The KitchenAid Mixer 150 (Artisan Series) and the KitchenAid Mixer 160 (Professional 5 Plus) are both 5-quart icons, but they differ fundamentally in design and power. The 150 is a 325-watt tilt-head mixer celebrated for its ease of use and wide variety of colors, making it a home baker favorite, while the 160 features a more powerful 450-watt motor and a stable bowl-lift design suited for heavy-duty tasks and dense doughs.
Here's a detailed comparison to help you choose the right KitchenAid stand mixer for your kitchen.
KitchenAid Artisan Series Mixer 150
The KitchenAid Artisan Series 150 is arguably the most recognizable stand mixer on the market, beloved by home bakers for its perfect blend of performance, style, and versatility. Its 325-watt motor is more than capable of handling typical kitchen tasks from whipping egg whites to mixing cake batter and occasionally kneading bread. The signature tilt-head design provides excellent accessibility to the bowl, simplifying tasks like adding ingredients or scraping down the sides.
- What it is: A best-selling 5-quart stand mixer with a tilt-head design, intended for home baking and everyday kitchen tasks.
- Key features: 325-watt motor, 10-speed control, tilt-head mechanism for easy access, 5-quart stainless steel bowl with handle, comes with a coated flat beater, wire whip, and dough hook.
- Price: Around $450-$500.
- Style: Classic, timeless aesthetic available in an extensive range of colors to match any kitchen decor, from subtle neutrals to bold, vibrant hues.
- Materials/Construction: Built with a durable die-cast metal body that provides stability and ensures longevity.
- Pros: Wide array of color options, intuitive and easy-to-use tilt-head design, convenient for adding ingredients, more affordable, and powerful enough for most home baking needs.
- Cons: Less powerful motor can strain with very stiff or large batches of dough, tilt-head can wobble slightly during heavy mixing tasks, requires more vertical clearance to operate.
This mixer is ideal for hobby bakers and families who need a reliable, stylish, and versatile appliance for everyday cakes, cookies, and occasional bread making.
Shop this product: https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/stand-mixers/p.5-quart-tilt-head-stand-mixer.ksm150ps.html
KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus Mixer 160
The KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus, or Mixer 160, is an immediate step up in power and stability, designed for serious bakers who frequently tackle large quantities or dense, heavy doughs. Its robust 450-watt motor powers through stiff bread doughs with ease, while the bowl-lift design keeps the mixing head stationary and locks the bowl in place for maximum stability. This design is preferred in professional settings where consistency and raw power are key.
- What it is: A heavy-duty 5-quart stand mixer with a bowl-lift design, built for avid bakers and pro-level performance at home.
- Key features: Powerful 450-watt motor, 10-speed slide control, bowl-lift mechanism for stability, 5-quart polished stainless steel bowl, comes with a flat beater, Powerknead spiral dough hook, and wire whip.
- Price: Around $550-$600.
- Style: An industrial, professional appearance with a more limited palette of colors, often focused on metallic and matte finishes.
- Materials/Construction: All-metal construction with high-performance gears to handle the increased motor power.
- Pros: Superior power for handling dense doughs like bagel and pizza dough, highly stable bowl-lift design prevents movement, durable build for frequent heavy use, fits under standard cabinets without needing vertical clearance to operate.
- Cons: More expensive, heavier and bulkier, less convenient for adding ingredients or scraping the bowl, limited color assortment compared to the Artisan series.
This mixer is built for anyone who bakes frequently, works with heavy mixtures constantly, or wants a machine with professional-grade power and durability.
Shop this product: https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/stand-mixers/p.5-quart-bowl-lift-stand-mixer.ksm195ps.html
KitchenAid Mixer 150 vs. KitchenAid Mixer 160 Comparison
Power & Performance
The primary difference here is the motor. The 150's 325-watt motor is the workhorse of home kitchens, easily handling cookie dough, cake batters, and frosting. It can handle bread dough, but larger or stiffer batches will cause it to strain. The Professional 160's beefier 450-watt motor makes a noticeable difference, kneading dense bread dough without laboring. It also offers more stability, as the fixed head and locked bowl of the bowl-lift design prevent any rocking or wobbling that can occur with the tilt-head 150 model during heavy mixing.
