This is the best mixer we have ever owned

In 2003 I chose the Kitchenaid heavy-duty 5-quart mixer as an anniversary gift from my employer for 25 years of employment. I chose it for my wife, who loves to bake, and had put up with me for all these many years.

Right out of the box my wife found it hard to contain her excitement. I was mesmerized how much this thrilled her. The mixer is not their top of the line model, but even the least of the models is better than almost everything else on the market. This unit came with a dough-hook, mixer arm, and a whisk. The 5-quart bowl is well-made and sturdy. The mixer itself is extremely heavy. It will not easily move from wherever you set it. It feels like it could make it through a tornado without damaging it.

The controls are simple – there is one lever on the side of the unit that can be moved through 10 speeds and off. The attachments can be placed on the unit with one hand with the bowl lowered. Once clicked in place the bowl can then be raised and locked in place with the lever located on the right-hand side of the unit. The mixer uses a planetary action to blend the contents of the bowl. The attachment moves in a circular motion while the entire attachment rotates around the bowl itself. It does a very good job of mixing even the gooiest of substances without missing anything on the sides of the bowl.

The dough-hook works well on bread recipes and this unit is so strong it does not strain the slightest, even with the heaviest of doughs. It can also whip the lightest of meringues to the heaviest cookie dough without a hiccup. The user has fingertip control of the mixer's speeds and it responds instantly. My wife loves how easy it is to setup and use, as well as clean. In the last five years she has used it at least once a week (my waistline can attest to this).

The year before last my wife and her sister went on a Christmas cookie marathon that lasted more than 12 hours. Believe me, this unit got the workout of a lifetime on that day. Her sister just fell in love with it and could not believe how well it was made. She waxed poetic about so much that my wife went out and bought her sister one for Christmas! Now there are two happy users of this appliance in our family.

Overall, my wife is more than pleased with her Kitchenaid mixer and I know that if the house caught on fire that she would send me back in to retrieve it! We will have it for the rest of our lives, I am quite sure of this.