KitchenAid

I busted my 23 year-old Kenwood Major mixer months ago when I absent-mindedly used the K-beater to knead a large quantity of dough. My Kenwood mixer is the second hardest-working work horse in my kitchen--the first being Vero, my wonderful helper for 16 years-- and I love it (to death, as it turns out). The mixer is so durable (23 years!) that the three (yes, three) times it fell off my kitchen counter, it continued running while lying sideways. What was equally amazing was that the plastic parts only got slightly dented, not cracked. In 23 years, it only required 2 repairs, once when the belt burnt and the other when it didn't run.  My only complaint is that the mixer moves when it works hard; I needed to stand near it to stop it from falling. I'm told that KitchenAid mixers are all-metal and too heavy to move. They (KitchenAid mixers) are also less noisy.

I will get my mixer repaired when I find the technician who can do it but I seriously need another mixer pronto.A friend insists that her friend who has both KitchenAid and Kenwood mixers prefers the Kenwood while another lady who has a KitchenAid, a Kenwood and a Spar mixer from Taiwan swears by the Spar mixer. I checked out the Spar mixer and it was as big as an oven and quite ugly. I think if I bake commercially that would be a good one to buy. I am thoroughly confused.  But I am victim to the KitchenAid ad onslaught--every celebrity chef is using a KitchenAid mixer--so I think I'll go with a KitchenAid.

But which model should I buy? The Artisan is too small for my baking. It looks like the equivalent of the Kenwood Chef. I had upgraded from a (borrowed) Chef to the Major and the latter does a much faster and better job because it's much more powerful. That's why I always advice new bakers to get the Major rather than upgrade later. I am also told that the professional series of KitchenAid mixers do not have a tilt-back head. Rather, the bowl is a lift-up type which is, I'm told, not as convenient. Or is it?

KitchenAid mixers are ridiculously expensive outside of the US. The Artisan mixer is only around USD270 in the US but in Malaysia it is around RM2400 (USD800). I can get one from the US but the voltage is different--is that a problem or is it easy to convert?

Any advice? 1) Which model and price? 2) Where to get KitchenAid in KL or Singapore 3) Adapting the voltage if I get one direct from the States.