My trusty Kitchen Aid – how would it compare?
I was recently challenged by Kenwood to try out their Kenwood Chef against my beloved Kitchen Aid to see how I thought the two machines would compare. I was really keen to give this a go.
The Kenwood Chef Titanium
Kitchen Aid stand mixers seem to be so popular and have been for many years. They are a lifestyle choice for so many people. What does it say about you and your kitchen to have a snazzy top of the range mixer permanently gracing your kitchen counter? Sounds silly, but I think lots of people see it this way – they can’t be taken seriously as a keen home cook without one, perhaps? I have to say though; they are a complete lifesaver for professional bakers and keen cooks just like me. The stand mixer has completely revolutionized the way I cook, which has been great for me and so many others. Hands free cake and bread making really does speed up the amount of time spent in the kitchen, and especially if, like me, you are in there all day most days, that can make such a difference to your day. Part of me was a little concerned though, after I had accepted this challenge. What if the Kenwood was better than my Kitchen Aid? Having forked out best part of £400 for my mixer, how would I feel about that?
Prejudices well and truly cast aside, I set about choosing my recipe. I decided on one bread and one gluten free cake, as cakes and bread really are the main functions I use my Kitchen Aid for.
I was really in the mood for some good granary bread, so here is the recipe I used:
Granary loaf
Makes 1 loaf
Ingredients:
- 500g Organic granary bread flour
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. yeast
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 300ml warm water
- 2 tsp. sunflower oil
Method:
1) Preheat the oven to 200C
2) Place all the dry ingredients in the bowl of the stand mixer
3) Whisk the oil into the water
4) Pour the water into the bowl of the stand mixer and mix with the dough hook on the stand mixer to combine. I set both machines to run on speed 2 until all the flour was worked into the dough
The Kitchen Aid in Action
The Kenwood in action
5) Leave the dough to rise in a warm place for an hour, in the mixer bowl, covered with cling film
The Kitchen Aid dough ready to be left to rise
The Kenwood dough ready to rise
6) After an hour, place the bowls back onto the stand mixers and knead the dough on speed 2 for 5 minutes
7) Then cover the dough again and leave for 30 minutes to rise
8) Transfer the dough to a lightly oiled baking sheet and shape. I made mine into cottage loaves with one ball placed on top of the dough, and a hole pressed through the centre using a chunky wooden spoon handle.
The cottage loaves, ready to be baked
9) Bake for 40 minutes
The loaves, fresh from the oven
Here are my observations:
- The Kenwood’s motor does seem more robust. My Kitchen Aid does sound and feel a bit clunky. Although it is a very heavy machine, it does feel as though the motor is not as robust as you may imagine for such a solid machine. I felt as though I could turn the Kenwood up higher without worrying it might break, which I do with the Kitchen Aid
- The splash guard for the Kenwood does come with a flap, which you are able to open and close whilst adding additional ingredients to the mixer whilst the motor is running. The splash guard is an invaluable feature of the Kitchen Aid, particularly when working with lots of flour or icing sugar, as it does tend to coat everything else in the kitchen even with the splash guard on, so I like this idea.
- The attachments for the Kenwood feel really robust and are slightly easier to attach to the machine than with the Kitchen Aid
- I found the Kitchen Aid slightly easier to clean, as there are fewer nooks and crannies to get muck into when baking
- The Kenwood did appear to work slightly harder than the kitchen aid, and worked the dough more quickly, even though visually both mixers appeared to be working at the same speed
- I remain convinced that the Kitchen Aid is the most visually attractive mixer. Given the frequency of use in my home and the weight of the machine, I always keep it out on the work surface, and I have to say, the Kitchen Aid looks more attractive to me.
For me, there really was very little difference in how the machines performed. I hate to sit on the fence so to speak, but the differences were so minor, it really comes down to which machine you think would work better for you.
The finished loaf – Kitchen Aid
The Kenwood loaf
In terms of taste and texture, both breads came out pretty much the same. I clearly did not make my cottage loaves in the correct proportions given the topple factor, however, I would give the edge to Kenwood – the flavour and texture are ever so slightly nicer. I used the exact same ingredients for both loaves and baked them on the same shelf of the oven simultaneously.
