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There is a $100 price difference between the Artisan Plus and Artisan models. However, the Artisan Plus’ features are small but powerful, and make the price difference seem like a bargain, especially for cooking applications. This upgraded model has a more powerful 350-watt motor compared to the Artisan model’s 325-watt model. With the Artisan Plus upgrade comes new precision controls. Collect the Artisan Plus point and you use the half-speed setting, so you can move between two and 2.5, up to 11.
Artisan Plus’s “Soft Start” features a slight transition between speeds. Combined with the LED light on the top of the mixing bowl, it makes monitoring recipes very easy. When I compared the Artisan Plus and Artisan models, I found that the addition of the light plate and the faster mixing speed alone made it a little more expensive. I usually stop mixing to see how I’m doing with my Artisan mixer, whereas the Artisan Plus can be shaken without breaking due to its lightness.
Mix-and-Match
Looking at previous KitchenAid accessories, it’s clear that the Artisan Plus is superior. Its whisk, powder hook, flat beater, and new edge attachment are all stainless steel, smooth, and heavy. Except for what I had on the ’64 mixer (most of the mixers were lost to time), older mixers had aluminum mixers and powder adhesives to work with. All adhesives, regardless of the type of ingredients, are designed to be protected with a surface cleaner; that’s still the case with Artisan Plus supplements, too.
I set each mixer aside and had them both make the same process at the same time. Even though my mock test kitchen was a mess, it was amazing to see the difference in behavior and even small design changes over time. The Artisan Plus feet did not take up any more space compared to previous generations. It also doesn’t look all that different from a KitchenAid Artisan mixer, or even a 1990s model.
