Kenwood Chef XL Titanium review

Star rating: 5/5

Read our round-up of the best stand mixers

There's a roaring trade in vintage Kenwoods on eBay and looking at the build quality of the Chef XL Titanium, you can understand why these machines have such longevity. This is a beast – and we mean that in a good way. Everything about it is foodie-friendly, which is just as well as it’s a big investment.

It has the most powerful motor of any of the stand mixers we tested, so if you are a ‘four fairy cakes’ kind of baker, this could be an unnecessary buy. If you make daily bread, love a batch cook or make lots of large cakes at one time, then it’s a winner.

It has that distinctive, boxy Kenwood style that echoes the original machines and looked really classy in the kitchen. We appreciated the clever touches, such as a touch sensitive switch on top which shone a light directly into the bowl, which made checking the mixture easy.

Placing a flap on the fully enclosed, removable guard ensured every trace of icing sugar stayed in the bowl when making buttercream with the signature K beater attachment.

Every switch and control is well-made – increasing the speed of the power mechanism feels like turning up the volume on a radio, and being able to turn the beater clockwise for a quick burst is great for adding nuts or choc chips to cookie dough, for example.

The spring-loaded tilt of the machine head is beautifully weighted and has a subtle bounce to it; much better than banging the mechanism shut.

Even a couple of egg whites, though a little lost in its giant bowl, were whisked to perfection quickly, proving that the fit of the whisk attachment was snug.

This Kenwood stand mixer has two outputs for separately available attachments, and there are some great accessories to choose from. The high-speed port on top can take a juice extractor or blender (there’s a variety available for hot soups and sauces to cold smoothies and shakes). On the front of the machine, plug in a pasta roller or device to make purées, or you can make ice cream with a chillable bowl. Impressive.

Kenwood Chef XL Titanium specifications
Speeds: ten, plus min and max
Watts: 1700W
Attachments included: balloon whisk, flat beater, dough hook
Bowl capacity: 6.7-litre
Splash guard: yes
Model number: KVL8300S

Read our round-up of the best stand mixers

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This review was last updated in August 2020. If you have any questions, suggestions for future reviews or spot anything that has changed in price or availability please get in touch at goodfoodwebsite@immediate.co.uk.