could chug right along without breaking its stride thanks to its light.

Mix-and-Match

Taking a glance at the KitchenAid attachments of yesteryear, it’s evident that the Artisan Plus is an upgrade. Its whire whip, dough hook, flat beater, and new double-edge beater attachment are all stainless steel, sleek, and heavy. Apart from what I had on hand for the ’64 mixer (most attachments were lost to time), the older mixers had a combination of aluminum and powder-coated attachments to work with. All attachments, regardless of mixer generation, are designed to be top-rack dishwasher-safe; that’s still the case with the Artisan Plus’s extras, too.

I set up each mixer side by side and had them all make the same recipe at the same time. While my pseudo test kitchen was chaotic, it was insightful to see the generational differences in action and even the slight design changes over time. The Artisan Plus’s footprint did not take up any more space compared to previous generations. It also doesn’t look fundamentally different from the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer, or even the 1990s model.

During my breadmaking process, there were clear visual improvements between each generation’s newer mixer, with the Artisan Plus doing the best job of the bunch. All the wire whips were sufficiently precise for incorporating dry ingredients, but bread hooks showed incremental improvements in folding both wet and dry ingredients together. Noise and stability didn’t exceed deafening levels, unless you were to crank up speed to the max—then all the mixers’ tilt heads bounced around, battling the dough in the mixing bowl. This is to be expected, as bread is the one area where mixer engines typically burn out with overuse—a longtime issue with KitchenAid tilt-head mixers. For this reason, I wouldn’t plan on imitating a commercial bakery with the Artisan Plus on a daily basis. The brand’s bowl-lift stand mixer is a better alternative, as the bowl’s proximity to the attachment is adjustable. This can help with denser recipes, larger batches, and overall stability, since the top of the bowl-lift mixer can’t be moved.

The Artisan Plus did a much more thorough mixing job than the competition, but I wouldn’t chalk that up to the attachments themselves. It was more the speed control that got the job done. The heavier attachments were no doubt sleek, but I was partially expecting them to provide more exact mixing with the added weight and torque. Turns out it was the other features hard at work.

The double-flex edge beater is an all-new attachment that’s included with the Artisan Plus. It’s designed to save you time by eliminating the need to scrape the mixing bowl's edges. Previous Artisan series generations offered a one-sided beater attachment featuring a silicone scraper edge on the flat beater. Two scraper edges definitely clean things up and save you time from having to do it manually; however, you still have to stop and pop in the attachment if you weren’t already using it. During breadmaking, the initial fold wasn’t working for me with just the bread hook. This added step of using the double-edged beater helped fold things in evenly.

The upgraded pouring shield was also helpful thanks to its rubber grips, which made it “click” into place atop the bowl. Its security offered much more peace of mind, especially with the Artisan Plus's added speeds. Compared to the 2017 model’s splash guard, which just sits atop the mixing bowl, this one is a noticeable addition—especially when things get messy.

Let It Shine

The downside of breadmaking in a KitchenAid mixer is having to constantly check that your ingredients are fully incorporated. Oftentimes, they needed a helping hand to knead the bottom crumbs of flour and butter stuck at the bottom of the bowl, which the attachments couldn't reach.

If you're using an Artisan Plus, unlock the head and tilt it up. Once you do, a light will automatically and gently turn on—it’s not like accidentally shining a flashlight into your eyes. It’s located directly behind the attachment extension and is meant to illuminate the inside of the mixing bowl as you work. It’s a small detail, but the added convenience of seeing what you’re making is enough to make you wonder how you’ve been operating without all this time. Even with the other upgrades to the Artisan Plus mixer, it was the bowl light itself that made the cost increase worthwhile in my book.

The Artisan Plus is just the latest among KitchenAid’s tilt-head models. There’s also the bowl-lift series for bigger-batch recipes, the KitchenAid Artisan Series, Ultra Power Artisan Plus Series, and, of course, the KitchenAid Classic Series. Picking the best stand mixer for you comes down to what you need it for; the Artisan Plus would be my go-to for home-baking enthusiasts. However, it’s still got versatility on its side, getting the job done shredding meats, making fresh pasta with the external attachment, or even helping beginners get a clear view of what’s happening.