What a thoughtful person you are! Your mother will certainly appreciate your kindness and generosity!

Both KitchenAid mixers that you've selected have 10 speeds and fairly powerful 325-watt motors, so your choice between these two will probably be based on other pros and cons.

The 90th Anniversary Limited Edition mixer (#1) is all metal, with an extra factory paint coating unlike other KitchenAid mixers. This can be very useful since these mixers can last for decades and can be passed down to future generations. Unlike the Artisan Custom Metallic mixer (#2), it has a glass bowl instead of a metal one. A glass bowl is essential to beating egg whites into a good meringue!

While this glass bowl might be a bit heavier to lift than the metal bowl that comes with mixer #2, there's a price difference of $81.30 between these two mixers since mixer #2 is more expensive. If you go with #2, the brushed nickel would be a better choice since, unlike the chrome, it won't show fingerprints, etc.; however, for this price difference, you could buy your mom a metal mixing bowl for $42.95 and still come out ahead. You could even buy her a cover for her mixer with this savings!

For $101.95, you could actually buy a group of attachments for her new mixer which she'd probably find very useful. That savings of $81.30 between the two mixers you're considering could go a long way towards these attachments!

I personally like the candy apple red color of #1 especially if your mom has a more monochromatic (greyish and white) kitchen. Plus, the fact that this is a Limited Edition in celebration of the KitchenAid 90th Anniversary makes it even more unique!

I think it's great that you're buying this gift for your mother. You and she must be very special!

I truly hope this is helpful! All the best to you and your mom!

P.S. 3/15/10 - I just noticed at http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KP26M1XNP-Professional-6-Quart-Nickel/dp/B0002Y5X9W/ref=pd_sim_k_2 that Amazon.com is selling a KitchenAid Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Stand Mixer in a Nickel Pearl (gray) color for $375.19 which includes free shipping. I have this professional-grade mixer and I absolutely love it! It has an extremely powerful 575-watt motor (much stronger than the 325-watt motors of the two mixers you're currently considering), plus a 6-quart stainless steel bowl instead of the 5-quart bowls in your first two choices. This mixer also includes many more free accessories. If your mother will be using her mixer to kneed bread dough, this professional mixer is the best work horse! The other two have tilt-back heads to get at or inside the bowls and this one has a crank which lifts the head up and makes it easier to get into the bowl with a spatula, etc. I don't want to complicate things for you or make your selection more difficult, but I *did* want to let you know about this excellent option -- just in case! You really can't go wrong with *any* KitchenAid mixer. They're all great! All the best!
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