Review on Die-Cast Stand Mixer, 8 Speeds 600W OSTBA Food Stand Mixer, 5.5Qt Tilt-Head Kitchen Mixer, Dishwasher Safe Stainless Steel Mixing Bowl, Dough Hook, Egg Whisk, Mixer Beater, Splash Guard, Almond Cream by Nikki Williams

Let's face facts: a stand mixer is no longer just a utile appliance. Thanks (in large part) to Kitchen Aid, we now want a mixer that's functional AND gorgeous to look at. It's a culinary status symbol; an object of desire like an expensive espresso machine or a Spong coffee grinder. This mixer fits the bill. It works exactly as it should, and looks terrific whilst doing so.It has a nice, clean retro look, and the color finish - in a subtle butter yellow - is just divine: it's like the soft sunlight of every dreamy summer of your childhood. The mixer is made from die-cast alloy, not plastic as you might expect at this price. It's reassuringly heavy, and sits well on the countertop. Operation is very simple: a tilt lever and one speed dial. A nice feature of that dial is that although it's marked from zero to ten, it is in fact variable, giving you a wide range of available speeds.TWO SMALL CAVEATS: Despite what you read in the product description, the tools supplied with this (the beater, paddle, dough hook and what-not) are NOT dishwasher-safe. They are made of aluminium with a bright coating, and that coating will be stripped off in the harsh chemical environment of your dishwasher. However, if you forget one time and end up with less-than-shiny tools, they're still food-safe - they're just not bright and shiny any more.Also, the small plate on the front that covers the power take-off doesn't fit perfectly. It stays in place, but it could be made to fit more closely to the mixer body. In some of the product pictures you'll see that the front plate doesn't fit perfectly on that mixer either - it protrudes slightly at the top - so I suspect it's a common flaw in the design. Not really a problem, just a little disappointing.So if you clicked on this mixer because you need a good machine but also were attracted by the look of it, I think you should go ahead and buy it. You won't be disappointed on either count.