In the KitchenAid Artisan 5 Qt Stand Mixer Review we assess the KitchenAid KSM155GBSA 5-Qt. Artisan Design Series with Glass Bowl to see how it measures up against some of the electric mixers we have used.
Using an electric stand mixer ensures users light and airy cake layers, fluffy whipped cream, and icing that’s exceptionally smooth, plus it’s much faster than stirring countless times and so much easier on your biceps. Do you need a stand mixer? No, probably not, but it sure takes away the pain of stirring and kneading. It also mixes more consistently than anyone could by hand and classes up the counter. Stand mixers give you free time to do other needed tasks while they do all the work. Also, ensuring great consistency every time you use your mixer.
We have evaluated a few stand mixers for how well they mix cake batter, cookie dough, kneaded bread dough, whipped cream and egg whites. We also looked at how easy it is to use, checking the thoroughness and accuracy of the owner’s manual, how easily you can assemble the beaters and mixing bowl, how simple the controls were to work with and of course, how easy it was to clean. Here are some of the models that beat out the rest and ahead we’ll also explain the difference between some of the bestselling KitchenAid mixers you may have been eyeing lately.
Table of Contents
Product Description
The KitchenAid artisan design series 5 quart Tilt-Head stand mixer features a premium metallic finish and elegant glass mixing bowl, adding Radiance to any kitchen. It also offers the Capacity to make up to 108 cookies in a single batch and 10 speeds to thoroughly mix, beat, knead and whip all the ingredients fast, smoothly and easily. For an even more versatile usage, Use the power hub to turn your KitchenAid into a culinary masterpiece with over 10 Optional hub powered attachments, from food grinders to pasta makers and more.
- Multipurpose attachment hub, over 15 optional attachments
- 5-Qt.(2,37 L) Glass Bowl with Measurement Markings
- 10-Speed Settings
- Tilt-head design
- Includes burnished metal flat beater, burnished metal dough hook, and wire whip, 1-year warranty
KitchenAid Artisan 5 Qt Stand Mixer Review
The full name for this mixer is KitchenAid KSM155GBSA 5-Qt. Artisan Design Series with Glass Bowl.
If you are set on a stand mixer, should you buy this one? Maybe. It’s not designed for huge amounts of heavy dough or constant use. It’s built well, but it’s not an industrial machine. It audibly strains with a double helping of cookie dough and kneading wet, thick pizza dough. With that sort of load, there’s no speed difference between setting 6 and 10, though of course you’d never knead that fast anyway.
KitchenAid has some mixers that are ostensibly a bit stronger. They’re all lift-style: instead of tilting the head back, the head sits higher and you raise and lower the bowl. We prefer the tilt-head style. The paddles never get out of the way with the bowl-lift, getting the bowl to lock in place is a jerky movement, and it takes up a lot of vertical counter space. What you do get for the extra cost of the Pro series is a better dough hook, a metal gearbox, more power, and a slightly larger bowl. Even these higher-power mixers will fall short of alternatives from Bosch and Electrolux for serious bread making, however.
This mixer also comes with a very good recipe book in addition to the splash guard. We’ve definitely tried out a few tasty recipes. The guard is a fiddley, you spill less just tilting the mixer up and putting your ingredients in. We surely do think the extra 1/2 quart and the handle are worth something though (especially for double recipes) and could justify opting for the Artisan.
This specific model has a glass bowl relative to the more popular metal style. It does have measuring units and a pouring spout. The translucency solves a problem that really isn’t a problem. Likewise, for measuring, we have metal bowls on top of a kitchen scale because dough turns out more consistent if we go by ounces instead of volume. Different recipes may benefit more.
It’s a good counter top showpiece for a very good reason: There is very little that the KitchenAid can’t do! Turn to our test’s champion for so-smooth cookie dough, cake batter, and perfectly whipped cream and egg whites. It comes with great simple basics, also you can add any accessories like a pasta maker, juicer or spiralizer. Not forgetting to mention that there are 12 fun vibrant colour options to choose from. Seriously, when it comes to mixing power, this five-quart classic is top-notch.
Related Article: KitchenAid Mini Mixer Review
What We Like About The KitchenAid Mixer
- We ordered the purple one, because it’s our favourite colour. We were so surprised even though we knew what is been, but because of the great quality. Also, there was so much Styrofoam in the box there was no way our glass bowl could have broken or any other parts. This is the best mixer we’ve seen in a very long time. Everyone and anyone who enjoys baking for a living or simply just loves to bake or cook should definitely have one of these. We want to thank the seller again. We are highly pleased with our purchased product and if there were 10 stars we would have given this item all 10.
- New or old, these KitchenAid mixers are dead-simple to repair. The motor brushes are replaceable without dismantling the unit ($10 or so and hidden beneath the black circular covers), the speed governor is mechanically adjustable, and the gearbox is straightforward and easily accessible. This means that they’re intriguing on the used market. People receive them as gifts and put them in the local classifieds with minimal use or minor flaws you can fix.
- It is a beautiful mixer and a cut above the older basic model. It feels way more substantial and we just love the glass bowl, mainly because we can see the texture of the batter. It feels like a more powerful, stronger mixer and if you have a preference for any one of its many vibrant colors, this may just be the perfect mixer for you.
- After seeing and experiencing our white icing turning grey from our much older previous stainless steel bowl. We decided to try out the glass bowl and we’re so glad we did. The paddle, scraper paddle and hook are all coated, the whisk is not, but there was no discoloration in the whipped cream that we made. The scraper paddle is awesome. So glad that this mixer came with it.
What We Didn’t Like
- Bowl threads and the connect ring are not easy to connect. When we opened the much anticipated mixer, they were not connected to the mixer. Worked for a long time following the directions carefully. Very concerned this will be a problem whenever we use it.
- The head doesn’t set, won’t lock and doesn’t lift easily.
- Glass bowl is much heavier than the metal and less durable, can easily break due its heaviness.
- Whisk attachments are very weak and need to be part of the warranty, because they break one by one until it needs to be replaced and it’s not cheap replacing them.
Conclusion
Everyone has individual needs and this stand mixer will not be to everyone’s taste, especially because of its unique glass bowl. Depending on how and why this product is used as well as how well-kept it is. The experience will vary, but one thing is for sure that this mixer really is a cut above the rest and for those who enjoy having beautiful things around them this one is a show stopper and works well if you take into consideration how to use and store correctly.