Here I sit, snowed in for another day.
For the last month Amazon has sent me daily special offers for ‘Stand Mixers’. I find this surprising as not only did I buy my stand mixer several weeks ago, but I bought it via Amazon. I am not going to buy another. They are not cheap and you need to make the right decision when you finally take the plunge. I have waited a long time for mine and it’s only as it is my 40th this Christmas that I felt I could ask for it as a special present.
The buzz among many food bloggers is about them lusting after, or succumbing to a KitchenAid. You may have read about my pre-purchase ponderings in my earlier post Decisions Decisions. I got lots of great advice on that post. For that, I thank you all. It all helped. I also expect to get many comments on this post too about people’s favourites. It’s all good! Let the debate continue.
I waded through reviews on various websites and read people’s stories from near and far. I thought it might be useful for me to write about what I have found and to distil it down for you if you are one of the great undecided.
I understand too that many of you don’t give a monkey’s. They are an expensive bit of kit and not essential to be a good cook or baker. I managed without one for years and turned out perfectly good bread, cakes and soups. For those of you not taxed by such decisions I apologise. Come back when I make some cake; this is going to be a long one…
Cake Psychology
If Nigella has never received a penny from KitchenAid she is missing a trick. Back in her early TV series we were seduced by her finger licking goodness and her tight sweatered cake mixing. The KitchenAid was very much a part of those scenes with the fairy lights and the misty focus glamour. She loves Americana and all that comes with it. The curves of her red Artisan stand mixer are reminiscent of a 1950’s Oldsmobile. I believe our generation, thanks to Nigella, now has that image in their subconscious, and why not? They look great and they work well. They are going to spend a lot of time on the worktop (they are too heavy to be lifting in and out of a cupboard) so let’s face it, why not have something shiny and sexy in the kitchen?
Conversely there is the humble Kenwood Chef. Many of my generation remember it as something that their mother had at home. My mother had a white one with pale blue detail, I remember it with surprising clarity. In fact it looked remarkably like this one that FarmersGirl writes about in this post. This is still going strong and has serviced two careful owners.
Mum had numerous attachments for hers, my Dad bought additions to it for her birthday, which even back in my childhood I found somewhat unromantic. Did she really need a ‘potato tumbler’ for her special day? It appeared to me to be a mixing bowl lined with sandpaper: Not really that thrilling. The Kenwood Chef was a behemoth that sat in the corner of our seventies kitchen, along with the coffee dispenser, the wall attached chip slicer and the greasy Xpelair. It reminds me of the past.
There is a curious thing that happens though as you race towards your 40’s. The distaste that you have for all things past seems to very gradually change. As you realise that life is less infinite, you begin to appreciate those who have gone before. The paths they have taken and the decisions they have made become more interesting and valuable.
I have read many tales of Kenwood Chef’s being passed from parent to child after giving 20-30+ years of service. Doesn’t that tell you something? Can you imagine any electrical appliance that you have now being passed to your children when you shuffle into a retirement home? I doubt most of them will last 5 years.
When I began to look into this, my friend Deb offered me the loan of her KitchenAid whilst she was on holiday as a ‘test model’. Here it is on a photo she took before it headed off to mine for its vacation.
I cleared the worktops so it could have pride of place. It’s cream paintwork went beautifully with my kitchen. It makes you want to bake, although I suspect that in many kitchens it’s an expensive prop. It looks, and is sturdy and practical and I must say It turned out some of the best bread based items I had ever made. The Chelsea Buns I made were as light as a feather.
I made cakes in it too, although I found that I had to do lots of scraping to make sure all the butter that was stuck to the inside of the bowl was scraped into the mix. I found unmixed butter on the mixer blade too. I was slightly perturbed when it started walking across the worktop when I made bread, so can understand how THIS happened to Megan from What Megan’s Making.
The quantity of bread I make, to make it worthwhile bothering, is right on the brink of the KitchenAid’s ability, so it led me to make it in smaller batches.
Most people who have a KitchenAid don’t seem to have many attachments other than the balloon whisk, mixer blade and dough hook that are included. They can work out costly. The bundled accessory pack is £150 for a grinder, slicer and fruit strainer. There is not an option to add a liquidiser, so a separate KitchenAid Liquidiser is another £150. This is getting into serious money! And you still have no ‘food processor’ functionality. My stalwart Magimix would still be in demand. KitchenAid offer just one 300w model that occasionally gets offered in new tempting colourways. The £269 price tag is pretty much a fixed price as a ‘take it or leave it’ option.
That said I was sad to see it go back to Deb. I loved it and it had left me knowing that I definitely wanted a stand mixer. It does change the way you bake as it allows you to get on a prepare the next ingredient as it ‘does it’s thing’.
As an aside, I also reminded myself of the days when I used to regularly receive a new company car. The excitement of something new and shiny is great, but it is the practicality that lingers and that you have to live with day in day out. I resolved that I MUST make my decision based on ‘usefulness’ not just beauty.
There is a range of Kenwood Chef’s from the basic Classic up to the Titanium. Choice can be a daunting thing. Of course, on going through the tech specs and the ‘Help Me Choose’ app on the website, I convinced myself that the Titanium was the model I needed. Isn’t that always the way? I drew the line at the ‘Major’ and it’s larger capacity, and the Cooking Chef, which seems a ridiculous concept to me, and also the timer option. Who needs to time how long they are mixing. You mix it until it’s ‘done’ surely? My thoughts on cooking intuition are forming in my head for a later post.
