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(More customer reviews)I ordered a reconditioned KA Professional 500 Plus mixer in metallic chrome. What I received was instead a KA Professional Heavy Duty mixer in metallic chrome. Both the 500 Plus and the HD have 5 quart bowls, all-metal gears, etc. Both are high-quality mixers and, either way, are a great deal at the Amazon price. That said, there are some small differences between the models and I was disappointed not to receive the Professional 500 Plus I'd been expecting. I am writing this review because after I received my mixer, found cases of people receiving the wrong thing from Amazon even as far back as 2005/6. I guess they aren't going to fix the discrepancy between the SKU number and product name.
The Pro 500 Plus has a wide bowl, while the Pro HD has a narrow bowl. The wider bowl makes it easier to add ingredients without spilling them all over the place or needing a pouring shield. However, some people find that the narrower bowl of the HD works better for mixing very small amounts of things, so your preference will probably just depend on how you plan to use your mixer. Myself, I really wanted the wider bowl. Second, the Pro 500 Plus comes with the typical Kitchenaid coated white attachments, while the Pro HD has the burnished attachments. The burnished (aluminium) attachments may look nicer but they are not dishwasher safe. You will ruin them entirely if you dishwash them! They need to be hand-washed and then dried as soon as possible after washing. Not a huge deal to me, but it may be to others. Extra attachments are easy to find for either model.
Lastly, the Pro 500 Plus is being sold in many, many stores for $319 new. I liked the idea of being able to get a mixer which would normally retail for $319 for $199 reconditioned. However, the Pro HD is a special mixer made for the warehouse clubs (Costco and Sam's Club) and isn't sold in the typical houseware stores that carry Kitchenaid mixers. This in and of itself isn't a huge deal. Kitchenaid doesn't make any mixers that are sub-par. Unlike some companies, they don't trade on their name in order to be able to deceive customers into buying a mixer which isn't as good as the rest of their product line. Most people who have purchased mixers from Costco or Sam's have been very happy with them. However, the Sam's Club mixer (which is what this particular model is) retails for only $258 new and the Costco mixer for a little bit more. Plus, there are sales at certain times of the year which bring the price down even more. I had a hard time paying $199 here on Amazon for a reconditioned one, knowing that plenty of people have gotten brand new mixers at Sam's for perhaps $25 more when the mixers are on sale. Suddenly the "incredible" deal I'd thought I was getting, didn't seem so fantastic!
I contacted Amazon about the mix-up, having uncovered the problem... If you purchase a reconditioned mixer from Amazon, please look only at the serial numbers and not at what model Amazon says you will be getting! If the mixer is a RKG... you are getting the warehouse club Professional Heavy Duty model. If the serial number says RKV... then you are getting the actual Professional 500 Plus which is more commonly available at retail stores. At the time I'm writing this review, there are only 2 colors of the Professional 500 Plus actually available on Amazon - Imperial Grey (which has a matte finish unlike most of their other mixers) and Onyx Black. If you like either of those colors, go for it! Otherwise you will likely be getting a Professional HD model instead.
I loved the metallic chrome color of my mixer. I was worried it would look somewhat cheap in person, but it is beautiful and if I had stainless steel appliances as I hope to someday, it would coordinate really well with them. It goes with any decor, though, and doesn't show dust/flour/fingerprints much at all. You could see that the mixer was not brand new, though. You could tell one of the attachments (the flat beater) had been dishwashed before and damaged, and there are a couple small cosmetic flaws with the mixer. There is a small scratch on the backside of the mixer which is 1/2 inch at most and no one will ever know it is there since it's on the back. There are also a couple tiny bubbles in the paint job on the front side. I doubt anyone will ever notice these (and if they do, will assume I was the one who 'damaged' it), but they bothered me a tiiiiinnnnnnnyyyy bit. The stainless bowl was scratched up a bit, but Barkeeper's Friend did a great job at shining it up nicely. Overall though, what do you expect when you buy reconditioned, and for this great of a price?! I just wanted to let everyone know that even know some people talk about receiving "mint" reconditioned mixers, they are not *all* like that.
Finally (tired of reading yet??), I have to give props to Amazon. They screwed up a little by listing this mixer incorrectly, but they were willing to take it back when I contacted them by sending me a pre-paid shipping label, OR I could keep the mixer they sent and they would give me a nice % discount to make up for their mistake. I was originally set on returning the mixer, but with a discount that brought the price of it down to where it was a great deal even compared to the new mixers from the warehouse clubs, I had to keep it. Plus I love the metallic chrome color and can't get a reconditioned Pro 500 Plus from Amazon in that color right now. I won't give the details of the % discount, but I can say that I'm impressed with the way Amazon handled the situation.
It's been a week or so since I received my new Kitchenaid, and Sir Mix-a-Lot and I are getting along famously! I'm also very glad I went with the bowl-lift type of KA instead of the tilt-head type. Sir Mix-a-Lot fits nicely on my countertop, with enough clearance underneath my upper cabinets and I can mix things without having to pull out this 25 lb beast of a mixer! With a tilt-head model, I would have constantly had to pull it out to use it, as the head could not tilt up so long as my upper cabinets were in the way. I'm loving my Kitchenaid!
Click Here to see more reviews about: Factory-Reconditioned KitchenAid RKG25H0XMC Professional 5 Plus Bowl Lift Mixer, Metallic Chrome
With 450 watts of power and a 5-quart bowl capacity KitchenAid's Professional 5 Plus stand mixer tackles big jobs. This factory-reconditioned machine prepares food for a crowd and ably handles tough mixes. Its body features durable die-cast metal construction and offers a direct-drive transmission and all-metal gears. The sturdy lifting mechanism uses a metal arm and steel lever to effortlessly raise an ingredient-filled bowl. The bowl itself features stainless steel construction, two pins to attach to the lifting arm, and an ergonomically designed handle for comfort during use.
Ten speeds allow for everything from whipping egg whites to slow churning bread dough and the Soft-Start feature keeps power in check to prevent splashing and flour clouds. A unique mixing action spins the beater clockwise while the shaft spins counter clockwise; this results in an even blend. As a safety measure, the motor stops in the event of an obstruction or overloading. An integrated hub cover with hinge flips up to allow easy installation of attachments. A flat beater comes with purchase but additional pieces including a wire whip, dough hook, citrus juicer, and sausage stuffer can be purchased separately. The machine measures 16-1/2 by 12 by 14 inches, comes in a range of colors, and includes a 6-month warranty. Pop the bowl and beater in the dishwasher for cleaning and wipe the main body with a warm damp cloth.
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