KitchenAid is calling its new Artisan Plus Stand Mixer the biggest advancement to its tilt-head design since 1955. That's a bold claim, but the new features back it up, at least on paper.
The Artisan Plus, available now at KitchenAid.com for $599.99, adds a handful of genuinely useful upgrades over the classic Artisan: a precision speed dial, a half-speed fold setting, a double flex edge beater, a soft start function, and a built-in LED bowl light.
I've been baking with my mother's KitchenAid stand mixer for years, and it handles everything I throw at it – kneading dough, creaming butter, whipping cream, mixing cookie dough. But it was never designed for delicate work. The Artisan Plus makes me reconsider that. The new double flex edge beater uses silicone edges to scrape the bowl as it mixes, cutting down on the manual stop-and-scrape routine. More importantly, the new half-speed fold setting and infinitely adjustable speed control could finally make it suitable for tasks that usually demand a light touch: folding egg whites or incorporating soft-peak whipped cream without deflating them.
The soft-start feature is the one I expect I'll appreciate the most. I can't tell you how many times I, or one of my kids, have turned on our stand mixer only to watch flour erupt across the counter. KitchenAid says the gradual speed ramp-up keeps ingredients in the bowl and reduces splatter. I'm eager to test that out when I get my hands on a review unit.
The LED bowl light is a nice touch, but not a big upgrade. If your kitchen is well-lit, I can't imagine it makes a difference. However, I would have loved it in my mother's dimly lit old kitchen. I can perhaps see it being helpful for checking batter consistency or making sure you haven't missed a pocket of dry ingredients.
The Artisan Plus comes in 15 color options: four new exclusive colorways (Sundried Tomato, Wild Blueberry, Iron Ore Bronze, and Oat) plus 11 of KitchenAid's existing shades. And every Artisan Plus comes with stainless steel attachments – bowl, double flex edge beater, dough hook, wire whisk, and flat beater – that are all dishwasher safe. The mixer also works with KitchenAid's full lineup of hub-powered attachments, so existing accessories won't become obsolete.
At $600, the Artisan Plus commands a $200 premium over the standard Artisan. Whether the upgraded speed control and fold setting are worth the price bump depends entirely on what you're making. For serious bakers who work with meringues, soufflés, or anything that requires gentle incorporation, this could be the KitchenAid that finally handles the full range. Since KitchenAid's mixers last for years (or decades in my case), I could also see it making a very nice house warming or wedding gift. For everyone else, I’ll render my verdict after I’ve completed my testing.
Read next: This Kitchen Composter is Powerful and Requires Minimal Maintenance
[Image credit: KitchenAid]
