Kichot Stand Mixer Review

Our tester was sent a free sample of the Kichot 8.5-Quart Stand Mixer to test and review.

I’ve used and reviewed a number of stand mixers, so I was ready to test the Kichot 8.5-Quart Stand Mixer. Whipping, kneading, and mixing were on the agenda, so I stocked up on cream, flour, sugar, and the rest of the usual suspects. After plenty of time in the kitchen, I know exactly what this mixer can do, and how it stacks up against the competition.

Design: Utilitarian

While this stand mixer won’t win any beauty contests for graceful lines, it’s not unattractive, either. The white body and shiny stainless steel bowl look clean and modern, if a bit square and clunky. A lever releases the tilt head so it lifts up to access the bowl or swap attachments. A large dial is used to set the speed from 0 to 6, with a pulse option when it’s turned in the opposite direction. A blue light glows around the rim of the dial when the mixer is in use.

The mixer has suction cup feet, which help to keep it stable while the mixer is working. While most of the time I lifted the mixer to move it, there were times when it made more sense to slide it a little bit. I noticed it was leaving a black mark on the counter, much like stainless steel bowls sometimes do. I decided to look more closely at the bottom of the mixer to see what was dragging, and I saw that the screw holding one of the feet on was protruding much more than the rest. I grabbed a screwdriver and screwed it in until it was snug. That completely solved the problem.

Performance: Good enough

The instructions note what speeds should be used with which attachment, but in practice, people will use a speed that does the job. One thing to remember is that the mixer shouldn’t be operated for more than 10 minutes for whipping or mixing to prevent overheating. That’s unfortunate, since there are recipes that require a longer mixing time, but for casual users, it should be more than enough.

The manual also has specific information for mixing and kneading bread dough, starting at the lowest speed for 30 seconds, ramping up to speed 2 for 30 seconds, and finally kneading at speed 3 for 2-4 minutes. It warns that higher speeds or longer use can overheat the machine. Again, it would be better if it could be used for a long time since many doughs won’t be thoroughly kneaded in that time. To get around the problem, the mixer can be left to rest in between kneading sessions.

I started with something easy—whipping cream with the whisk attachment—and the mixer worked well, giving me a fluffy pile of cream with no problem. The cream was mixed all the way to the bottom of the bowl, but I did scrape the sides just to make sure it was evenly whipped.

I used the mixer several times to make bread dough using the dough hook, but I’ll admit I didn’t have a stopwatch running to make sure I followed the manual exactly. I ended up with a lovely dough and the mixer didn’t feel the slightest bit warm when I was done.

Cookie dough using the paddle should have been easy, but that’s where I had the most issues. I used the classic Tollhouse recipe, and when I creamed the butter and sugar, I had to scrape the sides and particularly the bottom of the bowl to get the ingredients properly mixed. The paddle just wasn’t deep enough in the bowl to grab the ingredients to mix them. When I added eggs, I needed to do a lot of scraping again. When I added flour, it mixed better, possibly because I had more ingredients in the bowl and the paddle was able to shove the dense ingredients around in the bowl. Still, I scraped the bowl and there was some uneven mixing. The last addition was chocolate chips, and the mixer did a good job incorporating them. In the end, it managed to make good cookie dough, but it required quite a bit of scraping throughout the process.

What’s Included: Some useful, some odd

Like most stand mixers, this included a bread hook, a whisk, and a mixing paddle. The hook and paddle are both coated with a nonstick coating. That’s great for cleaning, but the problem with coatings is that they can chip or peel off. The whisk is uncoated.

This also included a splatter guard. Unlike guards that fit on top of the bowl, this attaches to the mixer head, so it’s completely out of the way when the head is lifted. I liked that to contain splatter, but I liked it less when I tried to add flour with the shield in place. Still, it was better than having flour decorating the kitchen.

This also included a spatula and an egg separator. Neither were particularly high quality, so I’m not sure why they were included.

Cleaning: Hand wash it all

According to the manual, “The components are not suitable for cleaning in a dishwasher. If exposed to heat or caustic cleaners they might become misshapen or discolored.” That seems a bit unlikely for a mixer bowl, but since the paddle and dough hook have a nonstick coating, it’s wise to wash them, and the whisk, by hand. The rest of the machine can be wiped down with a damp cloth.

Price: Less expensive

Compared to the popular name brand in mixers, this is less expensive, and it has a larger bowl, which makes it an even better deal for cooks who make double or triple batches of cookies. The brand is new in the U.S., so it’s a bit of a wildcard, but the two-year warranty gives some confidence that it will last a while.

Kichot 8.5-Quart Stand Mixer vs. KitchenAid 5-Quart Artisan Stand Mixer

I used the mixer several times to make bread dough using the dough hook, but I’ll admit I didn’t have a stopwatch running to make sure I followed the manual exactly. I ended up with a lovely dough and the mixer didn’t feel the littlest bit warm when I was done.

When it comes to stand mixers, the KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, which I also tested, may be the most popular. For good reason. It’s large enough for most home cooks, it’s sturdy, the price is reasonable—particularly when there’s a sale—and there are a plethora of attachments that make the mixer incredibly versatile. I’d recommend it to anyone.

The Kichot mixer I tested may not be as robust as the KitchenAid, but it worked well in my tests, it has a larger bowl, and it costs less. It may not be the one I’d recommend for heavy users, but it would work well for casual users who want to retire their whisk and hand mixer.