WOW! It's hard to believe the price on this incredible mixer-even considering it's reconditioned. Before making my purchase, I contacted KitchenAid's Support Center (a toll-free phone number for anyone to use)and wanted the bottom line of a "Factory-Reconditioned" Product. In my own personal experience, I've dealt with companies that had differing ideas on what they meant by "Reconditioned", "Refurbished", "Like New" and some others.I wanted this review to be as useful as possible so I did as much research as I could, hopefully it will help you to make a more informed and comfortable decision. The wonderful and personable customer service representatives as KitchenAid were very helpful in answering a list of questions that I had prepared. I already had the mixer but wanted to make certain that the information I was passing on to you was as up to date as possible. They reassured me that when they put the "Factory-Reconditioned" stamp of approval on the KitchenAid RRK150WH Artisan 5-Quart Mixer they're basically saying that you're getting a brand new-ish machine that has met or exceeded every standard necessary to place the original product on the shelves in the first place. I followed up with another question, "So how can that be since it IS different for whatever reason?" They gracefully explained that every KitchenAid Appliance must meet several strict standards (appearance, safety, etc.), standards that are manually checked and rechecked by actual quality control people in the factory, before they will place it for sale as reconditioned. I asked what the number one reason was for these great machines, and they really ARE great and powerful mixers, to be returned to the store or factory. The main reason is that most returns are a result of people receiving the 5-Quart Mixer as a gift (Wedding Shower, Wedding, Anniversary, New Home, etc.)and deciding that they already have one or that they don't have the need for a new mixer. As a result, the product is returned, often never opened, to the retail store and then shipped back to the factory.
KitchenAid gets FIVE STARS, in my books, for never assuming anything. Even if the tape is still securing the box, the unit is removed completely and sent through the entire quality control process-each and every part of the Mixer is scrutinized. If, as another example, a customer returns a unit because one of the covers is missing, the same lengthy process is taken to ensure that NOTHING leaves the factory with the "Factory-Reconditioned" status unless they can stand by the product in the same way they do with the original.
With a unit priced this low, it's hard to imagine that anyone is making a great deal of money on the deal. This is one case where I would tend to believe that we, the curious consumers, are definitely getting the best part of the bargain.
I'm Italian and love to cook and love to bake. My family used to do almost everything by hand, but then I purchased the KitchenAid 5-Quart Mixer and my life changed. I will NEVER make another loaf of bread or knead pizza dough, not even for $10,000.00, after learning that this dependable machine does a much better job than myself and even my Grandma can do! The other part of baking that I am not excited to partake in is the cleaning process. Thankfully, the colorful and trendy-looking mixer is as easy to clean as is cleaning a bowl of popcorn! It's honestly that easy and a point that I wanted to pass onto you.
I sure hope that this review helps in some way. I've not covered all of the nitty gritty details, most all of them are found here on the site or can be located on KitchenAids extensive and resourceful site. What I wanted to do is personalize this purchase for you and focus on what they mean, as an individual company, in regard to a product that is not brand new-but is "Factory-Reconditioned!"
I've spent this same amount of money and much more on items I never ended up using. And even if you're the type of baker who only does baking on Holidays, you'll absolutely love your KitchenAid Artisan Series 5-Quart Mixer. Choose your favorite color and mix and blend until your heart and tummy are content.
And feel free to email me if I can ever be of any more assistance to you. Thanks for taking the time to read my review.
Upon taking the mixer out of the package, I noticed a small ding in the paint/enamel on the top of the mixer, and a few minor scratches on the stainless steel bowl. The metallic strip that encircles the head of the mixer also did not seem very well attached; I don't know if that had anything to do with it being reconditioned it seemed like it just wasn't glued down to begin with.
Those were just cosmetic flaws and didn't really bother me. What concerned me was the strange, low grinding noise the mixer made when I started it up (I've used these mixers before and I know they're not supposed to sound like that). It only makes this noise when operating on the first two speeds; on higher speeds it sounds fine. After running it a while, it seemed to me that it wasn't really broken, just noisy. Since the price is a pretty good deal and returning it would be a hassle (and who knows what I'd get in exchange) I decided to gamble on the noise not being anything serious.
So far I've used heavily for a couple of weeks and have made several batches of bread dough with it. It works just fine. I've gotten used to the noise and it doesn't seem to have any impact on the actual performance. I don't have any other complaints about the machine. It's easy to use and clean up, and having one makes a big difference in the kitchen.
If you're looking for a bargain, go ahead and take a chance on one of these. If you're looking for perfection, you're better off buying a brand new Kitchenaid.
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My factory-reconditioned KitchenAid Artisan Series 5 quart stand mixer arrived in perfect condition (no scratches, chips, or dents) with all of its accessories. All parts fit together properly. The mixer worked flawlessly on the first try and has continued to do so ever since.It is sturdy, very well made and a pleasure to use. I have no regrets that I bought a factory-reconditioned product. I would recommend KitchenAid factory-reconditioned products to anyone, and I do.
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This is my first Kitchenaid mixer and expectations were high. It came in flawless shape, with a perfect finish. I made a flowerless cake and it was perfect. I added a Kitchenaid pasta maker attachement and tried my hand at homemade pasta. I figured I'd try the Kitchenaid recipe first, and see how the whole proces worked. It had a tough time with the dough (30 sec with the blade, 2 minutes with a dough hook). I attached the pasta maker and all was working well. I noticed it was slowing down and speeding up, even if I wasn't feeing any dough through it. Then it stopped turning even though the motor was still running. It was pretty warm. Not good. Only got to run 1/4 of the dough and didn't finish that.The next day, I tried it again with no attachments. Same slow down/speed up problem. Called Kitchenaid, who said it was out of warranty, but they would replace it anyway. Not good that their records were wrong, but fantastic that they still took care of me. A replacement is on the way, and I'll return the current model when the new one arrives.
So I give five stars for customer service. You gotta figure somebody will get a bad one, and I wanted to let everyone know how Kitchenaid took care of it. I never mentioned it was a refurb, since I wanted to see how they would treat me. I'd buy another Kitchenaid product in a heartbeat.
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I was a little weary about buying a refurbished mixer, especially with the other reviews saying that there were lots of scratches. I was very pleased when I pulled mine out of the box. It looks just like new. I have only used it a few times, but so far so good. I love it.
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