Jenn-Air Atrezzi Mixer...A Better Buy Than KitchenAid
I'll pay for good design, but I'm also a bargain shopper. So when I went looking for a new mixer, I obvoiusly thought of the KitchenAid line...but after a lot of thought and some research, I chose instead the Jenn-Air Atrezzi. The lady of the house was not happy...but I had my reasons...
It seems like everyone and their mother has a KitchenAid, and I must admit that I have heard nothing but good things about the brand, however, I simply don't use a mixer often enough to justify $349. But I do want something with more horsepower than a simple hand-mixer.
I came across the Jenn-Air Atrezzi on Overstock, thinking I might run into a KitchenAid. I was immediately intrigued with the look of this model, however, I was particularly impressed with the specs and the price ($159).
One of the reasons the lady of the house wanted the KitchenAid was because of all the add on attachments you could get to make pasta, grind grain, open cans, make sausage, etc. First of all, with the exception of making my own pasta, I have no use for 99% of all these attachments. Secondly, after talking with a friend who has many of them, she told me they didn't work all that well.
While it doesn't have all the attachments that are available with the KitchenAid, it has a very powerful 400 Watt direct motor (compared to the entry level KitchenAid at 250 Watts and the $349 model at 325 Watts). This puppy isn't belt driven and she'll take off a finger if you aren't careful.
It comes with the basic attachments I'd need (wire whisk, dough hook, flat beater), has a multitude of interchangeable/locking glass designer bowls you can buy, has a detachable power cord, and an innovative touch-wheel control with a pause mode.
When I unpacked it I was taken back. It may be minimalist in design, but it is striking in its simplicity. The brushed metal finish is sleek and smooth. The lines are clean and the operation is unbelievably simple.
The latch on the rear of the machine easily releases the head of the mixer which then tilts up for adding an attachment or placing the bowl underneath.
The attachments themselves take only a second to connect, and lock on securely. The same for the bowl, which in my case is a ruby red color that matches well with the green of my kitchen walls.
But my favorite feature off all has to be the innovative speed controller on the top. It functions as a dial. Simply turn the dial with your finger to the appropriate speed, and press the Start/Stop button. The dial is split up into speeds of 1-10 and at each interval the LED lights give off a satisfying glow. One delightful feature is that you don't have to turn the mixer speed completely down to turn it off. If you simply want to pause, just press the Start/Stop button, and it will remember the speed setting and slowly resume it after you are ready.
Because of the finish, the machine is easy to clean and the bowl and attachments are dishwasher safe. One note of caution though...this machine is heavy. I mean really heavy. A 400 Watt motor no doubt adds considerably to the weight, which is about 40 pounds. This is not a mixer you put away after each use...but luckily it adds a lot of beauty to your countertop.
