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Cheaper alternatives to the KitchenAid Artisan

Updated 4 November 2026

About half the Artisan's price
Kenwood kMix stand mixer in black

Kenwood kMix (KMX754)

What buyers love: mixing and baking results.

kMix instead of Artisan?

kMix pros

  • Under half the price

    Cakes came out the same

  • Bigger bowl, stronger motor

    Handy for big batches

kMix cons

  • One bowl, not two

    Matters for whisk-and-mix

  • No KitchenAid look or attachments

    Matters if it's on show

Is the kMix as good?
For cakes, yes: results matched in side-by-side tests.
What's the difference?
kMix: bigger bowl and motor. Artisan: the look, colours, attachments.
Is the Artisan worth the extra?
Only for its look or attachments you own.

What are you actually paying extra for with the Artisan?

What the extra money buys

  • The iconic design, in many colours
  • Two bowls and a scraping beater
  • Every KitchenAid attachment fits

Worth it if

  • You want the classic look or a colour
  • You already own attachments
  • You'd use the second bowl a lot

Not worth it if

  • You mostly bake cakes
  • You want it for lots of bread

Other alternatives

Best for small kitchens
Kenwood Go stand mixer in clay red

Kenwood Go (KZM35)

  • 30 cm tall, so it fits under wall cupboards
  • Reviewers found cakes and enriched dough came out light and even

Best for: Small kitchens and bakers who make one or two cakes at a time

Catch: The 4 L bowl holds about two cake tins of batter; one group test saw it shake on pizza dough.

About half the Artisan's price

Good to know

Why we picked the kMix, and our final recommendation.

Only with the kMix

  • A bigger bowl (5 L vs 4.8 L) with handles
  • A much more powerful motor on paper
  • A splash guard that clips to the head, not the bowl
  • The iconic look and the choice of colours
  • The second 3 L bowl and the flex-edge beater
  • KitchenAid attachment compatibility

Two independent tests put the kMix next to the Artisan and found little to choose between them for cakes; one preferred the kMix for mixing and for what comes in the box. It's heavy and boxier, and its single bowl is glass rather than steel. Neither machine loves big batches of bread dough, so don't pay extra for the Artisan expecting it to knead better.

Final recommendation: For most bakers the Kenwood kMix is the smarter buy: the same cakes, a bigger bowl, and a lot of money left over for ingredients. Pick the Kenwood Go for a small kitchen. Pay for the KitchenAid Artisan only if its look, its colours or your existing attachments matter to you, and then wait for a sale; it's often discounted from its list price.

Side by side

Specs from each maker. Price levels come from shop prices we checked recently; tap through for today's price.
Side by side
Model
KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer in red
OriginalKitchenAid Artisan 4.8L (5KSM175)
Kenwood kMix stand mixer in black
Best cheaper alternativeKenwood kMix (KMX754)
Kenwood Go stand mixer in clay red
Best for small kitchensKenwood Go (KZM35)
Price levelPremiumAffordableAffordable
Bowl4.8 L steel + 3 L bowl5 L glass4 L steel
Motor300 W1,000 W800 W
Weight11 kg10.9 kg6.3 kg
Speeds106 + pulse6
In the boxFlat beater, flex-edge beater, whisk, dough hook, pouring shieldK-beater, whisk, dough hook, splash guardK-beater, whisk, dough tool, splash guard
Attachment hubYes, takes all KitchenAid attachmentsYes, Kenwood attachmentsKenwood Go attachments only
ShopCheck price on Amazon ↗Check price on Amazon ↗Check price on Amazon ↗

Questions people ask

Is the Kenwood kMix as good as a KitchenAid?

For cakes, yes. One review that tested both found the cake batter came out about the same, with the KitchenAid pulling mix from the bottom of the bowl slightly better. Another head-to-head preferred the Kenwood for mixing.

Which is best for bread dough?

None of these is built for it. The Artisan's motor struggled with 1 kg of dough in one review, and the kMix and the Go both shook with stiff dough in reviewers' tests. For bread every week, look at a bigger, stronger mixer.

Do KitchenAid attachments fit a Kenwood?

No. The kMix has its own Kenwood hub for pasta makers and mincers, and the Go takes only attachments made for the Go.

How we reached this

We compared the KitchenAid Artisan 4.8L (5KSM175) with the alternatives most often recommended by independent reviewers, then checked each against the makers' own specs and current prices.

We haven't tested these products ourselves. Our picks weigh independent expert reviews against each maker's published specs and the prices we checked. Opinions are ours; facts link to where they come from. How we choose.

Sources: Expert Reviews: KitchenAid Artisan 5KSM175PS review, Ideal Home: KitchenAid Artisan vs Kenwood kMix, Expert Reviews: Kenwood kMix KMX754 review, Woman & Home: Kenwood kMix review, AO product page, Kenwood UK product page, John Lewis product page, Woman & Home: Kenwood Go review, Woman & Home: best stand mixers, Top Ten Reviews: Kenwood Go review, T3: Kenwood Go review.