The multi-functional KitchenAid stand mixer allows you to mix, knead and blend in your kitchen, but that’s just the start. The power of the stand mixer is really unleashed when you select accessories and attachments that add to the range of options for creations in the kitchen.
In this guide, we will look at 14 different KitchenAid Mixer attachments and accessories to help guide the way in your selection.
Rather than buy other kitchen appliances, KitchenAid has different attachments for the stand mixer that can do all of that and more. Many plug into the front “power hub” of the mixer, turning it into different kitchen appliances to suit all your needs.
1. KitchenAid Pasta Maker Attachments
If you love noodles, there’s nothing better than homemade, fresh pasta. With your KitchenAid stand mixer and the purchase of the separate deluxe pasta maker attachment, you can make any type of pasta.
The pasta accessory includes the following attachments:
- a pasta roller
- a spaghetti cutter
- a fettuccine cutter
- a capellini cutter
- a lasagnette cutter
- thick noodle cutter to cut thick pasta sheets into thick egg noodles
The attachments fit into a KitchenAid stand mixer and allow you to make pasta dough in the mixer, and then process it into your pasta of choice. The pasta roller has thickness adjustments, to roll your pasta to whatever thickness you choose.
Then there are the cutters that allow you to make a variety of noodle types. You can also use it to roll out dough for perogies, wontons or pastries.
Everything is powered by the mixer, so there’s no hassle of trying to manage the dough and turn a handle to crank the pasta through the cutters. Both hands are free to work the pasta.
It’s also easy to clean, with a cleaning brush included to remove bits of flour and pasta from the cutting mechanisms.
It’s important to experiment with your dough, to get comfortable with the texture of pasta dough, and do some experimenting with the cutters because pasta takes some practice to master. If you’re a connoisseur of noodles, however, and you love to make homemade goods, this is the attachment for you.
2. KitchenAid Ravioli Attachment
If basic pasta isn’t enough for you and your family, KitchenAid also offers a ravioli attachment for its stand mixer.
The ravioli attachment has the following features:
- The mixer powers it
- It has six-inch wide rollers that make three rows of ravioli
- It has a filling scoop that spreads the filling into the corners of the pockets, to make sure all the ravioli pockets get filled
- It includes a cleaning brush and an instruction guide with recipes
It’s important to note that you will need the pasta roller attachment as well unless you want to roll your pasta sheets by hand. KitchenAid markets this accessory as the perfect accompaniment to the pasta roller.
- You make the dough, roll it in the pasta roller, and then run two sheets of it through the ravioli attachment, with the filling scoop on top.
- The filling goes into the filling scoop, and the ravioli maker pushes the pasta through with the filling inside.
- Out rolls the rows of ravioli, edges pinched together and ready to cook.
In our pasta maker reviews we wrote about how this attachment may not be for you if you get frustrated with finicky work in the kitchen. It isn’t easy to make good pasta dough, roll it to a consistent thickness, and then work it through the ravioli maker.
However, if you’re an experienced pasta maker, or you’re patient and love to try new things, this is ideal. It’s much easier to use the powered attachments than trying to accomplish all that by hand, or with a hand-rolling pasta maker.
3. KitchenAid Masticating Juicer Attachment
This attachment is multi-use, as it allows you to make juice, jams or sauces.
It includes:
- Three pulp screens/strainers for different uses: low pulp, high pulp and sauces/jams
- Pitcher
- Waste container (to catch pulp)
Like other extra attachments, it’s powered by the stand mixer’s power hub. The juicer is a slow, or masticating juicer, which first slices the fruits and vegetables and then processes them. It can be set to juice and has an extra wide feed tube that allows you to put in a variety of hard, soft, or leafy fruits and vegetables.
Juicing is an excellent way to extract vitamins and minerals from fruits and vegetables, adding to a healthy diet. But with this attachment, you can also make jams and different types of sauces. You can process tomatoes, for instance, for homemade tomato sauce.
This is a good choice for those who will juice on a regular basis or those who regularly make sauces or jams. If you’re only going to try it once in a while, it may not be worth the expense.
4. KitchenAid Ice Cream Attachment
Imagine getting a late-night ice cream craving but having none in the freezer. With the KitchenAid ice cream attachment and 30 minutes of patience, you can make your own!
The attachment has the following features:
- It comes with a freeze bowl, dasher (or mixer) and drive assembly
- It makes up to two quarts of ice cream, gelato, frozen yogurt or sorbet in 20-30 minutes
- It’s easy to clean with warm soapy water
- It snaps onto the mixer itself, not the power hub
The attachment is simple to use. You prepare the batter for your chosen dessert, attach the bowl and dasher to the mixer, and then pour the batter into the bowl. The dasher and freeze bowl do the work, as the dasher rotates inside the bowl to spread, scrape and mix thoroughly.
The dasher, drive assembly, and adapter ring is dishwasher safe, but KitchenAid recommends that you hand-wash the freeze bowl.
