KitchenAid KSM8990NP 8-Qt Stand Mixer Review

Are you looking for a stand mixer that will be able to handle big batches of cookies and dense, sticky bread doughs? Or maybe you are looking for a professional stand mixer for your new baking business venture?

Either way, KitchenAid is known far and wide as the best home and professional mixer out there. And their KitchenAid 8-Quart Stand Mixer with Bowl Lift should be no different, right?

Well, that’s what we’re here to find out today.

KitchenAid describes their 8-Quart Stand Mixer as being “designed by professionals for professionals,” and having “extraordinary power, strength, and capacity.”

Let’s take a closer look at this mixer and we’ll see how it stands up to that description.

KitchenAid 8-Quart Stand Mixer with Bowl Lift: The Details

In a Nutshell

• Weight: 25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 14.6 x 13.3 x 16.5 inches
• Capacity: 8-Quart
• Speeds: 10-speed slide
• Bowl Type: Stainless Steel
• Motor: 500 watts
• Warranty: Two-Year Limited Commercial Warranty

Features

Handle Up to 8 lbs. of Dough

The KitchenAid 8-Quart Stand Mixer can handle up to 8 lbs. of dough.

Whether that’s cookies, bread, or pizza crust, you can make as much food as your heart (or your stomach) desires. You don’t have to dirty more than one bowl either.

If you are looking at your recipes and wondering what 8 lbs. would be, it is equivalent to 16 cups of flour, 13 dozen cookies, and a dough that would make eight ¼ lb. loaves of bread.

Talk about a powerhouse, right?

Bowl-Lift

This model of the stand mixer also comes with a bowl lift that helps the bowl rise to meet the mixing beater at just the lift of a lever.

It also helps keep the bowl stable. This is especially useful if you’re working with heavy ingredients or just a lot of dough.

10-Speed Slide Control

The KitchenAid 8-Quart Stand Mixer also comes with 10 speeds that you select by sliding a lever side to side.

They range from a fast whip to a much slower stir. So, whether you’re whipping heavy cream for the top of a pie or delicately folding egg whites into a batter, you will be able to pick the speed that is right for the job.

The mixer also starts off slow no matter what speed you turn it on. You won’t have to worry about ending up with powdered sugar or batter all over you or your kitchen.

NSF-Certified

This mixer is also certified to use in a professional kitchen.

So, if you are thinking about starting a baking business and are looking into mixers that would work, add this one to the list.

The extra-long commercial-grade orange cord indicates that this mixer is in compliance with code according to health inspectors.

Includes

• KitchenAid NSF commercial bowl-lift stand mixer
• 8-quart stainless-steel mixing bowl
• Stainless-steel 11- wire whip
• Stainless-steel flat beater
• Stainless-steel spiral dough hook

KitchenAid 8-Quart Stand Mixer with Bowl Lift Review

The Positives

PowerCore Technology

The PowerCore technology means that this mixer will not only continue to work even after a long mixing session but that it won’t overheat as it mixes as well.

Nonetheless, if the mixer does get overloaded or too warm, it comes with a feature that will immediately turn off the machine.

It won’t restart until it’s cool enough to safely use again. Not only are you forced to safely bake, but this feature ensures your mixer will last a long!

Well-Loved

Chances are, you’ve owned or know someone who owns a KitchenAid mixer – whether it be an old model in your grandmother’s house or a newer one used by your friend who can’t resist a good bake.

KitchenAid has been around for almost 100 years and people still buy and love their mixers. Of the 309 Amazon reviews on this specific mixer, 71% of them are 5-star reviews.

People don’t often leave reviews when they like a product, so it really says something that all those people felt they needed to express how great this mixer is.

Versatile

This mixer does not just hold the 8-quart stainless steel bowl that comes with it. There are a lot of other options open to you.

If you have any other KitchenAid mixers, a seven-quart bowl and a five-quart bowl will also fit. This means you don’t have to make big batches all the time!

And with the included accessories (and others available for purchase) you can easily adjust your tools to make whatever your palate desires.

Attachments Available

Since we’re on the topic of versatility and attachments, just how far can you go with this mixer?

KitchenAid is famed for their extra attachments available for purchase and this is one of the many reasons people have stuck by this brand.

Whether you want a pasta maker, a grater, or a sausage extruder, because you’ve got a KitchenAid mixer, you now have the choice to get another appliance and it will fit right into the power hub.

