The 2024 Design Series Stand Mixer is now available in Canada
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KitchenAid is no stranger to creating eye-catching appliances that last the test of time, but the brand’s newest stand mixer might just take the cake (pun very much intended).
The 2024 Design Series Stand Mixer is now available in Canada, and it marks the first time that the brand has ever released a wooden mixing bowl.
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Made from durable walnut with a food-safe finish, the rustic woodgrain pattern pairs perfectly with the mixer’s deep evergreen colour and brass hardware. It’s also finished with debossed leaf detailing for an extra whimsical touch. Part baking essential, part fashion statement, it’s sure to become a hot commodity this fall and into the holiday season.
2024 Design Series Evergreen Tilt-Head Stand Mixer
Price: $1,000
Release date: Sept. 23, 2024
Where to buy: KitchenAid
KitchenAid Evergreen Stand Mixer quick specs
Summary: This stand mixer features a nature-inspired design with a matte green finish and brass hardware. It also includes a walnut mixing bowl and stainless steel accessories. Functionally, it’s the same as the brand’s other tilt-head stand mixers but with an aesthetically-pleasing rustic look.
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My experience using the KitchenAid Evergreen Stand Mixer
Setup: Once out of the box, setting up this stand mixer was pretty simple. I gave the mixing attachments and wooden bowl a quick wash with gentle dish soap followed by a hand-dry (only the mixing attachments are dishwasher-safe). Once plugged in it’s ready to use for any bread (read about our bread-baking attempt), cake, cookie or pasta recipes.
Use: When it comes to testing out new baking equipment, I default to a classic: banana bread. The recipe that my family has used for decades is a modified version of an old Robinhood recipe. It begins by creaming butter, sugar and eggs in the stand mixer, then adding yogurt and mashed bananas. You finish by adding in the dry ingredients, resulting in a fairly wet batter. Everything came together quickly and just as easily as any of the other stand mixers I’ve used in the past, so it’s safe to say this mixer passed its first test.
For a bigger challenge I wanted to try using the mixer to make a thicker batter, so I attempted a biscotti-esque cookie recipe from Claire Safftiz’s Dessert Person cookbook (Aunt Rose’s Mondel Bread, for anyone who’s curious). This cookie dough requires a little more work to come together than the banana bread, but the stand mixer was up to the task. I did make the mistake of forgetting to lock the tilting head when adding the dry ingredients, causing some movement as the paddle attachment mixed the thick cookie dough. Once I fixed that, it was smooth sailing.
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Cleanup: I was happily surprised to find that cleaning the wooden bowl wasn’t as difficult as I imagined it to be. Neither the banana bread batter nor the thick cookie dough stuck much to the sides, making for a quick wash with some regular dish soap and a gentle sponge. As per the manual, I washed and dried the bowl immediately after use – no letting it soak in the sink. As for the attachments, those went straight into the top rack of the dishwasher with no issues.
Favourite features: I’m a big fan of the look of this stand mixer, whose deep green colour and dark wood bowl match the decor in my open concept kitchen and living room. It definitely makes a statement when sitting on my counter and has earned plenty of compliments from friends and family. Anyone with a farmhouse or cottagecore aesthetic will likely be a huge fan of this mixer as well.
Least favourite features: While beautiful, the wooden bowl is pretty high maintenance. For one thing, it’s not dishwasher safe, and for another, the walnut wood needs to be oiled regularly to maintain its finish (KitchenAid recommends applying food-safe mineral oil or walnut oil after every use). Because of the oiled finish, it is not recommended to use the wood bowl for whipping eggs since oiled surfaces can make whipping egg whites more difficult.
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Unlike many other KitchenAid mixing bowls, this one also doesn’t have a handle. I found the bowl a little awkward to grab onto when removing it from the mixer, and also when I needed to pour batter from the bowl into a loaf pan. I’ll probably keep the wooden bowl on hand for display purposes, but stick with a stainless steel version when it comes time to use the machine.
Recommendation: If you’re willing to spend more for a design that fits your kitchen aesthetic, this stand mixer is a worthwhile investment. KitchenAid mixers are known for their longevity, so it will likely last for years given the proper maintenance (my mom has one that still looks new after more than a decade of use).
Based on my two entirely unscientific tests so far, it performs just as well as other similar stand mixers I’ve used in the past, with a couple of small hiccups. As long as you don’t mind that the wooden bowl requires some special care and doesn’t have a handle, it’s a purchase that will add a functional yet decorative touch to any kitchen.
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