404 replies to this topic

[seawakim]

I am finally getting a "real" stand mixer and am confused with all the variety available to me. It seems that a lot of people own KitchenAid...I don't know if that means they are the best, but they certainly seem to be among the priciest.
Then there are the sizes...4.5qt, 5qt or 6qt?
What are your experiences?
Can anyone provide some insight?

[Steve Klc]

How do you plan to use it? What kinds of things are you baking now?

[seawakim]

I bake rather frequently, but usually bake more a variety rather than quantity. I generally bake sweet things (everything from pastries to pies and cookies). I haven't done much bread baking. One of the things that intrigued me about the KitchenAid was the availabilty of attachments for making pasta, sausage and all kinds of things. Do you have any experience with these? Do they work well?

[Steve Klc]

Here's my short Kitchenaid summary--I have many of the attachments, the food mill, sausage grinder and stuffer, but have never used them. I have only used the juicer attachment, maybe 10 years ago, and it works with citrus fairly well. However, my real experience with the machines is as stand mixers--as I guess most people use them.

Though K-aid seems to be coming out with bigger more colorful more powerful models all the time--there still seem to be 3 basic choices--1) the kind where the bowl attaches at the bottom and the mixer head tilts back (least expensive, least good) 2) the kind where the 5 Qt. bowl attaches on an arm which can be raised and lowered with a lever (most common, more expensive, around 325-350 watts but very very good and reliable) and then 3) a slightly larger model, more "powerful" still with the lever, but with a larger, wider bowl. We own a few of the older #2 K5A/K5SS models and they are great, all you could ever need in a small stand mixer, equally good with dough hook, paddle and whip--and we were also given an Epicurean--the newer larger #3 model. Let's say it's 6 quarts. After using it for a while, I don't like it. It stays up on the shelf. The timing and controls are off--inherently sluggish, in the sense the gears and speeds don't shift as well--plus you have to recalibrate all your recipes to larger batches--and face it, some things don't do well in a large bowl in small amounts. And it's just a sense, but I think the quality control has slipped in the newer, larger models.

Bigger isn't necessarily better. If you can tolerate that--and you feel you'd gain by being able to do larger batches of cake batter or need larger amounts of whipped creams or meringues, fine. But I think you might actually find it harder to do pastry things well with this larger bowl size.

Some bread guys I know advocate higher wattage and models like Kenwood and of course pastry pros use Hobart in their shops--but their needs are different. Just be forewarned there is more bitching and moaning on the web about how new Kitchenaids are not as reliable as old. So you might want to read around.

Apart from volume, maybe others could speak to what the added power of some of the professional models bring to the table, but our K5's have been indestructible in demanding use by professionals and would be perfect for the home cook. Around $200 seems a very fair price to pay for such a workhorse that will last a decade at least.

[Mottmott]

I have had the meat grinder attachment for 20-30 years and use it any time I need ground meat, as I like the texture. Now there is reason to be concerned about the healthiness of store-ground meat (or worse yet, processing plants), which makes it even more useful.

I recently bought the pasta rollers. WOW! It's a great attachment. Making pasta is a breeze.

[seawakim]

I have had the meat grinder attachment for 20-30 years and use it any time I need ground meat, as I like the texture.  Now there is reason to be concerned about the healthiness of store-ground meat (or worse yet, processing plants), which makes it even more useful. 

I recently bought the pasta rollers.  WOW!  It's a great attachment.  Making pasta is a breeze.

Which model do you own?

[Bux]

We have a model KSM5OP (or is it 0P?) 350 watts. I believe it's the high end of Klc's #2 line. We used to have the smaller tilt back model years ago, but when my wife started to bake breads, she needed this one. It's far better all around. We were always a bit sorry we had purchased the other model but we bought it early in our lives and it seemed so much more expensive than the kind of mixmasters that were standard in most households that baked. The bar has risen significantly in terms of what's used as standard American kitchen equipment since the sixties.

The meat grinder. We have used it to a great extent, but I've come to prefer grinding meat in the Cuisinart food processor as it chops the meat more cleanly. Others believe it tends to overheat the meat. From time to time we still make good use of the meat grinder for stuffing sausages.

The juicer worked real well, but was overkill for a couple of oranges and we bought a presser anyway.

It's been a while since we bought even the new KitchenAid and a much longer time since I've checked the market on mixers, but back then KichenAid had the lock on mixers with planetary action. It was the only one superior to a manual rotary egg beater. I'm sorry to hear that the KitchenAid machines produced today may not be as reliable as the ones made years ago. If that's the case, one can bet they'll be worse in coming years. Get the better one then, as by the time you can afford it, it may not be as good. By better one, I'm really not thinking the very large one Klc describes as #3 unless you anticipate needing that size bowl. Still, it's hard to speak for someone else.

