A:AnswerInk blue is a deep, dark purplish blue. Very pretty.
Usually this mixer is more costly than the Artisan tilt heads. The bowl lift mixers have a stronger motor than the tilt heads. They supposedly can handle thicker mixtures.
A:AnswerALL YOU DO IS ROTATE THE HANDLE IN THE BACKTO RAISE THE BOWL. YOU TURN TIL IT STOPS !/2 ROTATION
I STOP THE MIXER & LOWER THE BOWL TO SCRAPE THE SIDES OR ADD INGREDIENTS
A:AnswerMine came brand new in the sealed factory carton. That was my concern as well. It's brand spanking new. It's much better than a tilt head model. (That's my subjective opinion.)
A:AnswerThe cranking noise might be a quality control issue with some looser than others. I exchanged my first and replacement was actually clanking louder - sounded broken. Thinking about a different brand now.
A:AnswerHi Jay, Yes, the KitchenAid Metal Food Grinder Attachment works with the front power hub of any KitchenAid Stand Mixer, and will work with the 5.5 Qt Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer.