I had a very high opinion of Kitchenaid and this purchase was a HUGE disappointment. Yes, it has a very powerful motor and is a heavy machine, so it doesn't move arount the working bench. BUT, the plastic bowl is of a very poor quality. It started cracking just three months after I bought it, they replaced it under guarantee and has cracked again in several places, eventhough I stoped washing it in the dishwasher (I thought that caused the problem, but obviously not!) The top is so badly designed, that food can be trapped in and is very difficult to remove it. And the latest problem is that I used it to grind hard cheese and the disc base is stuck and cannot remove it. I contacted Kitchenaid U.S.A. and they haven't reply, 6 months now !! Total waist of money. What a shame.