> In response to the question about whether to buy a 4.5 or 5 qt KitchenAid
> mixer, definitely get the 5 qt model.
when i was in the market for a mixer not long ago, i spoke to the
folks at kitchen aide, specifically asking them how much stronger the
motor in the 5 qt mixers were. they told me, to my astonishment, that
the motors were *identical* in every way: that in fact the part number
for *all* the mixers' motors was the same. in other words, they were
interchangeable.
so far, i've been happy with my 4.5 qt. mixer, which has never bogged
down. of course, i found it used for $90, so i can't complain. i do
admit that tilting the unit rather than lowering the bowl can make
changing the attachments a little awkward, but i'm still enjoying
using it.
btw, i gave my old r2d2 unit away not long after getting the kitchen
aide. however, now i'm thinking of getting a zoji, since i have less
time to spend baking.
oh well.