KitchenAid 5-Quart Tilt-Head Stand Mixer, Boysenberry

Kitchenaid has definitely cut corners recently. They are sadly not what they were for many years. I had to scrub the Stainless Steel bowl literally ten times with baking soda and lemon, then finally Barkeeper's Friend three times before all the silver residue came out of the new bowl, and i still wonder what i will be consuming. The bowls are now made in India and I assume a final acid wash is now not being used. Also, the mixer had lubricant/oil all over the mixer and safety stickers placed crooked. It was a PROJECT just to be ready to use it. Why they would put their customers through this is beyond me. Seems like a great way to kill a successful company. Also, the spring that used to be on the spindle thingy is now gone. The paddle moves around more than it used to. I bought one in 2005 and it was a completely different experience. I was stupid to sell that one, but I got into different color schemes for my kitchen and got rid of it. My conclusion is that unless you're ready to work for your mixer to be ready to use, it may serve you to try a different brand. If the cool attachments that Kitchenaid offers for this mixer is worth it to you, then, by all means, get one but be ready to sweat for it. This is yet another American company cutting corners yet charging the same and riding on reputation alone. This saddens me. Attached are pictures of the bowl being cleaned. The powder in the photos is baking soda that I repeatedly used to get the gunk out of it. Barkeeper's Friend would be a better cleaning option I believe. Good Luck!