A KitchenAid product that doesn’t need a mortgage? What’s the catch?

Ever since KitchenAid launched their KitchenAid Classic mixer in 1919 their products have been coveted by every home chef. Each one has superb looks and the kind of build that promises you it will be still working long after other appliances are sent to recycling.

This all comes at a cost. No one has ever said KitchenAid kit is cheap.

At an RRP of £149 though, this new blender is affordable, the Artisan K400 with the glass jug sells for £329.

So how come this is cheaper and does it compromise on quality?

Well one way they made it cost less is to make the 2L goblet out of BPA free plastic, and not glass. This massively reduces the weight too, but on the test we couldn’t find any difference in results. The plastic is thick and beautifully crystal clear and seems to suffer no clouding,  even after effortlessly smashing ice cubes into snow for cocktails and making icy smoothies..

The motor base shell also some kind of BPA free plastic, but again it’s a very high quality plastic with a lovely strokeable texture. The weight of the base is not excessive but it does still speak of quality components.

On the original blenders the spinny roundy bit with the 360° asymmetric blades could be taken out for a deep clean, on this model it’s fixed in place but KitchenAid have an answer for that. A Clean Cycle sets the machine to create a turbulence that drives soapy water all around and under the blades to dislodge any lingering bits of food. It works very well.

From the top, the blender’s lid is a reassuring firm fit, with not one but three rubber seals to prevent soups launching into space. The lid also has a safety switch; the machine will not turn on unless the lid is properly secured. The lid is also vented to release steam, so you can safely blend up to 1.5L of hot liquids, as well as use the vent to add things without removing the whole lid

There are three preset buttons – Ice Crush, Smoothie, and Clean, which auto regulate speed and pulsing times to achieve the best results. Otherwise there is a large knob which takes the power seamlessly up from zero to ten. This is perfect for soup making; you can start off slow and gradually increase the speed to get exactly the texture you want,  from chunky rustic to silky smooth veloute. The very powerful motor can handle any cooked veg with ease.

The knob also has a pulse function for extra precision control.

We found the machine an absolute joy to use,  as well as look at. The plastic goblet is much lighter to lift up, especially when full of soup, and the motor is quiet and extremely willing to blend anything you throw at it. The way it mashes ice is remarkable, we’ve never had such perfect smoothies.

Available in Matte Black, Porcelain White, Empire Red and Charcoal Grey, they all look great in your kitchen, you don’t want to hide these in a cupboard.

And with RRP £149 from kitchenaid.co.uk they offer KitchenAid quality at an affordable price.