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stand up mixers

post #1 of 9
1/31/08 at 5:10pm
Thread Starter 
So my stand-up mixer is close to my God. I am really thinking about getting a new one and thinking about the Kitchen-aid Professional series, but that is only because I am not familiar with stand-up mixers of other varieties. Could anyone share his/her opinion on this and what is a good one to go for?

--Kate
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post #2 of 9
1/31/08 at 5:23pm
I use a Pro 600, and have nothing but good to say about it. I've used in hard (bread about twice weekly plus other chores) since buying it about 16 months ago and it just keeps going, and going, and....
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post #3 of 9
1/31/08 at 5:58pm
I have used and recommended Kitchen-Aid for years, but I just purchased a Bosch Universal Plus and absolutely love it.

The main selling point for me was the fact that the drive unit is in the base so the complete area above the mixing bowl is unobstructed.

I've only had the Bosch for two months so I can't speak to the longevity of the machine, but I sure am glad I got it. It is an absolute pleasure to use, especially for bread and pastry.
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post #4 of 9
2/2/08 at 2:46am
i'd buy a kitcken aid for my home. hobart parts are easy to find. i've had good relations with their customer service.
haven't used anything but, though...
make sure you buy the 1.5 quart (i think)... the one where the bowl lifts up to the mixer, not the one where the top dumps down into the bowl of the mixer. The bigger one is more appropriate for bread dough and attachments. You'll want the extra power at some point...
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post #5 of 9
2/2/08 at 6:58am
Bbay, the bowl-lift Kitchen Aids come in 5-quart and 6-quart versions. And if I recall correctly, the smallest one they make is a 4-quart model.

I can't imagine any stand mixer running only 1.5 quarts. Anything you can do in that could be done with I hand mixer, I reckon.

The whole reason I went with a professional model was for the bowl-lift mechanism. I have a great antipathy towards tilt-head models. Was originally going with the Pro 5, but got such a deal on the 600 that it would have been silly to have not bought it.
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post #6 of 9
2/2/08 at 7:49am
Y'know KY Heirloomer just yesterday my old KA Pro series 5 qt died on me. The thing was over 15 yrs old and had traveled the world with me(even had a 220 volt conversion pack for it in S'pore) I use it daily and I use it hard, and since I use it professionaly, I needed to repalce it -FAST

My first and obvious choice was the same model, as I had "collected" a second bowl for it as well as other attachments, so off I trotted to get a new one. The pro series 5 qt has been slightly re-designed, same general shape and size, but supposededly with a more powerful motor, and as always with the pro series, all-metal gears. The mixer itself runs great, but my old bowls won't fit, attachments will though. This leaves me slightly miffed, as I don't wont to fork out another $80.oo for another bowl. I've been working with two bowls for almost 10 years now, sure speeds things up. If I had known that, I would have gone for the 6 qt series....
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post #7 of 9
2/2/08 at 11:12am
I also have a KitchenAid 600 professional model and love it.

You might be interested in the most recent edition of Cook's Illustrated - they ranked the Cuisinart as the best model (they still consider the KA 600 "Recommended"). This is in the magazine that came out this past week, which is March/April. They mentioned some new features that they liked a lot, like a timed automatic shut off.
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post #8 of 9
2/15/08 at 9:40am
KA 600 since the first year they came out (wife and I split up, wife got the old 500 which we'd had for at least fifteen years).

It's a bit of a PITA dumping food in during a mix, etc. But the quality and longevity is worth it. Nothing else has the track record.

The most fun of all is cleaning the kitchen after a sausage making session with the grinder attachment. Trust me, you don't want to miss it! :crazy:

BDL
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post #9 of 9
2/28/08 at 10:38am
You can get bowls for $20 from the KA outlet store online (they're "factory refurbs," which just means there's a chance it will have some cosmetic blems). If they're not in stock, they probably will be soon.

it's at shopkitchenaid.com, and then you have to look for the outlet store link.
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