I was surprised to find that the Titanium chef comes with not only the 3 mixing attachments that the KitchenAid offers, but with the new addition of a rubber edged mixing blade (for better scraping of the bowl) AND also with a food processor with a selection of blades plus the hefty glass liquidiser. The large glass jug reminds me of countless strange soups made by my Mum plus a selection of lurid blue milkshakes that I used to concoct with my brother that consisted of milk, ice cream, ice, jam and blue food colouring. Erm…yes, I have a chequered kitchen past.
The power was the main selling point for me, the KitchenAid’s 300w is trumped by the 1400w of the Titanium. That’s a whole lot more welly for bread mixing. On the pricing front too they have cleverly priced it at £5 less than the KitchenAid as it is currently available at £264.
The more I looked at it, the more I began to appreciate its elegance. Sure, it’s not curvy and glossy, but it’s kind of classy in its own way with its brushed metal body and stainless shiny bowl.
A little bit of History
This might not seem important, but I found it interesting.
KitchenAid is owned by the Whirlpool Corporation and is based in Michigan USA. Allegedly, when Hobart executives brought the first mixers home for testing, one executive’s wife remarked, “I don’t care what you call it, but I know it’s the best kitchen aid I ever had.” KitchenAid was later adopted as the mixer’s trademark.
Kenwood is a British Company borne out of the post war era that started life making toasters in 1947. They launched the Kenwood Chef in 1950 at the Ideal Homes Exhibition with stocks at Harrods selling out in just a week. Unfortunately the Kenwood is no longer made in the UK.
My decision made
As I am rubbish at hiding my light under my bushel you have probably guessed I decided on the Kenwood Chef Titanium
Ironically I planned to get the Kenwood a month before my birthday so I could bake cakes in it for my best friends 40th birthday party this Saturday. The snow has put paid to that idea so I shall just have to enjoy using it myself as the grand cake baking is to be delayed for a month.
I love the sculptural quality of the stainless steel K Beater, whisk and dough hook so I have given them pride of place rather than tucking them away in a cupboard.
The power of American aesthetics is strong, but it didn’t quite win over practicality and value.
Not this time.
Let me know what you decide or where your allegiances lie. There’s not a right or wrong choice, just what works for you.
Here is an update, written after using the Chef for 6 months: Ken Update.
As so many people have told me that this post helped them choose…if you decide to buy a Kenwood Chef Titanium and click through to it on any of the links or photos above to get to it, Amazon will send me a little something to say thank you. So if this post (or the other two) below have helped you please click through on the link to give me a little birthday present. It won’t cost you any more but it means Amazon share the joy!
Thank you
26/4/13 – The Kenwood Titanium model has been updated in the last year to the Kenwood KMC010 and now (2019) to this model so please check details as it may have different attachments etc.
Please note: Prices correct as of December 2010
__________________
Related Posts
Post 1 Deciding
Post 2 Comparing
Post 3 Kenwood Review
Things we make 
Lou
December 2, 2010
I have a Kenwood Chef as it was given to me as a present form my Mum. I did always think that if I had bought such a thing myself, I would have gone for the shiny red Kitchen Aid. I’m glad that your post made me feel that actually I might have a better machine. 😉
Lovely photos.
And I love your snowing background too.
Lou.
Wendy Staples
December 2, 2010
As a proud KitchenAid owner, (it’s used almost every day) I must add that I was originally going to go with the Kenwood, but at that time the Kenwood was more expensive. As some of you may know, I bake a lot and am now considering a Kenwood in addition to my KitchenAid, as I agree with your pros and cons. Is that just being a bit too greedy with the ol’ kitchen gadgets?!
Jules
December 2, 2010
Fab post I must admit my KA was a pressie and I didn’t do much research. I just told Hubs I wouldn’t mind a mixer. As you know I’m a KA fan and have a cream one because it matches my kitchen (is there such thing as kitchen vanity?!) I have the ice cream maker and mincer attachment.
allythebell
December 2, 2010
I have a KitchenAid that I got as a wedding present, and I use it ALL the time. My mother has one. My mother-in-law has one. It was only fitting that I got one. I managed to combat that problem you had when making cakes by getting a paddle attachment at a kitchen specialty store with rubber squeegee sides so it does all the scraping for you. Being in Canada, the American product is more readily available here, and so you can get attachments for the KitchenAid made by other companies and save yourself a pile of dough. Or make yourself a pile of dough.
Although now, seeing your love of the Kenwood, I think I would like to try it out sometime. I never knew there was another option. Thanks!
Andrew
December 2, 2010
Good decision! Happy baking! A x
deb
December 2, 2010
I love my kitchenaid with all my heart, it looks beautiful in my kitchen, which is a bonus. I will be getting the rubber paddle as that is one of the things I noticed it could do better. Thanks for using my pic :o)
Kavey
December 2, 2010
We have a Magimix 5200 for processing, which we have also used for blitzing, whipping eggs, making dough…
But more recently, we have a Phillips Robust blender for blitzing soups, smoothies, pates and more. I was sent it to review and love it.
And I just got a kitchenaid last week in Amazon’s Black Friday, for just £149, which I felt was a good deal indeed. He has been named Intergalactic Unicorn and has only been used once so far, though he’s just joined the family, so give it time!
heather
December 2, 2010
I’ve never worked with a Kenwood model, but it certainly looks sturdy and sleek; like it would keep going and going until the job was done, and thensome. However, I’ve grown up with KitchenAid mixers in all the kitchens I’ve had the joy of cooking in. Never once has it come up short or turned out a bad product. There is occasionally a little elbow grease needed, but isn’t that the same for all machines? Nothing is as perfect as we want it to be. I guess I’m not much help on this, other than the fact that I like my KASM. Hope you get some better, more helpful responses!
