Kitchen & Dining

KitchenAid KHM512 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer

Name: KitchenAid KHM512 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer
Rating: 8.7 (1 reviews)

Hand Mixers

The KitchenAid KHM512 is a 5-speed Ultra Power hand mixer with Soft Start technology, a powerful motor for stiff doughs, and the build quality KitchenAid is known for. Available on Amazon.ca (ASIN B00005UP2P) at around $89 CAD.

ClearPick Score

8.7 / 10

Very Good

Power

9.0

Speed Control

8.5

Durability

9.5

Attachments

8.5

Value

8.5

Full Specs

Motor	Ultra Power motor — peak power at the beater
Speeds	5 speeds with Soft Start feature
Attachments	Turbo Beater II Accessories + 5-wire whisk
Ejection	One-touch accessory ejection button
Handle	Ergonomic soft-grip handle
Cord	5-ft swivel cord
Weight	2.1 lbs (light for hand mixing)

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🏆 Hand Mixers

KitchenAid KHM512 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer

~$89 CAD est. on Amazon.ca

View on Amazon.ca → Opens Amazon.ca · Affiliate link

✅ Ships to Canada

✅ Prime eligible (most orders)

✅ 30-day Amazon returns

✅ No extra cost to you

✅ What Works

The Soft Start feature ramps up speed gradually instead of throwing flour everywhere at startup — a small detail that matters enormously in practice. Every other recipe that calls for hand mixing assumes this level of control, and KitchenAid delivers it without fuss.
At 2.1 lbs, the KHM512 is light enough for 10-minute creaming sessions without wrist fatigue. Heavier hand mixers become genuinely uncomfortable to use for extended baking tasks; this one doesn't. The soft-grip handle also helps with control during precise mixing.
The Ultra Power motor handles stiff dough — thick cookie dough, cream cheese frosting, dense muffin batter — without straining or overheating. Budget hand mixers bog down on anything thicker than cake batter; this model handles the full range of home baking tasks.
Build quality is exceptional for the price tier. KitchenAid has manufactured hand mixers for decades, and the KHM512 inherits that durability: owners commonly report using the same unit for 10+ years with no performance degradation. It's a genuine buy-once-and-keep appliance.

⚠️ Worth Knowing

Five speeds is fewer than some competitors which offer 7 or 9. For most home baking the five speeds cover everything needed, but bakers who want very fine speed gradation — particularly for meringue work — may prefer a model with more steps.
The included beaters and whisk are Turbo Beater II design with a center post. Some recipes and certain mixing bowls (particularly those with a center bump) can interfere with the beater pattern. The beaters are also not compatible with some older KitchenAid attachments.
The mixer doesn't stand on its own — it lays on its side when resting. There's no kickstand to prop it upright with beaters in the bowl while you add ingredients, which some competing models offer. It's a minor nuisance but worth knowing before buying.
The cord exits from the back of the mixer head rather than the side, which means the cord can trail into your mixing bowl if you're not careful about bowl placement. A small operational annoyance that becomes habit to manage after a few uses.

What Real Buyers Are Saying

What buyers love

"I've had this exact mixer for 11 years. Not a single issue. I'll buy another KitchenAid when this one finally dies — which doesn't seem to be any time soon."
Source: Amazon reviewer

"The Soft Start is the feature I didn't know I needed until I used it. No more flour cloud when I turn it on. Game changer for messy recipes."
Source: Amazon reviewer

"Light enough to actually hold for 10 minutes of mixing. My old heavy hand mixer made my wrist hurt. This one is genuinely comfortable."
Source: Reddit

"Handles thick cookie dough without straining. Cheaper mixers I've had would smell like burning when I pushed them — this just runs."
Source: Amazon reviewer

Common complaints

Only 5 speeds — wish there were more…

For meringue work I wanted more fine-grained control between low and medium. Five speeds is fine for everyday baking but I'd pay a bit more for 9.

Source: Amazon reviewer

Doesn't stand on its own…

There's no kickstand so you can't set it down upright in the bowl while adding ingredients. Have to set it on the counter every time. Small thing but annoying.

Source: Reddit

Cord gets in the way…

The cord exits from the back and consistently trails over the bowl. I have to position the bowl carefully every time to avoid the cord dipping in.

Source: Amazon reviewer

Beaters don't fit my older KitchenAid attachments…

I thought the beaters would be compatible with my old hand mixer attachments. They're not — the Turbo Beater II design is different. Had to buy new ones.

Source: Amazon reviewer

ClearPick Verdict

The KitchenAid KHM512 is the best everyday hand mixer for Canadian home bakers who want reliability and power without paying stand-mixer prices. Soft Start, a powerful motor that handles stiff dough, and KitchenAid's decades-proven build quality make it the default recommendation in its category. The five-speed range and no-kickstand design are real (if minor) limitations, but for the standard home baking repertoire, this mixer handles everything without complaint.

KitchenAid KHM512 5-Speed Ultra Power Hand Mixer

✅ What Works

⚠️ Worth Knowing

What Real Buyers Are Saying

What buyers love

Common complaints

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