[HAL9000]

Get the factory refurbished one.

[patton]

Makes a fairly decent aiplane... (Cessna Mixmaster)....LOL

[Wally_Kalbacken]

Dual over and under disgronifying turbo frappe attachment. it's a must!

[acapesket]

freepmail Snugs.. she had a whole blog on yesterday's Sunday Talk Show thread of a cooking student who is knowledgable regarding these appliances!
I can barely get my family to eat my offerings but itvwas fascinating all the same! Around 300 in the thread.

[mom4kittys]

another project for the freeper kitchen!

[TaxRelief]

Seriously?

The grinder is the attachment I use more than the mixer.

[Larry Lucido]

Depends how happy you wanna make her. :-)

[martin_fierro]

Girlfriend is a budding pastry chef

Dump her. She's too kneady.

[Izzy Dunne]

The automatica margarita attachment would be a good thought.

[LongElegantLegs]

Get her the KitchenAid Artisan, it's worth the extra cash.
At the bare minimum, she'll need the whisk, the flat beater, and the dough hook.

Trust me, you're doing the right thing. I got one for Christmas last year, and it's worth the price. Plus it comes with a nifty little cookbook. Demand the cinnamon rolls!
Oh, and get her a baking stone, too. They're like $20, and really improve the taste of everything, from pizza crusts to cookies.

[July 4th]

Get the juicer. It's one of the cheaper attachments and it works well.

[Revolting cat!]

[wouldntbprudent]

I have the one pictured and it is a beauty. That said, if I were you, I wouldn't even TRY to go near choosing a color. There is no explaining color.

As for attachments, just go with what comes with it. After GF uses it a couple of times, she'll know what else she wants (if anything).

That said, why don't you go buy a pretty mixing bowl, some wooden spoons and spatulas, maybe some decorating gadgets, and guss it all up real nice with a gift card for the Kitchenaid inside. Or some kind of cool cake pan---you get the idea.

[paulat]

Don't talk to anyone but Carlo3b....he is our resident chef

[mcmuffin]

what attachments should I buy with the thing

Any attachment EXCEPT the meatgrinder!

p.s. My wife received one for Christmas last year (wine color) and she loves it!

[blogblogginaway]

The most important attachment is a strong man to lift the damn thing up when you need it! No kidding. I can barely lift mine it is so heavy.

[Xenalyte]

Hint #1: a Mixmaster is gonna cost ya.

Hint #2: pastry chefs are insane. (There's a reason all pastry chefs are girls.) Run. Do not walk. Do not let her know where you sleep or park your car.

[Mamzelle]

It has horsepower. That should appeal to a guy. This is one of the few mixers which will whip up Royal Icing--and it has a cool way of rotating. What does "Huscvarna" mean to you?

If your girlfriend is a cake decorator, you might consider and upgrade to the bigger KitchenAid model, but I've had both and prefer the smaller.

I don't really care for most of the attachments. I have a food processor that handles many of the functions they advertise. Grinding meat? Well, do you hunt deer? Might be nice to have that one. Unless there is a specific function, I'd steer clear of the attachments. Unless you think they're cool?

What is VERY NICE to have is an extra mixing bowl! Especially for a person who bakes, this means she doesn't have to stop and wash the bowl and can really cook.

[mdittmar]

Buy the whipped attachment,wait,I mean,I meant whipping attachment,sorry;)

[ican'tbelieveit]

I was going to recommend the Kenmore mixer I got the kids a couple of years ago, but they are no longer making it. It used all of the Kitchen-aid attachments.

I would get the pasta maker. And this: http://www.kitchenaid.com/catalog/product.jsp?src=Stand+Mixer+Accessories&cat=158&prod=605