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The standard

7 cup Cuisinart...(mine's a DLC-10E) is great for a bread recipe up to 3 3/4 cups of flour.

However, I've been playing a lot with my 5 cup KitchenAid processor, and it's great for pizza dough using 2 cups of flour.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
And dough...

The KitchenAid Classic is always best for kneading bread dough, and does a fantastic job. Every loaf comes out perfectly. One of these days the Kitchen Center dough arm and the 1980's Sunbeam Power Plus (ahh yes, the pinnacle of crappy Sunbeam mixers, but I like it) need to be tried out. I'm not sure about the Monkey Wards (rebadged mid-70's Mixmaster) though.

When I'm in the mood for cake, I ALWAYS find myself using the 3-C. That is the best mixer I've ever used; the motion of the beater as well as the shape of the glass bowl make for thorough mixing. I've never had to scrape any clumps off of the bottom or sides, not once. Everyone should experience a vintage KitchenAid.

I've seen many beautiful Mixmasters come and go on eBay. I personally like the early models such as the Model 1 and 3 with the Jadeite bowls and juicer attachments. One of these days...
 
I've never made bread. I'd like to try, but it somehow seems too much trouble, LOL. I can say that my KA does have the habit of throwing out of the bowl unless I handle it carefully. I have a bowl shield, but it mostly just gets in the way.

Mom had a Sunbeam, looked very much like the chrome unit up in the first picture. I don't recall what happened to it.
 
Two Words

Kenwood or Bosch for mixing bread.

My Bosch will handle doughs for several loaves of heavy wheat or other whole grain bread without batting an eye. While the Kenwood can do about a 1-3 loaf recipie.

Each has it's strong points, and I prefer the Bosch for bread kneading, and the Kenwood for batters and such. The Bosch has a very unique "kneading" action with hooks that really grab and beat the heck out of doughs. When I first got it, used to finish off bread doughs by hand. Soon stopped as the Bosch did such a wonderful job all by itself.

FWIU the older Hobart built Kitchenaid mixers could handle bread doughs/heavy batters, but there are many complaints of the new Whirlpool models burning out after merely attempting cookie doughs.

L.
 
To Cyber:

I think the 5B Sunbeam dates from 1939-41? My grandmother had a well used one too, but it worked!

There are a couple of people I know of who do restorations, one is decodan, the other is Philip Reed in Canada. Phil restored my 12C Sunbeam last year and did an excellent job.
You should be able to find him by searching "Phil's Appliance Science" thru google or try the link below.

http://www.mixerfixer.com
 
Me seconds that Laundress, the Bosch is the bestest kneader around. No muss no fuss. I only tried the Kenwood once when I took mine over to SILs, planning on letting her "borrow" it if she wanted to start making bread but it was a bit of a bother and having to lift that huge motor head all the time. It'll just stay as part of my seldom used mixer collection.
 
Kitchen Aid vs. Bosch

I have used a KA mixer for years to knead my dough. I make bread, rolls, Pizza dough, etc. About a year ago I bought a Bosch mixer only because I just had to have it. I thought how cool the power base will fit in a drawer, etc.

I have only used it a couple of times. I find that when I am using any less than about 6 cups of flour the KA does a better job of kneading. If I get into 4 sheet pizzas or so and have more flour I find the Bosch does a better job. I think the bowl on the Bosch is so big the dough just doesn't get enough "kneading."

Any other Bosch users have that experience?
 
Sunbeam Mixmaster

Oh how gorgeous!!!!
This was my first mixer which I got from my granny (it was hers all the time since 1961, the year I was born). I usedit several years and then brought it to a rural-life museum near Frankfurt - had to, as I was to go to a foreign country for 2 years for a job.....
I loved it! My granny had the blender, two glass bowls, slicer and mincer for it!
When we visited her she used to prepare me a milk-shake each time in the blender: an egg, some lemon juice, sugar and half a cup full each canned coffee milk and fresh milk, plus a bit liquid cream.....mmmmmmmmmmmmmm
Ralf
 
To y'all KitchenAid owners suffering from the flying food and flour syndrome: Do you have the pouring shield? I have the one piece white plastic shield for mine and using that really cuts down on the ingredients prematurely leaving the bowl. The biggest difference between the KA and regular two beater mixers is what has to be done when making divinity. With the KA, you can't pour the syrup in while the beater is going around because it will throw it in a circle around the top of the bowl. I have to add a little, then beat, then stop, add, beat until all of the syrup is used up. The KA sure has the power to beat candy.
 
