My KitchenAid Mixer Is A Classic
Wow. I just realized that I received my beloved KitchenAid Classic Stand Mixer sixteen years ago this month.
It was a bridal shower gift from my mother and it remains one of my most beloved kitchen tools. When my mother gave me this traditional piece of kitchen equipment, she made it evidently clear why she did so.
I never met my paternal grandmother, Nanny, because she died just a few weeks before I was born. Nonethless, my mom said I inherited many of Nanny's traits and one of those traits was a love of cooking and baking. Nanny had a KitchenAid stand mixer, and my mother thought it was only fitting that I have one as well. I never saw Nanny's KitchenAid, but I suspect it dated back to the 1930s.
My KitchenAid Classic retains a prominent place on the counter, and I've happily carted it hither and yon as we've moved across the country and up to Alaska. It's always a fixture in my kitchen and over the years I've relied on it to whip cream, mash potatoes, and mix cookie dough. Funnily enough, however, my husband has glommed on to the mixer as much as I have.
About twelve years ago, we purchased the food grinder attachment because Christopher wanted to start making his own sausages. He loves to make his own combinations and has mastered the craft of grinding various meats into savory blends. The grinder does a great job and is a vast improvement over my grandmother's vintage hand cranked meat grinder which affixes to the tabletop and requires a lot of manpower!
Did you know that when the Model H-5 stand mixer was introduced ninety years ago, one executive's wife declared it "the best kitchen aid?" Thus, the brand name was born.
Do you have a new or vintage KitchenAid? Do you have one from your granny that still works? If so, I'd love to hear about it. And, if you have a KitchenAid, what's your favorite thing to make in it? Cookies? Bread? Mashed potatoes?
--Melissa A. Trainer
Donna B. on February 14, 2010 at 05:14 AM
Mine was purchased new in the mid-70s (lift handle, don't know model number) for our restaurant. It spent 5 years there, and has been a house mixer since.
Some of the cookie recipes I have could not be made with an ordinary mixer. It would choke and die! I've got 2 bowls, 2 whips, paddle, and dough hook.
Meringues, whipped cream, whipped potatoes, breads, cookies, cakes, buttercream icing, candies. The list is long. The biggest mess I ever made with mine was pink peppermint flavored marshmallows.
Marguerite on February 14, 2010 at 06:38 AM
I have my grandmother's, and it's (I believe) approaching 50 years old. Not a grounded plug - not even a polarized plug! But all the brand new attachments work. My favorite thing I've made with it (although I make it rarely) is ice cream, with the ice cream maker attachment. Any recipe that calls for about half a bottle of vanilla and six eggs has to be good!
annk on February 14, 2010 at 07:22 AM
My mom still uses the one she got as a wedding present 61 years ago!
Vance Farrar on February 14, 2010 at 07:50 AM
We purchased the Professional Kitchen Aid ---- I don’t remember which model but was highest wattage. The power switch failed almost immediately, so we returned and got another one. This one failed the same way (power switch) after only three uses! We returned to store for complete refund. We are reluctant to try again so when I saw this article, thought we would see if this has happened to anyone else.
Douglas on February 14, 2010 at 09:16 AM
My wife found a 4-C in a thrift shop. Appeared to work fine, but smelled burned out. I started asking around and found that it could be a motor issue or it could be the gear train. We decided that there was no option but to disassemble and inspect it.
The Kitchenaid forum is quite useful, but they don't appear to have any service-manual for this "baby" model. With the K45 manual and online advice as my guides I set to the inspection. The planetary gears were just fine, but the grease had hardened. The motor looked fine also, and although I couldn't find anyone with a "growler" to check the armature a pole-to-pole check was fine.
The new kitchenaids come with a thixotropic "food safe" grease and word on the forums was that this will run out into the bowl on the antiques, which aren't sealed to prevent this. In researching the best possible grease options, I ended up with the "red" grease from Tractor-Supply as you would use on a baler.
Upon reassembly I still get some sparking from the motor brushes, and some smoke when run at the lowest speed. I suspect one of the brushes got reversed at one point before our getting this, so they need to bed in. I may try new brushes to help this. I really don't know a thing about electric motor service.
Anyway, it looks lovely, and now I just need to find a bowl...
Earl on February 14, 2010 at 09:49 PM
Inherited our KitchenAid from my grandmother, who got it in about 1950. Had to replace the cord, which was fraying where it enters the machine, but otherwise, it works like a champ. We have the orange juicer, sausage maker, slicer/shredder, and probably some other stuff, as well. There is almost nothing you can't do in the kitchen with this machine! I'm going to be looking for the pasta maker after reading the comments here.
Vernon Bishop on October 02, 2010 at 04:31 AM
I have some answers for all the people who have many questions about the Kitchenaid mixer.
First, not all the KitchenAid mixers used the same beaters. The model H rotated the opposite way from all the rest of the mixers, and, thus the beaters from newer KA's will NOT fit the model H.
The model G and the Hobart N50 are, essentially, the same mixer. The first N50's had a flat back just like the Model G. They use the same beaters, but are both not compatible with the model K and later mixers.
There were various other models that used different parts, so they wouldn't be used with the Model K and later mixers. There was one with a rotating bowl and dual beaters, called the model A, (Kaidette).
The model 3 and 4 used a single combination beater, and they weren't designed to use the dough hook or flat beater.
That leaves the model K and later models, including the K5 series and later. the Model K was a 3 quart mixer that originally had three speeds. The model K4 had 10 speeds and had a 4 quart bowl. it also had a larger beater and whip and dougn hook. Then the K4B came along, that modified the concept a little more. The one you have, most likely, is the K45. that came out in 1962 and is still built today, (though with a solid state speed control design, like yours is).
Then whilpool buys out KitchenAid and the Ultra Power is introduced with increased power. It came in many cool colors like it does today.
Then, there's the Artisan, Custom Metallic and 90th Anniversary series. They have a 5 qt bowl and 325 watts of power. The 90th has a single paint scheme, (candy apple red), and glass bowl. The custom metallic came in three exotic metals, (brushed nickel, satin copper, and chrome). As everyone here probably knows, the Artisan comes in many colors.
Then, there are the new line of mixers, such as the Accolade, Pro 5, Pro HD, Pro 5 Plus, Epicurean, Pro 6 and Pro 6xx lines. They were introduced back in 2000 or so, and they were the "next generation" of the KA mixer. they look much like the Model K line, but have a one piece head and much more power. The Accolade is now sold in Canada and other places, but, as everyone here is aware, the other series are sold here.
As for the attachments that fit in the hub, they will fit, however, KA does not recommend the older mixers using the pasta and grain mill attachments because of the weaker motors in the older ones. (not my words, but the KA moderators on KA conversations words...)
Hopefully this answers your questions,
Vernon
Lala on December 23, 2010 at 03:24 PM
My mother gave me her Kitchen Aid stand mixer several years ago. It's the one she used when I was a little kid, and I'm now 42. I use it now with my kids. I have only boys, but one of them loves to cook with me, and I hope to pass it on to him someday. I couldn't cook without it.
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