If you’ve ever shopped for a stand mixer, you’ve likely come across the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer. Famous for its timeless design, sturdy construction, and wide color selection, the Artisan has become one of the most popular mixers for home bakers and cooks. But is it really worth the price in 2025?
In this review, we’ll cover the pros, cons, features, attachments, and performance tests of the KitchenAid Artisan 5-Quart Stand Mixer to help you decide if it’s the right choice for your kitchen.
Quick Specs
- Motor Power: 325 watts
- Bowl Capacity: 5 quarts (stainless steel, dishwasher-safe)
- Weight: 24–26 lbs
- Height: 14 inches
- Warranty: 1-year limited
- Colors Available: 40+ finishes
- Attachments: 15+ optional add-ons (pasta maker, ice cream maker, spiralizer & more)
Who Is the KitchenAid Artisan Best For?
The KitchenAid Artisan is perfect for:
- Home bakers who frequently make cookies, cakes, and bread dough.
- Multi-taskers who want a mixer that doubles as a food processor with attachments.
- Style-conscious cooks who love choosing from 40+ color options.
- Families who want a durable, long-lasting mixer that can handle everyday use.
If you need professional-grade power for large batches of bread dough or heavy-duty mixing, you may want to consider the KitchenAid Professional 600 Series instead.
Pros & Cons
Pros
- Heavy-duty, all-metal construction for long-lasting durability
- Handles most baking and cooking tasks with ease
- 40+ beautiful colors to match any kitchen
- Wide variety of attachments for pasta, ice cream, grinding, and more
- Tilt-head design makes changing attachments simple
Cons
- Not as powerful as the KitchenAid Professional line (struggles with very large dough batches)
- Tilt-head design can make it tricky to add ingredients mid-mix
- Stainless steel bowl requires thorough cleaning before first use
- Coated beaters can chip if dropped
Design & Build Quality
The KitchenAid Artisan 5 Qt Mixer hasn’t changed much in decades — and that’s a good thing. The all-metal body makes it sturdy and stable during mixing, while the tilt-head design keeps it compact for countertop use.
At around 26 pounds, this mixer is heavy enough to stay put while mixing bread dough, but still manageable to move if needed. Inside, a 325-watt motor with all-metal gears provides enough power for most home baking tasks.
Attachments & Multi-Functionality
One of the biggest advantages of owning a KitchenAid Artisan is the attachment hub at the front of the mixer. By simply removing the silver cap, you can connect over 15 optional attachments to transform your mixer into:
- A pasta roller & cutter
- A vegetable spiralizer
- A grain mill
- A meat grinder
- An ice cream maker
This makes the Artisan more than just a mixer — it’s a true kitchen multi-tool.
Included Accessories
The KitchenAid Artisan comes with:
- Flat Beater – For cookie dough, cake batters, and frostings
- Dough Hook – For bread, pizza, and bagel dough
- Wire Whip – For meringues, whipped cream, and light mixtures
- 5-Qt Stainless Steel Bowl – Dishwasher-safe and holds up to 8 dozen cookies
- Pouring Shield – Prevents mess when adding ingredients
Optional glass bowls and stainless steel attachments are also available.
Performance Test Results
We tested the Artisan with three recipes:
- Cookies: Creamed butter and sugar quickly and evenly, with no unmixed streaks.
- Whipped Cream & Meringue: Perfect stiff peaks with ½ cup egg whites, though very small batches didn’t whip well.
- Bread Dough: Produced a smooth, stretchy dough. Some light rocking occurred with stickier dough, but the mixer handled it without issue.
KitchenAid Artisan vs Professional 600
- Artisan (325W, 5 qt): Best for everyday bakers, smaller batches, lighter doughs.
- Professional 600 (575W, 6 qt): Better for frequent bread bakers, large families, and bulk cooking.
If you bake mostly cakes, cookies, and occasional bread, the Artisan is ideal. If you want a mixer built for big batches and heavy doughs, go Professional.
FAQ – KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer
Is the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer worth it?
Yes. For most home bakers, the Artisan strikes the perfect balance of durability, versatility, and style.
Can the Artisan handle bread dough?
Yes, it can knead bread and pizza dough well, but for daily bread baking or very large batches, the Professional 600 is better suited.
How many cookies can the KitchenAid Artisan make?
The 5-quart bowl can handle around 8 dozen cookies in one batch.
What attachments work with the KitchenAid Artisan?
Over 15 attachments including pasta makers, spiralizers, grain mills, and ice cream makers.
Does the KitchenAid Artisan mixer last long?
Yes, with proper care, many owners use theirs for 10+ years.
Final Verdict – Should You Buy the KitchenAid Artisan?
The KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer is a timeless classic and a true kitchen workhorse. With its durable design, versatile attachments, and stylish color options, it’s no wonder it remains the most popular stand mixer in 2025.
If you’re a home baker who wants a reliable, beautiful, and multi-functional mixer, the Artisan is an excellent investment.