The one big difference though, is cost. The difference in price is very significant, with the Kitchen Aid being the best part of £100 more than the Kenwood and having fewer functions. I tried to compare the price of both machines on the John Lewis website, which I thought would be a fair benchmark as they have a price guarantee, and although they sell many Kenwood mixers, they do not stock the exact model I tested, so I link to Comet instead. I should add that the Kenwood Chef does come with other attachments too, it is not just a stand mixer, so it does all sorts of jobs you could not do with the Kitchen Aid. Where I have two or three machines, you only need one with the Kenwood.
So, what do you think? Which machine do you use, if any, and which one do you prefer?
Thank you to Kenwood for the loan of the mixer to review. I purchased my own Kitchen Aid from John Lewis a couple of years ago.
Here are the prices and links to the websites I have used to compare the price of the machines:
Kitchen Aid £419.95
Kenwood £330
You can see my gluten free challenge on my blog for HELLO! Magazine.com here
I have both machines and prefer Kitchen Aid for all baking. Only disappointment has been making bread – I have never been pleased with results. Your photos have made me want to try again!
It’s fascinating to hear who likes what! I struggled with foccaccia in the KA. I have found Dan Lepard’s breads very successful in the KA with several kneads at intervals. I would recommend you try one of his recipes to start with. Good luck!!
Charlotte, I have the 1500w KM020 Major Titanium, so mine is a bit larger than the one you tested. I weighed up pros & cons for a while before I bought mine. Reputation, price, longevity & versatility win the day over trendy looks & less power. Best money I ever spent!
Thanks for a great review.
Rosie
xxx
Thank you Rosie – great to hear you are happy with your machine!!
I have the 1500w KM020 Major Titanium, so mine is a bit larger than the one you tested. I weighed up pros & cons for a while before I bought mine. Reputation, price, longevity & versatility win the day over trendy looks & less power. Best money I ever spent!
Thanks for a great review.
Rosie
xxx
I have a Kitchen Aid and a Kenwood Chef Major and would choose the Kenwood every time. I agree that the Kitchen Aid is way prettier but the Kenwood beats it in pretty much every other way.
Thanks Amy that’s really interesting to hear!
Hi Charlotte,
I feel like you on this in that I really don’t think there’s much in it between the KA & Kenwood.
I have a KA at home but have always used Kenwood’s at work in a professional kitchen.
Both have withstood serious amounts of work as well as being manhandled by many inexperienced kitchen helpers. They both come up trumps for me!
Also, think the KA aesthetics would sway me if I ever have to buy another one. But, I have had it for about 15 years and it is still good as new
Thanks Laura that’s interesting seems as though most people say Kenwood =pro quality & KA at home!
Thanks for this hugely informative post Charlotte! I’m currently debating whether to buy a Kenwood or a KitchenAid to inspire me to test out more recipes (especially baking), so it was great to get your verdict on the various benefits of the two different machines. I still think that I’m leaning towards the KitchenAid despite the extra cost, purely for reasons of vanity…!
Thank you, glad you’ve found it useful. What colour might you go for?!
I have a vintage Kenwood which I purchased from a charity shop and prefer it over the new kitchen aid I purchased so much that I gave the KA to my friend. I’m a complete kenwood convert!
That’s great to know, thank you!
Charlotte what a great post.
I have a 12 year old Kitchen Aid here in the UK and love it, it does everything well and as my kitchen is tiny, it does have that bonus you mentioned, of looking lovely on the work top.
In France I have a Kenwood, which I use mainly for bread and mayonnaise. It’s also good. I chose it on price as it was that much cheaper and I only use it for about 10-12 weeks of the year.
So I like others have said I love both machines.
Thanks Jude, very interesting to hear you have both. It’s fascinating hearing people’s opinions! What colour KA do you have?!
I like this post Charlotte, makes for interesting reading. I love my Kitchen Aid and it is used daily for making bread. I am not so convinced about cake batter though as I have to keep scraping the sides with a spatula so I always use my hand held mixer for cakes, which seems a shame. Do you have the same problem or do I have my whisk level set wrong. I notice that the Barefoot Contessa does a lot of scraping with her KA too.
Hi Kath, thanks so much for stopping by! I found I needed to do a lot more scraping down with the Kenwood than with the Kitchen Aid. Perhaps this was due to the type of beater I was using (the flexible paddle on the Kenwood). It may be worth investigating the whisk level?
This is really interesting. I am thinking of buying the KA but am swayed given that the Kenwood is cheaper. The only other factor would be the after sales service and warranty that would make the difference.
Hi Kay, lovely to hear fro you! The Kenwood does do a lot more than the Kitchen Aid if you are after a multi-purpose machine. I do have to say though, in my experience, Kenwood are FAR better in terms of customer service.