There are two models of stand mixers that the basic ice cream maker doesn’t fit – so be sure to order the correct one for your mixer.
This is a great accessory for those who would often enjoy homemade frozen desserts, and who are patient enough to make their own. If you prefer convenience over homemade, it may not be for you.
5. KitchenAid Flex Edge Paddle Attachment
The flex edge paddle attachment is a handy and relatively inexpensive accessory for your stand mixer.
This attachment:
- Is coated metal with one rubber edge that scrapes the bowl as you mix
- Is dishwasher safe
- Attaches to the mixer
Before purchase, be sure to check your model number and order the correct paddle.
This accessory makes mixing and scraping easy. You can even use it to scrape batter out of the bowl and into your baking pan. If you bake a lot, this will be an ideal accessory to purchase. It is multi-functional and will make using your stand mixer even easier.
6. KitchenAid Grinder Attachments
There was a time when people prepared their own ground beef, chicken or pork, purchasing the meat and using a hand grinder at home.
With your KitchenAid stand mixer and the grinder attachment, you can get fresh-ground meat at home. But it does so much more.
The grinder can be used for:
- Grinding meat, including pre-mixing for burgers or meatloaf and running through the grinder
- Grating cheese
- Making breadcrumbs
- Combining dips, salsas, and spreads
The grinder comes with a coarse plate and a fine plate, allowing for a range of options. It also includes recipes. It can grind everything from dried bread to firm fruits, vegetables and cheeses, and obviously meat. Most of the parts are dishwasher safe.
The grinder can be used with any KitchenAid stand mixer and it attaches to the power hub on the front of the mixer. It’s perfect for the cook who likes to create dishes with fresh ingredients, made at home. It’s versatile and expands the uses for your mixer.
You can also purchase a separate sausage stuffer that will allow you to turn the fresh-ground meat into sausages. This is for the discerning cook who will want to spend time grinding meat instead of purchasing it already ground.
7. KitchenAid Grain Mill Attachment
If you’re a serious baker, this may be the ideal attachment for you. The all-metal grain mill attachment allows you to create fresh-ground flour to ensure the freshest bread and baked goods.
You can grind any low-moisture (non-oily) grain like wheat, corn, oats, rye, rice, and buckwheat. There are 12 grind levels on the mill, from a coarse or “cracked” texture to a very fine grind. Check out other substitutes for flour here.
This attachment will allow you to:
- grind homemade flour for bread and baked goods
- make cornmeal
- mill buckwheat for pancakes
- prepare homemade granola
- create specialty flour like rice flour, ideal for those who have issues with gluten
The mill includes a cleaning brush for easy cleanup. It attaches to the power hub of the stand mixer and opens the door for the homemade baker. If you aren’t serious about baking on a regular basis, and wanting fresh-ground flours, this may not be the accessory for you.
If you’re looking to mill apples, potatoes, or tomatoes you will need a food mill.
8. KitchenAid Slicer Shredder Attachment
Everyone who cooks has to perform one task on an almost daily basis – slicing vegetables. Whether you are preparing raw vegetables for salads or for cooking, slicing is a regular chore in the kitchen.
The KitchenAid slicer and shredder attachment makes the job much easier. Its three blades allow you to do a range of different things and expand your cooking repertoire. It can handle any vegetable but also different types of cheeses and some fruits.
This accessory comes with the following:
- Two slicing cones/blades for thick and thin slices, great for cucumbers, carrots, celery, and zucchini
- Two shredding cones/blades for fine and coarse consistency. The fine blade is ideal for shredding cheeses and firm vegetables, such as carrots, to a finer consistency and the coarse blade is perfect for shredding cabbages, potatoes and more
- A 2-in-1 “food pusher” to feed fruits and vegetables of different sizes into the slicer
- A convenient storage case for storage
This attachment is compatible with any KitchenAid Stand Mixer. All the blades are dishwasher safe. This is an ideal accessory for any kitchen, as we all need to slice cucumbers and shred carrots, and with it, we can do much more.
9. KitchenAid Spiral Attachment
One of the newest kitchen and health crazes is “spiralizing.” Using a special tool, a variety of vegetables can be sliced into spirals or “noodles,” a healthy alternative to noodles made with flour.
Rather than buying a separate as seen in our best spiralizer guide, you can get an attachment for your KitchenAid stand mixer. This will allow you to add more vegetables to your diet, eat healthier, and explore new recipes.
The spiral attachment includes:
- four blades
- nine combinations of spiralizing, slicing, peeling and coring
- durable metal construction
- a storage case for organization and storage
Items like “zoodles,” or noodles made from zucchini, are popular items to make with a spiralizer. But this spiral attachment does much more than that. It can make thin spirals of carrots or radishes for salads. It can handle hard vegetables like butternut squash or sweet potatoes, which some hand spiralizers cannot.
