Stand Mixers Reviews

The mixer motor and beaters work fine. I selected this model because it has metal fittings where the beaters insert into the motor. That is a good feature.
The weak point of this mixer is the plastic base. It has a convenient feature of separating so you can store it easier, but the latch that releases the motor head from the base has a high-pressure spring that presses against a plastic plate inside the neck of the base. That plastic plate breaks within a few months causing the release latch to fall inside the body of the base. Without the base, the motor unit is useless. Sunbeam will not replace just the base. You have to go through a 3-5 month return process to get a replacement while the warranty is in force. This has happened twice within the last year.
If they would just replace that plastic plate with a metal plate that is formed to the inside of the base's neck, the pressure would be distributed over the whole neck of the base and it wouldn't break. But they don't seem to want to make that $2.00 improvement.

On the plus side, this mixer comes with chrome beaters and dough hooks, and 2 stainless steel mixing bowls. However, if you grew up with a Sunbeam mixer and still think they're a solid piece of kitchen equipment, you're in for a major disappointment. It looks great in the picture, but the "chrome case" is just thin chrome-colored plastic, not unlike that used in model car kits. I used this less than a dozen times and now the beaters won't stay in. Apparently, the retainer for the beaters is plastic and broken. If it breaks so easily mixing cakes and cookies, I'm glad I didn't try making bread dough. The main reason I like the Sunbeam design is because the beaters are off-set to the side, when mixing in the large bowl. Anyone who's used a Kitchenaid, knows how awkward it can be to add ingredients to its bowl. While Sunbeam has offered to replace the mixer, they won't tell me if the retainer for the beaters will be plastic again. If it is, be sure to look for a Sunbeam mixer on the Amazon auctions.

When I purchased this mixer I was impressed that it ran so quietly. The beater design is good because it has no center for food to collect on. The disappointment came when I used it to make a batch of divinity fudge. It quit working, and when I took it apart to see what the problem was I found many plastic parts. The gears appeared to be plastic or nylon, not metal, and they were sheared. The whole inner design seemed very flimsy so I'm not surprised that it quit running. I wouldn't buy another.

My mom had a Sunbeam mixer for 20+ years. In fact, she gave it to me when she upgraded, and I used it for at least 6-7 more. When it finally burned out, I replaced it with this model. After limited use, I found that the beaters would no longer stay in the mixer. They apparently use plastic parts to hold the beaters in place, and the plastic wore away from the rotating beater shafts. Very disappointing, to say the least, especially since I was expecting 20 years out of this thing! I upgraded to a KitchenAid, and could not be happier. While the KitchenAid is more expensive, you get a much better quality piece of equipment!!

If you don't want to spend the money for a Kitchenaid (like myself), this is the next best thing. I've used it to make at least a dozen cheesecakes and its held up quite well. I really like the 2 bowls that come with it, they are heavy and sturdy. I also like that you have 12 power levels and that you can gradually increase the power levels. The beaters are decent and much better then on other machines in this price range. I don't like beaters that are small and compact because if your mixing anything thick or dense like cream cheese, it gets stuck in the middle. This doesn't happen on this machine. It also doesn't take up that much room on my counter and is pretty easy to clean. I havn't used the dough hooks and probably never will.

The bottom line - it's a decent mixer.
It doesn't have all the features or power of a Kitchenaid but if your not going to use it the way Martha does or a gourmet cook would, then why spend the extra 100 dollars?

No wonder the price of this model has gone down considerably since I bought mine. I read the negative reviews, but I had no choice, because I wanter a mixer with two bowl sizes.

This Mixmaster was designed for someone with the height, strength, and hand size of an NBA basketball star. I am 4'11", 71 years old, and have arthritis in my hands. I cannot use the mixer unless someone is in the house to raise and lower the head and eject the beaters.

My mother had such long service from her Sunbeam Mixmaster, it became a tradition in our family for every bride to receive one. My 1955 model had juicer and grinding attachments. Eventually, it wore out and I had to replace it. By that time, the company had been sold to a French corporation and manufactured in Canada. It was unsatisfactory, but, at least I could use it without help. I can't count how many I have had, but this is definitely the last. Its bowl and beater design and puny motor make it useless for even beating egg whites.