KitchenAid Pro 600 Series 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer - KP26M1X

EDIT after 3 months of use: I continue to really like this mixer. It's gotten a little less quiet, but is still "quiet' for a stand-mixer of this size and power. Stand-mixers in general are not quiet appliances, so expecting one which literally makes very little noise is not realistic. I am impressed by the efficiency and power of the bread hook. My ciabatta has improved greatly since switched to this machine. I do want to repeat my warning: This is not a machine you should allow children to use. If I had young children, I would not have one in my kitchen, except under lock and key. I was a kid once, so I remember trying things out even when my parents told me absolutely not to do so. The welts have long faded from the several spankings I got after I absolutely did so. In careless or unwitting hands, this is a dangerous piece of kitchen equipment. You wouldn't let your kids play with good kitchen knives or a food processor, so just add this to the list of NOT FOR KIDS. Original comments: This is in-between a commercial model and the usual stand-mixers I've used. It's not for use by children or careless teens. It's for serous cooks. There are some things about it which could present minor safety issues if you're not paying attention - such as not turning off the mixer before you lower the bowl. To repeat: the motor does not turn off when you lower the bowl. That could cause the beater to catch the splash-guard and break it. It could also splatter batter outside the bowl. However, being able to raise and lower the bowl is something that I find extremely useful, and would be disappointed if there were a switch incorporated into the stand mechanism. I broke the dough hook on my Kenmore 800 Watt 5-quart mixer, and the thing is so old now (15 years), I can't find a replacement hook for it. So I splurged on a new KitchenAid 6-quart Bowl Pro 600 model (a retail "professional" model) for about the same price I paid for the Kenmore 15 years ago. So far, it's been a pleasure. Everything has small tolerances, so that the beater and Whisk come close to the bowl. The bread-hook is exactly like the ones I've seen on commercial models. The mixer is relatively quiet compared to the Kenmore. (As it aged, I started wearing ear-plugs when using it. If I keep it, I will look for new gears to install in it.) The KitchenAid has a slow-start protocol built in, so that when you turn it on (by advancing the speed lever - there is no on/off switch) it doesn't sent a puff of flour in the air or splash liquid out (unless you go immediately to high). The Kenmore I had apparently was engineer with a fast-start; I resorted to starting the Kenmore with the beaters up and then lowering them into the bowl when the mixer had gone to it's appropriate speed. Still, if I had a lot of flour in the bowl of the KitchenAid, I'd start with the bowl lowered, and slowly ight the bowl to reduce splatter, etc. I like it because it's the closest I've seen to a real commercial mixer. I wouldn't be at all surprised if it is used in commercial kitchens for smaller jobs. I have just begun to use it, so I don't know how it will wear. If it develops problems from early wear, I'll be back to report on them.

I bought my first KitchenAid mixer, the "Artisan" model, almost 20 years ago. It was still going strong and looking great, but I needed something bigger for my home based baking business. After researching a variety of products, I decided to stay with KitchenAid and buy the KP26 Professional 600 Series. After a holiday baking season in which I produced hundreds of cookies, cakes of all sizes and countless loaves of bread, I'm convinced that I made the right choice. There's a new feature - no matter what speed the mixer is set to, the paddle moves very slowly at first rather than jumping right up to speed. This prevents a cloud of flour or powdered sugar from popping out of the bowl and settling all over the kitchen. This might not seem like a big deal, but anything that reduces clean-up time is a plus. The pour-shield fits snugly around the top of the bowl and stays in place. It makes getting ingredients into the bowl much easier, and also keeps them in the bowl and off the counter. No more whipping cream or meringue splatters all around the mixer. I grant that the motor is noisy, but given the ease with which it handles large batches of bread dough, cake batter and decorator icings, I'm fine with it. The 6-quart bowl is huge! It is also very heavy, especially when filled with dough, but the handle is well designed and relatively easy on the hand. I have a bit of arthritis in my hands, so it's sometimes tricky for me to get heavy batters into the pans, but this is a minor issue in a product whose overall quality surpasses that of anything I've ever used. My one negative experience was with a defective starter switch. I had to tinker with it to get the mixer to come on, but I called Customer Service and got friendly, courteous service. A new mixer was sent right away, and meanwhile, I devised a method for getting the mixer to operate reliably, so all my baking was done as it should have been. The new unit arrived sooner than I expected, and worked perfectly. If it hadn't been for the excellent customer service, I'd have deducted a star from my rating, but my overall experience has been so positive that I felt that a 5-star rating was justified. If you regularly bake bread and/or make lots of big batches of other baked goods, this mixer is well worth the investment. I expect to be mixing away for years to come. Oh, and did I mention that the mixer is red and absolutely gorgeous?

