Stand mixer stands up to the task

The workhorse of the kitchen.

(Credit: Zappos)

Kitchen appliances can be great time-savers. Chopping, slicing, and dicing needs can be met with a food processor, microwaves can cook up entire meals with a press of a few buttons, and blenders can rapidly turn chopped vegetables into smooth purees for sauces, soups, and drinks. But when it comes to pure strength, one appliance stands out above others: the stand mixer.

The Viking Professional 5-quart Stand Mixer makes it easy to whip up labor-intensive recipes without strain or stress. The 800-watt motor with metal gear transmission powers through common kitchen tasks such as whipping, stirring, and beating. The locking tilt-back head gives easy access to the work bowl and attachment mount. Included with the stand mixer is a "V" beater, a whip, a dough hook, and the bowl. A number of accessories are also available for many other kitchen tasks: blender jar, pasta maker, food grinder, slicer/shredder, and pouring shield.

The stand mixer does the hard work for recipes that require a lot of mixing or kneading. There is very little to not like about a batch of cookies or freshly baked bread, but the effort required to produce quality results can be distracting. With the stand mixer doing all of the heavy lifting, it leaves time for more important things: like concentrating on the delicious results.