The KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Ultra Power: Good Value With Great Performance

KitchenAid first brought stand mixers into the home in the early 1900’s, and since then they’ve become a beloved appliance in the kitchens of millions of home cooks.

Thanks in large part to their outstanding durability, and the opportunity to customize their application with a good selection of attachments, the well-known silhouette has become an icon of American design and innovation.

And while it’s always easy to select a KitchenAid, choosing the model that’s right for you (or the chef in your life) may not be as simple with their many different lines to select from.

Kitchenaid 4.5 Quart Tilt Stand Mixer in Apple Green available on Amazon

In this review, we’re going to have a close look at the 4.5 Quart Ultra Power Stand Mixer. A tilt-head model that’s styled after the classic Model K (which was the first stand mixer to secure a bowl to the base with an interlocking action), it’s an affordable entry-level piece into the realm of stand mixers.

Overview

With vivid, vibrant colors and the famous art deco design, a KitchenAid stand mixer is equal parts beauty and functionality – and is considered by many to be a symbol of dedication to the practice of the kitchen arts. And this version is available in many different colors to perfectly match all of your kitchen decor.

This particular model is a tilt-head style and is basically a souped-up version of the Classic series, only with a more powerful motor to handle heavier mixing duties.

Stand mixers come in two basic styles. The old-school tilt-head models, where the motor head lifts up and away to access the beaters and bowl. And the bowl-lift models, where the head stays stationary and the bowl is levered into place.

Both are popular, with the main difference being the techniques for loading the bowl onto the stand, and accessing it while in use. The tilt-head style offers easier access to the bowl and beaters. While the bowl-lift style gives greater stability with heavy loads, like kneading bread.

KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer in Silver available on Amazon

And, as with all KitchenAid stand mixers, the power hub attachments are cross-generationally compatible. So, if you were lucky enough to inherit your Granny’s old Model K, its attachments will work in the power hub of any KA stand mixer. (Could someone please let the manufacturers of computer and cell phone chargers know about this clever idea?! Sorry, a pet peeve of mine…)

The Nuts and Bolts

This Ultra Power stand mixer features a generous 4.5 quart stainless steel bowl which is held securely on the stand with an interlocking clamp, and the base will accommodate both the 3 and 5 quart bowls as well.

The ultra comes with sturdy, burnished steel attachments that better made than most of the other brands in this price range.

KitchenAid Ultra Power Stand Mixer in Almond Cream Beige available on Amazon

Rubber feet on the heavy base anchors the unit to the countertop, while the motor is housed in the head. The tilt and lift of the entire top makes for clear access to the beaters and bowl, so adding ingredients, changing attachments, cleaning, and loading or removal of the bowl itself is simple and straightforward.

And the head is securely locked into place with a simple lever when you’re ready to start.

The easy, user-friendly design and rugged, made in the US, all-metal build ensures a long life of smooth and quiet operation.

The Numbers

The 4.5 quart stainless steel bowl will accommodate batches of over 6 dozen cookies, about 3.5 loaves of bread and 6.5 pounds of mashed potatoes.

The Ultra Power comes with 3 standard attachments: a burnished metal flat beater, a burnished metal dough hook, and a 6 wire whip, plus a plastic pouring guard.

And with all-metal gears and direct drive transmission, the motor moves through all 10 speeds with ease. Meaning you can choose the optimal settings for slow stirring, mixing, beating, creaming, whipping and kneading all your favorite ingredients.

The reliable planetary mixing action hits 59 touchpoints around the bowl per rotation. This thoroughly incorporates ingredients as the attachments rotate around the bowl for full mixing.

It also has 1 adjustable screw to easily set the height of the beaters for the ideal beater-to-bowl clearance, meaning all the ingredients get incorporated into the mix.

KitchenAid 4.5 Quart Tilt Stand Mixer in Cobalt Blue available at Amazon

For even more versatility, the power hub is designed to use with 15 optional attachments with the ability to grind, shred, press pasta and much more.

This mixer measures approximately 8 x 14 x 14”, weighs 22 pounds and runs on 300 watts of power.

The Ultra Power series also comes in 10 bright and beautiful designer colors, so it’s easy to pick one that will work with your color scheme.

And of course, this stand mixer comes with KitchenAid’s 1-year, hassle-free warranty. If your mixer fails in the first year of owning it, you’ll get a replacement free of charge.

It also comes with a well-written User’s Manual and several recipes for the easiest operation possible.

What Others Are Saying

The following insights into the performance and operation of the 4.5 quart Ultra Power stand mixer are a compilation taken from the reviews of verified purchasers at Amazon.

• Well-built, durable and reliable. Aren’t those sweet words to describe a product you’re thinking of laying a few hundred dollars on? They get repeated over and over in the reviews.

• Not designed for huge amounts of heavy dough, by far the majority of comments report that this unit delivers on most all kitchen tasks; whether mixing dough, making sausages or pressing pasta. It’s sturdy, useful and has the versatility of performance expected for the size and price.

• Satisfied customers also report that dollar for dollar, it gives great value compared to other similar models in terms of durability, construction and longevity.

• Good and easy-to-access customer service is another point to consider when purchasing electronics, and KitchenAid has it in spades with numerous reports of easy returns and exchanges.

• On the negative side, the beaters will oxidize if put in the dishwasher, so hand washing and prompt drying is needed to maintain the burnished finish.

• And there are a couple of comments about the locking head mechanism slipping, but the strong customer support and warranty meant those customers were able to exchange their faulty units with new ones.

Conclusion

All in all, another strong performer from KitchenAid that’s well suited for ‘average’ kitchen use, but not for mixing huge batches of bread.

As with some other KA models, I find the use of beaters that can’t go through the dishwasher to be a demerit point. But really, it’s the only viable one I can find.

Check all of the available colors and prices on Amazon now

A valuable tool for many kitchen tasks, the 4.5 quart Ultra Power stand mixer is a great entry or mid-level mixer with a reasonable price tag. Versatile and dependable, it’s a sweet way to treat yourself and makes a wonderful gift for any foodie in your life.

If you want a KitchenAid in a tilt head form factor and with a little more power, you might also take a look at the Artisan series – the most powerful tilt-head model KA offers.

However, if you see yourself baking a lot of bread, you really need to go with something a little stronger such as the KitchenAid 7-Quart Pro Line.

Want to see more options? See more of Foodal’s Reviews or take a look at our buying guide now.