By Sage McHugh on November 14, 2010 in
A recently-leaked circular announced that Macy’s will offer the Sunbeam MixMaster 2594 for $59.99 on Black Friday (a $10 rebate is also applicable, bringing the total cost down to $49.99). The Sunbeam normally retails for $99.99. Target is offering an even cheaper model, the Sunbeam Mixmaster Hand/Stand Mixer (regularly $50), for only $25. At half their normal prices, these sound like amazing deals, but are these offers too good to be true?
Avoid dirt-cheap Sunbeam mixers
If you’re looking for a cheap stand mixer, don’t get tricked into rushing to either Macy’s or Target on Black Friday. We found that less expensive stand mixers like these just don’t get the job done. Reviewers agree that a single beater works better than dual beaters. Most cheap stand mixers, including the Sunbeam MixMaster series, use dual beaters, which don’t blend ingredients as thoroughly. Models with dual beaters also tend to leave food stuck on the sides of the bowl, so you'll have to scrape them manually.
We checked out user reviews for the comparable Sunbeam Mixmaster 2591 on Amazon.com (it's virtually identical to the MixMaster 2594 in functionality; the only difference is the color). Users report problems ranging from cheap construction to early breakdowns. Others complain about food getting caught in the mixing blades, erratic speed controls and inconsistent mixing. There's only one review of the MixMaster 2594 on Amazon.com, and that user notes a “major fatal flaw” in the design: The plastic cap on one of the beaters fell off, presumably during food preparation.
The Sunbeam Mixmaster Hand/Stand Mixer is appealing because it can be easily converted from a stand mixer to a hand mixer, but it also gets pretty poor reviews. Several Amazon.com users say it’s almost impossible to attach the hand mixer to the stand. What’s more, this mixer can’t handle anything beyond light-duty tasks.
Good deals on superior KitchenAid mixers
Our advice to consumers: Take a pass on the Sunbeam MixMaster models and head to Kohl’s or Sears instead. Both stores are offering deep discounts on three highly-rated KitchenAid stand mixers. Although these models cost significantly more than the one at Macy’s, when it comes to stand mixers, KitchenAid is renowned for superior performance. Not only are Kohl’s and Sears slashing their prices on KitchenAid mixers for Black Friday, they’re also giving shoppers an additional in-store discount and applying mail-in rebates to the purchases. If you’re willing to spend more for a higher quality mixer, the real deals are at Kohl’s and Sears.