Buying guide for Best KitchenAid stand mixer attachments
KitchenAid stand mixers have set the standard for cooks everywhere since the first home model sold in 1918. These workhorse appliances are renowned for their mixing abilities — but did you know they can also make pasta, cut vegetables, and churn ice cream?
The same company that makes the world’s most reliable stand mixer also designs attachments to make the appliance even more powerful. Most connect to the power hub at the front of the mixer, although some join up where the paddle inserts. Thanks to the appliance's classic, streamlined design, today's attachments are compatible with every stand mixer KitchenAid has made since 1937.
Quality design and function don’t come cheap. KitchenAid stand mixer attachments can be pricey, so to earn their keep, they need to go a long way toward simplifying food preparation. We reviewed KitchenAid’s most popular stand mixer attachments to find out which are worth the money. Keep reading to learn more. When you’re ready to buy, check our recommendations for the best attachments on the market.
Key considerations
KitchenAid’s assortment of stand mixer attachments could reduce your time spent in the kitchen without a loss of food quality or nutritional value. When choosing attachments, think about your goals. Are you hoping to introduce more creative vegetable and fruit dishes into your diet? Reduce your dependence on processed meats? Create homemade pasta for your gluten-free diet? KitchenAid offers attachments to do all of these tasks and more.
Pasta and grains
KitchenAid’s pasta roller set is likely its best-known stand mixer attachment set. This set of attachments includes all the pieces you’ll need to roll and cut various sizes and thicknesses of pasta. If you eat a gluten-free diet or just prefer to customize your carbs, this attachment will become a fast favorite.
Noodles not what you need? KitchenAid also has attachments for milling low-moisture grains. These stainless steel fixtures grind wheat berries, rice, corn, and other grains to a variety of consistencies.
Meat
The best-known KitchenAid attachments may be just for carbs, but carnivores are covered, too. Some attachments grind beef, pork, and chicken into perfect portions. Other attachments stuff ground meat into sausages. Still others shave ham or turkey into consistent, even slices. Food-processing sets can pull double duty — and then some — with meats, nuts, and other protein-laden staples.
Vegetables and fruits
You can never have too much produce in your diet. The United States Department of Agriculture recommends adults eat five to nine servings per day, and KitchenAid attachments can help you meet that goal.
Vegetable sheet cutters slice wide, uniform strips of veggies for grilling or stacking into lasagnas. Spiralizers cut zucchini and other produce into long, slender curls that stir-fry easily or substitute nicely for noodles.
If fruit is your thing, strainer and grinder attachments help you process fibrous fruits and strain out seeds and peels so all you have left is a smooth puree. Other combination models peel, core, and slice hard items such as apples and carrots.
Miscellaneous
Some attachments won’t save you much time, but they will let you make fun speciality dishes that will make it a meal to remember. Ice cream maker attachments let you create frozen treats with your stand mixer, and temperature-controlled mixing bowls make fondues and dips easier to prepare and serve.
Expert Tip
I hand wash my simple attachments, like the wire whisk or paddle, every single time. For attachments with complex internal parts, like a grinder or pasta maker, I simply wipe them down. Submerging complex attachments can encourage rust and clogs.
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Features
Power source
Many KitchenAid attachments can be inserted into your stand mixer’s power hub. These tools harness the mixer’s motor to do the work for you. They’re a good pick for items you want thoroughly, uniformly mixed or processed. If you suffer from joint pain in your hands and wrists, powered attachments are a good choice for preparing fresh food while minimizing stress on your body.
Some attachments operate using hand cranks or similar means to process the food. With these tools, the mixer itself serves primarily to stabilize the food and the tools. Hand-crank options are best used with food that needs to have some substance. They’ll often leave pieces a little larger and more textured — perfect for salsas and the like. These attachments are less practical for customers with joint pain in their upper body because users must power parts of the tool themselves.
A few stand mixer attachments are powered by the machine’s drive assembly. Attachments that work with the drive assembly are largely automated, making them attractive to customers with hand pain.
Materials
The majority of stand mixer attachments are made from either stainless steel or heavy-duty plastic. Steel items are usually more durable, but this durability increases their price tag. Plastic accessories usually have a lower price tag than those made from metal, but they are prone to breaking and wearing out over time. A number of items are made from a mix of metal and plastic to keep both quality and prices reasonable.
Expert TIp
Use your senses to monitor the motor of your KitchenAid during use. Rest a hand on the bell, or rounded top area, of the mixer to check its temperature. Mildly warm is okay – hot is not. Also, if you smell motor oil, the mixer is likely getting so hot that the lubricating oil is breaking down. Give it a rest, then start again.
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Prices of KitchenAid stand mixer attachments
Inexpensive
The least-expensive KitchenAid stand mixer attachments run $35 to $50. Accessories in this price range may have metal components but will be mostly made from plastic. You’ll find grinders, ice cream makers for smaller mixers, and other smaller tools in this price range.
Mid-range
The next tier of stand mixer attachments will cost between $75 and $100. These attachments have more metal components but fewer moving parts than higher-priced accessories. You’ll find sheet vegetable cutters, multi-tool variety packs, smaller spiralizers, and larger ice cream makers for smaller stand mixers in this price range.
High-end
The highest-priced KitchenAid attachments will cost $100 to $150. The tools you’ll find in this price range are made primarily from steel and have fine-tuned moving parts. Wheat grinders, larger spiralizers, and pasta rolling and cutting sets all fall in this price range.
Expert TIp
When working with the ice cream attachment, keep in mind that the ice cream needs to be frozen after it’s done in the mixer. It’s too soft and “loose” to eat and serve fresh from the machine, and it should be frozen to solidify it.
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Tips
- Not all attachments can handle a run through the dishwasher, so look for items labeled “dishwasher safe" if this feature is important to you.
- If the attachment you choose includes a large bowl, make sure the size of the bowl fits with your stand mixer model.
FAQ
Q. Can I use my recipes with attachments, or must I use the ones that come with the tool?
A. Most of us buy KitchenAid tools to streamline our favorite recipes, not to find new ones. Take some time to compare your recipe to recommendations and steps within the included recipes. Some KitchenAid recipes mix liquid and dry ingredients at certain points, for example, or restrict quantities to preserve motor life. If you overheat or burn out your motor, you risk damaging your mixer and may face a costly repair.
Q. Can I really put my attachments in the dishwasher?
A. If an attachment is listed as dishwasher safe, it is. If you have several attachments and can’t keep them straight, though, you have nothing to lose by hand-washing them. Be extra careful with attachments used on raw meat. Failure to thoroughly clean meat grinders and related pieces at high temperatures could leave the tools harboring bacteria. Meat grinders advertised as dishwasher safe should be washed accordingly for health reasons.
Q. Does my KitchenAid need maintenance?
A. KitchenAid stand mixers are workhorses, but even workhorses need TLC from time to time. To keep your stand mixer in the best shape possible, unplug and wipe it down carefully with a damp cloth after each use. Pay careful attention to the spots around the driveshaft mechanism and power hub if you’re using your attachments. Fine powders, such as flour and confectioner’s sugar, can accumulate in those areas and affect performance. Some maintenance — bowl adjustments and greasing, for example — can be completed at home. More complex repairs may require professional attention.