Cheers,
*Heather*
Megan Lindstrom
December 2, 2010
I’ve never heard of a Kenwood. That’s why I came for a visit from Foodgawker. My mom has a KitchenAid. A wedding present and still going strong 40 YEARS LATER! Amazing. With several fun attachments. Grater being my fav. My mom gave me a KA for my wedding. It was dead in 2 years. I got a warranty replacement, but I was done with that piece of junk impersonating the quality machines of former ages. I bake A LOT so I saved my pennies and got a Bosch. Attachments are pricey as well, but it’s got power and bowl capacity. We’ll see how the next 40 years go.
Emma @ Poires au Chocolat
December 2, 2010
My mum and grandma have always had Kenwoods (and a Magimix, which I also have). My grandma’s Kenwood was passed on to me when she died a few years ago – it was a wedding present and therefore is over 55 years old. It still works perfectly to this day. I never thought I would buy anything else.
Then a few months ago I won a shiny red KitchenAid in a recipe competition and I have to admit that I love it a lot. It’s a beautiful machine and works a dream. I have the pasta making attachments and though they were pricey, they’re incredibly study and work very well.
Not sure what I would go for if I was buying one now!
Fonda LaShay
December 3, 2010
kenwood all the way 🙂
Linda/goodshoeday
December 3, 2010
I have my Grandma’s Kenwood. I think its like the Chef model today and although lower power than the one you have it is still more powerful than a KA. The KA does look lovely though I have heard reports that the dough hook that comes with it is not as effective as the Kenwood dough hook. I just think the KA is priced too high and although it has a lovely retro look so does the Kenwood in a different way.
Enjoy baking with it 🙂
Gloria
December 3, 2010
I wouldn’t trade my KitchenAid Accolade for all the money in the world. This is a true workhorse and has never failed me. I love the attachments and since I love making my own ice cream, the ice cream maker is the best of the add-ons. The meat grinder, pasta machine and sausage attachments are all top knotch. Don’t know anything about the Kenwood, but I know I love my KitchenAid and love that it can be matched in color to any color scheme.
LinC
December 3, 2010
I like my KitchenAid mixer for big jobs. For those who might need to save some money, I bought mine reconditioned on Amazon for about half the price of a new one. It has performed perfectly though many cakes and cookies.
Vicky
December 4, 2010
Love this post – if I’d read this before I chose the Kitchen Aid, I might have gone for the Kenwood. Took me ages to decide too & I struggled to find any articles like this to help me compare.
I consoled myself in the end with the fact that both machines were probably pretty good & either choice was probably not a bad one. I do think that having the option of a liquidiser for smooth soups is a bonus
megan @ whatmegansmaking
December 5, 2010
This was so interesting! Thanks for linking to me. I’ve been cheating on my KitchenAid by looking at the Breville stand mixers recently…
thingswemake
December 6, 2010
Great comments everyone! Thank you so much for reading, I’m glad you enjoy the debate, and are enjoying your kitchen appliances! I still would love a KitchenAid, but me and my ‘Chef’ are currently very happy together 🙂
Thomas
December 6, 2010
I’m a chef and have always worked with Kenwoods, but also always thinking that the kitchen aids looked cooler etc. But on my new boat I have a kitchen aid and to be honest I think they suck! Heavy horrible things to work with!
Susie
December 10, 2010
As someone who has lusted after a Kitchenaid for an age and finally purchased one in Oct, I have to say I haven’t been disappointed. I did think about the Kenwood for a while but the pull of the Cranberry Kitchenaid proved too much!
Sarah, Maison Cupcake
December 12, 2010
Extremely useful post. I have a KitchenAid blender and a Magimix processor but no standing mixer. Until recently I had assumed I would want a KitchenAid but I tried the Kenwood Major at the Waitrose Cookery School and was bowled over how it could cook italian meringue. That’s it for me, sold. Shame I can’t afford one.
I like what you say about Kenwood Chefs being handed down too. Funny, it was the one kitchen item my aunt snaffled from my grandma whereas I had my pick of all the other vintage cookery stuff. Wise choice!
Isobel
December 23, 2010
I also bought myself one for my 40th birthday, and went through all this as well. Give me useful over looks any day (just look at my husband, ho ho etc). It was the bread-making capacity that swung it for me as well, plus that I could get rid of my old whiny food processor.
Janice
January 4, 2011
I was checking my blog stats and saw a lot of people coming to my blog from yours. Thanks for featuring my old Kenwood on your blog. Your new one looks fabulous and I’m quite jealous. However I have my sights set on a Magimix as I’m still using my old Moulinex food processer which I bought in 1980, it refuses to die! I don’t make enough cakes to warrant a new stand mixer as well. Look forward to seeing what you make with your machine.
Nancy
January 25, 2011
I am in need of a new stand mixer as the 2.5 generation-old Kenwood I bought used has inexplicably died. (An electrical connection failure I think?) I’m a Canadian, so have been (over-)exposed to the KitchenAid, but moved to New Zealand, with their still very strong British connextion, a couple of years ago and learned about the Kenwood.
After reading this post, I think I will stick with Kenwood for my new machine. Bottom line is that I personally don’t know anyone with a 20+ year old KA, whereas I have seen a lot of Kenwoods of that age.
