The Artisan is the better of the two: a 4.7-litre bowl against the Classic's 4.3, 300 watts against 275, a full metal body, and a pouring shield the Classic does not include. It has recently been selling for less than the Classic at The Good Guys, which makes the decision straightforward.
Both are tilt-head mixers on the same platform, both have ten speeds, both take the same attachments through the same power hub, and both carry a five-year warranty.
KitchenAid Classic
The entry model: 4.3-litre stainless bowl, 275 watts, ten speeds, a die-cast metal body and stainless tools. Whisk, flat beater and dough hook in the box. Owners rate it 4.9 from 85 reviews at The Good Guys.
It comes in white and onyx black only, the bowl has no handle, and there is no pouring shield.
What We Like:
- Rated 4.9 by owners
- Five-year warranty
- Die-cast metal body
What We Don't Like:
- Two colours, smaller bowl, no pouring shield
KitchenAid Artisan
4.7-litre bowl with a handle, 300 watts, ten speeds, full metal construction, a pouring shield, and the colour range KitchenAid is actually known for. Owners rate it 4.8 from 30 reviews.
Both rate highly: 4.8 from 30 owners against the Classic's 4.9 from 85. At 300 watts it is modest for stiff bread dough, which is where the larger Kenwood machines pull away.
What We Like:
- 4.7L bowl with a handle
- Pouring shield included
- Every colour in the range
What We Don't Like:
- 300W is modest for stiff dough
Side by side
| Classic (KSM45) | Artisan (KSM195) | |
|---|---|---|
| Price | $600–700 | $600–700 |
| Bowl | 4.3L, no handle | 4.7L, with handle |
| Power | 275W | 300W |
| Speeds | 10 | 10 |
| Body | Die-cast metal | Full metal |
| Pouring shield | No | Yes |
| Colours | 2 | Full range |
| Attachment hub | Yes | Yes |
| Weight | 10.5kg | 11kg |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
| Owner rating | 4.9 (85) | 4.8 (30) |
Owner ratings are from The Good Guys, with review counts in brackets.
What actually differs
Bowl size and handle. Four-tenths of a litre sounds trivial and is not: it is roughly the difference between a double batch of cookie dough fitting and climbing the sides. The handle matters more than the capacity for most people, because a full 4.7-litre bowl of dough is heavy.
Power. 300 watts against 275. Neither is powerful by the standards of Kenwood's 1000 to 1400-watt machines, because KitchenAid's design puts a slow, high-torque motor behind a planetary action rather than a fast one. Both will slow on a heavy dough, and that is normal for the platform.
The pouring shield. A plastic collar that stops flour leaving the bowl at speed. Included with the Artisan, sold separately for the Classic.
Colours. The Classic comes in white and onyx black. The Artisan carries the full colour range KitchenAid is known for.
Price. The Artisan has recently been cheaper at The Good Guys, which inverts the usual order. That is promotional rather than permanent, so both prices are worth checking.
What doesn't change: ten speeds, the same attachment hub that takes the pasta roller, meat grinder and spiraliser, a five-year warranty, and the same tilt-head design.
FAQs
Do Classic and Artisan take the same attachments?
Yes. Both use the standard KitchenAid power hub, so every hub attachment fits either. Bowls are not interchangeable, because the diameters differ.
Is the Artisan strong enough for bread dough?
For a standard loaf, yes, on speed 2 as the manual specifies. For repeated heavy or wholemeal doughs, a bowl-lift mixer or a high-wattage Kenwood is the more suitable machine, which is the comparison in KitchenAid vs Kenwood.
What happened to the KSM150 and KSM160?
They are earlier Artisan model numbers. The current Australian Artisan is the KSM195, and the Classic is the KSM45. The KSM150 vs KSM160 comparison covers what changed.
