KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer review: a must-have for serious bakers

The KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer was designed to take on serious tasks, with its 7 quart and sturdy bowl-lift design. It's still got all the charm of the very best stand mixers though, albeit with a limited color palette when compared to more domestic-minded KitchenAid mixers such as the Artisan. 

UK buyers will know the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer as the KitchenAid 6.9L Artisan stand mixer, which is available exclusively through the KitchenAid UK website. If you take your home baking very seriously, or if you're a professional chef looking for a new sidekick, you need look no further than this mixer. In this KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer review we put it to the test, making cupcakes, buttercream frosting, and a loaf of bread. 

KitchenAid KP26M1XER 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer: was $599, now $399.95 at QVC
Perfect for those who love to bake for the whole family, this KitchenAid mixer has a seriously large capacity and is now $70 off. Featuring a bowl-lift design to cater to larger mixes, this mixer certainly won’t let you down when it comes to performance, with ten speeds to whizz through.

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Specifications

• Colors: black, silver, red
• Type: bowl-lift mixer
  Capacity: 7 quarts
• Weight: 25 pounds
• Speed settings: 10
• Material: stainless steel
• Dimensions: W14.6 x D13.3 x H16.4 inches
• Motor: 1.3 HP motor (about 1000 watts)
  Attachments: dough hook, whisk, splash guard, flat beater

KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer design

Unlike other stand mixers we have reviewed, such as the Cuisinart Precision Stand Mixer which has a tilt-head design, the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer is a bowl-lift stand mixer. That means you push the bowl down onto the handles and then lift it into place by twisting the lever on the side of the mixer. This lever is on the opposite side to the control dial, so it can be tricky to access unless you use the mixer face-on.

The lever does lift and secure the bowl into place with ease, and the 7-quart bowl itself is very well-sized to allow space for generous batches, without compromising on the quality of the mixing you'll get for smaller batches. 

With the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer you get a splash guard, which sits on top of the bowl and allows you to pour ingredients in as you mix without splashing batter or flour all over your kitchen. 

There is also a stainless steel 11-wire whip which has an oval shape that reaches the sides of the bowl when mixing. There is also a stainless steel dough hook and coated flat beater. They feel hefty and high-quality. 

Making cake in the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer

I made a sponge cake in the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer, first using the whisk to cream together my butter and sugar to achieve a noticeable change in color and fluffy consistency. 

I find that this is where most stand mixers struggle, because unlike the best hand mixers, where you can move the whisk around the bowl to make sure nothing is un-incorporated, stand mixers have a tendency to leave butter and sugar left at the side of the bowl. Typically I have to go in and scoop butter away from the side of the bowl when mixing, but the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer did an excellent job of combining butter and suggar and whipping them together for a fluffy texture. I only had to use my spatula once. 

The flat beater did an excellent job of combining the flour and eggs once I had finished with the whisk. I found switching attachments a little fiddly, because I had to lower the bowl and stick my hand into it slightly to remove attachments. It's definitely easier in a tilt-head, where the attachments are easier to access. Overall though, the stand mixer did a brilliant job of mixing my ingredients.

The buttercream icing also came out well when I used the whisk attachment to combine butter, icing sugar, and some coffee (I was making a coffee cake). Even with the bowl only partially full, it had no trouble mixing all of my ingredients. 

Making bread in the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer

When I tested the KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer, I found that the smaller motor struggled to knead bread without causing the machine to shake. With the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer, this was no matter. 

Using the dough hook I combined my flour, yeast, salt, sugar, water, and olive oil. I then left the stand mixer on the second notch along, which is still plenty powerful enough despite the fact that there are ten speed settings in total, to knead for ten minutes. 

It is clear that the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer was designed for professionals, because it had no trouble kneading my dough. I usually feel the need to monitor my mixer as it kneads, in case the motion causes the mixer to move around my work surface. 

With the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer I had no such trouble. It is very sturdy and capable, and I would have felt comfortable making at least three more batches in one go with this machine, which is great for those who like to batch-bake. 

The loaf speaks for itself. It rose incredibly well and evenly. I use the same bread recipe when testing every stand mixer, so the only difference is the quality of the knead it receives. The KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer was a real success, so those who bake a lot of bread shouldn't hesitate to invest. 

Cleaning the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer

All of the attachments for the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer can go in the dishwasher, which is a welcome feature given how fiddly it can be to clean whisks and flat beaters by hand. Especially for those who take their baking very seriously, it saves a lot of time and effort to be able to use a dishwasher after the food is prepped. 

Is the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer worth the money? 

At time of writing you can buy the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer for $650, which is certainly the most expensive stand mixer I've ever tested. Simply put though, it is also the best stand mixer I have ever tested (and trust me, I have tried a lot). 

I have never had so little trouble with butter sticking to the side of the bowl when baking, nor have I felt that I could leave the mixer unattended to knead my dough, until I tried the KitchenAid Pro Line. While it's definitely more powerful than some hobby bakers will require, if you take your baking seriously and need an investment machine to work on your recipes, I do think the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer is worth the money. 

Should you buy the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer?

The KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer will not be for everyone. For a start, it is large and heavy. It did manage to fit underneath my kitchen counters, but with a lot less clearance than the regular KitchenAid Artisan. Some will also prefer the tilt-head design that not only looks marginally more attractive than a bowl-lift mixer, but also allows you to access attachments easily for quick switches.

However, home chefs and those who bake on the regular should absolutely consider investing in the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer. It is a low-maintenance mixer that takes on the muscle work for you, with minimal intervention needed. If it's a kitchen sidekick you're after, it's our top pick. 

About this review, and our reviewer

Millie Fender is our Editor for all things small appliances at Homes & Gardens. She spends a lot of time testing everything from toasters to air fryers and recommending the very best ones to readers. 

All our reviews are tested from home, and the KitchenAid Pro Line Stand Mixer review is no exception. Millie put it to the test for a few weeks, making bread, cupcakes, and frosting in it to bring you this review. She then returned it to KitchenAid, who kindly loaned her the stand mixer for the purposes of this review.