However, and sorry to burst your bubble but…, the Kenwood is no longer British! It was bought out by DeLonghi in 2001.
Eaterie
January 31, 2011
KitchenAid baby! Proudly made right here in my hometown of Greenville, Ohio.
It was the stand mixer of choice for Julia Child as well as countless other cooks the word over and its the ONLY mixer of choice for the folks at http://eaterie.wordpress.com.
The BEST period!
Peter Grimes
February 6, 2011
I have just stripped down my Mum’s Kenwood – such good engineering – needed £ 5.00 worth of electrical parts – and I bought a new washer for the liquidiser base. This machine is now 40 years old – made lovely scones yesterday before deciding to renovate. Fantastic machine – British engineering at its best. Thanks for great post.
thingswemake
February 6, 2011
What great renovation skills! Thanks for the comment 🙂
Melissa Santiago-Val
March 13, 2011
How lovely to spot this thread… my Mum has just given me her Kenwood FP700. I am so excited! She had all the attachments, only thing that doesn’t work is the liquidiser, I think the bit on the bottom can be changed, as the mechanism certainly works as the grinder is great…
I do like KithchenAids, and had the liquidiser of that, but the cat knocked it over and broke the jug which was almost as much as a new one to replace ugh!
I think British engineering stands the text of time here.
I love the pic, is it Hisptamatic?
thingswemake.co.uk
March 14, 2011
Good luck with your Kenwood. I am sure it will be great. I think the app I used was Lo-mob.
mymezzaluna
April 26, 2011
Oh what a godsend this post is, just when I am trying to decide on which to get. Need to go and price them now…..
Jennifer
August 21, 2011
Thank you for this post! I’m currently torn between the shiny lure of the KA and the multi-functionality of the Kenwood….but you’ve helped me remember to go for function over form!
Mushii
September 10, 2011
Its a funny thing aesthetics. The kitchenaid looks to me like some piece of really bad american engineering, like most of the cars that came out of the US in the 70s and 80s. I know nothing about their functionality, but would not have one in my house under pain of death, the Lada Riva was more stylish. That said mum had a kenwood for 40 years before hers died, mine is eight years old and neither have ever let us down. My wife and I bake 3 or 4 times per week (cakes and bread) and mum uses hers every single day. My KM400 has no problems mixing 2 lbs of flour for loaves and rolls, I would not be without it.
carol NZ
October 29, 2011
I have a kitchenaid and I love it, they are so quiet and robust,not a stictch of plastic like the kenwood, (which are made in China I am lead to believe) just go and tap a kenwood they are all plastic not like my Ktichen aid which is diecast metal.Ive never had a problem with mine and it makes the best bread,meringues,I also have the two piece pasta set, meat grinder.
thingswemake.co.uk
October 29, 2011
Hi – I am glad you love your KitchenAid and have great success using it. As I said in my post I did love the one I had on loan, it made great bread and cakes and it looks fabulous. The Kenwood Chef Titanium certainly isn’t plastic though! The clue is in the name 😉 it is all metal with a metal bowl and attachments too. I am not sure where it is made but that doesn’t matter to me really as long as it is good quality, it works and it makes me happy. Thanks for reading.
Natalia
October 29, 2011
My Kenwood isn’t plastic either; it’s from the 70s or early 80s.
mille
November 28, 2011
Hi,
What a wonderful blog and fantastic pictures 🙂
Thank you for all your good information about Ken and KA!
I’m want buy myself a Christmas present, and I’m not sure of the model jet.
Kenwood KMX54 or Kitchen aid.
It’s not the same Ken that you have but I hope it will suite me anyway…
Do you know anything about this model?
Best Regards
Camilla in Sweden
Jack
December 15, 2011
When my wife was out looking for something more (compared to the beat up Philips Cucina that she has been using) of a mixer, she tasked me, an engineer by training to help out. 2 names as expected came up more often than not….Ken and KA.
Technical specification wise, there is no competition, the Ken wins HANDS DOWN. Now, the KA might evoke some retro feeling and some nice funky colours but I don’t buy into that kind of marketing (I’m in marketing now and I know where the money goes!). Watch the Food Network on TV and you see KA all around in any TV kitchen….fact is….KA pays to get themselves to be in them. Oh and they always look so nice in the TV kitchen too…..well thanks to the set decorator! Honestly, do all our kitchens look like that? well lit and so well colour coordinated?
We are glad we did not get the KA because functional wise, you get so much more for the same price with the Ken.
thingswemake.co.uk
December 15, 2011
Great comment Jack – thanks!
Paige
December 20, 2011
Just wanting to know about the noise levels of the new kenwood compared to the kitchen aid please I am reallt torn as to what to go with and most of the shops here in Australia only have the one brand in store so I keep getting a bias opinion and cant compare them stnading next to each other. Any other info would be great thanks
thingswemake.co.uk
December 20, 2011
Hi – I must admit I can’t remember if one was noisier than the other, but they are never running for very long so it’s neither would keep the neighbours awake! I guess as there is a lot more power in the Kenwood that may probably be slightly noisier over all.
jehanne@thecookingdoctor
January 28, 2012
I’m glad to come across your post; my husband bought the Chef for my birthday and it has certainly helped A LOT in producing great bakes..I haven’t tried KitchenAid, they certainly look nicer but given the durability of Kenwood that is still sitting in my mom’s kitchen and our daily treats since I was born 3 decades ago, I am glad I follow the Kenwood tradition:-).
