The KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PSBER is a premium stand mixer aimed at keen home cooks who want both style and substance on the worktop. Finished in classic Empire Red, it’s very much a statement piece as well as a hardworking kitchen tool.
With a 300W direct drive motor, generous 4.8-litre stainless steel bowl and an additional 3-litre mini bowl, it’s built to handle everything from everyday cakes to heavier bread doughs. Ten speed settings and planetary mixing action promise smooth, even results.
User feedback is outstanding: a 4.9 out of 5 rating from over 1,100 reviews suggests this is a very well‑proven machine. It sits at the premium end of the mixer market, but the specification and reputation help justify the higher price.
This KitchenAid Artisan is ideal for regular bakers and enthusiastic home cooks who want a reliable, long‑term workhorse rather than an entry‑level gadget. The 4.8-litre main bowl comfortably handles family‑sized batches of cake mix, bread dough or meringue, making it well suited to busy households and anyone who bakes in volume.
The extra 3-litre stainless steel mini bowl is perfect if you often switch between recipes – for example whipping cream while a sponge batter rests – or if you sometimes just need a smaller batch of icing or sauce. It’s a thoughtful inclusion for those who like to batch cook or entertain.
Given the price, it’s best suited to buyers who see this as an investment piece: confident beginners who want to grow into their mixer, serious hobby bakers, and home cooks who appreciate robust build quality and classic design. If you only bake occasionally or are on a tight budget, a simpler, cheaper stand mixer may make more sense.
If you’re short on time and value ease of use, the simple speed dial, tilt‑head design and dishwasher‑safe bowls and attachments make it a very straightforward machine to live with.
The 300W direct drive motor delivers strong, consistent power without needing a high wattage on paper. Direct drive means less energy is lost through gears, so it copes well with thicker doughs and batters while running more quietly than many belt‑driven rivals.
The large 4.8-litre stainless steel bowl gives plenty of capacity for big family bakes, with room for up to 2.7kg of cake mix, 2kg of dough or 12 egg whites. The additional 3-litre stainless steel mini bowl is a real plus, saving time when switching between mixes and avoiding constant washing up mid‑recipe.
Planetary mixing action ensures the beater reaches right to the sides of the bowl, so ingredients are thoroughly combined and there are fewer dry pockets to scrape down. Ten stepless speed settings make it easy to move from gentle folding to fast whisking with good control.
It comes very well equipped straight out of the box: flat beater, flex edge beater, dough hook, wire whisk, pouring shield and both bowls cover most baking tasks with no need to buy extras immediately. Dishwasher‑safe components and an ergonomic handle on the bowl make it practical as well as stylish.
A five‑year manufacturer warranty is generous for a small appliance and underlines its credentials as a long‑term kitchen companion. Coupled with the excellent user rating, it inspires confidence in durability.
The most obvious drawback is price. This Artisan model sits at the premium end of the stand mixer market, so it will feel like a stretch if you only bake occasionally or are upgrading from a basic hand mixer.
There’s no dedicated pulse function, which some users may miss for quick bursts of power, especially when incorporating delicate ingredients. While the stepless speed control gives you good manual control, there are no pre‑set programmes or timers – everything relies on your own judgement.
As with most metal‑bodied stand mixers of this type, it’s quite a substantial machine. The dimensions (H36 x W24 x D37cm) mean it needs a decent amount of counter space and is better suited to being left out rather than stored in a cupboard.
Finally, the lack of detail on noise levels can be a minor concern if you have an open‑plan space – the direct drive should help keep it relatively quiet, but if you’re sensitive to noise you may still find bread‑dough kneading a bit intrusive.
Day to day, the KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PSBER is designed to be straightforward. The tilt‑head design gives easy access to the bowl for adding ingredients or scraping down between stages, and the ergonomic handle makes lifting and locking the bowl into place feel reassuringly solid.
The ten‑speed control lever is intuitive, moving smoothly from a slow stir for folding in flour to high‑speed whisking for meringues and whipped cream. Because the speeds are stepless rather than fixed jumps, you can fine‑tune power to suit more delicate mixes.
Planetary mixing action means you rarely need to pause to scrape down the sides, especially when using the flex edge beater that wipes the bowl as it turns. For heavier dough, the dough hook works its way right through the mix, reducing manual kneading.
Cleaning is refreshingly simple. Both stainless steel bowls and the main attachments are dishwasher‑safe, and the smooth exterior wipes clean easily. That makes it more realistic to use the mixer several times a week without dreading the washing up afterwards.
Because it’s relatively compact in footprint but quite heavy, most people will want to give it a permanent spot on the worktop. Once it’s in place, it feels like a solid, dependable part of the kitchen rather than something you constantly move in and out of cupboards.
Performance is where this Artisan mixer earns its reputation. The 300W direct drive motor may look modest alongside some high‑wattage rivals, but direct drive puts the power straight onto the mixing action. In practice, it has no trouble handling up to 2kg of bread dough or large batches of cake mix without straining.
The capacity is well judged for most households. The 4.8-litre main bowl is ideal for family‑sized loaves, traybakes and layer cakes, while the 3-litre mini bowl comes into its own for smaller quantities – buttercream for one cake, a quick batch of biscuits, or a couple of egg whites. Being able to swap between bowls without washing one out mid‑recipe is a genuine time saver.
Planetary mixing action is a key feature: the beater not only spins on its own axis but also travels around the bowl, reaching the edges and base for more consistent mixes. Paired with the flex edge beater, it reduces the need for manual scraping and helps achieve smooth batters and evenly incorporated ingredients.
In terms of tools, you’re well covered. The wire whisk aerates egg whites and cream efficiently; the flat beater and flex edge beater handle most cake batters and cookie doughs; and the dough hook takes care of breads and pizza bases. The pouring shield is a nice touch, helping to keep flour clouds and splashes under control when adding ingredients at speed.
While it doesn’t offer digital displays, built‑in scales or app connectivity, its traditional manual controls are robust and predictable. Combined with a five‑year warranty and the brand’s strong track record in this category, it delivers a feature set that focuses on core performance and reliability rather than gimmicks.
This KitchenAid Artisan sits clearly in the premium price bracket for stand mixers, so it’s not the choice for bargain hunters. However, the specification, build quality and long warranty go a long way towards justifying the cost.
You’re getting two stainless steel bowls, seven useful accessories, a proven direct drive motor and planetary mixing action – features that often appear as paid extras on cheaper machines, if they’re available at all. The ability to handle large batches and heavier doughs reliably also means you’re less likely to outgrow it if your baking becomes more ambitious.
The exceptionally high user rating (4.9/5 from over 1,100 reviews) is a strong indicator that owners feel they’ve had good value from their purchase over time, both in performance and reliability. If you’ll use it frequently, the higher upfront cost is easier to justify as a long‑term investment.
If your budget is tight or your baking is only occasional, there are more affordable stand mixers that will cover the basics. But for regular bakers who want a machine to last for years, the overall value proposition is strong.
The KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PSBER is a classic for a reason. It combines an iconic design with a powerful, efficient direct drive motor, generous capacity and a very complete set of accessories straight out of the box. For keen bakers, it delivers the consistency and convenience that can genuinely change how often and how confidently you bake.
Its premium price and fairly substantial size mean it won’t suit everyone, and those looking for lots of digital bells and whistles may find the feature set fairly traditional. But the five‑year warranty, superb owner ratings and thoughtfully designed dual‑bowl setup make it a stand mixer you can rely on for the long haul.
If you want a stylish, robust mixer that can tackle everything from light sponges to heavy dough with ease – and you’re happy to invest in something built to last – this KitchenAid Artisan is a standout choice.
