We have an appliance lift for our KA Mixer, we really like it especially at our ages, (Late 60's and I just turned 70).
I do not think our mixer is bolted to the stand it works just fine, but I will double check it for you. We still have plenty of area to store other things in the area where the KA and lift hide away.

We don't use the mixer that much, and don't want it sitting on our counter tops so this worked out great for us, I hope it does for you too!

Gary

Do you have the Rev a Shelf or the Knape & Vogt? Or another one?

I used to have an appliance lift in my old kitchen, and I used it for my sewing machine. It was not bolted down. I chose not to keep the appliance lift in the remodel because I needed the space, and my mixer isn't that heavy - I moved the sewing machine to another room. If you have enough cabs and a heavy mixer, however, it is a really cool thing.

I just noticed that both brands I mentioned have the lifts installed in cabinets without a drawer. I wonder how it works in a cabinet with a drawer as I don't want to lose that. I can lift the mixer a few inches, it's the bending and lifting that gets to me.

I am planning on putting one in with our kitchen remodel. Opinions on here seem to be mixed with the most common reason against it being that it takes up an entire cabinet and many will leave their KA mixer on the countertop. Some put theirs away in a cabinet and just lift each time they use it.

It does not need to be bolted down to the shelf. Some say that they use it on the shelf, while others will place it on the countertop. I plan on placing it on the countertop when I use it because I would rather wipe the counter when I'm done as opposed to the floor.

Of the people who responded when I posted about it a while back, they all seemed to have the Rev-a-shelf and didn't really know about the Knape & Vogt. It seemed like they didn't really explore what options may be out there for different appliance lifts and just went with what their kitchen designer got. RAS stuff seems to be more readily available, so I would assume that's why the installers went that route. I thought that the K&V would be nice because of the gas cylinder assist...should make it smoother and easier to use, I think.

This is from the Pullsdirect.com website q&a on the RAS:
Can the Rev-a-shelf mixer lift be installed in a cabinet with a drawer?
A. The Rev-A-Shelf Mixer lifter allows 4-3/8 inch clearance space at from its lowest point of the lift to the bottom of the cabinet, on a standard 36" tall finished cabinet. You can use a drawer in the same cabinet as the mixer as long as it doesn't interfere with the swing of the arm.

Honestly, I find that slightly confusing. It seems like they are talking about a drawer inside the cabinet rather than a drawer over the door for where the lift resides. I plan on NOT having a drawer at the top of that cabinet and hope to have a shallow roll-out underneath to keep a few things.

Here is a link that might be useful: Rev-a-shelf appliance lift from Pullsdirect.com

I have the Rev-a=Shelf and I love it...find it very convenient. For standard installation, which brings the mixer platform up to be level with the countertop, you can not have a top drawer in the cabinet and you can only have a shallow drawer inside the cabinet, beneath the platform when it is in storage mode.

It MAY be possible to install the mechanism lower than usual...essentially as far to the bottom as it goes...and allow you to have a drawer at the top. This would necessarily mean, however, that the platform doesn't come up as high as the counter. If you are truly planning the then lift the mixer off the platform onto the counter this might be OK. But a big part of the convenience (at least for me) is not having to lift/move it at all. I use it right on the platform. And I have one of those big old 6 quart Kitchenaids that lifts the bowl up. It's a heavy sucker and it stays put on the platform just fine.

If you do choose to try to install it lower, be sure to measure exactly (and be prepared to return the mechanism if it doesn't work.)

Thanks for the link andreak. It looks like it will work with a normal depth cabinet drawer and I'm willing to give it a try. My back just kills me when I lift from the floor and I don't want my mixer out all the time. I like empty counters.

melissastar, one of the complaints I read on Amazon (where I found the best price btw) was that the shelf wasn't steady when the mixer was used on it. Have you found that to be true also?

Thanks everyone, I ordered the Rev a Shelf.

If I had more counter space I would prefer to leave my stand mixer out. Since I don't, I have the appliance lift. Next best alternative.

My mixer doesn't budge, but it is a heavy Viking mixer with a deep bowl.

hi marti8a, i have the ras mixer lift and a 5 qt kitchenaid mixer. i found it to be very useful and plan to get another mixer lift in my new kitchen. i might look at a different brand, just to see if there is something better out there. i think there are only 3 brands for mixer lifts out the knape and vogt, the hafele and RAS. the RAS is the best priced and it definitely is good enough, so i am likely to go back to RAS if i cannot find a good deal on the other brands to try.
a few cons i found about the RAS is that the lift operation is not very smooth. there is a loud click sound every time i pull it up. also installation was really tough for me and DH (but i think it is because we installed it after counters were in and my mixer cabinet is on the narrow side at 15". a wider cabinet will be much easier for installation if you DIY. my next mixer cab, i would do minimum 18 to 20".
there is a little bit of room underneath my lift to put the mixer attachments and couple of small stacked mixing bowls, but not much else. i think that there would enough room on top to install a shallow pullout drawer too (my cabs are frameless). I use the mixer on the shelf itself. I haven't had that many spills on the floor, but flour does get around the mixer on the shelf. also the mixer does wobble slightly when in use, but not enough to be scary.

