Is it me?  Or has the quality of EVERYTHING gone so far downhill that anything you purchase is destined for the dumpster pile in a few years?  Where is the quality of old?  Is our society so consumer conscious that the manufacturers purposely design things to NOT last?

Lets see, my “top of the line” front loading washer and matching dryer died, repeatedly, after a year, finally retired them after 4 years.  My fridge, bought at the same time as the washer/dryer combo, died in about 6 years.  My 5 burner gas cooktop…. exploded!  twice!  retired that after  7 years of use.  My ovens are on their way out, 8 years old…. you get the picture.  I won’t even mention the number of vacuums I’ve burned out, yes, even Shop Vac’s.  Anyway, I digress.

My highly used, and much loved, Kitchenaid mixer has broken, again.  I have broken 3, yes 3, of the 6 quart pro-line models.  We make all of our own bread, pizza dough, cookies, cakes, anything you want to put in a mixer… we do it!

My dilemma and decision now… do I get another, bigger Kitchenaid (which makes me happy when I see it on my counter), do I go with an Electrolux, which is rated awesome for making bread dough, and is VERY different from what I’m used to.  Do I try to find a decent used Hobart 12 or 20 quart that doesn’t cost me my first born…..

You see, when funds are limited, you want to make the best purchase possible, you want something to last, you want to love it!   I’m not so sure there is a product that will last anymore, hence…. what do you want to throw your money away on for a few years?

So… I’m obsessing!

To Kitchenaids credit, when I called to ask about the new bigger machines and I told them how I’d broken 3 of the 600 series, they offered me 20% off one of the bigger ones.  Which brings it about to what Amazon charges, but will include a 5 year warranty vs the 1 year.  Tempting….

For now… my dad found, at the dump!, an older Kitchenaid 5 quart, …….he’s letting me borrow it :).

p.s. my old KA 4 1/2 q is still going strong, passed it on to my daughter 10 years ago.