Kitchenaid's new commercial stand mixer - 6.9L bowl

So finally kitchen aid has brought out a mixer with a larger bowl - its like a little slice of caking heaven IMO, but here is a review so you can make up your own mind on this bad boy.

Some of the features listed on the kitchen aid website are:
Full metal construction robust, stable and durable
High efficiency DC motor runs longer & delivers optimum torque with less heat build up

Our most efficient Advanced Feedback Speed Control ensures selected RPM is maintained

10-speed slide control with Soft Start feature starts at a lower speed and quickly increases to the selected speed

Speed Control Protection shields the control lever to prevent accidentally turning on the mixer

 

Original Planetary Action fast and thorough mixing

Professional Style Attachment Power Hub suits all stand mixer attachments

Stainless Steel Power Knead™ Spiral Dough Hook powerfully punches and rolls thick, heavy dough with smooth efficiency

Stainless Steel 11-wire Elliptical Whisk provides increased volume for fluffier egg whites and lighter whipped cream in minimum time

6.9L Stainless Steel Bowl with J-style ergonomic handle facilitates easy stacking or hanging. The sealed handle and cut edged bowl eliminates the hazard of food trapping

Pouring Shield keeps ingredients covered while providing a convenient chute to add further ingredients to the bowl

Motor protection should the motor experience an overload, the mixer will automatically shut off to prevent damage

Dishwasher safe accessories

 

I have been using this mixer for over two months now, in conjunction with my Hobart 20L mixer, so I admit to only using it for smaller cakes, but it has completely replaced my smaller kitchen aid, and I think that despite the price, this will become the go to mixer of choice for many cake decorators. The extra capacity is really worth it, as you can use it for big or small cakes. I have no doubt that this will start to come out in additional colours soon. 

 

I also don't think you need the flexi beater with this one - the whisk has great contact with the bowl, and I don't end up with bits at the bottom that need to be remixed, unlike the smaller model where I felt I needed the flexi beater.

 

My Overall Review:

Rating: 9/10

Positives: Capacity - I mean seriously, it makes it sooooo much more worthwhile over their standard model. Still can be used with all the accessories like the pasta machine. It is much quieter and as the head does not tilt, it means you can not misalign the beater which is such a good feature as it would drive me insane with the smaller model (and ruined one of my whisks)
Negatives: The bowl is a bit of a pain in the backside to get on and off - but I suspect this will get easier over time once the metal bump at the back has a little bit of give in it. I think the price will be the biggest draw back for a lot of cake decorators. It is a big price difference from the standard model to this one and this is why I have docked it one point on the score. But if price is no issue then its a ten for sure.
Cost: The RRP for this mixer is $1195 including GST - you can check it out here on the kitchenaid website