The new KitchenAid mixer has 3 first-of-its-kind features, but they’re not the ones we were hoping for


KitchenAid Gives its signature blender an update. The company recently launched the Artisan Plus Stand Mixer, a redesigned model packed with upgrades that home bakers will appreciate — and we had the chance to try it out ahead of the launch.

Highlights: A built-in LED bowl light illuminates your ingredients from above, a fine speed dial for more precise control and a soft start feature that gradually ramps up so flour doesn’t end up on your ceiling the moment you flip the switch.

I took the reimagined Artisan Plus for a spin. While the new features are a welcome upgrade to the premium stand mixer, there’s still one feature we were hoping for that hasn’t arrived yet.

Red blender on wooden table

The built-in LED light is the first of its kind and my favorite feature.

Corinne Cesarek Ebel/CNET

New features in Artisan Plus

Close-up of the Artisan Plus stand mixer

The 1/2 speed setting is new to the Artisan Plus.

Corinne Cesarek Ebel/CNET

The Artisan Plus also includes a flexible double-edge whisk that scrapes the bowl while mixing, a safe pouring shield and stainless steel attachments. If you already own additional KitchenAid stand mixer attachments, don’t worry: they’re compatible with the Artisan Plus Stand Mixer, too.

In a press release, Chad Reese, global head of product, brand and insights at KitchenAid Small Appliances, called the Artisan Plus “the most premium blender option in the history of the KitchenAid brand.”

My favorite addition is the built-in LED light that turns on automatically when the tilt head is in the down position. It’s small in size, but it does a great job of illuminating the stainless steel bowl. I especially like that it works automatically, so there’s no need for extra buttons on the sleek design.

The Artisan Plus has 11 speeds in total, including a half-time speed designed for light or fragile ingredients. It’s available in 15 colours, but four of them – Oat, Sundried Tomato, Cranberry and Iron Ore Bronze – are exclusive to Artisan Plus.

The 5-quart tilt-head mixer has been named from KitchenAid’s Artisan Series CNET’s top pick for the best stand mixers of 2026.

After some hands-on time with the latest mixer in the range, we can confidently say that the brand has elevated an already excellent baking companion without sacrificing the features or design that made the KitchenAid mixer an instant classic decades ago.

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The one feature we’re still waiting for

Ge Profile Smart Mixer at CES 2023

The GE Profile Stand Mixer, which launched at CES 2023, features a built-in scale to make measuring ingredients easier.

James Martin/CNET

The Artisan Plus represents a significant upgrade over the previous model, but there’s still one smart feature we think will outshine it: the smart weight sensor.

Several years ago, GE Profile launched the The world’s first stand mixer With built-in scale/weight sensor. This integration allows home cooks and bakers to add ingredients to the bowl without having to carefully measure them beforehand. You can then reduce the size of the scale to add the next ingredient – flour, sugar, yeast, etc. – without having to get out the kitchen scale or measuring cup.

Hopefully the next iteration of the legendary KitchenAid mixer will utilize GE Profile’s industry-first innovation.

Five stand mixers in different colors (navy blue, white, black, light pink, and burgundy) are arranged on a kitchen counter, each with a metal mixing bowl set in a warmly lit kitchen.

Sundried tomato (far right) and cranberry (far left) both have a wrinkled finish.

KitchenAid

The Artisan Plus stand mixer is now available $600 at KitchenAid.



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