ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Food and Cooking Forums › Cooking Equipment › Another mixer thread!?
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Another mixer thread!?

Poll Results: Which stand mixer is best for batters, cookie doughs AND bread doughs?

 
  • 16% (1)
    Electrolux DLX (Electrolux Assistant) or equivalent
  • 0% (0)
    Cuisinart SM-55 or equivalent
  • 83% (5)
    Kitchen Aid Professional 600 or equivalent
  • 0% (0)
    Kitchen Aid Pro 5 Plus or equivalent
6 Total Votes  
post #1 of 25
7/5/09 at 5:53pm
Thread Starter 
I'm ready to upgrade from my Kitchen Aid Ultra tilt-head mixer to a larger, more powerful one. While most of my current baking is with cake batters and cookie doughs (I use my food processor for crusts), I am moving into to more yeast dough baking, both breads and sweet doughs. I don't expect to be doing large batches (more than two or three loaves of bread-worth of dough at a time), I have learned that I've bought too small in the past. (I've learned so much through the Chef Talk site!) I've done a search of threads here back about three years. Since manufacturers change their numbering and the characteristics of their models, I 've avoided going back farther than that.

The bowl of my current KA mixer is small- so small, that even when I try adding flour to wet ingredients on the lowest speed, the flour shoots up the side of the bowl. I surmised that I need a wider-bottomed bowl as well as a larger one.

Based on that information, please complete the poll BASED ON FIRST-HAND EXPERIENCE IF POSSIBLE.

Thank you!
Mezzaluna

P.S.- I hope to make this move soon so I can donate my 'old' mixer for a charity rummage sale.
Reply
post #2 of 25
7/5/09 at 7:13pm
You might want to post a similar inquiry at this breadbaking website.
Reply
post #3 of 25
7/5/09 at 7:50pm
Thread Starter 
Tahnks, Kokopuffs. Can I make cake batter and cookie dough in the Electrolux? I joined thefreshloaf.com but naturally, there's not much discussion of cake batter.
Reply
post #4 of 25
7/6/09 at 3:33am
As to cake batter, I don't know but I'd probably want to do a little online research at the manufacturer's website and perhaps ask the question to King Arthur Flour since they've sold the Electrolux (or Bosch unit) in the past - I think.
Reply
post #5 of 25
7/6/09 at 7:33am
Thread Starter 
Once again, thank you Kokopuffs! I'd hoped you'd be available to add your perspectives, and you came through. I'll keep researching, and hoping more CTers will add their knowledge to this thread.

Mezz
Reply
post #6 of 25
7/6/09 at 11:56am
For bread, may I suggest the Hobart N-50

This is a mixer that uses the same KA 5 qt bowl, same beater and other attachments, but is a real mixer, and comes with a real price.

That said, it is bomb-proof and won't wimp out on you, no wierd electronic controls, it has the same 3 spd transmission you'd find on a 20 or 30 qt, but the mixer is about the same size as a KA.

You will pay for this, though. If you're lucky, you can find one used.
Reply
post #7 of 25
7/6/09 at 1:19pm
KA Pro 600 here. It works well for bread dough but I never make more than 2 loaves at a time. I also use it to mix thin cracker crust pizza dough that has a reputation for destroying mixers.
Reply
post #8 of 25
7/6/09 at 2:28pm
Thread Starter 
Foodpump, that's way, way more mixer than I need! I won't be making that much bread. I just want a sturdy machine that won't groan and struggle to make two or three loaves at a time. Maybe I should express it as not a lot of bread, just more often.

MaryB, that's more like the baking I hope to do. So I should look at the KA Pro 600 then.

Anyone with experience making a lot of cake batter and cookie dough?
Reply
post #9 of 25
7/7/09 at 5:52am

Kitchenaid gets my vote. At $239, how can you resist?

