KitchenAid Artisan Mini

Should you buy the KitchenAid Artisan Mini?

The KitchenAid Artisan Mini is the mixer for a small kitchen or a one- or two-person household. It is 20 percent smaller and 25 percent lighter than the 5-qt Artisan, fits under a cabinet at 12.3 in tall, and still uses the full-size power hub, so every KitchenAid attachment works. It ranks seventh in our blenders and stand mixers group. The 3.5-qt bowl does five dozen cookies or roughly one loaf, which is the whole trade-off. If you bake bigger batches, the Classic 4.5-Qt costs $30 less and holds more; if space is tight, this is the one.

Where it earns its score

• Satisfaction score of 96. Tied for the highest in the group, with Reliability at 93.
• Fits where others do not. 7.8 x 12.3 x 12.3 in and 14.3 lb, so it lives under a cabinet and you can actually lift it into a pantry.
• Flex Edge beater included. The scraper beater comes standard on this model, along with a coated dough hook and 6-wire whip.
• Full attachment compatibility. The same hub as the big mixers, so pasta rollers and grinders all fit.

What to know first

• Warranty is the weakest ViperScore factor. One year of hassle-free replacement, standard for KitchenAid.
• Small bowl, small motor. 3.5 qt and 250 W. Features scores 60, and the Mini can walk on the counter with stiff dough.
• Value is 72. $349.95 is more than the larger Classic 4.5-Qt, so you are paying for the compact size.
• No pouring shield. Same omission as the Classic. The KSM3311X is the same mixer without the Flex Edge beater if you find it cheaper.

Questions buyers ask