Heavy mixer with steel bowl(I heard glass bowls are the best for standalone mixers because of the temps it keeps things at & it doesn't cause a chemical reaction to foods) Has different speed control and mixing tools. I Also own a mixer that works just as wellYes its not the simplest to add ingredients to the bowl while the mixer is running, since this isn't a huge wide bowl model type.The pouring shield helps a little. The beater head can leave a little unmixed flour on the bottom but its not a huge deal breaker.I bought this a few months ago for $115 - $30 Amazon cc + FREE Shipping = $85(...)& FREE Shipping!