Others say...

"It is great."
I have been using it to make a lot of things, but especially sour dough bread. I am very pleased with how easy it is to use.
Delivery was excellent. I had it in less than a week from ordering.

"Doesn't live up to the hype."
When using the mixer it is not possible to scrape the sides of the bowl while it is mixing so you have to stop it every so often to clean the sides. If you don't have the protector on the top and even sometimes when you do, it throws flour, etc., all over the place. It is too heavy.
I prefer the old two beater type which the bowl rotates while mixing. I am disappointed in this product.

"Once you own it, you can't live without it."
I've been cooking since I was a kid and never had any reason to own a stand mixer. As I got older and really influenced by the Food Network, I decided to buy one. Unfortunately, I thought the Macy's sale price of $299.00 + tax was good and I acted without checking amazing Amazon. Lo and behold its on sale for $209.00, $90.00 + tax more than I paid at Macy's. Oh well. Here's the scoop on using it. I've been making Pizza like a pro every Saturday night. What took me more than 1/2 hour of kneading by hand takes me no longer than 5 minutes with the mixer and the dough hook. I've made Italian bread that I'd put against any bakery loaf. I've mixed sauces like a pro. This machine really brings your cooking to another level. I am extremely happy with it.

"Doctor of Mixology"
The KitchenAid mixer is the gold standard for home baking. My mother has had one that she used for years and years and now I am finally grown-up enough to get my own!

Having a good quality stand mixer just makes everything easier. Sure, it is possible to do everything by hand or using a powered hand-mixer, but that isn't really anyone's favorite part of baking. Stuff gets splattered all over, it is hard to keep it even, and there is too much margin for error. Stand mixers just make those hard tasks quicker and more efficient, so you can spend more time on the fun parts.

So far, my new KitchenAid Artisan has seen the most action with its dough-hook. It kneads bread dough perfectly, although it has taken me a few tries to get used to it. The ingredients have to go in a certain order, moving dry to wet with the wet introduced slowly while the hook mixes. Fortunately, the KitchenAid comes with great instructions and some recipes to get you started.

The 5-Quart bowl holds a lot, and is easily enough for family-sized portions. All of the pieces, including the bowl, lock firmly into place so there is no worry about anything getting out of control. I have really appreciated the splash-guard which makes introducing wet ingredients trouble-free.

What really sets the KitchenAid Artisan apart from other mixers are the accessories you can buy for it. This is so much more than just a mixer, it is a whole kitchen machine. So far, I have the Ice Cream Maker Attachment, and I am really looking forward to trying my hand at making sausage with the Food Grinder Attachment and Sausage Stuffer set, or maybe some homemade pasta with the Pasta Roller. Ah, the possibilities!

"Very useful item"
I always wanted one of these for a very long time. Recently I got into bread making, and this is such a great helper. Just a note, I don't use the splash guard....it looks....cheap...but that is just me. other then that, I really don't know what else to say. Well, the kneading of the bread didn't turn out to be how i want, but it may just be i don't know how to use it...