Neither is the current machine. KitchenAid's Australian Artisan is now the KSM195, and the Classic is the KSM45. If you are comparing a KSM150 against a KSM160 you are looking at two earlier Artisan generations, most likely second-hand or on old stock, and the differences between them are small.
The KSM160 was the KSM150 with a slightly revised motor housing and an updated colour range. Bowl size, speeds, attachment hub and the tilt-head design were the same. If you find either in good condition, the attachments and bowls from the current Artisan still fit.
What replaced them
The KSM195 Artisan carries a 4.7-litre bowl with a handle, 300 watts, ten speeds, full metal construction, a pouring shield and a five-year warranty. Owners rate it 4.8 from 30 reviews at The Good Guys.
The KSM45 Classic is the entry machine: a 4.3-litre bowl without a handle, 275 watts, the same ten speeds and hub, in two colours. Owners rate it 4.9 from 85 reviews, the highest score of any stand mixer on the shelf.
KSM150 vs KSM160, as they were
| KSM150 | KSM160 | |
|---|---|---|
| Line | Artisan | Artisan |
| Bowl | 4.8L | 4.8L |
| Speeds | 10 | 10 |
| Head | Tilt | Tilt |
| Attachment hub | Standard | Standard |
| Main change | The long-running Artisan | Revised housing and colours |
| Status | Superseded | Superseded |
Both took the same bowls, beaters and hub attachments, which is why second-hand parts remain easy to find.
Current models compared
| 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 |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years |
| Owner rating | 4.9 (85) | 4.8 (30) |
Owner ratings are from The Good Guys.
Buying a used KSM150 or KSM160
They are durable machines and plenty are still in daily use. Worth checking before you buy one:
Play in the tilt head. Some movement is normal; a head that drops under load needs adjusting, which is a service job rather than a fault.
Beater-to-bowl clearance. The flat beater should almost touch the bowl base. It is adjustable with a screw in the hinge, and a badly adjusted machine leaves an unmixed layer at the bottom.
Grease service history. KitchenAid gearboxes use a grease that migrates over many years. A machine over a decade old that has never been serviced may need regreasing, which specialists do for a modest fee.
Bowl and attachments. Current Artisan bowls and hub attachments fit, so a machine missing its whisk is not a problem.
Against a new Classic at around $699 with five years of warranty, a used Artisan needs to be meaningfully cheaper to be the better buy.
FAQs
Is the KSM195 the same machine as the KSM150?
It is the same platform with a slightly different bowl size, an updated motor and current colours. The tilt-head design, ten speeds and attachment hub are unchanged, which is why the range has been recognisable for decades.
Do KSM150 attachments fit the KSM195?
Hub attachments yes. Bowls fit across Artisan generations of the same nominal size, but check the diameter, because the Classic's bowl is a different size again.
Is a used KitchenAid a good buy?
Often, because the failure modes are serviceable rather than terminal. Budget for a service if it is old, and weigh the total against a new Classic with a five-year warranty.
