Watt’s the Story with Those Power Ratings?

Posted on Posted in Q&A, Tech Tips
Watt’s the Story with Those Power Ratings?

Sometimes a question comes up, of the form “Should I buy the Classic model, or the Artisan? The Artisan has more power, do I need that?”

KitchenAid markets the Artisan as a more powerful mixer: https://www.kitchenaid.com/pinch-of-help/stand-mixers/classic-vs-artisan.html

The Artisan® and Classic™ Series mixers both feature alternating current motors. The Artisan®motor is 325 watts, while the Classic™ motor is 275 watts. The additional power on the Artisan®mixers can help when mixing thick, heavy doughs.

Where do the power ratings come from?

The power rating (authoritatively, on the label under the base) is derived by measuring the power consumption of the mixer with a maximum (simulated) load while running at the maximum speed setting. As equipped from the factory, the only substantive difference between the Classic and the Artisan is that the Classic comes with a 4.5 quart bowl, and the Artisan comes with a 5 quart bowl. A fully loaded 5 quart bowl requires the mixer to consume more power to run at maximum speed than the 4.5 quart bowl.

Thus, the maximum power consumption relates to the load on the motor, which relates directly to the size of the batch in the mixer bowl. A larger bowl can hold more, and thus the mixer will consume more power for a given speed with a full 5 quart bowl than it would for the same speed with a full 4.5 quart bowl.

But doesn’t the Artisan have a stronger/better/bigger motor?

The two models are internally identical. The part number for the integrated motor assembly (used beginning in spring 2023) is W11678788 for both the K45SS (“Classic”) and KSM150FB (“Artisan”). (Source: Automatic Appliance Parts web site here and here — enter “Motor” in the “Keyword Search” box.)

For mixers produced before the change to the integrated assembly, the part numbers for the armature and field coil (the core motor parts) are W10788171 and W10315774, respectively, in both the K45SS (“Classic”) and the KSM150 (“Artisan”). (Source: Repair Clinic web site here and here for the armature, here and here for the field coil.)

Insofar as the motors use the same parts, one cannot be “stronger” or “more powerful” than another.

Is this true for other models, too?

Generally yes, for mixers of each given model type:

  • Different versions of the “Epicurean”, “Professional HD”, “Professional 5 Plus”, and “Professional 600” all use the same motor and controls (and gearing). The Professional HD and the Professional 5 Plus came with 5 quart bowls; the others included 6 quart bowls. Their maximum published power consumption is correspondingly different.
  • The “Professional 6000HD”, “Pro Line” 7qt, and “Commercial” 8qt models again all use the same integrated motor/transmission assembly and speed control board, and consequently their rated power is reported differently as a consequence of bowl size.
  • Similarly, the 2023 bowl-lift models (KSM55, KSM60, KSM70) all use the same integrated motor/transmission assembly and speed control board. (The parts are different from and are not interchangeable with the 6000HD/Pro Line/Commercial models.) Their published power consumption also varies based solely on bowl size.

Note that comparing the rated power consumption across different model types is not useful, because of internal differences in how the mixers are constructed. For example, the “Professional 600” is rated at 575W with its 6qt bowl, while the newer KSM70 is rated at 500W (according to KitchenAid’s web site at this writing) — a lower maximum power consumption despite the extra quart of bowl capacity.

Isn’t this deceptive? Why isn’t there a giant scandal about this?

It’s marketing; specifically, “audience segmentation”. Whirlpool produces and sells tens of thousands of these mixers, and they know that different groups of people care about different things when they’re shopping for a stand mixer. Some groups are looking at color choice; others care about the included accessories; and still others are going to look at the rated power consumption as a measure of the mixer’s performance. I suspect they figure that if you’re going to spend more on a mixer because it’s got a bigger number on the trim band, they’ll be happy to take your money.

What should I do about this?

Buy the mixer you want, whether it’s based on color, price, included accessories, or any other characteristic that matters to you. You can buy based on the “power” claims and the numbers on the trim band if you wish; but these numbers won’t relate to the mixer’s actual capabilities. Clean it after you use it, give it routine maintenance and repairs as necessary, and it’ll run for a very long time, no matter how many watts it consumes.