The New KitchenAid Artisan Plus KSM50 Stand Mixer
A Classic Gets A Glow Up
Some designs are so loved that nobody dares to touch them. The KitchenAid tilt-head stand mixer is one of those. Its rounded silhouette has barely changed in seventy years, and generations of home bakers would riot if it did. So when KitchenAid announced the Artisan Plus KSM50, the first thing you notice is that it looks exactly like the mixer you already love. The second thing you notice is that it’s quietly been given some very clever upgrades. According to Choice, this is the first major round of improvements to the model since 1955. And it’s now available at Peter’s of Kensington.
Finally, You Can See What’s Going On In There
The headline feature is a built-in LED bowl light, and it’s the first KitchenAid mixer ever to have one. It sits under the head and shines straight down into the bowl, switching on automatically when you lower the head or start mixing. You can also turn it on with a twist of the control knob when you just want a look.
It sounds like a small thing until you’ve spent years peering into a shadowy bowl trying to work out whether your egg whites are at soft peak or stiff peak, or whether that butter has really creamed to pale and fluffy. With the light on, you can judge textures at a glance without stopping the machine or lifting the head. Anyone who bakes in a kitchen with moody pendant lighting will be particularly grateful.
Precision Speed Control – Dial It In Exactly
The speed control has also been redesigned. You get 11 preset speeds for the quick, familiar click-and-go settings, or you can twist the knob to switch into Precision Speed Control, which lets you move smoothly between speeds rather than jumping from one notch to the next. That’s handy when a recipe needs something slightly faster than a gentle stir but well short of a full whip, or when you’re gradually building speed so a bowl of icing sugar doesn’t launch itself across the bench.
The Half Speed Fold Is A Game Changer For Bakers
Among those 11 speeds is a dedicated ½ fold speed. It’s gentle enough to fold flour through a sponge batter or blueberries through a muffin mix without knocking out the air or squashing the fruit. Until now, that kind of careful folding was a job for a spatula and a steady hand. If you’ve ever watched a perfectly whipped batter deflate as you mixed in the last of the flour, you’ll understand why this matters.
Everything In The Box Is Stainless Steel
The KSM50 comes with a 4.7L stainless steel bowl with a handle, plus a full set of stainless steel accessories: a flat beater, a double flex edge beater that scrapes the sides of the bowl as it mixes, a dough hook and a wire whisk. There’s also a pouring shield to keep your flour where it belongs. The stainless accessories are dishwasher safe, so cleaning up after a big baking session is about as painless as it gets.
Underneath it’s the KitchenAid you know: full metal construction and that famous planetary mixing action, where the beater spins one way while travelling around the bowl the other, so nothing gets left unmixed at the edges.
Your Old Attachments Still Fit
Good news for existing KitchenAid owners with a drawer full of extras. The attachment hub on the front is the same universal design, so your pasta roller, food grinder, spiralizer and ice cream bowl will all work on the Artisan Plus. If you’re upgrading, nothing gets left behind.
Seven Colours To Choose From
This is the fun part. The Artisan Plus is available at Peter’s in seven finishes:
Porcelain White is soft, clean and timeless, the one that sits happily in any kitchen. Feather Pink is a gentle blush for anyone who wants a little warmth without going full statement. Cardamom is muted and earthy, perfect for kitchens with natural timber, stone and linen. Juniper is a deep, moody green that looks wonderful against white benchtops and brass tapware. Sun Dried Tomato brings a rich, warm red with real personality. And for lovers of dark kitchens, there are two blacks: Matte Black, with a sleek flat finish, and Cast Iron Black, a deep, classic charcoal. Choosing between them may well be the hardest decision you’ll make this year
Artisan Or Artisan Plus?
If you read our recent KitchenAid round-up, you might be wondering where the KSM50 fits. The KSM195 is still the choice if you want two bowls and a pastry beater in the box, and the KSM70 remains the heavyweight for big batch bakers. The Artisan Plus is for the baker who wants the classic tilt-head size with the newest features: better visibility, finer speed control and that genuinely useful fold setting. If you’ve been waiting for a reason to replace a much-loved but tired old mixer, this is it.
The new KitchenAid Artisan Plus KSM50 is now available at Peter’s of Kensington. Pick your colour, clear a space on the bench and get baking.