My New KitchenAid Stand Mixer Story - Enchanting 100 Year Anniversary Misty Blue Mixer

One of the most hard working small kitchen appliances is absolutely the iconic, enduring KitchenAid stand mixer. Beloved by home cooks and professional chefs since it was introduced over 100 years ago, it was only a matter of time before I got my hands on a new KitchenAid mixer. I mean, I create and write about my own recipes, among other things. It was always on my list of must-have small kitchen appliances. 

Actually, the mixer I have is not just any stand mixer but the limited edition KitchenAid Heritage Artisan 100 Anniversary Stand Mixer in an enchanting pale misty blue! It is the whole reason I’m writing this!

Like many of you, there is a story—how, when, where, all the details—behind my first new KitchenAid mixer. This is that very story. (Also, I wanted to share pretty photos, of course!)

Why a KitchenAid Stand Mixer

When I began my blog, I had a vision for content pillars I would write about. Home decorating, interior design, home cleaning and organizing, and generational recipes were all I wanted to talk about.

For recipes, I knew I would eventually have to purchase the kitchen workhorse: a KitchenAid stand mixer. Honestly, I couldn’t wait! In fact, my chocolate chip brownie recipe, banana bread recipe and homemade whipped cream can all be made using a stand mixer.

Towards the end of 2020, I researched what model and color KitchenAid I may want.

I’m not sure where I read about it first, but when I saw pictures of the limited edition 100 Year Anniversary KitchenAid Heritage Artisan Series Model K 5 Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer (what a LONG name!) in all its soft, pale misty blue glory, I immediately knew it was perfect! It’s squarely in my color palette, and I was hoping it could be mine.

I kept it on my wish list to purchase some day in the future. Unfortunately, I didn’t know at the time that it was limited edition and sold out everywhere. At that point I figured it was not meant to be.

How I Got the KitchenAid 100 Year Anniversary Stand Mixer

A couple years went by and I started making more complicated recipes. I knew it was time to get serious about buying a stand mixer.

BUT I still dreamed of that pretty misty blue mixer.

Getting my hands on a limited edition KitchenAid mixer would have to be a second-hand purchase from eBay, Poshmark, a garage or estate sale, KitchenAid’s refurbished program, or similar places.

A Facebook Marketplace Find of the Century

One day, while searching Facebook Marketplace, I recalled a YouTuber talking about how she routinely checked her parent's home state for furniture she wanted. It enabled her to expand the search area to get what she wanted. I decided to try that search strategy myself by changing the location to places where our family members live.

Lo and behold the limited edition mixer I had been searching for was available within a couple hours drive from my parent's house!

It took no convincing for my brother and his girlfriend to take a road trip to pick it up for us. The timing could not have been better either, since we were visiting in just a few weeks for my sister’s wedding!

This time it was meant to be.

Originally, I was going to ship it to our home. Then I had a hair-brained idea we could check-it and take it on the plane. Could it work? Yes! We were able to pack it very well and bring it back with us!

I know it’s just a material object, but I was anxious thinking about the state of the mixer the whole flight. In the end, it all worked out. That very night we arrived home I marveled at it, albeit sleepy-eyed, sitting on our countertop.

Why I Chose the Misty Blue KitchenAid Stand Mixer

From Martha Stewart’s “Martha Blue” mixer to Ina Garten’s classic white mixer and Julia Child’s cobalt blue mixer, choosing a KitchenAid mixer color is such a personal decision, isn’t it? 

I’m sure the psychology of color theory is strong around what color mixer one ultimately chooses to bring home. Then again, neutral colors, such as white, almond, black, and silver, are probably quite popular.

My husband likes to tell me I am a master at finding things that are (or almost are) unobtainium. (Yes, unobtainium is a real word primarily used in engineering practices.)

Once I learned the limited edition KitchenAid stand mixer was quite possibly unobtainium, I tried to find what I thought was the next best color for me.

I considered a few other colors. The Feather Pink KitchenAid, Almond Cream KitchenAid, and Blue Velvet KitchenAid are all very beautiful in their own ways. For a short time, Williams-Sonoma's exclusive Blossom KitchenAid was the front runner due to the pale sage green color. (It also helped immensely that the trim band matched the mixer.)

In my heart of hearts I really only wanted that particular stand mixer.

I chose the misty blue KitchenAid stand mixer for a number of reasons, including:

• The misty blue color is a pale blue-green-gray that is absolutely enchanting and fits perfectly into my aesthetic and color palette, as you can see from other posts.
• A white hobnail mixer bowl came with a select number of the limited edition mixer, until KitchenAid released it on its own for a limited time. The mixer I bought had the white stainless steel bowl. I have since purchased the white textured ceramic bowl, a slightly more transitional style to hobnail that I hope to eventually find second-hand.
• Knobs, levers, the band trim, stainless steel bowl, and even the screws are all white, as opposed to the standard stainless steel, giving this particular mixer a much softer look.

Some things are worth the wait to find exactly what you are looking for. For me, this was one of those things.

I can’t wait to share recipes (and MANY pretty pictures) that call for using a powerful stand mixer. Until then, it sits enchantingly on my counter in its calming pale blue hue.