KitchenAid Artisan vs KitchenAid Classic
Based on tests by America's Test Kitchen (Jun 2026) and Prudent Reviews (Jul 2026). How we score
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Average of 2 testers: America's Test Kitchen 10 · Prudent Reviews 10
From 1 tester: America's Test Kitchen
Amazon prices as of Sep 29, 9:38 PM EDT (details)
What the testers found
America's Test Kitchen's Best Mid-Priced Mixer: its "across-the-board performance knocked out many competitors that were bigger and much more costly," from "billowy egg whites" to a double batch of pizza dough. Downsides: no bowl handle, coated rather than stainless mixing tools, and its "tilt head broke on an extreme abuse test." (The Artisan rocked and got very warm in abuse testing but completed all 12 extra batches of dough.)
| Criterion | KitchenAid Artisan | KitchenAid Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Performance | 2.5/3 | 3/3 |
| Ease of use | 2.5/3 | 2.5/3 |
| Cleanup | 3/3 | 3/3 |
From America's Test Kitchen: The Best Stand Mixers (updated June 23, 2026)
Specs side by side
| Spec | KitchenAid Artisan | KitchenAid Classic |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $379.95 | $299.99 |
| Cost per year | — | — |
| Warranty | — | — |
| Style | Tilt-head | Tilt-head |
| Actual capacity | 3 qt (measured by America's Test Kitchen; sold as 5 qt) | 3.25 qt (measured by America's Test Kitchen; sold as 4.5 qt) |
| Weight | 20.7 lb (measured by America's Test Kitchen) | 21.5 lb (measured by America's Test Kitchen) |
| Includes | Stainless-steel bowl with handle, whisk, coated paddle and dough hook, splash guard | Stainless-steel bowl (no handle), whisk, coated paddle and dough hook; no splash guard |
| Kneading limit | Speed 2 max with the dough hook (per KitchenAid) | Speed 2 max with the dough hook (per KitchenAid) |
Sources: Prudent Reviews: KitchenAid Classic vs. Artisan, tested side by side (updated July 24, 2026), America's Test Kitchen: The Best Stand Mixers (updated June 23, 2026)
