KitchenAid KP26M1XDP Professional 600 Stand Mixer

Design

Synonymous with high-quality stand mixers, the KitchenAid brand has a solid reputation for producing durable kitchen appliances.
With several series of mixers to meet virtually any baking or food processing need, this model is powered by a robust, powerful motor that can handle large batch sizes, as well as the stiffest and heaviest of dough.

Additionally, instead of a tilt-held model, its bowl-lift design provides the stability required for processing large amounts of thick, dense mixtures.

The Pro Series is ideal for replacing an older model or upgrading to a more powerful stand mixer. If you take baking seriously and value effective and efficient tools, you fall into the market segment for which this elite machine was designed.

The gearbox story is a very telling vignette in the history of this appliance. Ten years ago, this series was being savaged in online reviews by highly dissatisfied customers.

Under heavy workloads, the plastic gears and cover were constantly breaking, effectively rendering an expensive, professional-grade machine useless.

To KA’s credit (and profitability), they listened to their customers. They redesigned the gears and gearbox from plastic to metal, effectively elevating it to the top of the stand mixer market.

Indeed, a very nice turnaround.

Performance

A 575-watt commercial-grade motor powers this high-quality machine. One of the industry’s largest and most powerful home mixers provides ample energy to work through dense and heavy mixtures at all ten speeds.
To handle that amount of power, the stand, housing unit, and internal gears are all made of rugged metal for long-lasting performance and durability – this model is built to work hard and long.

One of the mixer’s appealing features is the adjustable screw that allows the beaters’ height to be raised or lowered for proper clearance. With a flathead screwdriver, a slight turn restores the ideal calibration between the bowl’s surface and the beaters, allowing all ingredients to be pulled into the mix cleanly.

The larger-than-average 6-quart bowl is made of polished stainless steel and features a comfortable handle that makes lifting heavy mixtures easier. It is secured to the bowl-lift ledge by riveted bowl supports that slip over locator pins, snap into place with a spring latch, and easily lift and lower using the bowl-lift handle.

This bowl-lift feature provides critical stability when mixing large batches of stiff batters or kneading dough because it secures the bowl in place. This is an excellent feature if you make a lot of bread.

Only two models can compete with this fine machine in terms of performance: the Ankarsrum Original and the KitchenAid 7-Quart Pro-Line. Both are significantly more expensive (but have the power and extended warranties to justify this extra cost).

And, unlike many of its contemporary competitors, KitchenAid continues to manufacture all of its stand mixers in the United States.

Cleaning

The stainless steel mixing bowl requires considerable cleaning to remove all factory-applied food-safe mechanical polish.

Should you buy KitchenAid KP26M1XDP Professional 600 Stand Mixer?

With these features, it’s no surprise that KitchenAid Professional 600 has become a household name. If you’re looking for a dependable stand mixer with accessory and attachment compatibility for your mixing or baking needs, this is it.

The primary purpose of a stand mixer of this type is to produce an efficient, even, and comprehensive mixture, ranging from light to heavy, in less time, energy, and effort.

The key to having a machine that lasts is a gradual build-up. Simply because KitchenAid claims that the bowl can produce 13 dozen cookies, eight loaves of bread, or eight pounds of mashed potatoes does not mean that the potatoes will receive the same amount at the same time; after all, what matters is not the speed but the flavor, or how good or well something tastes, not even when the vehicle claims to be a workhorse.