It has the ability to core, peel or slice, and can do all at once – peel and spiralize an apple at the same time, leaving the core behind, perfect for preparing apples for a pie. You can also make spiralized potatoes for curly fries.
This item is for the die-hard vegetable and fruit eater. If your family is not open to trying new dishes like spiralized squash instead of pasta, it may not be for you. But if you want to open the door to new and creative dishes using vegetables, it will be perfect.
If you would rather have a completely separate unit, see our Veggetti reviews for a look at the original spiralizing machine.
10. KitchenAid Food Processor Attachment
Many cooks favor a versatile, multi-purpose food processor as the “go-to” item in their kitchens. With the KitchenAid food processor attachment, you can have all the functions of a processor without buying another kitchen implement.
It attaches to the power hub of the stand mixer and includes discs that allow you to dice, slice, shred and julienne fruits, vegetables, and hard cheeses.
The processor attachment includes:
- a reversible shredding disc
- an adjustable slicing disc
- a julienne disc
- a dicing disc and blade
- a dicing disc cleaner
- a storage case
The discs are dishwasher safe and the wide feed tube accommodates a variety of food sizes.
The exclusive KitchenAid “ExactSlice System” has six settings that allow you to slice from thick to thin with one slide of the lever.
This is a perfect accessory for almost every cook. There are so many times that you will need to slice vegetables, shred cheese, or julienne potatoes, that this attachment will cut out a lot of prep work while working with an existing item in your kitchen.
11. KitchenAid Precise Heat Mixing Bowl
The precise cook will love the technology delivered by the precise heat mixing bowl.
This attachment has the following:
- a dishwasher-safe bowl and lid
- some models include a flex edge beater, wire whip, and dough hook
- the ability to heat the bowl from 70-220 degrees Fahrenheit (21-104 degrees Celsius), in two-degree increments
- a digital display that shows the temperature and a timer for up to 10 hours
- a glass lid that allows you to look in and monitor progress while using
This accessory allows cooks to make soups, yogurt, fondue, melted or tempered chocolate, custards, and to proof bread dough. It delivers a precise temperature and can sustain that temperature, within 2 degrees, for up to 10 hours.
It has real-time temperature feedback that raises and lowers when food is added, and the mixer can be used to stir while the temperature stays consistent. The bowl can also be used with the stand mixer or as a stand-alone heated bowl.
This is for specialty items and for making items that require precise, consistent temperatures, like tempered chocolate. If you think you would make these items a lot, this will be the accessory for you. But it is more of a specialty item that may not be used by every cook. Be sure to order the correct model for your mixer, as there are variations.
12. KitchenAid Dough Hook
The serious bread maker will want to add this handy and inexpensive accessory to their KitchenAid stand mixer gadget drawer.
It has a unique spiral design that replicates hand-kneading when making yeast bread dough. It also delivers a powerful force. KitchenAid claims that it kneads 25 percent more yeast bread dough than its previous models.
Be certain it can be used with your model of stand mixer, as it is for use with only certain models.
It is also hand wash only, and can’t go in the dishwasher.
If you are a frequent bread maker, this is the accessory for you. It should save you time and effort compared to hand kneading, delivering great yeast bread dough in your stand mixer.
13. KitchenAid Pouring Shield
This is another handy item for the frequent baker.
The one-piece pouring shield fits directly on to the mixing bowl of your KitchenAid stand mixer. It allows you to add ingredients such as eggs, liquid and others without making a mess, and while still running the mixer.
It will also prevent dry ingredients like flour from flying out of the bowl while you’re mixing. You can also keep mixing while you add dry ingredients.
The pouring shield is top-rack dishwasher safe.
It’s a great accessory for bakers who often use their stand mixer. If you don’t use it for baking, this accessory may not be as handy.
14. KitchenAid 11-Wire Whip
Another great item for the frequent baker is the 11-wire whip accessory.
This whip decreases the mixing time due to the 11 wires. It also incorporates the maximum amount of air into the material being mixed. This creates maximum volume in less time, making for lighter, fluffier whipped cream, egg whites, and cake batters. It also helps you achieve your desired results faster.
The whip is made from stainless steel and is dishwasher safe.
Once again, be sure to check the model number of your stand mixer to ensure this accessory fits your model. If you bake often, this is another great addition to your stand mixer repertoire.
Final Thoughts – Which One To Buy?
The KitchenAid stand mixer is well known for its basic purpose – mixing and blending. But the multitude of accessories and attachments available can turn your stand mixer into a multi-purpose, multi-functional, fun and handy kitchen gadget.
It can be the main feature in your kitchen, opening the door to culinary delights to be enjoyed by you, your family and your guests.
With the right attachment selections, you could be using your stand mixer daily.
When looking at the variety of attachments and accessories, be sure you choose the ones that you will use the most. You don’t want to be frustrated by a little-used item taking space in your cupboards.