Design & Usability
This is a debate between tilt-head convenience and bowl-lift stability. The Artisan 150's tilt-head provides unobstructed access to the bowl, making it simple to add flour, scrape the sides, and swap attachments. However, this creates a hinge point and requires significant vertical clearance to tilt the head back fully. The Professional 160's bowl-lift raises and lowers the bowl on two arms commanded by a lever. It's more stable but makes adding ingredients a bit less convenient, often requiring you to pause the mixer. Because the head is fixed, it has a shorter overall height than a tilted 150, allowing it to sit underneath kitchen cabinets with no issue.
Style & Aesthetic
If matching your kitchen's color scheme is a top priority, the Artisan 150 is the clear winner. Available in dozens of shades, from "Aqua Sky" to "Matte Dried Rose," it serves as a functional decor statement. The Professional 160 is more function over form in its appearance. It has an industrial, powerful look and is typically available in a more limited range of classic, metallic-focused colors like silver, black, and red. It's designed to look like a tool, while the Artisan 150 is designed to look like a beautiful appliance.
Price & Value
The Artisan 150 usually costs about $100-$150 less than the Professional 160. For the majority of home cooks, the 150 represents an outstanding value, delivering the performance and reliability KitchenAid is famous for at a more accessible price point. The extra cost of the 160 buys you raw power and durability. If you are an avid bread baker or frequently make double batches, that horsepower is a worthwhile investment that will extend the life of your motor and provide more consistent results.
Which One Should You Choose?
Both models are excellent kitchen tools that serve slightly different priorities and types of bakers.
Choose the KitchenAid Artisan Series Mixer 150 if:
- You're a home baker who enjoys making cookies, cakes, frosting, and occasional loaves of bread.
- You value aesthetics and want a mixer in a specific color to match your kitchen.
- You prefer the simple, direct access of a tilt-head design for adding ingredients.
- Your budget is in the sub-$500 range, and you want the best all-around value.
Choose the KitchenAid Professional 5 Plus Mixer 160 if:
- You frequently bake heavy, dense doughs like sourdough, rye bread, pizza, or bagels.
- You prioritize power and stability over color selection and design aesthetics.
- You commonly make large batches that could strain a smaller motor.
- You have another KitchenAid appliance, and you want to maintain a consistent high performance look and experience.
Frequently Asked Questions
What's the main difference between the KitchenAid 150 and 160?
The core differences are twofold: the motor and the design. The Mixer 150 (Artisan) has a 325-watt motor and a user-friendly tilt-head design. The Mixer 160 (Professional) has a more powerful 450-watt motor and a stable bowl-lift design for heavy-duty tasks.
Which mixer is better for bread dough?
The KitchenAid Mixer 160 is significantly better for bread dough. Its stronger motor and stable frame handle dense, heavy doughs without straining or struggling, ensuring consistent kneading for better gluten development.
Can the KitchenAid 150 handle bread dough?
Yes, the Artisan 150 can handle standard-sized loaves of bread. However, it may labor or heat up with very stiff doughs (like bagel dough) or if used for prolonged kneading. It is intended for occasional, not daily, heavy dough work.
Are the attachments interchangeable between the 150 and 160?
Attachments for the power hub (like the pasta maker, meat grinder, grader, etc.) are compatible with both models. However, the bowls, flat beaters, dough hooks, and wire whips are not interchangeable as they are designed to fit the specific mechanics of either the tilt-head or the bowl-lift system.
Which model is easier to use?
This is subjective. Many beginners find the 150's tilt-head more intuitive for a clear view of the bowl to add ingredients and scrape the sides. Experienced bakers often prefer the 160's bowl-lift mechanism for its stability and the ease of sliding the bowl in and out.
Is the Mixer 160 worth the extra cost?
Yes, if you primarily use your mixer for frequent, heavy-duty tasks like bread baking. The added power and stability protect the motor from burnout and deliver better results for demanding recipes. For the average user making cakes and cookies, the 150 offers more than enough power.
Will the head on the Mixer 150 get loose over time?
The hinge on the tilt-head 150 can occasionally loosen with heavy use, causing the head to slightly wobble. This is easily correctable by tightening an adjustment screw to ensure the proper beater-to-bowl clearance, often referred to as the "dime test."
Which one has more color choices?
The Artisan Series 150 has a vast and varied color palette, with dozens of options available. The Professional 160 has a much more limited selection, usually focusing on classics like red, black, and silver metallics.
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