Modern KA mixers
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I bought my first Kitchenaid mixer (Hobart) when I was 16, and inherited, actually my partner at the time inherited his mother's probably early 60's model. When they came out with the 6 quart bowl model I sprung for it, since I'm often likely to make double batches of bread, or mashing 10 pounds of potatoes for holiday dinners. So far it's performing admirably, but the motor doesn't have the utterly smooth effortless sound of the older ones.
Quality
No other mixer with planetary action manufactured today, April 5, 2011 is as solid as Kitchenaid. The best of all is the original Classic while the Ultra is okay. The Artisan has a larger bowl, a few more watts and beaters with the same planetary system as the Classic. The extra volume is above the beaters and of little merit. The pro series is far and away the most powerful motor of any of the planetary machines. Sadly most of the users have no clue how to use them so it like sending a little old lady up in the hills with HumVee while her Neon is parked at the curb. The failure is almost always asking the machine to perform a task beyond it's limits and it strips the worm or cracks the gear case. Don't even start on the attachments where wet grain, frozen or bone filled meat, slack pasta dough are passed through the attachments wiping out the worm follower. The motor on the Pro Series out torques the strength of the gears and the brains and intellect of the user. God help you if you need service on a Kenwood, DeLonghi, Cuisinart or Viking in the US. Kitchenaid is better about repairing and standing behind their machines. I purposely limited my review to plantentary and left out Bosch and Electrolux becuase we're not comparing apples and apples with those machine. As a chef, culinary intructor, manufacturers representative for General Mills/Gold Medal and food technologist I have literally mixed tons of dough in all the machines and I have never had a Kitchenaid fail me.
No other mixer with planetary action manufactured today, April 5, 2011 is as solid as Kitchenaid. The best of all is the original Classic while the Ultra is okay. The Artisan has a larger bowl, a few more watts and beaters with the same planetary system as the Classic. The extra volume is above the beaters and of little merit. The pro series is far and away the most powerful motor of any of the planetary machines. Sadly most of the users have no clue how to use them so it like sending a little old lady up in the hills with HumVee while her Neon is parked at the curb. The failure is almost always asking the machine to perform a task beyond it's limits and it strips the worm or cracks the gear case. Don't even start on the attachments where wet grain, frozen or bone filled meat, slack pasta dough are passed through the attachments wiping out the worm follower. The motor on the Pro Series out torques the strength of the gears and the brains and intellect of the user. God help you if you need service on a Kenwood, DeLonghi, Cuisinart or Viking in the US. Kitchenaid is better about repairing and standing behind their machines. I purposely limited my review to plantentary and left out Bosch and Electrolux becuase we're not comparing apples and apples with those machine. As a chef, culinary intructor, manufacturers representative for General Mills/Gold Medal and food technologist I have literally mixed tons of dough in all the machines and I have never had a Kitchenaid fail me.
THERE IS NO ONE LIKE KELLY TO TELL IT THE WAY IT IS!
I prefer the lift bowl KA mixers to the tilt heads.
The thing to look for in a new KA mixer are the words, "All Metal Gears". For a while, KA was making these mixers with plastic gears, which would strip when the paddle or attachment got stuck. It seems to me the ones with all metal gearing also sport a "reset" setting on the speed control. I surmise this is to help prevent motor damage during a jam, since the metal gears are less likely to strip. But of course it's best not to try to overload any machine beyond its design specs.
I have two modern KA mixers: a 475 watt 6 qt Epicurean, and a 5 qt Professional (also 475 watts, I think). I don't use them a lot, but I think I may be hooking up the meat grinder sooner rather than later to turn roast pork shoulder into ground meat for pasta sauce...
The thing to look for in a new KA mixer are the words, "All Metal Gears". For a while, KA was making these mixers with plastic gears, which would strip when the paddle or attachment got stuck. It seems to me the ones with all metal gearing also sport a "reset" setting on the speed control. I surmise this is to help prevent motor damage during a jam, since the metal gears are less likely to strip. But of course it's best not to try to overload any machine beyond its design specs.