The shaft

The piece in the previous picture is sort of a power transfer unit. This piece then goes down and fits into a slot in the bottom of that piece

(am I confusing you yet? I would be a terrible technical writer)
 
The Bosch mixer while of similar type isn't near as complicated as that Nutone setup. The cone in the bowl has a simple driveshaft that connects to the motor base..the top circumferance of that cone is ribbed like on a gear wheel. The mixer attachments just sits on top of the cone and has little gears on its underside which mesh with the cones gears and that spins the beaters..it has two beaters or whisks one on each side. Very simple and works great..plus you can put the whole assembly in the dw because there are no sealed or grease/oil needing parts.
 
LOL Dan!!!

Thanks for the pics! I love your technical descriptions!!

Looks interesting, I have seen those NuTone things here and there over the years, but never actually witnessed one work.

Does the beater rotate on itself(a'la Kitchenaid)as it travels around the bowl?

That bowl does not look very large, how does it compare in size to a large Sunbeam bowl?
 
What about Westinghouse?

My mom has what looks to be about a 1950 vintage Westinghouse mixer in her basement--my parents never threw anything out. Never seen another one out there anywhere. Does anyone have any idea how common these are? It's missing the smaller size mixing bowl but otherwise complete and operational. I'd love to know more about this machine and its capabilities. BTW in the 70's it was replaced by a Hobart KA 45 that's still going strong.

Ralph
 
Jeff....

WoW im getting fatter just looking at that - Still I may have to try it lol :)

A request for translation of a couple of items ;)

The cups are fine- I have a set of those, however....

How much in weight is a stick of butter/marg???

Is baking cocoa different fron regular? Cant say ive seen it over here :(

Mine will be made in a late 70s Kenwood Chef (same planetary action as a Kitchenaid for anyone that didnt know)

Seamus

Seamus
 
Westinghouse Mixer

There are two models of Westinghouse that have a dial with 20 infinite speeds. They are VERY powerful, but the beaters don't touch the edge of the bowl so you need to scrape the bowl. A minor distraction. The earlier model has the speed dial on the rear side of the motor housing. It has won design awards and looks very art deco. The newer version is two tone gray and white. The speed control is in the front under the end of the handle. Mechanically the two mixers are identical. Both came with GlasBake bowls that have ribbing and are a quite lovely. The earliest are white and later they are clear. The newest model (1959) has slightly square shaped beaters with no center rod, a beater ejector and comes in pastel colors. They have a cult following and are more popular abroad, than here.
Visit WACEM (We Actually Collect Electric Mixers) at Yahoo groups for pictures.
Kelly
 
Seamus

a "stick" of butter/margarine is 4 ozs (weight or volume). On the West Coast of the US, "sticks" are "cubes" (apparently just a custom). Butter/margarine over here are 80% fat, 15-18% water and 3-5% other ingredients. "Spread" has a different ratio and you need to make those adjustments if you use that instead of butter/margarine. "Crisco" is solid vegetable shortening (100% fat) and can be substituted with butter if you make the adjustments to the ratio fat/water.

Baking cocoa is normal "Droste" cocoa...meaning that it has no added sugar, milk/whey. (It needs to be added to milk and sugar to make drinking cocoa).

Make sure you have the proper pan for the pound cake, as it isn't quite the same pan that you might be used to in the UK. An angel cake pan is a big thing (12 cups or so) which will take up most of your ovens :)
 
Bob your link didn't work. I contacted the Westinghouse museum about my mom's 1949 stove a while back and never heard a word from anyone, not even an automated confirmation that my email was received. But I'm willing to try your link if you can provide me the URL.

Kelly, that is some very interesting information on the mixer. It's the earlier style with control dial in the rear but has the later large ribbed bowl that's clear and not white. I hope that its value isn't significantly reduced because it's lacking the smaller bowl. I think my mom burnt out her Sunbeam Mixmaster of similar vintage and since my grandmother's baking days were over, she gave my mom her Westinghouse. I'm sure that dead Mixmaster is still shoved away somewhere in Mom's garage.

Between the stove, the mixer and the big roaster, all of which are still in good working order, somebody could put together a nice Westinghouse cooking/baking scene once this stuff goes up for grabs. I thought I might re-create something like that someday but now realize I'm never going to pull it off.

I guess I need to take some time and post pictures here. I'm not that great at figuring out stuff like that so I've been dragging my feet.

Ralph
 
Small?

Lordy who complains about having to beat a big one? I am happy to send you a small bowl if you wish.
Kelly
 
Small Bowl

Kelly, thanks for the offer. Since the mixer isn't in use right now I'll hold off on requesting that you send a small bowl for it. Someone who actually uses their mixer might need one, and since I was at my mom's last night I looked in the box and saw that the old Westinghouse looks like it has really been put through its paces over the years. The white finish is fairly yellowed. It may not be desirable even though it works fine. But I will contact you about the bowl if I decide to complete the package. I'll try to get some pictures uploaded here for you to see for yourself the condition of this machine.
 

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