KitchenAid Mixer of My Dreams

I have always dreamed of having a KitchenAid Mixer. But I also recognize that I don’t need one. Which means I’m not simply going to run out and get it. But I want one!

So it was with great delight that I discovered recently that I have a lot of credit card points (aka free money). I have to use my personal credit card to front expenses when I travel for work, and over the last few years, it’s added up. Combine that with never having spent the points over the last 3-4 years, and I have quite a bit.  Sure, I could spend it on something practical, like cash and therefore my loans. But I think I’ve been fiscally responsible enough to blow it on something special.

Like a KitchenAid. Maybe even this beautiful red one:

The 20-something foodie's equivalent of a sports car

But now that I am ready to buy one, I have no idea which one to buy! There are about a billion options– bowl size, professional versus not professional, tilt head versus bowl lift. I am overwhelmed.

Are there any KitchenAid users out there with advice?

I’ve decided to buy either from Amazon.com or Bed, Bath, & Beyond, because that’s where I can get the best deals.

Here is my budget:

• If I go through Amazon, I have $250 to spend in points plus $30 in gift certificates, so $280.
• If I go through Bed, Bath, & Beyond, I have $288 to spend in point, plus I can usually also find a 20% off one item coupon.

Obviously there is no need to spend all of my budget (leave some money for the accessories!), but I would like to invest in a model that is going to last me a while.

What should you stock in your kitchen?

I’m always looking for ideas on what I should have in the house so that I can make a lot of meals easily, tastily, and cheaply. Being a former grad student and current frugal foodie, I tend to have a lot of pasta, canned tuna, beans, dried fruit, dried nuts, etc. In fact, part of the point of this blog is a way for me to keep track of what I use when, so that when I think to myself, “Gee, I’d really like to make something with [ingredient],” I can check this blog and remind myself of what I’ve made before.

Anyhow, so with all that in mind, I recommend checking out this New York Times article by Mark Bittman (aka The Minimalist) about what you should stock in your kitchen. Like most articles in the Times, it comes from the Eurocentric cooking tradition, but I think that it’s a useful article, regardless of your culinary leanings.