It was our great pleasure to ChiIL out in Chi, IL with KitchenAid, at Chicago's Soho House, and check out their Artisan® Mini stand mixer in action. I own an urban home built in 1913, with a small kitchen, where counter space is slim. It also happens to have bright blue tiles on the bottom half of the walls that were installed somewhere around the 1950s. I adore the pop of color in the new Artisan Minis, and the Twilight Blue one would fit right in to my kitchen decor and lifestyle! There are 8 colors available. The Artisan® Mini stand mixer is offered in Contour Silver, Empire Red, Guava Glaze, Honeydew, Hot Sauce, Matte Black, Matte Grey, Matte White, Orange Sorbet and Twilight Blue.
KitchenAid has exciting news for Stand Mixer lovers everywhere. The power, iconic design, color choices and endless possibilities synonymous with this culinary workhorse are now available in a size ideally suited for limited counter space and “smaller batch” lifestyles.
The new Artisan® Mini Stand Mixer offers the same power and performance as the brand’s Classic™ Stand Mixer in an appealing smaller size. The Mini Artisan mixer features a 3.5-quart capacity and is 20% smaller and 25% lighter. It joins a collection that includes 4.5-, 5-, 6- 7-, and 8-quart models, and represents the first downsizing of the Stand Mixer since 1962. Manufacturer’s suggested retail price is $399.99.
“Particularly among millennials, urban dwellers and empty nesters we saw a desire for a smaller mixer that provides the same overall features of our larger models,” notes Derek Ernst, global marketing director for KitchenAid small appliances. “Most importantly, it offers the same wonderful user experience – and the moments and memories this experience creates – that we hear about so often from Stand Mixer fans.”
This new model can quickly and efficiently mix and knead ingredients for up to five dozen cookies or a loaf of bread. By comparison, the 5-, 6- and 7-quart mixers can accommodate from eight to 12 dozen cookies or two to four loaves of bread.
Like its larger siblings, the Artisan® Mini model includes a flat beater, wire whip and dough hook, and accommodates all optional hub-based attachments available for larger models. Available hub attachments include everything from a spiralizer, pasta maker and food grinder to a food processor and juicer.
“With the use of attachments, there’s very little this machine can’t do in the kitchen,” said Ernst. “Those new to cooking and baking, and those highly accomplished in the kitchen, will find so many ways to explore new culinary territory.”
Since the introduction of its legendary stand mixer in 1919 and first dishwasher in 1949, KitchenAid has built on the legacy of these icons to create a complete line of products designed for cooks. Today, the KitchenAid® brand offers virtually every essential for the well-equipped kitchen with a collection that includes everything from countertop appliances to cookware, ranges to refrigerators, and whisks to wine cellars.
Cook for the Cure®, the brand's partnership with Susan G. Komen®, is now in its 15th year and has raised over $10 million to help find a cure for breast cancer.
Disclosure: Thanks to KitchenAid for the invite to Soho House for a launch party and the fun, little goody bag pictured above. I was not compensated for this post. As always, all opinions and photos are my own.
ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama at The International Home and Housewares show right here in Chicago. We've been covering it extensively since 2012 and once again we'll be making the booth rounds to bring our readers a photo filled feature on the coolest upcoming product releases, home decor and more. We're always particularly on the lookout for eco friendly finds and innovative new inventions.
**It's time once again for IHHS, the incredibly huge, unbelievably cool world showcase for the home, right here in sweet home Chicago!**
IHHS is not open to the public, so once again ChiIL Mama will be your eyes and ears on the inside. Check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We'll have photo and video filled recaps, cool new product reviews all year long, news tips, and giveaways too! Follow the hashtag #IHHS2017 for our real time social media coverage.
Get Social:
If you don't already, be sure to FOLLOW ChiIL Mama on the following social media channels:
(We have flash giveaways, real time original content, photo & video filled event recaps, travel, product reviews, and family fun features in Chi, IL and beyond.)
It was our pleasure once again to cover the immense, cutting edge, world showcase for the home, The International Home and Housewares show right here in Chicago. We've been covering it extensively for years and this season was no exception. We made the booth rounds and we're here to share our top pick for the hottest useful gadgets and eco friendly finds. Many of these cool, new releases aren't even out yet! So get your wish lists ready.
IHHS is not open to the public, so once again ChiIL Mama is your eyes and ears on the inside.Check back like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often. We'll have photo and video filled recaps, cool new product reviews, news, tips, and giveaways all year long. Check Out The Slideshow Here For Our Full Photo Recap. More favorites and short product reviews appear below.
Get Social:
If you don't already, be sure to FOLLOW ChiIL Mama on the following social media channels:
(We have flash giveaways, real time original content, photo & video filled event recaps, travel, product reviews, and family fun features in Chi, IL and beyond.)
IHHS is a home + housewares haven of epic proportions, spanning 3 giant halls of Chicago's massive McCormick Place Convention Center. Here at ChiIL Mama, we tend to explore it and shoot photos for at least 2 or 3 days, and still don't make it around to the entire show floor.
