Quick answer
The KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (K45SS) lists at $399.00 and publishes 5 specifications: bowl capacity 4.5 qt, published flour capacity 8 cups, speeds 10. It suits a first stand mixer for home-sized layer cakes. Every figure below is the manufacturer figure or is derived from it, never estimated.
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (K45SS)
The smallest current KitchenAid, with a published 8 cup flour capacity that covers a two layer 8 inch cake in one bowl and takes the same attachments as every other model in the line.
Best for: a first stand mixer for home-sized layer cakes
Check price on AmazonThe smallest current KitchenAid, with a published 8 cup flour capacity that covers a two layer 8 inch cake in one bowl and takes the same attachments as every other model in the line.
Below are the published specifications, then what those numbers come to once you put them through the arithmetic the rest of this site uses. Where the manufacturer publishes nothing, the table says so rather than filling the gap.
What are the KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (K45SS) specifications?
Everything the manufacturer publishes, in one table. Where a figure is not published it says so rather than carrying an estimate.
| Specification | Value |
|---|---|
| Brand | KitchenAid |
| Bowl capacity | 4.5 qt |
| Published flour capacity | 8 cups |
| Speeds | 10 |
| Head type | tilt |
| Motor | 275 W |
| Listed price | $399.00 |
What do those numbers mean for a cake?
A specification on its own is not much use. These are the same figures worked through the arithmetic the rest of this site uses, so you can see what they actually buy you.
| Figure | Value | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Usable cake batter | 10.8 cups | Derived from the published bowl capacity |
| Egg white before whipping | 7.2 cups | A meringue roughly doubles, so it needs the headroom |
| Largest single round layer it covers | 12 in round | Derived, at a two thirds fill |
How does it compare with the alternatives?
| Product | Brand | Tier | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (K45SS) (this one) | KitchenAid | Beginner | $399.00 |
| KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (KSM150PS) | KitchenAid | Intermediate | $399.99 |
| KitchenAid 5.5 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (KSM55) | KitchenAid | Intermediate | $499.99 |
| KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (KSM70SKXX) | KitchenAid | Expert | $635.00 |
| KitchenAid KSM8990 8 Quart Commercial Countertop Mixer | KitchenAid | Expert | $999.95 |
| Cuisinart 12 Speed 5.5 Quart Stand Mixer | Cuisinart | Beginner | $216.65 |
| Hamilton Beach Die-Cast Metal Classic Stand Mixer, 12 Speeds | Hamilton Beach | Beginner | $188.70 |
| Hamilton Beach 4 Quart Stand Mixer, 7 Speeds | Hamilton Beach | Beginner | $99.95 |
| Bosch Universal Plus Stand Mixer, 6.5 Quart | Nutrimill | Expert | $499.00 |
| Ankarsrum Original AKM 6230 Stand Mixer | ANKARSRUM | Expert | $1,350.00 |
Before this cake leaves the kitchen
A few things worth knowing before this cake leaves the kitchen. Cream cheese frostings and anything with whipped cream need refrigeration, and plain buttercream softens in a warm room long before it is unsafe, which is a structural problem rather than a health one. Royal icing made with raw egg white, and mousses set with raw egg, are worth swapping for pasteurised egg white or meringue powder when you are baking for children, older guests or anyone pregnant. If you are baking for other people, ask about allergies before you start rather than after, because cross contact happens at the mixing bowl and not at the table. And if you are selling rather than giving cakes away, that is governed by your state cottage food law, which varies a great deal and is worth reading once properly.
What this job actually needs
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (K45SS)
$399.00The smallest current KitchenAid, with a published 8 cup flour capacity that covers a two layer 8 inch cake in one bowl and takes the same attachments as every other model in the line.
Best for: a first stand mixer for home-sized layer cakes
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (KSM150PS)
$399.99The default decorating mixer: 10 speeds down to a stir that folds rather than throws, a 5 quart bowl rated for 9 cups of flour, and the tilt head that makes scraping a buttercream bowl quick.
Best for: the buy-once home mixer for cakes and buttercream
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
KitchenAid 5.5 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (KSM55)
$499.99A bowl-lift frame in a 5.5 quart size, which matters for meringue and Swiss buttercream because the bowl cannot rock on the hinge while the whisk is running at speed.
Best for: meringue and Swiss buttercream without stepping up to a 7 quart
Check price on AmazonAmazon prices move often, so check before you buy.
Questions people ask
- Is the KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (K45SS) worth the price?
- That depends entirely on what you are making, which is why this page gives you the figures rather than a verdict. It is built for a first stand mixer for home-sized layer cakes, and if that is not what you do then something cheaper will serve you better. Nothing here was tested in person, so treat it as specification analysis rather than a review.
- Where do these specifications come from?
- From the manufacturer listing, unchanged. Nothing on this page was measured by us and nothing was estimated to fill a gap: a specification the manufacturer does not publish is shown as not published. The derived figures in the second table are calculated from those published numbers using the same functions the calculators on this site use.
- How current is the price?
- It is the figure the Amazon catalogue returned when this page was built, and Amazon prices move constantly, sometimes several times a week. Treat it as an order of magnitude rather than a quote and check the current price before buying. Where no price is shown, the listing did not publish one at build time.
Related pages
- KitchenAid KSM8990 8 Quart Commercial Countertop Mixer: Specifications
- KitchenAid Artisan 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (KSM150PS): Specifications
- Kootek 12 in Aluminum Alloy Cake Turntable: Specifications
- KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (KSM70SKXX): Specifications
- Nordic Ware Anniversary Bundt Pan, 15 Cup: Specifications
- KitchenAid 5.5 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer (KSM55): Specifications
How this page was put together
Researched from pan geometry, published manufacturer capacities, published serving conventions and university extension guidance. Not hands-on testing, and not professional advice.
Figures are labelled as derived, published or trade convention. Where no honest figure exists, the page says so rather than filling the gap.