Mix, measure, and check on your recipe with ease with the KitchenAid Artisan Plus. This tilt-head stand mixer offers precision control for precise recipes like meringue and macarons—and a well-lit bowl so you can keep a close eye on your ingredients.
If you’ve ever asked yourself, “what’s the best stand mixer for my kitchen?,” the KitchenAid Artisan line has surely come up in your search results. These mixers are a home kitchen staple for a reason. They’re a go-to appliance for many home cooks and bakers, and they’re a solid investment for making delicious meals at home.
What’s in the box of the KitchenAid Artisan Plus tilt-head stand mixer?
In the box of the Artisan Plus, you’ll find the machine along with a 4.7 litre (5 quart) bowl, a pouring shield, and four attachments. They include a stainless steel dough hook, a stainless steel flat beater, a stainless steel whisk, and a stainless steel double flex edge beater.
Bathed in matte: A Best Buy-exclusive colour
The Artisan Plus featured in this review is in the Oat colourway. It, and the rest of this year’s collection, is quite easy on the eyes.
This year’s finishes for the Artisan Plus include matte colours like Oat, Matte Black, and Cast Iron. They’re flat, beautiful finishes that don’t call attention to themselves—and they don’t need to. They let the Artisan’s beautiful lines and multi-functionality speak for themselves.
As a big neutrals person, one thing I’ve noticed is that neutrals and beiges are rarely an option in the kitchen. This applies equally, if not more so, for kitchen appliances. Small appliances tend to be lacquered in big, punchy colours. While gorgeous, those punchy, high-gloss lacquers pull the eye in—and that can create a lot of visual clutter.
This collection seems to be KitchenAid’s answer to clutter. Every paint finish is so beautiful, matte, and understated.
If you love organic tones and relaxing, low-maintenance finishes, then this is your year to buy a new KitchenAid. Even the stainless steel mixing bowl of this year’s Artisan Plus mixers comes in a gorgeous, easy-care, satin finish.
What are the knobs on the Artisan Plus?
The knobs on the Artisan Plus control your tilt-head lock, mixer speed, and motor access. On this model, they have satisfying, cornered ends.
The motor speeds on the 2026 Artisan Plus stand mixer are designed for precise speed control. On preset mode (•••), this mixer has 11 speeds, including a 1/2-speed “fold” setting. On precision mode (—), this mixer glides smoothly between any of those 11 speeds.
What can you do with the Artisan Plus?
Whether you’re new to KitchenAid mixers or you’ve been a fan your whole life, there’s nothing quite like a KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer. These small appliances set the industry standard for durability, aesthetics, ease of use, and multi-functionality.
The Artisan Plus is a great stand mixer for home bakers who make recipes up to 3.7 litres (5 quarts). It makes large batches of doughs, batters, and other recipes.
The 2026 iteration of this mixer features an integrated bowl light, which is new this year. It also comes with stainless steel accessories and a double flex edge beater, which aren’t included in all Artisan models. They’re easy to clean, and the double flex beater is awesome for scraping the bowl as you mix.
This year’s Artisan Plus also features Precision Speed control mode, soft start beating, 11 preset speeds, and 1/2 fold speed. Together, they give you the ultimate amount of control over your batters and doughs. This mixer is perfect for recipes that need accurate speed control, whether to preserve the recipe’s integrated air or to preserve your sanity by minimizing dust and splashing.
What attachments can you use with a KitchenAid Artisan?
KitchenAid’s tilt-head stand mixers can be used with a wide variety of attachments for all sorts of kitchen tasks. The Artisan Plus comes with a whisk, a flat beater, a dough hook, and a double flex edge beater (which essentially incorporates a spatula right into your beater head.)
These attachments are all you need to whisk heavy cream, cream sugar and butter, mix cookie dough, knead pizza dough, and more. They’re awesome for baking, but they can also do much more.
Home cooks can also use the Artisan Plus’ motor to power attachments for tasks like:
- Making ice cream,
- Grinding meat,
- Cutting and shaping pasta,
- Shredding cheese,
- Processing food,
- Milling grain,
- Shaving ice,
- Juicing fruits and veggies, and
- Spiralizing produce.
What I made in the Artisan Plus
To really test the mettle of this mixer, I made sure that one of my test recipes was one that some mixers struggle with: Chinese hand-pulled noodles. This velvety, stretchy dough is on the tougher side, so you need a well-balanced, powerful motor (or very strong forearms) to handle it.
The KitchenAid ArtisanPlus nailed my regular recipe. (I use the one from Red House Spice, which contains just flour, salt, and water.) Using the dough hook, I was able to get my dough fully incorporated and prepped for resting with zero kneading on my part.
I had no issues with flour kicking up thanks to the Artisan Plus’ slow start, nor did I hear any whining from the motor when the dough got tougher to work with.
The splash guard included with the Artisan Plus also turned out to be really helpful for this recipe. It did a great job of keeping mess to a minimum, and made adding extra water tidy and seamless.
Watch the KitchenArtisan Plus in action
What this mixer excels at
I really loved the overall experience of using this mixer. From its gorgeous, high-performance finish to its sturdy construction, it’s a beauty to use and to have in your kitchen milieu.
My regular kitchen workhorse is a smaller KitchenAid mixer from 2016. The difference between my Artisan Mini and this 5 quart Artisan Plus is noticeable. The Artisan Plus’ toggles operate more smoothly, and you can tell that KitchenAid uses a premium motor in its body: the Plus is both quieter and more powerful than what I’m used to using, making it great for bigger recipes and more frequent use.
The slow start, 1/2 speed fold function, and precision speed control on the Artisan Plus are really nice features to have as a home cook or a home baker. It’s an excellent machine to set your standards by, and I can see it being a reliable, “do-it-all” machine in any kitchen.
In conclusion: Why buy a KitchenAid Artisan Plus vs a different mixer?
With its integrated bowl light and pristine matte finish, the 2026 KitchenAid Artisan Plus tilt-head stand mixer is an excellent choice for home bakers who love to keep a low-maintenance kitchen. These matte mixers are easy to clean, use, and care for. They deliver as much or more functionality than you expect from any KitchenAid mixer, but without as much wiping down, shining, and buffing.
It’s easy to see what you’re mixing and measuring with the Artisan Plus’ added bowl light. Plus, this mixer’s Precision Speed control mode is perfect for precise recipes like meringue and macarons. It’s great for large batches and finicky recipes, and it operates quietly in any kitchen.
The Artisan Plus is a home kitchen staple for a reason. I think cooks and bakers will find a lot to love in this simple, well-lit appliance.
Shop the KitchenAid Artisan Plus tilt-head stand mixer online at Best Buy today.
