Kitchenaid mixer information from the horse's mouth
KENNY......here is revised information from a post I submitted in 2014.....
I recently learned something about KA Mixers!
Not only do I collect vacuum cleaners but my second love is mixers. And, who am I kidding, any and all other small kitchen appliances, too!
I met a gentleman where I was working who liked to tinker with all kinds of things, mixers included. As we talked further he said he would bring a couple in for me to take home home and "play" with. And so I did.
The Azure Blue bowl lift model (from 1996) was in redeemable shape; however, it was leaking oil around the band and under the attachment area, as well. It needed new attachments since the previous owner apparently put the wire whip into the automatic dishwasher (which KitchenAid recommends against doing) and it tarnished to a grotesque and putrid condition-not something I would be using for something I would be eating later. The other attachment, the dough hook was in rough shape, too and the paddle was missing. Anyway....I decided to call KitchenAid and inquire about the oil leak. Here is what I learned:
KitchenAid mixers are packed with three times the amount of grease (which is food-grade) that they will ever need. Two ounces is sufficient but they are packed with six ounces. Over time without normal use-in other words, if you use it only for holiday baking, the grease will begin to break down and the liquids will separate from the solids. Since the oil has no where to puddle it will leak out around the band. The rep with whom I spoke told me to prevent this from happening simply run the mixer for 2 minutes on the highest speed (10) for two minutes once a month!
Apparently, what happens is the gasket allows the oil to seep out around it. Perhaps this is a design flaw.
Now, I have a 4.5 qt lift bowl model in white that I had purchased in 2008 and really never used other than to play with it a few times and when I finally decided I was going to use it this past Christmas (I am really a fan of the older Sunbeam MixMaster mixers! Don't let anyone tell you different-these mixers are every bit as capable as a KitchenAid mixer and in many areas, excel!!) I had noticed that there was some light brown oil around the band. My heart just dropped and I was so mad to think that this occurs. So what I also learned is that old adage is true! If you don't use it, you will lose it! USE your mixers and vacuums and to hell with saving it in the box. I am often told that no one is going to want my vacuums and mixers when I am gone and they will only end up in the dumpster anyway! Once I started using the mixer the oil seemed to not accumulate as much after I had wiped away what was previously there. Lesson learned.
Now, for most poeple a 5 qt KitchenAid mixer is just fine. It has a 9-cup flour capacity which means that it can handle a recipe containing 9 cups total of dry ingredients. A 6-qt mixer can handle 14 cups and a 7-qt can handle 16 cups. All of this information is on the KitchenAid website. Just remember that a larger mixer with a smaller amount of ingredients (or 1 recipe) will require you to stop the machine and scrape down the bowl more often than smaller capacity machine.
By the way, Consumer Reports still rates the Kitchenaid Classic model mixer as a great machine and a leading contender. There is really no need to purchase the higher end models such as the Ultra or Artisan models as the results a virtually the same. A few extra watts in the higher end models doesn't necessarily do a better job. I also had learned that the larger size mixer models such as the 6 and 7 quart sizes actually have SMALLER motors!