KitchenAid Classic Plus vs. Artisan: Aren’t They The Same?

KitchenAid is a kitchen appliance brand that has been around since 1919, and is currently owned by Whirlpool Corporation. One of their most popular and enduring models is the KitchenAid Classic Plus Stand Mixer. The Artisan Stand Mixer, released in 2013, was designed to have some improvements over the Classic Plus line.

The KitchenAid Classic Plus was the original and is still available, but the new Artisan model is a newer, improved model that has some new features and also some features that are shared.

The biggest difference between these two models is the motor. The KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer uses a 1000 watt motor, while the KitchenAid Classic Plus uses a 750 watt motor.

Aside from this difference in motor power, both models have all of the same features and parts that one may expect to see on any other stand mixer. Some other differences between the two models include that the Artisan is 17 pounds lighter, the mixing bowl for the Artisan is , or about about ½ pound bigger, and slightly larger knobs on the Artisan make it easier to grip.

Another difference is that the Classic Plus has a blue top with chrome accents, and a white top with silver accents; while the Artisan is all white with no chrome accents. The KitchenAid Classic Plus Stand Mixer model was released in 2004, which makes it longer in production, while the KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer was released in 2013.

The fact that the Classic Plus model is still available and currently in production may be a selling point for some buyers, as it has been on the market longer than the Artisan, and has more customer feedback. On the other hand, the Artisan comes with a 3 year warranty as opposed to a 1 year warranty with the Classic Plus. Additionally, since the Artisan was released in 2013 it is newer technology; however, this does not always mean it will be more durable or last longer.

When looking at reviews there are mixed opinions about which model is better; some people suggest that you shouldn’t buy any stand mixer before reading reviews so you can decide which one fits your needs best.

The KitchenAid Classic Plus Stand Mixer and the Artisan Stand Mixers are not quite the same. The Classic Plus has a 4.5 Qt stainless steel bowl, the Artisan has a 5.5 Qt stainless steel bowl. The Classic Plus comes with a wire whip, the Artisan comes with either a wire whip or an extra flat beater attachment in place of the wire whip and an adapter for using it as a dough hook.  

The Classic Plus has always come in colors like black and white; the Artisan was offered in both colors as well (though black is no longer available), but it also came in four different colors at first release: red, blue, green, and yellow (the yellow was quickly discontinued for unknown reasons). Now only the red and blue remain. The Artisan also came with a 5.3 Qt stainless steel bowl and a 1/3 less bowl height which makes the Artisan slightly more compact.

According to their website, Whirlpool claims that the difference in bowl size is because the Classic Plus has “a wider, thinner base.” Of course, they wouldn’t want people to think they’re making reference to weight, but I believe it’s simply because the larger bowl is heavy; thus it’s easy to tell how much a Classic Plus will hold by checking its weight and handle height. The flat beater on the KitchenAid Classic Plus comes with a wide rubber grip that helps mixers holding onto it grip better.

 The Artisan comes with a similar flat beater, though it’s not rubberized. There is also a dough hook attachment, but the Artisan doesn’t come with a whisk/wire whip as the Classic Plus does (which seems like an oversight). Both mixers are available in either corded or cordless models and come with a flat beater, wire whip, dough hook, and pouring shield.

Whirlpool claims that the Artisan came about because of consumer requests for more color selection and size reduction (for easier storage). I agree with the first point, but I don’t really see what size reduction has to do with storage. I’m all for choices and would have loved for KitchenAid to release a green and yellow Artisan, especially since that color combination is used by Kool-Aid.

That said, I could understand why they discontinued the black Artisan, while they kept the Classic Plus in black. Black mixers are fashionable now, but might not stand the test of time as well as silver or white ones (could be a marketing ploy). However, despite all these seemingly very major differences between a Classic Plus vs. an Artisan Stand Mixer, I’m here to claim that both have basically the same motor. They both have 6 speeds, each with its own pulse setting.

They both come with a timer, so long as the timer has a setting for measuring time from 0-2 minutes. Both have a locking switch that prevents the beaters from spinning unless you’re using them. And both mixers come with their own colanders for draining their bowls and beaters. That said, I think that it’s pretty silly to compare them on these features when you can easily compare them on the model that they share most similarities: the bowl size and weight. The Classic Plus 5 Qt is heavier than the Artisan 5.5 Qt, and the Classic Plus 4.5 Qt is lighter than the Artisan 5.5 Qt.

The claim that has seeded this post, however, is that the Classic Plus has more “torque.” I think Whirlpool Corp. made this claim to draw people away from the Artisan to protect their classic mixer’s reputation and sales since they were going head to head with an upstart. The fact of the matter is that there isn’t much difference between the two in terms of torque (there’s probably a little more).

You can see for yourself in this video: KitchenAid Stand Mixers: Artisan vs Classic Plus . No matter what anyone says, the Classic Plus is still a quality stand mixer. Some people say they like the Artisan because of its lighter weight, better colanders and fewer accessories. Personally, I like the Classic Plus because of its heavier weight; it feels more sturdy in my hand and in my heart.