Hi,

Has anyone used this for an older Simac ice cream maker? I know the unit weighs under 60 lbs. I don't mind my mixer on the counter, however the ice cream maker is so much larger and heavier I would like it hidden in a cabinet.

Marti8a: I haven't had any issues with my shelf wobbling more than slightly and none with my mixer moving. I had always thought that if it did move a bit, a piece of that "grabby" kind of rubbery shelf paper under the mixer would prevent it.

My mixer is installed so that I have a small pull-out drawer inside the cab underneath it. It's large enough for me to store parchment paper, silicone mats, attachments, possibly even some loaf pans.

Like melissastar, I had a pullout on the floor of the cab under the appliance lift.

Mjocean--I have an old Simac 'gelato' machine. No way would I ever put it on a mixer lift. I'm not sure the lifts are rated for that kind of weight. Plus, the lift shelf isn't large enough to hold a Simac. Well, at least my old model. I love, love the Simac even though it's a major pita to store and lift to the counter. In fact, DS and I are making roasted plum and ginger ice cream today, and I'm dreading moving the Simac into the house from the garage once the ice cream base is chilled.

Breezygirl,
Thank you for your knowledgeable response. My Simac is also an old gelato machine that we love! Yes, it is heavy and difficult to move, but worth it. The roasted plum and ginger ice cream sounds yummy, enjoy.

Has anyone used their appl lift to put away a toaster oven? I don't have room for an appliance garage, but I'm thinking of putting the appliance lift in the end base cabinet in the island. I'm thinking I can lift up the toaster and plug it into the outlets at the end of the island. Then I can put the lift back down when the toaster is cool. Thoughts?

For those of you with the Rev A Shelf lift:

How much wider is the cabinet (where the side brackets attach) than the shelf? I'm wondering how wide I need to make my cabinet to accommodate a 16" wide shelf.

Chiming in here with one other thought-we keep our mixer out, but have 30" countertops in the area, so still have plenty of countertop space.

30" countertops. That is an interesting idea. We went with wider upper cabinets to accommodate full size plates but didn't think of extending counter cabinets. Not sure I would but it is an interesting idea if you don't have an island

Could one of these lifts be installed in a cabinet with 20" height? I have a drawer below the opening...

I am repurposing a lower 36" cabinet that I had a shelf taken out of, and a vertical divider wall placed into it thereby making it a set of singular cabinets inside. It still has two smaller drawers at the top. I didn't have the divider wall go all the way to the drawers (obviously) as the outlet I want to use is on the opposite side of the divider wall of the side I want to put the mixer lift on (of course). I plan on laying the cord over the divider wall into the other cabinet compartment to plug it in. My concern here is the two drawers on top. I own a 28 lb KA mixer (empty), although it's 17 years old it's massive, the 6qt pro series. and the head does not tilt back (which I hate but that's a story for another day). I think I'm going with the RAS soft close heavy duty but I am concerned about what type of shelf to have made. I think a butcher block is what I'm going to have to do. I grew up with a mixer lift and my Mom always had granite/quartz blocks to match but I think here it'll be too heavy. Anyone have success with butcher blocks? Under the drawer mounting with a monster KA mixer they don't move? TIA.

Regarding the shelf, I am putting a full-width shelf in a cabinet with a 24-inch opening. I went yesterday to a place that makes custom molding and commissioned a slab of maple 20 x 22 3/4 (opening width - 1 1/4 inch as specified in instructions), and 1 1/2 inch thick. Cost is $105, and I do the staining.

I don't have it in hand yet, but that might be the kind of place to start with your search.

I'm hoping to use it for my KitchenAid tilt-head, and my Vitamix (caraffe off the base). I'm pretty sure the whole thing will come in under the 60-lb weight limit.

Question: Does anyone have their stand mixer attached/bolted/screwed to the RAS? I would hate to see my new KA mixer end up on our brand new floor!

I installed the Rev a Shelf unit, set the spring tension to 60#, and it provides NO ASSIST.

@James Van Doren How can it provide no assist? You mean when you lift it, you lift the entire weight of the mixer + shelf?