Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We have owned and used this Cuisinart mixer often during the last 4 months, but have become so aggravated with it that we will not use it again. The problem is that rather than having a "slow start" feature, it instead has just the opposite -- an annoying "fast start". The "slow start", which Cuisinart's older models (no longer sold) actually implemented very well, is supposed to let you begin mixing without your ingredients being thrown out of the bowl. However, this model (HM-90S) does exactly the opposite -- when you turn it on it instantly surges to a fast speed, and then slows down to speed #1 as you marvel at the mess that it has made of your kitchen. Others have pointed out that you can avoid this problem if you turn it on before you put the beaters in the bowl. However, our frequent use has revealed the true source of the problem: It appears that Cuisinart has implemented a "cruise control" feature, attempting to keep the beaters spinning at the currently selected speed regardless of the load on the mixer. The consistent behavior of this mixer is that if the actual speed of the beaters is ever below the currently selected speed, the mixer automatically tries to compensate by strongly surging the beaters to try and catch up. This is why it surges when initially turned on. As well, the mixer will similarly surge (and surge again) throughout the mixing process if you attempt to mix anything that is unevenly thick (like mixing something thinner into something thicker) -- the mixer will instantly surge and throw your ingredients out of the bowl. While the mixer certainly has a strong motor, and the attachments and storage case are nice, its behavior is so aggravating that it is useless. To see the supposed "slow start" feature for yourself (and to prove that our unit is not defective), watch the video on the product page here on Amazon for this mixer. The woman from Cuisinart demonstrating the mixer has the nerve to brag that it has a "smooth start" feature, as she turns the mixer on at it instantly surges to the fast speed and then slows down to speed #1.