KitchenAid stand mixers are an icon in the kitchen. They are heavy, sturdy, simplistic in design and beautiful. There are currently four lines of KitchenAid stand mixers to choose from, the Classic series, Artisan Series, Pro Line and Commercial 5 Series. Whether you are a beginning chef, a weekend warrior, a serious home chef or a restaurateur, there is a KitchenAid model that is built just right for you.
KM25G0XWH - Commercial 5 series
The commercial series, as the name implies was designed for commercial use. This model was intended for restaurant grade abuse. There is no reason why a home cook can't use the KitchenAid commercial use, if you have money to spare. The commercial 5 series is the most expensive of all the KitchenAid line.
If you have been used to the tilt-head stand, then it might be a small issue that the Commercial line does not tilt. It features, instead a bowl-lift stand.
KL26M8XOB - Pro Line series
There a is a grey area between the Pro Line series and the Commercial 5 series. Both the Pro Line and Commercial series are characterized by powerful motors, ranging from 400 watts to 575 watts which means you can pretty much whip and knead to your heart's content without worrying that the equipment will overheat or conk down.
The Pro Line was designed for serious home chef in mind, or probably small restaurants/cafes. Like the commercial line, the Pro Line series also does not have the tilt-stand. It has the bowl-lift stand.
KSM75WH - Classic series
The icon of all KitchenAid mixers is the classic series. This mixer has made its way into a lot of people's kitchen. It is the most affordable of all the KitchenAids.
Being an entry level mixer, you cannot make the mistake that it is the least capable, it is not. This mixer is capable of handling most of your baking chores with ease. It gives you enough power to cream butter, knead dough and occasionally your loaf of bread. It may not be a good idea to knead loaves of bread in succession without giving the mixer a breather in between batches--remember, this was designed for entry level use. If you need make a lot of bread in a short amount of time, then the classic series is not for you. You may need to consider either the Pro Line series or the Artisan series.
The Classic series features the well loved tilt-head design, so access to the contents of the bowl is easy.
If you are buying a stand mixer for the first time or baking is a new found hobby for you, then the Classic series is a good place to start with stand mixers. The Classic series is a serious piece of equipment without breaking the bank.
KSM150PSER - Artisan Series
The Artisan series is an upgrade of the classic series. This line of mixer was designed for the more serious home chef. It's motor is a slightly upgraded, more powerful version of the ones you will find in the Classic series. This means, that you can do everything you were able to do with the Classic series like whip meringue, cream butter, knead dough and prepare loaves of bread--but you will be able to do so with more power and your Artisan series can take a bit more punishment than your Classic series.
The Artisan series features the tilt-head mechanism that you have grown to love with the classic series. The Artisan series was not called Artisan for nothing, it is the only line in the KitchenAid mixers to offer 25 colors to choose from. Now, there is no problem mixing and matching your kitchen theme with your stand mixer.