When I bought the recent Costco model, I was intrigued to find out what was hiding behind the Costco brand Kitchenaid model. Interestingly enough, it turns out to be a Williams-Sonoma 610 model. This got me asking what is the difference to the 600 model, and why does a 610 model even exist? After taking my Costco model apart, doing a significant amount of research, and acquiring the 7 qt model and investigating it, I came to the following conclusion: All models, the 600, 610, 620, 6000, 6500, 7qt residential, 7 qt commercial, and 8 qt are essentially all the same models. They have the exact same form factor and with the exception of the 6000, fit the same beaters and bowls. They differ mainly in motor, transmission, bowl, and beater (that needs to match bowl size). And some models have plastic knobs whereas other have metal ones. 600: This is the base model. A few years ago Kitchenaid changed the transmission case, that holds some sprockets in place, to plastic. This was changed back to the old metal cast case from the 6 Series now. It has a 575W AC motor. 610: Is the same as the 600 with the same transmission, but a different 590W AC motor. I doubt that the extra 15W this motor is rated for makes a difference. The 600 model collected a lot of critic from people doing heavy doughs. My assumption is that Williams-Sonoma requested a more robust motor, perhaps with higher torque. The control electronic is a very simple triac motor control. It looks similar to the 600 control, but has the hall speed sensor soldered on. It also misses the IC from early 600 models. The wire whip is not the one from the 600, but the one from the 7 and 8 qt models. The Costco model has metal flat and hook beaters instead of the coated ones. 620: Is a 610 in fancy colors. 6000 HD: It has an entirely different transmission and motor than the 600, 610, or 620. My assumption is that the transmission is the same as in the 6500, 7qt and 8 qt models. The motor may or may not be the same. The 6000, like the 6500, is rated as 1 HP. It could be the same motor from the 7 qt and 8 qt and might be electronically limited or simply derated on paper. The bowl, and therefore the beaters, are totally different than on the 600 models. The bowl is taller and narrower. Because the pins that hold the bowl are narrower, you can only fit 6000 bowls, but not those from the 600, 6500, or 7 qt, 8 qt models. This is by the way also the old Costco model. 6500: Appears to be a 7 qt model, derated for 1 HP with a fancy 6 qt bowl. The cover of the planetary gear facing the bowl looks more robust. 7 qt: Its motor is rated for 1.3 HP. The 7 qt appears to fit all the bowl from the 600, I actually tried this out, even with 7 qt beaters. In reverse, the 600 fits bowl and beater of the 7 qt. 8 qt: In all likelihood a 7 qt model with a bigger bowl and a finger guard. Motor is rated the same. It should fit all 7 qt and 600 model bowls. The 7 qt and 8 qt also exist as commercial versions with an orange power cord and a commercial use warranty. Otherwise, my assumption is that they are the same as the residential models. Confused, yet? What should you pick? In my opinion the biggest differentiator is the AC vs DC motor, not because the motor is AC or DC, but because of torque, transmission, and speed control design. The DC motor of the 6000, 6500, 7 qt, and 8 qt models is significantly beefier than the one of the 600 Series. The DC motor uses a digital PWM speed control that holds speed exactly and increases torque as needed. The 6000 and 6500 may or may not have the same motor as the 7 qt and 8 qt models, but are rated with 25% less power. As I said, this might be paper derated or electronically limited, or actually it has a slightly smaller motor. The DC models also are significantly quieter than the transmission and motor combo of the 600. The 600, 610, and 620 use a very primitive triac control. The 610 and 620 have a slightly more robust motors but use the same transmission as the 600. The triac control will not increase torque as well while holding speed, which specifically will be noticeable with heavy doughs. These models are very noisy. Because of their simpler design, the 600 Series is cheaper to repair than the DC models. Sprockets are a couple of bugs and even the speed control is inexpensive. The 6000 HD appears to be the oddball when it comes to bowls. It uses narrow bowls that need their own narrower beaters. All other models use the same bowls. Now, it might make little sense to put an 8 qt bowl into a 600 where the motor is not strong enough. The dough hook might be the same, but you need more force. The wire whip has more wires on the 610 and up models. I do not see why it should not work on the 600. The real difference is in the flat beater. While you mostly can use the larger (flat) beaters with smaller bowls, like use a 7 qt beater with a 6 qt bowl, if you use a 6 qt beater with a 7 qt bowl, you just do not reach the top of the bowl. The 3 qt bowl should fit all models, even the 6000 model, because it has holes for the narrower pins, and comes with its own beater. The dough hook exist in stainless, aluminum and coated aluminum. The flat beater exist as stainless, aluminum, coated aluminum, or with a silicon lip that saves you from interrupting and scraping the bowl walls. The wire whip is always stainless. Only stainless and coated aluminum can be washed in the dish washer. Some people complain about the coating flaking over time. While various packets exist that bundle coated or none coated versions, only the commercial 7 qt and 8 qt version contain stainless beaters. Beaters are quiet pricey but can purchased after market, even from third parties. Depending on the sale you are getting, the price difference between the models might not be actually that much. I would not get a 6000 because of the weird bowl shape that locks you in. I found the price difference between the 7 qt and 600 models to be about $100 with the right deal, the 6500 actually could be more expensive. The 600 comes in all kinds of colors, of this is important to you. All other models are limited in colors. I decided for the 7 qt model because I wanted to make pizza and bread doughs and simply bought 5 qt and 3 qt bowls for the smaller jobs. I would buy an 8 qt bowl if I ever needed it. I hope this information makes it easier for you to make your own decision. On the picture, left the 7 qt model, and right the Costco 610 model.

