$100 off Kitchen Aid Mixer at Costco [General]

2007 Oct 15
www.costco.ca

Simply FYI

2007 Oct 15
Even with the $100 off, you can still do better through cross-border shopping. Amazon.com has Kitchen-Aid mixers for under $200 on a regular basis.

2007 Oct 16
It's rather doubtful you can get one as powerful as the Costco one for that price. Not all Kitchen Aids are the same - I know because I sold one about a year ago to buy the one currently at Costco. The old one would mix 50/50 whole wheat bread at best but not 100%. The new one does it no problem.

Though this unit is slightly more powerful than the Costco one, and only $75 more than the sale price. With free shipping to Ogdensburg it would be pretty tempting.

www.amazon.com/dp/B0002Y5X9W

EDIT : I just checked, and the ones I see for under $200 are the cheaper flip-top models (not the bowl-lift), and are only 250W. The Costco model is 450W and believe me that makes a huge difference. The one I sold was 275W and would not do 100% WW bread as mentioned.

2007 Oct 16
Here is a reconditioned Professional at $199.99.

www.amazon.com

I have a reconditioned Artisan from Amazon and you couldn't tell it wasn't brand new when it was first taken out of the box.

2007 Oct 16
Hey, there's a good deal! That's the same one as Costco sells. Though it is reconditioned - but as you note you'd never know.

2007 Oct 16
Don't forget that wattage has nothing to do with power output. Wattage has to do with how much power the unit consumes. Be sure to check the torque specifications of the mixer before believing that 600 watts (or whatever power) means heavier duty. It's a marketing gimmick that misleads consumers. It's still a pretty good deal for that model (in Canada anyway).

On another note, I just recently purchased the KitchenAid Ultra Mixer 4.5 Quart at Loblaws on clearance for half price at $148. It was at the Gloucester Centre location but they are currently sold out. You may have luck looking at other Loblaws/Superstore locations. I think they're clearing out most of their small appliances. In fact, I really scored on that purchase...Loblaws had a $30 coupon when spending over $250 (with $150 on the mixer and doing regular groceries that was not problem to spend) plus KitchenAid just finished a rebate promotion of an additional $25. This unit cost me approximately $100 plus taxes!

2007 Oct 16
From a pure technical standpoint you are correct that wattage does not tell you power output - especially when comparing units from different manufacturers. But when comparing the same manufacturer it does give you a pretty good idea.

But Kitchen Aid has the "Flour Power" rating which you should look at. The higher the rating, the better the power output. Their website has a good comparator tool for this.

BTW, another reason to buy from Costco is their return policy. Use it for a week and if you don't like it, return it for a full refund, no questions asked. Or of course if there is any flaw in the unit. I try to make big purchases there for exactly this reason.

2007 Oct 16
"Hey, there's a good deal! That's the same one as Costco sells. Though it is reconditioned - but as you note you'd never know."

Slightly off topic but reminds me of a coffee maker I bought at The Bay a few years ago. It was sold as new but when I opened the packaging I found used coffee grinds in the basket! Of course I returned it for an actual new one.



2007 Oct 16
Hehe.. I was going to argue with ottawa_adam about my faint memories from Dynamics class that Power In (watts) MUST EQUAL Power out (shaft work + heat).. but then thought zymurgist's suggestion was simpler and faster, in that it's probably safe to compare wattage on the same brand as a guide to the effectiveness of that unit. My first foray into being brief!

2007 Oct 16
We have the kitchenaid professional 350 or 450w (I forget, I never use it) "bowl lift" design mixer (in black), and it is used on a fairly regular basis (~3 times a week) for all sorts of baking that my SO does... she swears by it... the thing (the mixer, not my SO, LOL) is a workhorse and pretty easy to maintain, we've never had an issue with it. I should also mention it was a gift, and it was on sale for about $200-250 2 years ago...

2007 Oct 18
Do check out C.A. Paradis for KitchenAid mixers, they have some great deals. I have never seen a better price that what I paid there for my mixer a couple of years ago.