[helenas]

The truth is, although i recently got a KA stand mixer(oh, the grinder ), i still prefer to knead a bread dough in my baking machine.

[srhcb]

I've had a KitchenAid 6 qt for over ten years, use it several times each week, and would probably rather lose my right hand than part with it. (I'm left handed)

I often think that the 5 qt model with the tilt up head would be easier to use, but I wouldn't want to give up the capacity and power of the larger, fixed head model.

SB (also has all atttachments except roto slicer/shredder)

[Sandra Levine]

I've had my 5-qt. (non-tilting) KitchenAid mixer for 25 years. It's one of the best purchases I've ever made. It should be noted, however, that the mixer is now made by a different manufacturer and I can't vouch for the quality of the current models.

[Mottmott]

Seawakim, I have a KA 4C from the early 60's and a K5-A from either late 60's or early 70's.

As for your original question about the sort of machine to buy today, I'd be cautious about the current KA which is no longer manufactured by Hobart. Search around on the web to see if you can find out about the Kenwood and perhaps other high end manufacturers. King Arthur catalog (which sells both of them ) did a comparison of Kenwood & KA which sort of gave the edge to Kenwood (Kenmore? too lazy to go check).

Hobart still makes a mixer in the home kitchen size, but I believe it costs about $1000. Check their web site. Also, it is possible to find older KA's for sale on EBay.

Bux, what I like about the KA meat grinder is that a single grinding gives the rough texture that I prefer for hamburgers or ragus. But I'll give the Cuisinart a try next time.

[Bux]

When grinding meat, the Kitchen Aid gives a consistent grind. You can make it finer by regrinding the meat and that will also produce a consistent result. The foodprocessor offers a range of fineness, but you may have a hard time getting a consistent product by pulsing. If it comes out of the grinder just as you like it, you may not be happy with the processor for that reason alone.

[mixmaster b]

I have a Kitchen Aid K5A that was my grandmother's. I don't know when she got it--at least 30 years ago, I would guess. It is great--still going strong. The cool thing is that the replacement whisks and various attachments fit it perfectly--no planned obsolence there! (The pasta rollers are great!)

Like others, I can't vouch for the new models. Perhaps the suggested e-bay run is in order!

[Rhea_S]

I had an older KitchenAid K5SS, but I left it with my mom when I moved to the midwest. My mom uses it regularly and I use it whenever I go back to visit. We've never had problems although it does a complain a little with stiffer bread doughs.

I now own a Kenwood and I like it better than my old KA. It's more powerful and has been especially helpful because my right arm doesn't let me knead by hand anymore. I haven't bought any attachments for the Kenwood, but I have heard good things about them. However, Kenwood was recently bought by DeLonghi, so the quality of the mixers may have changed.

[KarenS]

I have the new 6qt kitchenaid. I love it! It is in the professional series and has a 525 watt motor. The size of the bowl and much more power make a huge difference. There is also a new "slow start" so that you never splatter flour etc... I had always used the 5qt- now those bowls seem so small! It is also a much better machine for bread.
Kitchenaid is discontinuing the 5qt (though they will still make accesories and "parts"). The 6qt is replacing it. My sister has the 4.5qt. We both agree that the screw in bowl and the flip top are irritating- plus the bowl is too small.
I am very happy with the new 6qt (it has only been available for a couple of years).

[Steve Klc]

Then there's always the Bosch Solitaire:

http://www.amazon.co...lance&s=kitchen

[Jason Perlow]

Oooooh pretty. Stainless. 700watts!

[Lesley C]

Forget any machine with a bowl that screws into the base, the screws eventually wear out and you'll never be able to get a bowl of ice underneath the mixing bowl if you want to cool something down while whisking (such as Chantilly or ganache). Also, the Kenwood has a tunnel-like bowl and mixtures like Italian meringue take forever to cool down. Go for the Kitchen Aid with the up-and-down bowl.
And BTW, you should always knead bread dough by hand; it's good exercise and gets out all your frustrations

[Steve Klc]

Jason--somehow I knew you would be attracted to this "Porsche" of stand mixers. I saw it in Bloomingdales the other day, without a price marked. Very stylish, very solid, since there is so much stainless in our house already, and our last Cuisinart just bit the dust--damaged shipping back from an event--I figured this might be a nice upgrade. Then I checked online and saw the price. I'd have to hear some reports from people who actually use this machine that is good before investing that much. For now I'll make due with my K5A, mandoline, immersion blender and knives.

The interesting thing about this is that Bosch has a similar version of this unit in white plastic--same power rating--at less than half the price. I believe it's called the Bosch Universal and was also at Bloomingdales.

[Scotty O]

I have been looking at KA mixers for a while now, and I have found it to be very confusing with all the different models. I've searched threads high and low, and found some good bits of knowledge, but nothing definitive...hopefully this thread can help out.