So I definitely would recommend the Chef anytime, it rocks!
thingswemake.co.uk
February 4, 2012
Glad you are enjoying your Chef!
Victoria
February 5, 2012
Hi, Now that you have used both would you be able to tell me what you think of the kenwood vs kitchen Aid as I am considering getting my mum one for her 50th but in New Zealand the kenwood is $500 more than the kitchen aid and we don’t need the blender attachment as we have a magimix, would you please be able to give me your opinion on the two after trialing them both. Thanks for the great article by the way.
thingswemake.co.uk
February 5, 2012
Hi Victoria…and thanks! Did you see my follow up post https://thingswemake.wordpress.com/2011/06/16/update-on-ken/ this gives an update after 6 months. A year on and I am still v happy with Ken, but I can understand your quandary if it is much more in NZ. If so, and you don’t need the food processor and liquidiser, I think I would go for the KA as a gift as it is a beautiful thing!
Victoria
February 5, 2012
Thanks again I will look at your follow up, I’m really glad you are happy with the kenwood, it looks like a beautiful thing but I think I will probably go for the kitchen aid as you said aesthetically its looks fab, and still gets great reviews and keeping in mind the differences in prices here in NZ. haha. thanks again for your help and a brilliant read.
Romuald
February 12, 2012
Hello! I stumbled onto this site and began reading. I am glad I did. I myself am American and am currently living in Europe (or as it is nicely called the EU). A few years ago I received the basic Kenwood Chef as a gift. It is not the Titanium model, but the previous one (KM400) and has a 750W motor. I haved a few of the accessories, but I usually use the mixer and the meat grinder/mincer. Anyway, I am VERY familiar with KitchenAid and the, excuse my French, JUNK they make and sell. When the first stand mixer was offered by Hobart it was an excellent product. Dependable, durable, very well engineered and made, although not very pretty. But the Chevrolet was once … but that is a different story.
A friend of mine in the U.S. who was the Dean of the Hotel and Restaurant school at a large ubiversity and had a catering business had her Hobart for over 20 years. She gave it away still working because she wanted something fresher. She bought a KitchenAid (the professional model). It broke down after 3 years, so she got another. She has had to get a new one every 5 years and did so because the one good thing is that all accessories fit the newer models.
There was a time when KitchenAid was considered one of the best brands in the U.S.. I have had some of their kitchen products and will NEVER make the same mistakes again. HIGHLY OVERRATED and overpriced. OK, the (old timer) shape, the colors, etc. of the stand mixer may appeal, but then is that what we buy a mixer for? I mean 300W (in 230VAC trim)? On another note having to pay so much more in Europe for them than in the U.S.? It really does not cost more to manufacture a 230V motor than it does a 120V. Actually it should cost less depending on the type. I will definitely stick with my Kenwood and when in the U.S. will get it or a DeLonghi (which is the same unit). I mean let’s face it an Aston Martin or Ferrari are still better than the Corvette!
thingswemake.co.uk
February 12, 2012
Thanks for the comment…enjoy your Kenwood.
sophia
February 17, 2012
I came across your blog.. after my shiny new Kenwood titanium arrived.. and was pleased with all the good reviews for it.. I too went for the regular model, but it arrived with a food processor attachment and four mixing atachments plus a glass blender, I already have a vita mix.. which is brilliant but this one is smaller, and handy! I am thinking of buying the mincing attachment as i would like to make sausages has anyone tried this? does it work well?
Also perhaps the ice cream attachment and herb grinder..
Looking forward to using it tomorrow to make a cake for my sister birthday
thingswemake.co.uk
February 19, 2012
Glad to see you are enjoying your Kenwood.
charlibarley
March 20, 2012
Gosh, I wish I’d seen this when I was having a dither about my choice! I did a blog post myself as I couldn’t seem to find any unbiased reviews. In my blog post I concluded that a kenwood was the best choice and then ended up actually getting a KitchenAid! Couldn’t help it! Its so pretty and does a fantastic job, but I still reckon a Kenwood would have the best functionality.
thingswemake.co.uk
March 24, 2012
They are both pretty good, I think it’s important to choose what you fancy at the time,
Msconduct
April 20, 2012
Interesting post! I went through the same dilemma. I had the colour of my prospective KitchenAid all picked out – and then I discovered that the KA motor was 300w and the Kenwood Chef was 1000. That was it – I couldn’t justify choosing the KA because it was prettier when the Chef’s motor was three times more powerful. I’ve read so many stories about people using Chefs for decades, and I hope mine will be the same! So far, so good!
Mrs.Pepperpot
May 7, 2012
Absolutely loved reading this post. I have been considering a new mixer for some months now and the choice inevitably comes down to the KA or the Kenwood Titanium. My friends and sister have the KA and swear by it and they keep reminding me how ‘cool’ it looks in their kitchens. I’ve seen it in action and it certainly does its stuff – although my sister’s tends to shake a lot when there’s a lot of kneading to do. How does yours cope with a lot of dough? However, my choice is made – 100% for the Ken! This post just convinced me! All that power, no plastic attachments (ie beater and dough hook), endless possibilities with the optional accessories (KA nowhere near as many), plus I love the look of it: shiny, sleek and sturdy. To be honest I find the KA quite ugly (I know people are going to hate me for saying this), but to me it just looks like a colourful Black & Decker power tool with a bowl under it. There, I’ve said it! I make bread and pizzas at least 3 times a week and cake-baking is a must at weekends….so all that extra muscle the Ken gives is just what I’m looking for. Stand mixers aren’t exactly cheap, all the more reason to go for the Ken with its proven durability. This guy has got to last me a lifetime! Thanks for helping me choose! Great photos!
thingswemake.co.uk
May 8, 2012
Great comment! It copes with a big batch of dough brilliantly. I hope you have fun with your new toy 🙂
radhika25
November 2, 2012
After drooling over KA (what lovely colours they come in) I “settled” for the Kenwood Patiessiere coz it is half the price in Sunny Singapore, and I’m really happy.
thingswemake.co.uk
November 12, 2012
Glad you like it!