It’s like a one-machine kitchen station.

This is great for those who really want to bump up their chef skills, and those who are tight on space can purchase one machine with the power of five.

No Mess

Because of the slow start and the high sides of the stainless-steel bowl, you don’t have to worry about making too much of a mess.

The mixer won’t all of a sudden start at a high speed and have you covered in flour. It is almost intuitive in how it knows to go slow before it speeds up to the pace you selected.

This is a great feature for beginners as users won’t be frustrated before they even start.

This stand mixer is also available with a bowl guard. This guard helps to further protect against flying powder, dough and liquid, keeping messes to a minimum.

Dishwasher-Safe

We all know just how daunting cleaning can be after whipping up a meal or desserts. No one really wants to do it, but it eventually needs to be done.

In the event that you do make a mess in the kitchen, cleaning your KitchenAid mixer won’t take too much of your quality time.

The stainless-steel bowl, as well as all the accessories and beaters, are dishwasher-safe.

You don’t need to be elbow deep in a sink full of soapy water to clean your mixing bowl or any of the other parts.

The only part you can’t put in the dishwasher is the mixing hub but even this part of the machine is easy to clean. A damp cloth and some wiping should do the trick.

Quiet

Anyone who has been around an industrial or professional mixer knows how loud they can be. The KitchenAid 8-quart stand mixer is much quieter.

You will be able to make a big batch of cookies and talk on the phone or have a conversation in your kitchen all at the same time.

You should never need earplugs just to mix up a quick cake recipe and the KitchenAid KSM8990NP makes that an afterthought. 

Great Service 

KitchenAid didn’t just become a trusted brand out of thin air. Their success is due to quality products but their service department really makes a difference as well.

Customers have long raved about KitchenAid’s customer service department, praising them for being helpful, attentive, and efficient when it comes to solving problems.

The KitchenAid KSM8990NP also comes equipped with a 2-year limited commercial warranty protecting your new mixer against any errors in manufacturing or defects in craftsmanship. 

Basically, should your mixer arrive a lemon or you notice a part is just not where it’s supposed to be, simply contact customer service and they’ll be able to handle it from there.

 

The Negatives

Wobbles at High Speed

Some users noticed that the mixer was a bit wobbly when it was mixing things at high speeds or if it was kneading a particularly thick dough.

While there were only a few testers who mentioned it, it is something you might want to be on the lookout for.

Heavy

Because the Kitchen 8-Quart Stand Mixer is a well-built, commercial grade mixer, it is quite heavy.

There were a few users who noted that this mixer packs some weight – you probably won’t be moving this mixer from room to room or be travelling with it.

As it weighs around 30 lbs., you will probably find it a place and then leave it there.

Orange Cord

Quite a few users noted how much they didn’t like that this mixer has an orange cord. T

he orange cord lets people know that the mixer is NSF-certified and usable in a commercial setting, but it is not the most aesthetically-pleasing feature.

If it really bothers you, however, you can wrap the cord in white tape and the problem will be solved.

Overheating

While this isn’t the case with every mixer, there are a few duds in every assembly line. Some users reported their mixer tended to overheat a lot.

As stated above, the mixer stops working when it overheats, so you would have to stop what you’re doing and wait for it to cool down before continuing.

This could be a pain, but definitely keeps your mixer in good working order.

Here’s a video showing what the KitchenAid KSM8990NP looks like out of the box and in action. 

Overall Verdict

After looking at the good features and the not-so-good features of the KitchenAid KSM8990NP 8-Quart Stand Mixer, we are recommending it.

Its ability to mix large batches of doughs and batters, the fact that most of the pieces are dishwasher-safe, and the slow-start feature all combine to make it a great tool for your kitchen.

While it does have a few issues, the good far outweighs the bad.

Where to Buy the KitchenAid 8-Quart Stand Mixer with Bowl Lift

KitchenAid has continued to stay on top of the home appliance game not just in America, but around the globe.

Their products are featured on the shelves of many department stores and specialty shops, and the KitchenAid KSM8990 is no different, available both in-store and online. 

Commercial products can sometimes be tricky to find but to kick-start your search, check out the following online retailers.

• Everything Kitchens (from $559)
• A Best Kitchen (from $699)
• Webstaurant Stores (from $559)

And of course, you can also find this stand mixer on Amazon.

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That’s all for our KitchenAid KSM8990 review. Are you tempted to give it a whirl?