KitchenAid Best mixer. Period.
I bought this mixer because Cook's Illustrated recommended it. I can
see, after 3 months, that CI was spot-on. It is a substantial-sized
kitchen tool, and I've used it at least once a week since getting it.
Primarily I bought this for bread mixing, and it clomps along even on
the firmest dough (though it does "hop" a bit on firm doughs). The
powerful engine can handle anything I throw at it. It also does a
fabulous job on whipped cream -- far better-textured than a hand-mixer
could make. I've used it to make cakes and cream-cheese dips, frostings
and herb butters, and there just doesn't seem to be much this mixer
can't do to perfection. It's not a food processor, so don't expect it to
chop and dice or to cut butter into biscuit dough, but it fulfills its
function perfectly. It's heavy-duty and substantial, and so easy to
hand-wash I haven't bothered putting its components through the
dishwasher. 100% recommend.
KitchenAid Best mixer. Period.