Steve Flavel
November 6, 2012
Thanks for your blog and the effort you have gone to. Kenwoods are designed in Europe and assembled in China. (Just as iPhones are designed in California and assembled in China)
I was about to buy a mixer when my brother told me about mixers that cook. His cafeteria staff insisted on buying one (they all have one at home). So now to compare the Thermomix TM31 with the Kenwood Cooking Chef (KM070). For the same reasons I choose the Kenwood (Function over Form). So today I ordered a KM070 and will pick it up Friday.
Lust is a terrible thing.
thingswemake.co.uk
November 12, 2012
Hope it works out well for you.
Cathy
November 10, 2012
I started with a Kenwood Chef and have had no problems with it for about 12 years now and it has travelled overseas with me on our expatriate assignments. Whilst living in Canada just about every kitchen appliance was KA but I was loyal to my Kenwood as I couldn’t then justify buying a KA for no good reason. Over the last few years KA has been a rage in Australia and I was starting to toy with the idea of “hmmm, maybe I do need a new mixer” but KA was significantly more expensive in Australia until Costco came along.
Costco had a good price on KA that I couldn’t refuse and after doing much soul searching and researching on prices, etc off I went and bought one and now I have them both. I have to admit that I do like the Kenwood Chef more in terms of the wider bowl and full tilt of the mixer for ease of scraping, etc. But its good to have both and I use them depending on my mood and what I’m baking.
thingswemake.co.uk
November 12, 2012
I like them both…you are lucky to have them to choose between 🙂
Angela Cameron
November 11, 2012
After much deliberation, my husband bought me the KM 010 Chef Titanium kitchen machine today. I’m going to make his birthday cake in it tonight as my first Kenwood ‘baking event’. Your information was very helpful in the process, so thanks so much for your tips and for sharing your experiences. As an aside, I was very confused by the extra attachments you got, and figured that you must have chosen the bigger capacity after all. I was very tempted by the 6.7 L bowl, but figured, in all reality, that my baking is only ever going to be for friends and family, so it was silly to buy the bigger model (much as I would have REALLY liked to!!). Here in New Zealand, there was no free food processor and blender included, so my confusion arose from you saying you got those as part of the deal. However, the retail store / manufacturer had a special deal on so I can ‘claim’ the mincer, the citrus juicer and something else which I’ve forgotten, by sending the receipt off. I guess there are different configurations of ‘extras’ depending on which country you purchase in. Mine also cost considerably more than yours, if I convert the price to pounds, but with the ‘claim back’ it will probably work out around about the same. Thanks again, I can’t wait to get started!!
thingswemake.co.uk
November 12, 2012
Yes, I have noticed they have gone up in price recently, so perhaps the offer of the food processor is now defunct. Hope you enjoy your baking with the Kenwood. I did not go for the larger size by the way…this one is big enough for me!
Mrs.Pepperpot
January 9, 2013
I’m back! You last heard from me in May 2012 when I was considering making the big step of purchasing a stand mixer. KA or Ken? Your blog made me choose the Ken and I have absolutely NO regrets. I purchased it in October on Amazon.it at a great price and with the glass blender attachment included. Here in Italy the model with the 6,7 litre bowl is the KM040 which also has an electronic timer. I don’t know if this model is available in the UK, but it’s simply fantastic. I use the Ken almost daily. The powerful 1500w motor is amazing, kneading over 1,3 kg of bread dough as effortlessly as doing your nails! I opted for the larger bowl because I do a lot of baking and in quite large quantities, but I’ve noticed that even with smaller quantities the results are equally good. Noise is minimal at low speeds and more than bearable at max speeds when whipping cream, mayonnaise and meringue etc. I also find it very sturdy when working even at high speed, unlike my sister’s KA which sounds and moves like an old washing machine on her worktop. The timer funtion is really useful. You set the time at the touch of a button and Ken gets into action while you get on with something else. The blender attachment is also highly versatile, I used it throughout the Summer to make smoothies and frappés with mouth-watering results (my 13 year-old son and his friends can confirm!). I also use it to make a great pesto: smoothe consistency and brilliant colour, just as pesto should be! I have always enjoyed cooking and baking, but since Ken’s arrival my time in the kitchen is a real pleasure. Whatever you throw at it, you can be certain that the result will always be superb. On more than one occasion I have worked this treasure to the bone, especially over the Christmas period. He sits there on my worktop in all his shining glory and I can almost here him saying, “Ahh go on, you whimp! Gimme something more to do!” A wonderful piece of machinery, worth every penny. I have already informed my husband that I would like the multi-mill and centrifugal juicer attachments next Christmas – always wise to start grovelling early…..fingers crossed!! Hope I’ve helped someone with their decision. And by the way, in case nobody noticed…. I LOVE MY KEN!
thingswemake.co.uk
January 9, 2013
What a great update! So glad you are in love with Ken! Sounds like you are really getting your moneys worth out of him. Thanks for checking back in and letting us know.