What I want to do with a mixer...the regular stuff (batters, foams, etc.) as well as kneading various bread doughs.

I have found this comparison chart to be helpful, but I'd like some confirmation that there really are different transmissions in different mixers. I have heard that the Pro 6qt. has a heavier transmission, but none of the documentation I have found elsewhere seems to say anything about the transmission/gear systems in other mixers.

I have pretty much decided on a 5qt. size, but there are 3 different models of 5qt.'s, so here is my impressions of the three:

Professional 5:
Pros: 350Watts--highest of the three. heavy duty transmission. bowl lift.
Cons: metal dough hook and flat beater--have heard that they can discolor food, and are not dishwasher safe like the nylon counterparts

Heavy Duty:
I think this is the modern version of the standard K5A that everyone's grandmother seems to have. This one seems like the frontrunner right now for its bowl lift, 325 watts, and nylon coated attachments as well as being a bit less in price than the Pro 5.

Artisan:
Pros: Lots of really cool colors
Cons: tilt head & screw bowl--have heard it can strip, and no possibility of water jacket. non-heavy nuty transmission

So there is my recap. Does everyone agree with the 5qt. Heavy Duty as the best choice for a general purpose stand mixer?

Edited by Scotty O, 04 December 2003 - 09:31 AM.

[elyse]

I think most people will go with the pro 5. I had a thread on stand mixers if you want to read it. Plus Costco has a $30 coupon now, on a $249 machine.

[EdS]

There's a fair amount of negative opinion about the Pro 6 which you can find by doing a Search. The Pro 5 is favored. Given Costco's price with rebate, I think you're looking at about a $20-30 price difference between that and the Heavy Duty.

[tryska]

the hot pink one.

[hannahcooks]

I just got the Professional 5. I cannot recommend the bowl-lift enough- I would definitely go for a model with that feature. My mother bought mine at Kohl's and the dough hook and flat paddle attachment are not the metal ones in the chart you linked to. They are the regular,dishwasher safe, coated ones. Only the wire whisk is metal/hand-wash only.

Edited by hannahcooks, 04 December 2003 - 11:07 AM.

[Scotty O]

There's a fair amount of negative opinion about the Pro 6

Yeah, I've heard some bad things about the 6qt. I assume these don't carry over to the 5qt. Pro? If thats the case the Pro sounds like the one to get.

Costco has a $30 coupon now, on a $249 machine.

Yeah, I saw this deal the other weekend and almost snapped it up right there...although it looks like the $30 coupon was just for thanksgiving weekend. Now the coupon is $20, but its still a great deal at $230, maybe even the cheapest of the three.

[Cusina]

my two cents.

I have to differ. I like the tilt head. My best girlfriend has the heavy duty model and I find it to be futsy getting the bowl and paddle in and out of their seatings. (Pinched my fingers, ow). No really smooth way to do it. Maybe I'm just all thumbs, but that is my preference. I've had mine four years of weekly (more during baking season) home use without problems.

One more thing, buy the extra bowl, comes in very handy.

[chezcherie]

my two cents coincide with cusina's, making 4 cents...
i love the tilt head, hate the lifty, hook-on mechanism. when i was purchasing mine (eons ago--still going strong), i spent some time standing at the kitchenaid counter, trying to acclimate myself to the lift-bowl technique...and decided that the tilt head was so intuitive to me,that i would save time and precious brain cells every time i tilted rather than lifted...i stil have a few brain cells left, so there's empirical proof!
the extra bowl is key to kitchne happiness---has saved my sanity a number of times!

[Scotty O]

As per the old threads in the other sense, a search through them did not contain some of the specific info I was looking for--specifically a comparison between the heavy duty and pro 5qt.

Sorry if I confused anyone.

[lorea]

I think the choice of mixers really depends on what you want to use it for. The tilt head is great for mixing up batter, cookie doughs, mashed potatoes, etc.....but it's horrible for bread kneading. With a tilt head, the bowl gets locked tight into the screwing mechanism so it's almost impossible to take off.

Also, the ones with a tilt head actually have a SMALLER capacity than the lift-bowl models because the head of the mixer is actually lower into the bowl....if you look at the attachments, they're all much shorter than the lift-bowl models. There's an additional few inches of unusable space at the top of the bowl. This makes for less capacity for batters, and this is horrible for doughs.

[Comfort Me]

If I might say a word in support of the KA 6 qt. Pro. It is not ideal for many pastry applications -- especially whipping a small amount of cream or beating two egg whites. Large volumes of cake batters and cookie doughs do well, however, and it does a wonderful, wonderful job with bread doughs. My work is breads or large cake jobs. I knew when I bought the machine that it would not be appropriate for small volume jobs -- so if I need two egg whites beaten to stiff peaks or one cup of cream whipped, I do it by hand or with a hand-help beater.