It is a really intersting post Charlotte.
We did a mixer off with Vanessa last year. http://fussfreeflavours.com/2011/03/the-great-live-radio-mixer-off-challenge/
And in our vaguely unscientific test hand-held did better for egg whites and the KA for the fairy cakes.
I would think that generally the mixer you are used to probably will perform better for you.
I also admit I am biased as my K-mix was a review present from the PR company.
Any stand mixer is better than none – I love Fifi La Firecracker – whilst she mixes, I can tidy up.
At the moment the K-Mix does not have a beater blade so you do need to scrape the bowl down.
I love the line of the K-Mix – sleek and simple with the funky stripes.
The Kenwoods cut out when you lift the arm – the KA’s keep going – splatting the entire kitchen with batter!
Kenwood is a British company
I believe (from somewhere) the Kenwood gearing is different so more power is delivered directly to the shaft.
The first time I used either I found it far easier to change the tool on the Kenwood.
I covert the pyrex bowl on the KA.
Any stand mixer is not worth using if you are only making a 1 egg batter.
The fold function on the K-Mix is fantastic.
Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts, Helen. It’s great to see your review too. You have raised some very interesting points which had not occurred to me.
Fifi La Firecracker is a very attractive machine, too. I love the stripes. Although, like you, I do rather fancy the pyrex bowl for the KA. They started to offer them free the WEEK AFTER I bought mine. Typical!
There are so many kitchen aids that we can choose from. i always prefer to use stainless steel kitchen aids. ,
Very latest article straight from our very own online site
http://www.prettygoddess.com
I have a stainless steel bowl, but would rather like one of the glass ones, too for the Kitchen Aid!
Thanks for everyone’s GREAT comments and for your review, Charlotte. I have a Kenwood Chef A901 which I have owned since mid-70′s and love it. It has been used LOTS but is sounding a bit tired these days. I have been coveting a KitchenAid (Red) to match my red Hobart (20 litre) commercial mixer but after reading several posts about comparisons and manufacturers/retailers of these units, I think I might just stick with my Kenwood and have it serviced if it does break down.
Thank you Linda! I was really interested to put the two to the test!
I wish to purchase a mixer/processor, and having read around the subject had no idea whether to go for a Kenwood or a KitchenAid. Having read your practical and useful article at least now I have the confidence to know that either would do a good job. Guess its down to aesthetics, cost and feel. I am going to the BBC Good Food Show in the UK tomorrow, and I know Kenwood have a stand. Time for some hands on experience….
Thank you for your comment, Andrew, that’s great to hear. Good luck at the Good Food Show and please do let me know what you get in the end!
I am a single dad looking at buying a good mixer, I have thought that i would like a Kitchen Aid. Now, I am not sure. Kenwood may be the way to go! Although my children like the idea of an ice cream attachment.
Thanks Darren. Yes, perhaps a Kenwood might be best. You can always get an ice cream machine too!
First used a Kenwood in the 60′s which belonged to my gran. I have had 3 now of varying ages from a 50′s model to my current one, when we moved to Canada I had to give my Kenwood to my sister-in-law. I bought a Kitchen Aid when we moved to Canada but for me it simply didn’t compare to my Kenwood. So happy when I could get one here. If I could only have one machine in the kitchen that would be it.
Hi Liz, many thanks for your comment -really interesting to hear your thoughts!
I found this discussion really interesting. When my Kenwood Major died after 30 years. I thought I would get a nice looking Kitchen Aid Artisan. What a big mistake, it is not quite three years old, have not used it as often as I used the Major, (the kids have grown up and left home, so not needed so much) I have made sausages twice, and a few cakes, not even bread dough, as I still make this by hand, or in the bread maker. the gears broke on the Kitchen Aid when I had the makings for a small steam sponge pudding in it. I am getting it repaired, and going to sell it, to buy. another Kenwood Major. The Kitchen Aid is very pretty, but not man enough for the job.
Thanks for your comment Jeanne. It seems you are not the only one to experience difficulties with the Kitchen Aid. Mine is still going OK, but I am wondering for how much longer!
Interesting article. I have a 40 year old Kenwood Chef Major which I’ve rebuilt a couple of times, but which I think is coming to the end of its useful life. So I’m looking to replace it and try to do a deal by purchasing a second one for my daughter’s wedding in a few months. I regularly use the Chef for bread making, starting with 1.5kg of flour. and it seems to cope. My research is between the Kenwood KM020 (or KM023 megapack) Chef Major Titanium and the 6.9L KA. These are the big bothers of the machines you tested.
