one time investment

You would not start with grade B eggs or unripe fruit for a pie, so why use a mixer that isn't the best? You could spend far less for a mixer, but have it break after a few times or have it not work as well as expected. With Kitchen Aid you get what you pay for. Right out of the box you will notice something very different about this mixer compared to the others you have seen. This mixer is heavy and solid. You will never overwork this mixer in home use or smell the gears burning. What I like the most is you are making a one time investment. Also with this mixer you can buy additional attachment that converts the mixer into other useful appliance, without cluttering your countertop with other appliances. Some examples of attachments are meat grinder, ice cream maker, shredder, pasta maker, It is as close to one stop shopping as you can get. Yes the mixer cost is a lot more then the others, however it will last you many years. The choice of colors are countless to match any decor. I would suggest if you are going to leave on you counter top to purchase the fabric cover to keep the dust off.