For me there’s also no question that I would still choose to have both colors! It doesn’t really matter which mixer wins as long as KitchenAid keeps making them. Let’s face it: We’re all about colors at Modernly Inspired Life! I hope you enjoyed reading this post about KitchenAid Classic Plus vs Artisan Stand Mixers. If you’re considering a mixer, please come back again and check out my other posts about KitchenAid vs. KitchenAid Pro Line , KitchenAid vs. 5th Generation , and kitchenaid-pro-classic-plus-vs-artisan  post just to see how the comparison is done!

KITCHENAID CLASSIC PLUS VS ARTISAN : Are They The Same???

KitchenAid has been around since 1919, it’s one of the most popular brands of stand mixers in the world. It’s also owned by Whirlpool Corporation (the same corporation that owns Frigidaire, Maytag, Amana, and other well known brands of appliances).

We’ve got a reader, Georgina Marquez, who is asking the question: “Are both KitchenAid mixers, the Classic Plus and the Artisan, really the same machine unless maybe they have been customized heinously?” First up is a video of them being compared side by side:

KitchenAid Classic Plus vs Artisan Mixer Comparison

I’d just like to say that I’m extremely impressed with the video Georgina made! It’s a very professional video that honestly shows both mixers. The images are all amazing and look like they were taken by professionals. Which leads me to my second point: Whirlpool Corp. must be pretty serious about the quality and appearance of their products or they wouldn’t have taken the time to make such a nice video like that.

Is the KitchenAid Artisan powerful enough for dough?

Now that both mixers are available in red, we can compare the power of the two mixers directly. In this video you can see how hard each mixer is working to mix chocolate dough:

Power of the KitchenAid Classic Plus vs. Artisan Stand Mixer In this video, you can see the old KitchenAid 5-quart model mixing up a potato: The KitchenAid Artisan Mixer has slightly more power than the KitchenAid Classic Plus, but they’re not that different. In fact, they both have pretty similar torque ratings (the amount of power a mixer has). The thing that seems to set them apart is their handle heights and weights (naturally). So in terms of power and performance, you’re pretty much getting the same thing with either mixer.

Are the KitchenAid Artisan attachments better than the Classic Plus’?

Yes. But not by a wide margin. If I had to choose, I’d say I like the Artisan models’ whisk better than the Classic Plus models’. The wire whip on both is flat (I prefer it over a ball-shaped wire whip) but if you have an Artisan stand mixer and you want a ball-whip attachment, you can buy one separately . The glass bowls are also better on Artisan mixers because they’re thinner, lighter weight and easier to mix with than plastic ones.

Is KitchenAid Classic good for kneading dough?

I don’t have any experience with this one and I didn’t find any reviews online, but it looks pretty much the same as a KitchenAid Artisan, so I’d assume they’re both pretty close to the same machine. The attachments are the same on both, so I’d choose one based on your priorities. For kneading dough you do need to have access to a good-sized mixing bowl and for most of the stuff you can get away with using less power than you would if you were mixing cookie dough. 

Does the KitchenAid Artisan have a plastic bowl?

No. One of the reasons why I hadn’t researched this was because I’m not very good at remembering details like this. For example, my oldest daughter left her KitchenAid Pro mixer in my bathroom and we had to change out all of our faucets because we didn’t realize that old mixer had a plastic bowl! It’s just not as convenient as using a metal bowl or using an Artisan for some reason.

What speed should I use to knead dough in KitchenAid?

KitchenAid Artisan Stand Mixer – Use a medium-low speed.

KitchenAid Classic Plus – Use a low speed for kneading.

You should be able to get away with using almost any of the speeds on an Artisan mixer for dough, but if you want to use the Professional Series, you’ll need to watch it pretty closely so it doesn’t overheat and melt the wire inside. You don’t have that worry with an Artisan, so I’d choose whichever one you want in terms of design . Both are great machines that will last you a very long time if you take care of them (every couple of years I clean out the bowl and wire whip).

How long do you need to knead bread in a KitchenAid mixer?

Whisk the flour and yeast together in a large bowl (you can use a KitchenAid Innovistix dough hook if you have one) and let it stand for 5 minutes to activate the yeast. Pour in the water and oil. Attach the dough hook to your mixer and turn the mixer on low or medium-low. Add more flour or liquid as necessary until the dough is smooth, satiny, shiny, clean-looking (and not sticky), soft but not sticky, and elastic (not so hard that it won’t spring back when you touch it).

CONCLUSION:

All in all, both the Artisan and the Classic Plus are good packs if you want a KitchenAid Stand Mixer. Like I said, sometimes “better” isn’t necessarily “worse.” The Artisan is by no means better than the Classic Plus just because of its higher price tag, you’re definitely not getting more power with it. I would say what’s better is going to depend on your own personal needs and preferences. I hope this has helped you compare KitchenAid Classic Plus vs Artisan Mixer and of course feel free to leave me a comment or question below in case anything is unclear! Good luck, Georgina! To watch more comparisons between KitchenAid mixers make sure to check out my other posts.