First of all I'm thrilled most of this mixer was made in America and it was one of the reasons I chose Kitchenaid. I got the Majestic Yellow and it's adorable. Overall I love my mixer, there are a couple of things I would improve on, but as a whole it's great. I've made bread (both yeast and quick), pasta dough and cookies with my mixer and have had mostly great results.
I can't believe how easy it is to make bread dough, I almost feel like I'm cheating. I made a double batch (4 large loaves, 12 cups of flour) and it mixed up with a minimal amount of bowl scraping and then the mixer kneaded it for me. Voila, it really was that easy. I used the bread hook for this and the mixer didn't struggle or lag or heat up.
I was rather disappointed though when I realized this model didn't come with a recipe book or detailed directions on how to mix and knead bread. That was one thing I was looking forward to because comparable models I had looked at at physical stores included one. I ended up looking it up online but it's not the same as having it in the kitchen while I'm using my mixer. I'm not counting off on my rating because if this because it wasn't listed in the things you got but I wanted to point this out for those that care. On the other hand I did get the pouring shield which isn't listed in the included items.
The pasta dough was easy too, I used the recipe from my Kitchenaid pasta press (single batch). And it was pretty simple also with a minimal amount of bowl scraping. I used the flat beater and the dough hook as suggested in the recipe. The pasta dough turned out very nice. The mixer didn't really struggle but it started jiggling a bit, that was slightly disconcerting but it didn't seem to tax the motor because the mixer never got warm.
The quick bread also was easy and turned out well. The batter was pretty moist so no strain on the motor and minimal scraping. I used the flat beater.
The cookie dough was not so fun to make though. I spent a great deal of time scraping the bowl, a tedious amount of time, in fact. I used the whip for this and that was a mistake. I made a single batch and I'm guessing smaller batches don't mix up as well. I made a double batch the second time and used the flat beater and had much better results and a lot less scraping. I don't know if my first batch was troublesome because I used the whip or because there wasn't enough dough, I've got too many cookies right now so I probably won't find out for a while if a single batch mixes well with the flat beater.
One of the things I'm concerned about with my new mixer is how badly it vibrates when the bowl is full or the
dough is very stiff such as pasta dough. It's not the whole mixer but the part attached to the base that holds the bowl, the lifter mechanism. It shakes rather badly, I'm not sure it's fitted tightly enough but I guess time will will tell. I've had the mixer less than a month and it may never get worse but I'm concerned since things tend to loosen up with use.
In summary, I thinks it's a great mixer. I got the 6 quart mixer because I like to make large batches and freeze part of it. I'm not completely happy with the lift mechanism, for the reason I mentioned before but also because when the bowl is full it's difficult to take the beater out and or get the bowl off the support stand because there's not much clearance once the bowl is lowered. I would have preferred the tilt head but the larger bowl is only available with the lift model so that's what I got. I purchased it because I love to bake but my hands and arms aren't as strong as they used to be and my new mixer is a lot stronger than I am and can mix, beat and knead until the job is done.
None of the minor complaints I have are enough for me not to recommend this mixer, the only one I'm really concerned about is the jiggling and I plan on using my mixer enough that if it's defective it will become apparent before the warranty runs out.
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