Kitchenaid 600 Professional (refurb) from the outlet store at Kitchenaid is the best deal I've heard in years. I have a refurbished one that I got from Kitchenaid and have never had a problem with it. In fact, I"ve gotten pleasure from it every day I've had it. In addition, I have a Hobart/Kitchenaid with the original glass bowl that I still use for smaller tasks or when I'm feeling sentimental since it belonged to my mother-in-law who was a professional cook.
Reply
post #10 of 25
7/7/09 at 5:53am
mezz,
i have an older KA5(20+years) that's still going strong, i'm not sure if they are still as well made. the only thing i've replaced is the beater blade, bought one of those new side-swipe types with the silicon-scraper sides. i bought a kenwood(delonghi) 7 qt. a few years ago and don't care for it as much. i don't like the tilt head and the bowl is awkward.
with the KA i have made everything from high gluten breads(before) to gluten free breads and batches of cookies and cakes. i have to use it more than i did before and so far it seems to be holding up ok.
kathee
Reply
post #11 of 25
7/7/09 at 7:03am
Thread Starter 
Yahooer, I've thouight about buying a refurbished unit and will take that into consideration. Kathee, I have the Sideswipe paddle and like it very much. I'll have to replace it if I get the 600, since the bowl is bigger.
Reply
post #12 of 25
7/7/09 at 8:00am
Although I haven used one, should I ever get another mixer it will be the 5 qt Hobart with the 3 speed transmission. I've seen 'em on ebay going for less than $600 final price and in decent shape.
Reply
post #13 of 25
7/7/09 at 8:07am
And built like a tank, the 3 speed Hobart most likely won't encounter problems with making batters and cookie dough.
Reply
post #14 of 25
7/7/09 at 8:43am
If you're going to think about refurbished, here's my experience. I bought a refurb KM 5Qt. Commercial series during the bad quality years. Customer Service replaced it 3 or 4 times over a period of about 2 years - each time it gave me a problem, they sent another refurbed product and it had another warranty attached to it. I make bread and a lot of pizza dough (5 cups flour) which should be fine with that model so I don't know what the problem was. At any rate, I offered to pay to upgrade to a 6Qt. in the hopes of stopping the problems and getting on with my life. To my surprise, KA said I wouldn't have to pay anything, they'd just replace the 5Qt. with the 6Qt. and what color did I want? It's been a year and I've had no problem with the 6Qt. refurbed they sent and as I said, I'm delighted. Your mileage may vary but it's nice to know KA does stand behind their products. Thanks for your report on the silicone beater - I've been thinking about it. Sounds like my next purchase.
Reply
post #15 of 25
7/7/09 at 3:29pm
Thread Starter 
More to think about! :) Enjoy the Sideswipe!
Mezz
Reply
post #16 of 25
7/8/09 at 1:41am
Oh yes, my KA 6 qt 600W mixer's head loosened just before the 1 year warranty expired and Williams Sonoma replaced it without hesitation. The replacement, however, smoked when turned on for the very first time and it, too, was replaced with another unit that worked flawlessly. Glad I replaced it with a Kenwood which worked flawlessly from the getgo.
Reply
post #17 of 25
7/8/09 at 3:05pm
No, no, no, Mezzaluna, the Hobart n-50 is a 5 qt---uses the same 5 qt bowl (or used to, anyways...) as the 5 qt K.A and the same paddle, dough hook, etc.

About the same size too, but only comes in battleship grey....
Reply
post #18 of 25
7/8/09 at 4:54pm
Thread Starter 
Battleship gray... I really don't care so much about color, but that **** narrow-bottomed bowl is the bane of my baking life. Maybe I'm just thick, but I have to partially mix in dry ingredients so they don't shoot straight up and out of the bowl. I figure a flatter-bottomed bowl will help that. As it is now, flour shoots out the top of the pouring shield and also out where the shield rests on the top edge of the bowl. I have to drape a large dish towel around the machine to keep the shower from dusting my whole work area.

Besides, isn't bigger better? :D
Reply
post #19 of 25
7/9/09 at 4:35am
Take a look at this Hobart N50 that sold for only $460 on ebay and you'll note that it's not tilt-head design but rather it utilizes a bowl-lift:

Hobart N50 Mixer
Reply
post #20 of 25
7/9/09 at 6:37am
Mezz, adding dry ingredients to wet is always a problem with a mixer running. But, fwiw, the 600 uses a different pouring shield than other models, which at least minimizes the problem. The funnel part is larger and taller than with earlier designs, and the collar covers more of the bowl.
Reply
post #21 of 25
7/9/09 at 1:09pm
I went through 6 KitchenAid mixers until I purchased a Bosch Universal Mixer. Here is a link for the one I use. It does amazing with bread doughs. I bought the largest size so it doesn't knead a small loaf well (3 cups of flour). It mixes it well but I have to finish kneading by hand. It does best with 7-16 cups of flour. I love everything about the machine- I use it at least once a day. It handles all dough types well (bagels, pizza doughs, whole grain bread doughs, cracker doughs, etc.).

It mixes cookie dough batches great, but I don't have experience with cake batters.

Here is a link to the mixer I bought:
Bosch Universal Plus Mixer New Bosch Mixer Bosch Mixers Universal Plus Mixer Dealer Pleasant Hill Grain


Emily
Reply
post #22 of 25
7/9/09 at 5:29pm
Thread Starter 
Whoa, the Hobart N50 is way too many coins, and my kitchen isn't that big! I'm trying to stay under $400 if possible. I've seen the 600 in that price neighborhood a few places.

The Bosch seems to be too big. I plan to make two or three loaves at a time. This one needs to make more than that to operate optimally.
Reply
post #23 of 25
7/9/09 at 6:08pm
I bought my KA600 from eBay, it was a discontinued color and was new in the box for $199 and free shipping.
Reply
post #24 of 25
7/10/09 at 8:12pm
They do make a few different Bosch sizes- some designed to make 1-3 loaves at a time. I don't have any experience with the smaller models but know of other people who love them.
Reply
post #25 of 25
7/11/09 at 12:32pm
Thread Starter 
Thanks for the tip, Penguin. I'll take another look. I'll make the decision and buy very soon: gift cards are coming for my birthday. :D
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Cooking Equipment
ChefTalk.com › ChefTalk Cooking Forums › Food and Cooking Forums › Cooking Equipment › Another mixer thread!?