We began with the New Exhibitor Preview, a great place to check out the newbies in one hall. We've documented many of them in our full slideshow and the two below we took home to review.
Lid Sid has become a welcome part of my cooking gear. I have several and they're a simple and effective way to keep spoons off the counter and keep lids ajar so pots don't boil over. Highly recommended!
I also gave Hydaway a spin. I'm always on the lookout for eco-friendly water bottles and reusable coffee mugs. Hydaway reminds me of a telescoping camping cup I adored as a child. It's a clever, compact design and it's great that it folds flat when you're done with your drink for easy storage or clipping to a carabiner. Highly recommended!
I was sent a Keurig Kold machine to review when they first hit the market, and many sample pods of Coke products, tea, and craft sodas. It was fun to use, easy to set up, and my teens enjoyed the ease of making cold drinks on demand. Still, with a $375 price point, a large footprint in my small, urban kitchen, all the packaging waste from the multipart pods, and the need to stay plugged in, I really can't wholeheartedly recommend this. I doubt this will be a big seller for Keurig unless they find a way to slim down the machine and the price tag.
I was sent an iCoffee Opus machine to review and adore it! With a $140 price point it's more reasonable than it's close competitors and takes any kind of podincluding an eco-friendly refillable one. Although I'm still more of a fan of their original SpinBrew machine that makes a full pot at a time, over any single serve brewing system, Remington iCoffee Opus is highly recommended. We're eagerly awaiting their next new release, iCafe, that will do fancy coffees like espresso, latte, cappuccino, Americano and more!Check out our video interview with CEO, Bruce Burrows HERE:
We were early adapters, doing a feature on Soda Stream way back in 2009 when they sent me two of their original machines to compare and contrast for ease of use with kids. Check it out HERE. **Look how young my kids and their friend were back then! Now they're 13 & 15 year old teen agers and our Sodastream machine is still in daily use. We've bought an additional, larger tank Sodastream machine and several more as gifts since then. Highly recommended!
Every year they pass out mini bottles with samples, so we make their booth an annual stop. Sadly, the rounded bottles don't work as well in the older model machines, overflowing easily and featuring a low water fill line. I've been asking them to send us a newer model, automatic machine to review every year since we first began covering IHHS in 2012, and they always say they're going to, but never follow through.
Contigo is a long time, local Chicago favorite of ours, despite a buyout this year. We've partnered up with them numerous times on giveaways for our readers including their iconic West Loop stainless travel mugs, adult water bottles, and kids' water bottles. Their eco-friendly, reusable, travel mugs and bottles are stellar, and they keep improving the designs every year. In 2016 I brought home a stainless water bottle and a new design coffee cup to review. The Newer lids are easier to clean. The water bottle has an angled, attached straw that's a big improvement. Their leak proof, locking qualities are excellent, as is their heat and cold retention. Highly recommended!
Fresh Wave is another local Chicago favorite of ours. They make natural, eco-friendly odor remover packets, sprays, and refillable jell air fresheners. My family uses them prolifically, in our bathroom, kitchen, shoes and more. They're releasing updated, eye catching packaging this year, with their tried and true, high quality products. Even the Blackhawks use their sport sprays! Highly recommended!
IHHS is a fun source for reusable bags and clever lunch packaging. We've been moving toward zero waste lunches for years now. It's a process, but every bit helps. This cute Peanuts line is great for snacking in style!
We're also lifelong fans of Aladdin's excellent products. We own many, and my first lunch box ever, at the age of 4, was their iconic red plaid, metal, in the early 70's. I loved it and adore that they've reissued it!
In 2016 we came home with a new sandwich carrier with a hinged, attached lid. My son is loving it and taking his PB & J in it daily. It's easy to clean and the lid doesn't go missing.
I also got the reusable travel mug below to review, in the gorgeous blues in their stock photo. It's made from recycled materials and has great heat retention, and it's microwave and dishwasher safe. My one beef with it is that it's too tall for my microwave unless I remove my glass, rotating plate from the machine, which is a pain. If they make this a bit shorter and wider, so it's still the same capacity, I'd more than recommend it.
Bodum is a best seller for a reason. We've bought many of their mugs, a glass tea maker, several Bodum coffee presses in various sizes and more, over the years. This is the 5th year in a row that we've swung by their impressive IHHS display space to see what's new. They give out French Press coffee samples in their travel mugs, so they're hugely popular and always have a line down the aisles. They also hire chefs and whip up tasty treats throughout the show. Their style, durability, and design are hard to beat. Highly recommended!
I was invited to an off site KitchenAid Mixer Release for their new Artisan Mini ($329). This line is pricy, but well worth it, with proven durability and quality. Their new mini mixer still has a high price point, but it's stellar for smaller kitchens, small batches, and baking with kids. Highly recommended!
Pantone's fab color displays are a highpoint of the IHHS Show!
I also enjoy the daily cooking demos at various booths like Nordic Ware.
We'll have photo and video filled recaps, cool new product reviews, news, tips, and giveaways all year long. So be sure to ChiIL out with ChiIL Mama like we vote in Chi, IL... early and often!
