Daily Mail journalists select and curate the products that feature on our site. If you make a purchase via links on this page we will earn commission - learn moreKitchenAid’s iconic design has changed very little since its inception in 1919, so when I heard that the brand was releasing a new model - the Artisan Plus - with its first new features in years, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The brand has a lot of heritage and unlike some retro home products that have disappeared over the years, KitchenAid remains.I’m a huge fan of KitchenAid stand mixers and I’ve been lucky enough to trial a few during my time as a product reviewer. The style and the performance always lives up to expectations and they're one of the most beloved kitchen gadgets used by chefs. Day to day, I typically use the Ooni Halo Pro stand mixer, as it’s geared towards making dough-based products (something I do a lot). However, for cakes, sauces, icing and the rest, the KitchenAid still reigns supreme.While some purists might argue the KitchenAid stand mixer is perfect just the way it is, I personally think the newest touches - which include a built in light, the addition of sliding speeds and a seamless updated bowl design - are worthy updates.Read my short verdict below to see how I got on with the KitchenAid Artisan Plus or scroll further for my full review on the new features.KitchenAid Artisan Plus stand mixer: At a glance While some purists might argue the KitchenAid stand mixer is perfect just the way it is, I personally think the newest touches are a welcome upgrade.KitchenAid Artisan Plus stand mixer★★★★★Product SpecsCapacity4.7L bowlNumber of speeds11 standard, plus a 1/2 folding speed with option to convert to a sliding scaleWhat we loveNew featuresNew speeds, bowl and accessoriesPerformanceOutstanding performance, even with pizza doughWhat could be betterPriceMight be out of some people's price rangeOur verdictTraditionalists will be happy to know that at its heart, the KitchenAid Artisan Plus remains the same sturdy, high quality machine as its predecessors.However, as someone who is constantly finding that speed three is too slow and speed four too fast, being able to now make micro adjustments to the speeds, rather than being restricted by set numbers is truly useful.While the new Artisan Plus does technically have 11 speeds on the side of the machine, a simple turn of a knob turns the speeds from rigid settings into a sliding scale that allows more control. I find this particularly useful for more delicate, precision mixing where over mixing can ruin the final result.Of course the new head light is an absolute winner too. It’s something I think every new stand mixer should have as, even on sunny days, it makes a world of difference when you really need to get a good look at what you’re mixing.Despite all of these new design touches and the addition of a flex edge beater included as standard, I’m impressed that KitchenAid hasn’t massively inflated the price either. It’s not cheap but it’s no more expensive than the brand's other mixers at launch. The KitchenAid stand mixer has come a long way since its first models in 1919.KitchenAid Artisan Plus stand mixer reviewFirst impressionsWhile the Artisan Plus might not look all that different, I immediately noticed that this new era of KitchenAid felt decidedly smaller.After checking if my suspicions were correct, I was surprised to see that on paper, the Plus is only a little slighter. However, the new design just feels smarter and more compact than previous models, whatever KitchenAid is doing, they’re doing it right.I also immediately fell in love with the new colours. I was sent the Sundried Tomato red version to review and it’s a gorgeous deep, textured red, which feels very old money. I tested the Artisan Plus in Sundried Tomato red - it feels very old money.New features and accessoriesAs I’ve briefly mentioned, the Artisan Plus comes with lots of new quality of life features. The best of these, in my opinion, is the ability to turn the speeds from 11 static settings into a sliding scale. I love having more precision and control over my cooking and this makes it so easy to do. Simply twist the speed adjustment knob and you can move back and forth between the two modes. The new half speed setting is another great addition to this, as it genuinely makes mixing so much easier (and less messy) and is more gentle for folding ingredients.The new built in light and speed settings on the Artisan Plus are really usefulThis Artisan Plus also introduces the Double Flex Edge Beater as an exclusive. This tool is amazing for thick icing and batters, where you need the ingredients to be scraped and mixed at the same time. It genuinely made prepping icing for my cake so much easier - now I can’t be without it.While the new seamless bowl design won't really affect or improve your cooking day to day, it will give the bowl better longevity, in the same way a full tang knife is better than one that’s split into two separate pieces.PerformanceI really cannot fault the KitchenAid Artisan Plus when it comes to performance. It’s a heritage brand for a reason.Like its predecessors, it’s one of the very best stand mixers around in terms of how well it handles everything from icing to dough. One of the first tests I always perform on a stand mixer is to make a large batch of bread or pizza dough. This is because some stand mixers struggle with dough and can violently shake and overheat.The Artisan Plus held its own against my dough and batter testsWhile my dough test certainly put the Artisan Plus through its paces, it kept its cool during a long 10 minute mix. Not only that, the dough hook has a round disk at the top, which prevents the mixture from climbing up the hook and getting stuck - a common problem with stand mixers that aren’t specifically designed for dough.Of course, this mixer had no problem with the basics like cake batter, icing and sauces - it’s a powerful and capable machine.Value for money and competitionYou can pick up the original KitchenAid Artisan with additional attachments now for just £549, which might make the Plus seem on the pricey side. However, the original Artisan is a lot older now and newer models always retail at around £700, often more.Having reviewed a lot of stand mixers over the years, the Artisan Plus is really great value for money but of course if the latest features aren’t a priority for you, saving a couple of hundred pounds on the older model might be the smarter move. I think the new KitchenAid Artisan Plus is worth every penny.For those who love to use their stand mixer for bread and pizza dough, I think it’s also worth considering the Ooni Halo Pro. It’s a similar price to the Artisan Plus but what separates this model from KitchenAid is that the machine comes with a breaker bar.This bar is used in industrial mixing machines to help keep the dough moving and avoid it curling up the dough hook. It’s something traditional stand mixers don’t have and really useful if you’re mostly using your mixer alongside your pizza oven.How does it rate online?As we were lucky enough to get the Artisan Plus so soon after release, there aren’t loads of reviews of it online. However, KitchenAid stand mixers always rate very highly with customers and we think this one will be no different. It’s an amazing machine with loads of great updates.What’s the difference between the KitchenAid Artisan and Artisan Plus?The Artisan Plus has a new bowl design, new speed settings and features and an additional new tool. It’s also slightly more compact. You can read more about the differences between the two on the KitchenAid website. https://www.kitchenaid.co.uk/blog/artisan-plus-mixer-difference