Kenwood KMC570 Chef Premier Stand Mixer - Silver

I have wanted one of these for ages and when it popped up at a very attractive price I couldn't resist. I did consider the Kmix but although I liked the styling I really wanted to have the flexi-beater and, as far as I can tell, there isn't (yet?) a flexi-beater for the Kmix. I also thought about the Kitchenaid but I have heard of some issues regarding reliability and, much though I love the look, I couldn't justify paying £150 more for something that would do the job no better just because of the lovely colours. In truth, having now got the Chef out on my work surface I think I prefer its more unobtrusive looks and it seems smaller than I was expecting, albeit still a bulky item.I have only had the machine for about a week but I have already put it to extensive use and used all the standard attachments. The kit includes a decent recipe book (although a noddy guide for newbies would have been a welcome addition) from which I cooked some soufflés and a rather lovely tiramisu gateau. I have also used the machine to make bread. Needless to say the Chef did its work efficiently. If, like me, you are used to only a hand mixer then you need to take care initially to avoid over-beating, etc..The machine is a solid piece of kit which would be best left out on a worktop. That said, it is lighter than my Magimix which weighs a ton so if I had to put one of the two in a cupboard, it would be the Chef. I did need to adjust the whisk and K beaters to ensure that they picked up all the ingredients on the bottom of the bowl. There is a spanner for this - initially I couldn't find this but it is in the bubble pack that contains the flexi-beater. Making the adjustments was easy. The dough hook is apparently properly set at the factory and should need no adjustment.The blender is a hefty piece of glass. Unlike my old blender the whole thing comes apart so that cleaning the sharp blades is easy and safe. I noticed one reviewer mentioned having problems removing the mixing bowl. I haven't come up against that but I have real trouble separating the various elements of the blender. They fit together tightly to avoid any issues with leakage, the blender unit attaches to and comes away from the slot on the Chef without any difficulty but I had to get my husband to twist the base off to dismantle it for cleaning. I guess that it needs to fit together securely to prevent leaks (and there weren't any). I noticed one review saying that the splashguard did not fit properly. I can only assume this is an irregularity as my splashguard fits perfectly and stops any flour etc escaping.There are a couple of DVDs included, one with recipes, the other an introduction and in effect an extended advert for the accessories which you can buy (there are lots of these). There are one or two that I will probably get but as I already have a Magimix there would be no point in getting others. Each of these machines has its advantages and disadvantages and is better at certain tasks. For example, the Kenwood is much better at whisking than the Magimix whilst there is little difference between the blender and the Magimix, indeed the heavy glass jug of the Chef is better I think for crushing ice. The one thing I would like is a storage system for the beaters, etc.. I have put them all in a basket so I don't lose any bits but that will be a pain if I get some of the attachments. One of the things I am interested in is the pasta maker and there are a raft of expensive bronze dies to produce different shapes which would be easy to mislay.All in all, I am delighted and I know I will be baking much more frequently now.

After years of longing for a standing mixer, I finally bought the KMC 570 two years ago. When it arrived I was surprised by its size and its weight, but I luckily have a lot of workspace in the kitchen so I can leave it on the side. At the price I was disappointed that storage for the mixing accessories wasn't provided.I barely touched it at first as it was too beautiful to get dirty and to be honest I was a little intimidated by it! I now use it 2-3 times a week and wouldn't be without it. My breads and cakes have improved, although I'm not sure whether that's thanks to the mixer, or whether it's because I'm baking more often to justify the price!I've used all the attachments provided. Every one except the dough hook needed adjusting so they reached the bottom of the bowl, but this was easily done. I've rarely used the rigid k-beater as I've found I've not had to scrape the bowl as much when using the flexible one.For those who are short of stature or slight of strength - you may not get on with the blender attachment. It's heavy and there's a knack to getting it on. When assembled on top of the mixer, it's about 45-50cm above the work surface so it could be difficult to pour things in. It's good though and makes short work o f ice cubes.I love my mixer and wouldn't hesitate in purchasing another one, but there are few niggles which have cost it a star:- the bowl can be difficult to remove and without a handle (available on pricier models), it can be difficult to grab hold of- it could do with better non-stick feet as it can walk around, especially when mixing dough- I would like a storage solution for the accessories

We had such high hopes....Bought this machine a bit less than 2 years ago and apart from the standard attachments we also got the mincer attachment and the mini chopper attachment. This machine has seen a fair bit of use - at least 6 times a month, and sometimes up to 15 times a month - making smoothies, mixing bread dough and case mixtures, grinding meat, chopping nuts, etc. We've always been careful with all the appliances we bought - we try to buy good quality appliances, not minding to pay a bit more, and trusting that it will last a decent amount of time if we look after it.Unfortunately the Kenwood KMC570 did not live up to its reputation and our expectations. If I had to give a review for this product a year ago it would have been 5 stars but after using it a twice the past 2 weeks it unfortunately does not even deserve a single star. The machine cuts out if you use it for a couple of minutes (and we are talking a light sponge mixture) and today it started making an awful grinding noise. This is NOT what you would expect from a premium quality machine which supposedly prides itself on its heritage. It's clear that this machine was designed and build with a limited lifespan in mind.If you after a nice look machine that you don't expect to use for longer than a year, or possibly only use once or twice a month, then by all means, go for the KMC570. When it's working its great.However, if you are looking for something a bit more robust, something that might last longer than 2 years then I would suggest looking elsewhere. Kenwood kitchen mixers are NOT what they supposed to be.