As a long time owner, I’m highly biased towards Kenwood, but trying to take a rational view. The KA’s main advantage is the range of colours and possibly it’s styling. After that the Kenwood seems to win on most counts from price (in the UK) to reliability. If Amazon star ratings are anything to go by the Kenwood gets nothing but 5 and a single 4 star whilst on the USA site the KA does get 1200+ 5* but worryingly 200+ 1* reviews.
I subscribe to the Fresh Loaf baking site http://www.thefreshloaf.com/ and there are quite a few reports of various KAs failing quite quickly when used regularly for bread dough.
I’m also confused as to the actual power of the big KA. On their site its headline power is quotes as 1.3HP (roughly 1,000 watts) but in the fine print it says 0.44HP motor (about 330 watts) in one place and 575 watts in another. The Kenwood is always given as 1,500 watts.
Thank you Peter – very interesting to read.
Try as I might, I could not persuade my daughter to the Kenwood option. It was IMHO a triumph of fashion over substance. But we went ahead anyway. I did a deal on a Kenwood KMM020 for me with a £500 price match at John Lewis and bought the KA for her at a discount of about £50 + a set of knives and the current free bowl offer from Go Electrical. The Kenwood arrived 2 days ago and I’ve already made 12 loaves, the KA arrived a few minutes ago. Everybody’s happy.
Thanks for your comment Peter – great to hear this!
I’ve started a new discussion about the Titanium, its good and bad points, over on
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/32930/got-my-new-kenwood-chef-titanium
You might be interested. I would appreciate your comments on dough climb. Did you experience it with either of the two mixers you tested?
Great, thank you for sharing!
I do bake quite a lot of bread, but haven’t really experienced any problems with dough climb I’m afraid.
Dear Charlotte,
Thank you very much for your beautiful post,it worked very much for me.
To buy a KITCHEN AID was my dream when i get married,now i am about to engaged,started searching for KA and suddenly i saw your post.Kenwood may be good
as well but KA is a way charming as you said.Probably i will buy KA, but i am trying to
find the purple colored one,i am not sure is there any in here Istanbul , Turkiye.
In every shop there is only red one.Which colors do you have in USA?
Thank you very much again,i will keep following your nice blog.
Thank you for your comment Dilara. I am in the UK and we have a huge range of colours, although I went for cream. I know you can get purple here – is there any way you could order one online? Good luck with your KA search, and your wedding.
Best, Charlotte
Thank you very much,
Very nice to hearing from you:)
Thank YOU – I always love to hear from my readers : )
Sorry i mean England.
Hi Charlotte,
Thank for the review! I have choose Kenwood KM020 because I have reading many articles about best mixer in the market. Especially kitchenables review (http://www.kitchenables.co.uk/) effect my decision. They have published the best mixer list and in that list Kitchen aid not avaible. But I know Kitchen aid is a leader for many peoples but when I’m thinking over all performance Kenwood is one step ahead.
Thanks for this – good to hear!
Great review. I have a kenwood the model below the one you tested.
I decided to buy a KW as it was cheaper than the KA but I would of loved a KA because like many of you I think its much prettier to leave out on the side, I put my kenwood away everytime as I think its very vintage looking :/
I am however now considerig buying a KA as I spend more time scrapping down the sides when i use butter in it than anything and it drives me insane, also nearly a year on it does sound like its begining to wear as the motor sound a lttle clunky, so I am concerned I have worked it too hard :/ lets hope thats not the case.
Thanks for your comment Dawn – very interesting to hear. Fingers crossed you haven’t worked your machine too hard!
I was glad to see you felt you the Kitchen Aid was a bit weak and clunky. I have had a Kenwood for years nd my partner convinced me to get the “red” kitchen aid for the look!
When I first used it I thought it was weak and clunky also and was a bit scared to crank it up. I am a heavy user of my cake mixer so was cautious. Believe it or not my Kitchen Aid Delux (has the bigger motor) died. It sheared its bearings within six months of use. It was fixed under warranty, no problems, but I definately know from experience the Kenwood is stronger, however the kitchen looks better. If only Kewood came out with a retro of their original shape in all the colors of the rainbow…..
Great Blog. Thanks
Thanks for your comment Andrew. I was interested to read this and am a bit concerned I am on borrowed time with my Kitchen Aid….