A cake question-- Mixmaster v KA

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maytagbear

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I just bought a Mixmaster at a rummage sale, and I want to bake a cake written for a KitchenAid. Is there anything I should know? Any technique differences?

The cake is an orange chiffon. I have a family event this coming weekend, a memorial service followed by a buffet reunion. I am bringing salads and desserts.

Any positive suggestions would be deeply welcome.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
I don't see the there should be any differences.  Just use common sense.  Do you normally use a KA vs Mixmaster?  I personally prefer a Mixmaster.
 
Truthfully...

The Sunbeam might take a little longer, but for layer cakes,the Mixmaster will produce a much finer cake, The KA is great for pound cakes ,and cookies, but I have a chocolate cake you can not make with a Kitchen Aid, the last ingredient is boiling water and no matter what you do it will splash it everywhere,
 
Good topic! I use my Mixmaster for cakes and cupcakes since it does incorporate more air into the batter and I find that the cakes rise higher than with the KitchenAid. With the KitchenAid I would use the wire beater and get ok results and forget the paddle for cakes, mashed taters its good for and cookies. I use the flat beaters on the Mixmaster and the results I get are outstanding. There is a difference and if someone said to me a year ago that there wasn't I would have believed them . But when I was making cupcakes I used the KA and I was reading in the Appliance ads that Utramatic posts and there was a Sunbeam MixMaster ad that intrigued me. So the next batch of cupcakes I made I used the Mixmaster that honestly sat under the counter in my pantry unused for a few years. The one I have says Sunbeam Heritage Mixmaster that I bought at Kohls for about $99 on sale. It's made in China but its rugged.
So anyways I made the cupcakes in the Mixmaster and wow what a difference with the crumb and it being incredibly moist and tender and they rose higher. Everyone was asking me what I did different and I told them...it was that noticeable .
 
Remember that the KA

duplicates it's industrial Hobart brother's mixing action. Planetary action is much more effective than the twin beater action of a Mixmaster. Commercial recipes are written for the Hobart action. Mixmaster recipes are not. Your mixing times will be shorter and speeds lower.
I have done this several times converting a household recipe to a bakery one using the Hobart mixer and convection ovens.
WK78
 
Kenwood Chef...

I love my Kenwood, it has the planetary action of the Kitchenaid I used to have, and much finer control combined with a stronger motor and power transfer system. They were sold in the United States under the Rival brand name for a few years, if you see one, grab it, they are indestructible work horses.

I have always preferred the planetary action of a Kitchenaid or Kenwood Chef. I owned 2 different Mixmasters in the past, and loved the look of them, but was never happy with the results. Mixmasters require too much bowl scraping and other fiddling for my taste, and aren't nearly as strong and fast as a Kitchenaid or Kenwood. Just remember, in a Kitchenaid you have to shorten the mixing times, or you won't be happy with the results. Most complaints are because it is so easy to over mix items in a Kitchenaid. When I first got mine, I turned 2 separate batches of whipped cream into butter by accident, because I was so used to ignoring the old Mixmaster as it beat and beat and beat. In a Kitchenaid, it only takes a few seconds to go from sweet vanilla flavored fluffy whipped cream, to sweetened vanilla butter, (which isn't half bad on toast, lol).

I guess the main reason I prefer the planetary style mixing is that I grew up using hand mixers, no one in the family had a stand mixer until me, and now I have gifted them throughout most of the family. With a hand mixer, you are moving the mixer constantly, all throughout the batter, just like the planetary action of a Kitchenaid, which makes for much more thorough mixing than a Mixmaster trudging around in it's never ending circle.
 
Both!

Mixmaster for anything involving a batter. Mixmaster juicing attachment over the the KA. Mixmaster food grinder over the KA although I wish the Mixmaster had the motor strength of the KA when using the food grinder. Mother said once to cut the meat into smaller pieces and that would remedy the problem of seemingly not enough motor power. I always forget to do that. The feed tube of the Mixmaster is wider and all metal constuction. My KA food grinder has a crack in it. I like the KA for things like combining ingrdients for dough, pimento cheese, meatloaf, etc. The planetary action and flat beater make it ideal. Love the KA for whipping cream.
 
Mixfinder

I have strong opinions, have been paid money by both Sunbeam and Whirlpool/Kitchenaid to use, test and repair their mixers. I have no desire to be pilloried on this subject by my "friends" once again. If I was marooned on another planet and could only have one mixer, it would be a Sunbeam with Bowl-Fit beaters. I'll let the results of my work speak to the proficiency of the brand.
 
I have both a Kenwood Chef and a Mix-master....

Actually, I have 6 Mix-masters.....

In my humble opinion, they are a better machine for anything that requires the incorporation of large volumes of air and especially if a fine texture is desired.

As to any different techniques, well that I can't help you with, but following the process posted earlier may be better when it comes to beating times etc. than that for the KA.

Oh, and does any mixer actually sound and smell as good as a Mix-master in full swing???
 
A Good Compromise....

If you are making a delicate cake with a KA, use a 3c or 4c with the wire beater, the paddle of the more modern ones is the real reason you dont get as fine a texture in my opinion.But its still easier to use a Sunbeam!
 
I would agree with that comment.

I find using the whisk on the Kenwood is a better option for cakes, but it still doesn't incorporate the volume of air as well as a Mix-master does....especially if egg whites are involved.
 
All I can say is...

I met Kelly through this same discussion on the mixer collector's group, so reading a replay makes me smile and hope it's as good for y'all as it was for me. :-)
 

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