Mrs.Pepperpot
January 11, 2013
Last night my husband pointed out that I got my Ken end of July and not in October. Memory is not what it used to be. This won’t stop me pestering him for the centrifugal juicer and multi-mill. In fact, this morning Ken & I are making chocolate-chip cookies (husband’s favourite). They say this is the way to a man’s heart….!!!
Jacquie
January 11, 2013
I am still using my dads Kenwood and it must be about 40 years old. My daughter is so impressed she now has one
Annette Collier
January 26, 2013
I bought my Titanium last October. The first one was faulty, but I received a replacement quickly. While I find the mixer good at somethings the one that it really doesn’t seem to do well is a sponge mixture. Perhaps I am making too little, but even a 3 egg 6oz sponge seems to end up around the sides rather than being mixed. I seem to be forever lifting the head and scraping the bowl. To date I haven’t been able to achieve a victoria sponge mix that hasn’t separated and have gone back to using a hand whisk with which this never happens.
I haven’t ever tried a Kitchen Aid and like you, when I was choosing a machine thought the KA a little underpowered, but wonder whether any of these mixers are really worth the money.
thingswemake.co.uk
January 26, 2013
Hi Annette. Have you adjusted your K blender attachment down so that it almost touches the bowl, that helps. I also have the rubber flexi K blender attachment that actually scrapes the sides as it mixes. That said I do still have to scrape down the side of the bowl, especially a butter mix. This is the same with the KitchenAid. I used to love my handheld whisk too but it can’t knead bread and do all the other things.
Msconduct
January 26, 2013
Annette – perhaps I’m naive, but I was disappointed in the performance of my Chef in this regard also. I was assuming that the constant scraping of the bowl I had to do before was because I had a cheaper mixer and was looking forward to it being less of a problem with the Chef, but it was exactly the same. I guess there’s just no getting around it with any mixer. I admit I tend to use butter straight from the fridge, and I do have fewer problems when I take the time to soften it.
imustgetaroundtoit
March 10, 2013
Great post and excellent info on both brands. I, too, love my Chef and spent loads of time making my purchase decision. Have only had it for a few months, but am seriously addicted. I like the look of Kitchen Aid, but 300W compared to 1400W made it a no brainer. Plus, my friend’s Kitchen Aid also fell off the bench when kneading dough. You can read about my adventures with ‘Kenny’ here http://imustgetaroundtoit.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/something-old-something-new/
Jan B.
March 19, 2013
I’ve had my Kenwood Chef for about 37 years. My mom had one and when she passed, my daughter got hers (it must be closer to 40 years old). Back then the Chef was made in England and now both the Chef and the Kitchen Aid are made in China. My Chef has been a workhorse for it’s 37 years but, unfortunately, it “walked” across my center island one day and fell off the edge. Although a couple of the port covers were damaged the machine kept on working as it lay on the floor. Quite amazing and quite messy too as cake batter was flying across the floor.
I worked in a kitchen shop for 7 years and actually sold the Kitchen Aid mixers. Some of them had issues when they started making them in China rather than the US. The higher powered ones didn’t seem to have the issues that the lower wattage ones did but KA seems to have sorted things out as all seems to be fine now.
All that being said, my experience with the Kenwood had been nothing short of 5-star so I’ll buy another with no qualms at all.
Barbara johnson
May 7, 2013
Those picture makes look so real. I do agree about the Amazon part, as they’re not always the cheapest and with sales tax looming on the horizon, the small price difference would soon be over. Well presented and now I need to find something to eat after reading your article!
Dennis
June 20, 2013
I have both but I like Kitchenaid last longer for me compare to others
Warren
July 13, 2013
Came across this site while researching liquidisers. Just thought I would let you know that I bought a Kenwood Chef when I was 25. I am now 58 and the Kenwood Chef hasn’t missed a beat. 33 years of ser ice from this machine and looking forward to the next 33.
Kenneth
August 13, 2013
After reading the comparisons between the two, i found Kenwood Titanium is advantages for my wife as a gift as It has more accessories and its much lighter and hence mobile for our limited kitchen space. Thanks a lots…
thingswemake.co.uk
August 13, 2013
Thanks Kenneth 🙂
Josephine
August 16, 2013
Hi, I received my Kenwood chef titanium last March as birthday present from my husband. Two weeks ago, I tried for the first time to knead dough. I did not know what to expect since it was my first time. I used to use hands to knead dough. The upper part of the machine was shaking during the kneading. Is that normal? How shaky is normal? According to Kenwood’s customer service it was normal, without checking the video. I tried to make video of it, but it is not so obvious as the real life. Can you let me know whether it run smoothly and no shaking of the upper part of the machine when you knead dough? Thanks.
thingswemake.co.uk
August 16, 2013
Hi Josephine
The more dough you are making the more it will move with the physical action required so I don’t tend to knead up to the maximum capacity which is 2.2Kg as it can start to try to escape! I mainly make around 1-1.5Kg. Oh – and make sure you only run it on ‘min’ or ‘1’ for dough too, you shouldn’t run it any faster for a kneading action. I also tend to make a slightly wetter dough in the Kenwood than I do by hand – it mixes better and gives a lighter rise but the benefits are that you don’t get sticky fingers and it puts less stress on the machine. Hope that helps!