I have two modern KA mixers: a 475 watt 6 qt Epicurean, and a 5 qt Professional (also 475 watts, I think). I don't use them a lot, but I think I may be hooking up the meat grinder sooner rather than later to turn roast pork shoulder into ground meat for pasta sauce...
I'm a Bosch boy
here' mine.. geeze 21,000 people have viewed it in 2 years..
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here' mine.. geeze 21,000 people have viewed it in 2 years..
<iframe title="YouTube video player" width="480" height="390" src="" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
All Metal Plastic
Close, Ralph but not entirely correct. Kitchenaid has made a sacrificial gear since their inception. It has been replaced with a"metal" gear but not necessarily hardened steel. An errant user can still mess up the planetary or worm follower if they are savvy enough to listen and smell the operation of a machine under heavy load. The Classic, Ultra and Artisan are still orginal in design and as a result of less metal on metal they are quieter. When you have one of the Pro 600 series running you seriously need earplugs between the whine of the motor and the rattle of the gears. I prefer the earlier models with Fiber gear case cover and sacrificial drive. The larger wattage motors and the thermal overload is designed to shut the mixer down if an owner is lugging with doughs too heavy, tacky or attachment that are binding. Once cooled it will restart. The earlier Pro Series had a thermal link that burned through and required a trip to the service center. The function is still the same but less annoying to customers with a dead mixer after an overloaded experience.
Close, Ralph but not entirely correct. Kitchenaid has made a sacrificial gear since their inception. It has been replaced with a"metal" gear but not necessarily hardened steel. An errant user can still mess up the planetary or worm follower if they are savvy enough to listen and smell the operation of a machine under heavy load. The Classic, Ultra and Artisan are still orginal in design and as a result of less metal on metal they are quieter. When you have one of the Pro 600 series running you seriously need earplugs between the whine of the motor and the rattle of the gears. I prefer the earlier models with Fiber gear case cover and sacrificial drive. The larger wattage motors and the thermal overload is designed to shut the mixer down if an owner is lugging with doughs too heavy, tacky or attachment that are binding. Once cooled it will restart. The earlier Pro Series had a thermal link that burned through and required a trip to the service center. The function is still the same but less annoying to customers with a dead mixer after an overloaded experience.
I beg to disagree
The Viking, Cuisinart, DeLonghi, and now Hamilton Beach mixers that are all rebadged Kenwoods are, in my opinion, superior to the new non-Hobart KitchenAids. They offer a 7-quart and 5-quart model. The basic design has been around for as long as the KitchenAid, but these are stronger machines. I recommend these to people who ask, but when you can buy a KitchenAid for a deal it's still worth considering.
Have any of you had any experience with the Electrolux Magic Mill? Looks interesting but expensive.
The Viking, Cuisinart, DeLonghi, and now Hamilton Beach mixers that are all rebadged Kenwoods are, in my opinion, superior to the new non-Hobart KitchenAids. They offer a 7-quart and 5-quart model. The basic design has been around for as long as the KitchenAid, but these are stronger machines. I recommend these to people who ask, but when you can buy a KitchenAid for a deal it's still worth considering.
Have any of you had any experience with the Electrolux Magic Mill? Looks interesting but expensive.
lordkenmore
Well-known member
Correct me if I'm wrong, but my understanding is that KitchenAid stand mixers are still made in the US. If so, that is a huge selling point to me. While I'm not "buy US made or die!", if buying new (which, to be honest, seldom happens), I now try to support US manufacturing, and so I buy the domestic product if it is acceptable. KitchenAid may or may not be the "best" now, but from what I hear, the mixers are still decent quality.
One question I'm wondering is whether there is a way to easily tell Hobart from the non Hobart models? Did the Hobart name, for example, actually appear on the mixer?
One question I'm wondering is whether there is a way to easily tell Hobart from the non Hobart models? Did the Hobart name, for example, actually appear on the mixer?
The stand mixers are made in Greenville, OH.
