Why you'll love it: With a 450-watt motor, the KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus Series Stand Mixer is one of KitchenAid’s most powerful mixers.
The KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus has a ten-speed motor with a slow start function and overload protection. The mixer comes with a five-quart stainless steel mixing bowl featuring an ergonomic handle. Also, the hinged hub cover flips up to make it easier to install attachments, including the spiral dough hook, wire whip, and flat beater that it comes with. The bowl is lifted to the mixer are using a simple lever that securely stays in place.
The Professional 5 Plus is available in thirteen colors on Amazon, including Metallic Chrome, Empire Red, Cobalt Blue, and Onyx Black.
For 15 years now, I have owned and regularly used the forebear of the Professional 5 Plus: the Professional 5. The Professional 5 Plus improves upon my model with a stronger motor (450 watts versus 350 watts), overload protection, and slow start. That said, my model has done a fabulous job making cookies, cake, pie, and everything else we ask of it. In fact, I bake two loaves of bread per week, and it has never had a problem kneading the dough, even with the weaker motor.
One of the expert sites that reviewed the Professional 5 Plus was Ratingle, and the site put it among its top four KitchenAid stand mixers. The reviewer liked the flexibility afforded by the 10 speeds of the 450-watt motor. However, the site noted that this unit is quite loud when in use.
Just My Two Cents, a respected site that covers a wide variety of appliances, liked the large capacity of the mixer and how it could handle large tasks with ease. The reviewer found that what set it apart from other KitchenAid products was an overload reset button and the slow start-ups, which keep your ingredients from flying everywhere. Cooking Upgrades also appreciated the size and reset button and gave the mixer 4.5 out of 5 stars.
Some 89% of the buyers who reviewed the Professional 5 Plus on Amazon gave it a rating of four stars or higher. Buyers liked that it packs a lot of power while taking up relatively little counter space, and at 16.5 inches tall, it fits under most cabinets. Reviewers found it especially helpful for making bread, cakes, and pies.
Pros: Advanced features, ergonomic design, 67-point mixing
Cons: Heavy, loud
Buy the KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus Series Stand Mixers on Amazon for $299.87