First, let me say Amazon is super-swift in processing orders. I ordered on Sunday (19th) & received in excellent condition (UPS, of course) late morning on Thursday (22nd). Not expecting to receive until Saturday at the earliest. It didn't prove to be a problem on this shipment but there was a sticker on the outside of the box stating that the packing slip was inside the box. There was no packing slip anywhere. I would like to address the negative reviews on this mixer: 1. Beaters clanging side and/or bottom of bowl: I tested with water in the bowl & the beater did touch the bottom in one place - MY ERROR. Bowl was not seated properly on the back side of the bowl. Before realizing it, I moved the set screw & could not tell any difference. It took me about one minute to figure out it was operator error. I readjusted the set screw back to the manufacturer setting as there was obviously no need to change it in the first place. 2. Space, Height, Weight and Tilt Head versus Fixed Head: Being a fixed head actually takes up less space than a tilt head because you're not forced to move it toward the front of the counter in order to use it. Having to move the mixer to tilt the head would mean you would be using even more valuable counter space. My husband is a builder (built our house) & he installs cabinets/countertops to a normal standard. We have at least 2-3" between the top of the mixer & cabinet allowing for heat to escape & to cover the unit without moving it. This mixer only weighs maybe 2 lbs. more than the lesser wattage models. The only time you would need to move it is to give your counter a more thorough cleaning. Yes, it will take some getting used to inserting & taking the bowl out but I think I can manage. This unit is so convenient I may never use a hand mixer again. Ridding myself of the hand mixer would certainly free up an already busy cabinet. 3. Inability to dishwash beaters: Not a problem for me as I only cook for my husband & myself. I clean as I go so the kitchen won't look like an impossible task once I've finished eating. My mother cooks without cleaning during prep & it looks like Hurricane Katrina has taken up permanent residence before she begins cleanup. Since I don't normally use my dishwasher just cooking for 2, I might find it more problematic if I cooked for 4 or more. 4. Mixing 14 cups of flour: I know KitchenAid touts that on the label & in the product description but to me, I don't want to push an appliance to unreal limits. I have to wonder what people are preparing even using 10 cups of flour! Wouldn't it be simpler for them to just spring for a bread machine? 5. 6-Quart Mixer too big for small batches? Why would it make a difference when the beater moves through every part of the bowl? I certainly don't understand why that comment was made. That pretty much sets the record straight on the negativity in the reviews I read. I chose the Nickel Pearl color because it's neutral & will go with any decor. Fingerprints don't show on this color since it is not a shiney finish. "Flour puffs" probably won't show should I overlook one. (By the way, I used a box brownie mix to test it as I was pressed for time & there were no "dust plumes." Although I didn't need it I inserted the pour spout cover just to examine clearance for adding ingredients. The slow start eliminates flying flour). I'm not a flashy gal so red, blue or black were never considered. Why bother with color when I plan to keep it covered anyway. My recommendations are: If you cook, buy good equipment. Looking back, I could kick myself for making me so miserable in the kitchen with cheap stuff. You'll enjoy cooking with the right equipment. And your cooking ventures will prove it to you. Go for the wattage whether you think you need it or not. Cooking habits & desires change with time & circumstances. With this model, you get metal beaters whereas on the lesser models, the flat & dough beaters are plastic. Make sure the mixer has metal gears, not nylon or chances are really good you'll be shopping again soon for another mixer because the nylon gears are stripped. If it's not stated that it has metal gears, it probably has nylon. I did notice on my KitchenAid mixer bowl that the bottom of the stainless bowl where it's concave is finished differetly from the rest of the bowl & left a black substance on my counter top. It wiped up easily but now I know to use a silicone mat or marble hot plate to protect possible damage to my counter. If there's something to dislike about this mixer, it's that there's not as much batter left on the beater for me to lick clean as there was on the beaters of my old glorified Sunbeam mixer diguised as a stand mixer.