All Things To All People
Electrolux and to a lesser degree Bosch are niche machines designed to be good at bread first and foremost. America holds the distinction of making butter based, creamed cakes and cookies which use double acting baking powder and baking soda less familiar outside of the US. Kenwood, while being a planetary mixer is a belt drive so the belt becomes the sacrificial part protecting the gear drive. Early Kenwoods had a red reset button for the thermal over load, visible when the mixer head was raised. Still users wouldn't read the manual or retain the info making them easy marks at yard sales, sold as non working. I was specific in my input to that end with all these mixers because they are not comparable across the board. Kenwood is a wonderful machine. The bowls are deeper making overflow and blow off more controlled but requiring more effort to scrape the bowl, add ingredients and see the mass at the bottom of the deeper mixing vessel. Still the issue of available, friendly and affordable service remains for machines sharing these genes in the US. The larger Kitchenaid's have motors made in Sweden, gears are made and assembled in Greeneville for all Kitchenaid stand mixers. A perfect kitchen has mixers of several brands so each one can be used for only that which it does best. If I could only have one new or current mixer it would be a Kitchenaid Classic because of their versatility, dependability, noise factor and availability of parts and service in America. Since buying the English dough hooks to use on the Sunbeam 10, 11 and 12 my small Sunbeam does EVERYTHING I want and offers the adaptablity of moving to a bathtub full of ingredients if i need to mix a volume of batter. I respect everyone's right to own, enjoy and enthuse over each and every appliance they buy. My choices are based on the way I cook and what I like to eat best and insider info for having worked for both Sunbeam and Kitchenaid. With a card board box full of parts I can keep any of the Sunbeam fleet operational until my demise.
Electrolux and to a lesser degree Bosch are niche machines designed to be good at bread first and foremost. America holds the distinction of making butter based, creamed cakes and cookies which use double acting baking powder and baking soda less familiar outside of the US. Kenwood, while being a planetary mixer is a belt drive so the belt becomes the sacrificial part protecting the gear drive. Early Kenwoods had a red reset button for the thermal over load, visible when the mixer head was raised. Still users wouldn't read the manual or retain the info making them easy marks at yard sales, sold as non working. I was specific in my input to that end with all these mixers because they are not comparable across the board. Kenwood is a wonderful machine. The bowls are deeper making overflow and blow off more controlled but requiring more effort to scrape the bowl, add ingredients and see the mass at the bottom of the deeper mixing vessel. Still the issue of available, friendly and affordable service remains for machines sharing these genes in the US. The larger Kitchenaid's have motors made in Sweden, gears are made and assembled in Greeneville for all Kitchenaid stand mixers. A perfect kitchen has mixers of several brands so each one can be used for only that which it does best. If I could only have one new or current mixer it would be a Kitchenaid Classic because of their versatility, dependability, noise factor and availability of parts and service in America. Since buying the English dough hooks to use on the Sunbeam 10, 11 and 12 my small Sunbeam does EVERYTHING I want and offers the adaptablity of moving to a bathtub full of ingredients if i need to mix a volume of batter. I respect everyone's right to own, enjoy and enthuse over each and every appliance they buy. My choices are based on the way I cook and what I like to eat best and insider info for having worked for both Sunbeam and Kitchenaid. With a card board box full of parts I can keep any of the Sunbeam fleet operational until my demise.
Yes, Hobart machines will say so. Usually on the metal strip around the motor/gear housing. They show up on ebay quite regularly.
I was lucky enough to find a pre-solid state K45 Hobart machine in a thrift store recently and it's so much more quiet than current versions of the same model.
I actually prefer the tilt head models, but since I bought my partner a Professional model a few years ago, that's the one that occupies counterspace in the kitchen, which is quite limited. If I had the room, I'd have a tilt-head model accessible as well.
I was lucky enough to find a pre-solid state K45 Hobart machine in a thrift store recently and it's so much more quiet than current versions of the same model.
I actually prefer the tilt head models, but since I bought my partner a Professional model a few years ago, that's the one that occupies counterspace in the kitchen, which is quite limited. If I had the room, I'd have a tilt-head model accessible as well.
