Viking 5 Quart Stand Mixer, Black

    Don't buy Viking! Viking won't refund purchase - I bought the 7qt Viking mixer. It looks beautiful, and if you're whipping egg whites or some less strenuous material, and don't mind the noisy gear train, this mixer would work. But I'm making sourdough breads, and even though Viking advertises it will mix 5 lbs flour, it shut off when I only had < 2.2 lbs in it. The breadhook is a bad design, in that the dough rode up the shaft, forcing me to shut off the machine several times to pull the dough off. I measured the dB noise level, and at 3' away it's 84 dB......you'll have to yell to have a conversation while using this machine. Lastly, I called to return it a day after I used it, and Viking rep said to run the machine, and the gears will quiet down......they didn't. Now, for the best part. Viking won't provide refunds, even if the mixer is substandard, and won't do what they advertise. Viking said to use 1 lb of flour........my little Kitchenaid will outperform it, and is why I wanted a bigger machine. Everythingkitchens has been very helpful and is trying to get Viking to allow an exception for a refund, so will see if they're successful. I did buy Kitchenaid's 7qt mixer and the stainless steel spiral dough hook works wonderfully, and the pulsewidth-modulated drive, and DC motor are very, quiet, and is a pleasure to use. Meanwhile, if you see a Viking for sale in the "Boat Anchor" section of Ebay...........that's my machine. :) Kevin