This was a gift for my wife for Christmas. She was looking for one for years and I found this one on sale for a really good price here on Amazon. Unfortunately it wasn't the exact color she would have gotten herself, it was a gift nonetheless. What I don't understand is why there is such a huge price difference between colors of the same model? I'm guessing supply and demand? What I can say about this machine? Well she LOVES it. It makes cooking/baking a so much easier and faster. My wife makes a homemade pizza for the family every Saturday. She used to spend I would say at least 25-30mins mixing and kneading the dough. Now she just adds the ingredients into the bowl and turns it on. It does everything within a couple minutes. She does still do a small amount of kneading after it's completed by the machine, but it saves so much time! The machine and accessories are easily cleaned. We did have to make a slight adjustment to the set screw behind the bowl to adjust the height of the scraper in the bowl. It's not as loud as I would think as this model looks to have the largest motor of the stand up mixers. There was a slight imperfection of the paint on the front end of the mixer, although it doesn't affect the performance of the machine. But for the price these machines are going for you would like to have a perfect machine, both mechanically and aesthetically. I have read reviews abut the gears going bad on the stand up mixers. I'm not 100% sure if these gears have been replaced with metal ones verse the prior plastic ones that failed after several years. I guess time will tell for that as I have no intentions on opening up the machine to confirm the gears. I have not been able to find a nice cover for this model. There's plenty of covers for the smaller versions available. Worse case I just sew one up for it. Overall I'm happy with the purchase, but most important is that my wife is happy with it and that she is!

My original review was 2 stars, but has now been amended to 5! Original review below for reference... now on to the new review! I love it! I made a big batch of chocolate chip cookies and about six loaves of bread. This mixer plows right on through it! Some reviews mention noise being a factor. Well, true, it's not a quiet machine... but... it's also about how I would think a 575 watt electric motor driving a high torque steel gear set would sound. This is a powerful machine so it's not going to be whisper quiet. The 6 quart bowl is bigger than I though it would be which is great! It will easily be able to handle doubled recipes and the like. The dough hook does an awesome job! So much better than the 'C' type hook on my little Hamilton-Beach that this is an upgrade from. I'd definitely recommend this machine if you're serious about your baking! ---------------------- Original review: I'm disappointed to report that the mixer I was sent apparently has something wrong with the gears. Once per cycle, the rotation would catch for a moment rather than being one fluid rotation. If the mixer happened to stop in the position where it caught, the mixer would take several seconds before it started moving again. I'm really sad this wasn't working properly as I was looking forward to a Sunday of breadmaking. In the meantime, I'm going to have to drag out my little $85 Hamilton Beach that this was going to replace. 5 Stars to Amazon though for their replacement policy. Submitted the replacement request at 10:10 PM Saturday night and the new one should be here by Tuesday at the latest. Keeping fingers crossed that the new one doesn't have any problems! ***UPDATE EDIT*** Again, 5 stars to Amazon for the quick replacement. Received the replacement on Monday afternoon after only sending the request in on Saturday night. The replacement seems to be in good working order. Now that I've opened a second one, I suspect that the original was a return that somehow got back into the 'new' channel. With the first one, the various attachments were all in the bowl and it was shipped in the regular box. On the replacement, the paddle and dough hook were in slots in the styrofoam and the whisk was attached to the mixer. Also, it shipped in an outer brown cardboard box rather than just the internal "pretty" box (the one with photos etc. printed on it) that you would see at a store. Once I get a chance to put it through its paces, I will re-review. ----------