I use 3 mixers dependent on what I'm doing at the time.. My handheld Kitchenaid and Sunbeam stand mixer probably get the most use. The hand held for my cake mixes.. yeah I don't do scratch lol.. and the Sunbeam sans stand for a big pot of mashed potatoes and/or turnip done right in the pot.. you can't beat it for that. My Bosch is mainly for bread and stiff cookie dough. I did test it on the claim it can whip one egg white into a meringue and it did that with flying colors. The whips on the Bosch aren't really suitable for whipping potatoes, they're a little too delicate and could break so can only be used on thinner batters like cakes . The cookie paddles didn't do a good job on potatoes either, leaving them quite lumpy but they're excellent on cookie dough. Overall it's an excellent machine but pricey and probably not worth it if you're not into making large batches of dough. One good attribute though is that it doesn't weigh very much and anyone can easily pick it up and put it away on a shelf or cupboard if they don't have space to keep it on the counter.
From what I've seen of the Magic Mill/ Electrolux DXL looks far too complicated and even more expensive.. of course if someone were to offer me one how could I say no LOL
From what I've seen of the Magic Mill/ Electrolux DXL looks far too complicated and even more expensive.. of course if someone were to offer me one how could I say no LOL
Petek the Magnificent
Pete has one of the largest and most varied collections of small appliances I have seen. Cooler yet is his willingness to video, narrate and share the operations of Kenwood and Bosch as well as some of the lesser brands. I look forward to all posts from Canada as well as Pete's friend Dave who is one of the most enigmatic charactors in the group with his junking treks, collections of vacuums, small appliances and musical instruments. Paul's restoration videos, his love of all things turquoise and his warm and generous spirit make him a real go to guy. Some members of the group seem a bit stand offish or perhaps elite choosing to visit among themselves and it is the ones who open to the group and share with us all that I look forward to. Mind you, there are so many on every continent who are truly special to me its mean to pick just these three, but the timing was right to pass a few kudos. Trust me that takes a lot of fiber! You all give me a lot of pleasure and entertainment and I wish I were closer..
Pete has one of the largest and most varied collections of small appliances I have seen. Cooler yet is his willingness to video, narrate and share the operations of Kenwood and Bosch as well as some of the lesser brands. I look forward to all posts from Canada as well as Pete's friend Dave who is one of the most enigmatic charactors in the group with his junking treks, collections of vacuums, small appliances and musical instruments. Paul's restoration videos, his love of all things turquoise and his warm and generous spirit make him a real go to guy. Some members of the group seem a bit stand offish or perhaps elite choosing to visit among themselves and it is the ones who open to the group and share with us all that I look forward to. Mind you, there are so many on every continent who are truly special to me its mean to pick just these three, but the timing was right to pass a few kudos. Trust me that takes a lot of fiber! You all give me a lot of pleasure and entertainment and I wish I were closer..
washernoob
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 3, 2010
- Messages
- 1,446
I absolutely love mine!!!!!
Best mixer I have ever used.
Best mixer I have ever used.
I love my Kitchen aid. Bought from the commercial Hobart Store since at that time no chain stores sold them. I would be interested in the Bosch machine as I love to make bread and would be fun to try one. Pete, are they on the Bosch web site?
Mike
Mike
Let's Look
Mike, used Bosch machines turn up with regularity as the earth muffin phase wears off and some casual buyers quit the hassle of going to the health store that sold them the Bosch to buy the grain, yeast, enrichments etc to make holy bread. Where's the Little Red Hen when you need her. In our area the local fair does a bang up job of demonstrating and selling Bosch units and then through out the year you can find them on craigslist as low as $100.00. If you want one I'd be glad to keep my ear to the ground.
Mike, used Bosch machines turn up with regularity as the earth muffin phase wears off and some casual buyers quit the hassle of going to the health store that sold them the Bosch to buy the grain, yeast, enrichments etc to make holy bread. Where's the Little Red Hen when you need her. In our area the local fair does a bang up job of demonstrating and selling Bosch units and then through out the year you can find them on craigslist as low as $100.00. If you want one I'd be glad to keep my ear to the ground.