Ian
July 12, 2014
This is a really interesting blog – thanks. We had our Kenwood Chef as a wedding present in 1979 – it is now 35 years old and has been wonderful. My wife’s Mum has a Kenwood Major that has been going for decades too. We thought we’d buy one for my daughter and her husband as a wedding present. A friend has a Kitchen Aid and is very pleased with it, but when I looked at what came with it and compared the price compared with the various Kenwoods, I was put off – what I really wanted was a liquidiser with it, and changed my mind from the Prospero to the Classic. My daughter is so pleased with it she invites both sets of parents round whenever she uses it!
BiancaMiller
July 20, 2014
Both are perfect, it’s just that KA is more popular than Kenwood. As you say, we all get excited with anything that’s new and shiny.
Appliance Art
Elodie Chauvelin
September 25, 2014
I have a Kenwood titanium, it is a fab piece of kit. It doesn’t walk when you make bread and is a real workhorse. I have most of the accessories which I also use regularly, but I struggle to store them carefully, does everyone else just throw them in a drawer? Would love somewhere neat to store them all.
Ellie. X
thingswemake.co.uk
September 25, 2014
Ed found me some stiff foam that has holes in it. I spoink the ends of the accessories into that so they stand upright in the cupboard! I tend to keep the K beater on most of the time though.
Warren Hancock
September 30, 2014
I have had a Kenwood Chef for 34 years and it has never let me down. Bought all the attachments with it.
zucchero e sberle
December 16, 2014
thanks, illuminating!
Goulash Girl (@GoulashG)
January 13, 2015
I got my Kenwood Kmix two days ago! Its cheaper and has more features than the Kitchenaid Artisan series. More powerful too. KASM and Kmix have direct drive motors but Kmix is 500w whereas Kitchenaid is 300w. Kmix comes with a sensor which can self adjust the speed of mixing by sensing its load. Here in Malaysia, the Kmix package comes free with the flexi beater that scrapes the sides of the bowl. Optional tools for Kmix are also generally cheaper than Kitchenaid. Same goes for repairs.
I had been Kenwood Prospero 600w all this while. I needed a more powerful machine after 8 years. The Prospero is still working fine but I needed a more powerful machine as I make big loads most of the time.
The sales person at the shop where I bought my Kmix was very helpful. He recommended Kmix even though Kmix was the cheapest compared to Kitchenaid and Kenwood Major Premier. He could have said yes when I decided on the Major Premier as it was the most expensive but he recommended the Kmix anyway. So I am very pleased with my decision.
alexholsgrove
June 25, 2015
I think that you pretty much get what you pay for these days. My parents always had Kenwood machines (and they are still going strong) but we recently bought the KitchenAid 4.8L Artisan mixer (good deals thanks to this site: http://kitchenaidmixers.co.uk/mixers). Had it for about 6 months now and it’s a real workhorse – certainly on-par with the classic Kenwoods!
Kacey Smith
September 13, 2015
I am a KitchenAid owner.it looks good in my kitchen. I love it a lot. It’s a beautiful machine and works a dream.For those who might need to save some money, I bought mine with BHS promo codes from https://www.savingtree.co.uk/search-page/offer_cat/home-garden/. for about half price.i would like it to use fro big jobs on special days.good post thank you for the Info. Happy Baking
dance
October 11, 2015
Hello! Sorry I am trying to find the Kenwood Chef Titanium at anywhere like £264 and completely failing. It seems to retail at about £399 (starting price!). Any ideas? Thanks!
thingswemake.co.uk
October 13, 2015
Hi, I’m afraid this post was several years ago so they must have gone up in price by now. Sorry!
Steve Martin
August 16, 2016
Amazon or Kenwood themselves. I got my titanium chef for £209 from Amazon and all the attachments (of which I have most of them) from Kenwood as they are the cheapest.
A point of note: I research, a lot, before I buy / buy into a product and was ultimately swayed by the versatility and staying power of the Kenwood of the KitchenAid. What’s more, I bought a Kenwood stand alone mincer after my cheap wedding present one died, on purchasing the Titanium Chef, I realised the mincer is interchangeable with the chef; the standalone mincer unit is now in the attic.
We absolutely love the different attachments available and have most of them – one of the first I bought is the ice-cream maker for my wife’s birthday [she is the dessert chef, i am the main chef], and I love both the soft fruit press and hard fruit juice extractor; although I think the best advantage the machine has is its ability to simultaneously power different attachments – I do wonder whether Ken Wood (he named the company after himself as is often the case with British companies) take inspiration from Land Rover and their multitude of power-points?
Going back, I love the fact that I can use both juice extractors at the same time so if apple and blackberry juice is desired I can.
I really liked your review on the dough mix, strangely, I prefer to mix my bread dough by hand but use the machine for the pasta dough – for me, nothing beats the eye for thorough mixing but with pasta I can be mincing the beef at the same time as making pasta so my hands are not tied.
We have bought completely into the Kenwood going from the initial purchase to a near complete set of attachments [we have everything we want as some ‘specialised’ attachments can be handled by the ones we currently have] in around 3 months and nearly all of them (ice-cream maker aside) are used weekly.
The only downside I have and again this generally falls to preference: I make ’round the meat’ Yorkshire pudding which generally needs to be slightly thicker and more aerated than that destined for the pudding tins, I found on a recent test that the mixer was unable to get the correct consistency even after 5 minutes where I can get it in two, that said, my wife says it makes perfect cakes and the batter it did produce in 2 minutes would have been perfect for pancakes.