I purchased this mixer after an inexpensive mixer I received as a gift died while trying to knead bread dough. I expected this new mixer to knead my dough like an Olympic weightlifter would lift a bag of dogfood. It hasn't worked that way. My two-loave recipes make this mixer work hard. At the beginning, I was frustrated that the mixer overheated and temporarily shut down while kneading. However, as my breadmaking and familiarity with the mixer improved, the shutdowns ceased, and the mixer has helped me make some wonderful breads and other goodies. Other heavy-duty appliances (such as my Greenstar 300 juicer) took a bit of time to get used to, and I think my initial difficulties with this mixer were just part of the adjustment process. This mixer makes baking much, much easier, faster, and more fun. It is fairly easy to use, and it looks fine. It is easy to clean, and it continued to look like new after many uses. A number of other reviews state complaints about this mixers performance, largely of the nature: this is not built like my grandmother's Kitchenaid. I don't have my grandmother's mixer around to compare with this one. That said, this mixer feels solid, and seems to have a good deal of power. I did encounter a problem with it after several months of use, though. Part of the rotation path seemed to lose most of its power. It was as if some gears had become stripped. I had read the manual and followed all of the usage guidelines, so, I was disappointed to encounter a problem. I am tremendously impressed with the superior, "old-fashioned" service I received when I called Kitchenaid. I talked with a customer service rep without delay, and after about 1-2 minutes talking with her, she offered an excellent solution: "We will send out a replacement immediately. We ask that upon receipt of the replacement, you place your old unit in the same packaging and use the pre-paid label to return it to us." I could not ask for a better remedy. Two business days later, my replacement arrived, and it was a snap to swap out the mixers and get the old one sent off. Obviously, I would have preferred to have no difficulties with the first mixer, but these things happen. The wonderful customer service gives me confidence in Kitchenaid appliances--even if they are no longer built like my grandmother's mixer was.

I performed extensive "Review" research on this product, along with other KitchenAid models, as well and other manufacturers products. I also consulted with several friends who have KitchenAid mixers. My primary usage of this mixer will be for making bread, therefore, I selected the Prof 600 series primarily because of the larger and heavier duty motor. The bowl-lift model vs the tilt-head model was also a big consideration. It seems like the more Reviews I read, the more elements of consideration were introduced. The Reviews talk about everything from not being able to put the beater attachments in the dishwasher, to the noise of the motor, issues surrounding an old problem of self-destructing gear boxes, lift vs tilt head, and bowl height adjustment. I guess I am one of the lucky one because I have not experienced any pain from any of these "Review" issues. The KitchenAid Professional 600 stand mixer which I received was in perfect physical condition, all attachments (as advertised) were included, it runs fine, and makes great bread dough. I am very pleased with the product. The lift mechanism takes conditioning, only because it is different. Once you get used to it, it's fine. The larger mixing bowl and a strong motor is a must if you are mixing large quantities (6+ cups flour) of bread dough. Where to buy from....... The Prof 600 and/or similar custom 'packages' are available from multiple sources. I narrowed down my purchase selections to Costco or Amazon. Costco's custom package for this unit does not include the bowl splatter shield, which is a nice feature when adding flour. Costco and Amazon's prices were very close - at the time I believe Costco was $11 more, but Costco will run specials from time to time (for example today, you can get the same mixer for $249 at Costco - that's a savings of $50). Since I live five hours from the closest Costco, shipping was a consideration, however both Amazon and Costco offer free shipping - so that became a non-issue. Costco has a, 'no questions asked' replacement / return policy, which from my experience, Amazon is similar. It came down to the bowl shield and I chose to order from Amazon. Keep in mind; I selected the white model, which was significantly less expensive on Amazon ($288) than the color models ($320 - $400). You can get the color model at Costco for the same price as the white model. At the time I purchased, KitchenAid was offering a $40 Rebate, however I have yet to receive that check (8 - 10 weeks you know....) Also as a word of caution on Amazon, watch for "Remanufactured" mixers. They are less expensive, but that is a risk and decision you will have to consider. The mixer was on my door step in two days - w/ free shipping! Incredible.

Acordé a la marca, buen producto

Good product my wife loves it

The flat beater paint is coming out and mixing with the batter, which is really harmful. Within 10 days paint coming out with this product

Came a couple days late, but less than a week. All the pieces were there and packaged nicely. My wife gave it a good workout and she was happy. She's happy, I'm happy. That's all that needs to be said.

Finally got one and haven't been disappointed. This is good value considering it is built extremely well to last. Powerful motor mixes everything. Lots of attachments.