KitchenAid Professional 600 Mixer

[rgruby]

I'm in the market for a stand mixer.

(Thanks Andie for helping!)

I was kind of leaning towards the DLX/Assistent. It seems pretty well liked for bread making. But, there seems to be some concern about small batches of a loaf or two. And small batches generally. I'm not much a of a baker and up until now I've kneaded by hand. Getting some tendonitis problems in my elbow though.

So, can anybody speak to doing small batches in the DLX/ Assistent?

Thanks!

Geoff

[qrn]

I have a 450 watt 5 qt bowl lift KA commercial that I knead 1100grams (abt 2.5 lbs) of flour at 68% hydration for 10 minutes , with no problems at allfor many,many years,,(sound of knocking on wood...)))I do 4 batches at a session

Bud

[JBailey]

I have both the DLX Electrolux Assistent and the Hobart N50. Both are terrific machines, but the Hobart (which is a workhorse) is climbing out of reasonable price range. By all means consider a DLX. They are designed for mixing and kneeding. If you are doing breads or cookies, there is none better. The DLX did not hesitate on a large batch of springerle cookie dough a couple years ago. I do not necessarily believe they are aimed at whisking, but you can always get a hand-held mixer for those tasks.

[Big Joe the Pro]

I was reading this web page the other day; http://www.davidlebovitz.com/2006/04/inside-kitchena/ that was mentioned in another thread and came across something interesting. Apparently you can call KA and hold the phone up to a working mixer and they can diagnose the problem for you. Of course, if it's overheated and has shut down there's not much to listen to. Anyway, I'd get on the phone to them and see what they can do?

I've had a Kenwood Chef Premiere (their smallest [cheapest] 'full-size' mixer) for about six months now and am pretty happy with it. It kneads together my wet sponges and dry stuff well (about six cups of flour total and corresponding amounts of water), it was always a pain to do that by hand. I've no 'older, better models' to compare it to.

Edited March 29, 2011 by Big Joe the Pro (log)

[Raoul Duke]

Two weeks ago I sent back a KA 600 mixer I purchased at Christmas, for replacement. At the 6 minute mark, at a #2 setting, of mixing pizza dough it started to clunk in a nice steady beat. I was preparing 9 cups of flour for a double batch of dough with the dough hook. They were very gracious about the exchange. This mixer replaced a 400 that I didn't want to test double dough batches on. I would not have repurchased a KA except I have the additional attachments. I've not experienced any heat issues on the 600. We'll see how this one does through the summer pizza/bocce season.

[pastrygirl]

Apparently you can call KA and hold the phone up to a working mixer and they can diagnose the problem for you.

5 or 6 years ago I finally bought a KitchenAid for home use. Seemed silly not to have one, being a pastry chef and all. Got a shiny red 6 quart Professional 5 plus, which I can't stand to use because it is SO FREAKIN' LOUD. Every time I use it, I am incredibly tempted to call KA and attempt to have a conversation while standing in front of it. It has a loud, horrible high-pitched whine that makes me want to leave the house while the mixer is running. I hate my KitchenAid. Why is it so loud? No mixer I've ever used professionally makes such an awful noise.

[paulraphael]

After 8 years i've finally had a problem with my pro 600. I've been experimenting with pizza, and working with stiffer doughs, and yesterday I got some binding and bad noises from the planetary assembly.

 

I'm waiting for a set of snap-ring pliers to show up so I can complete the disassembly and figure out what's going on. So far i have the gear cover open and the worm assembly gears removed and everything on top cleaned up.

 

I'm more impressed with this mixer than I was before breaking it(!) The gears are very high quality and the machining tolerances look better than I expected. After 8 years there is no visible wear anywhere, and the grease is in good shape.

 

I'm not sure what's going down below in the planetary assembly, but clearly that's where the problem is. It's also the part of the mixer that has made inconsistent noises in the past. I may find a worn/broken gear, a worn bushing, or something similar.

 

The best news is that these machines are extremely easy to work on, parts are available everywhere (do some comparison shopping ... prices vary a lot) and there are instructional videos online that show you in about 10 minutes how to completely overhaul them. To save time, I ordered a whole new planetary assembly. It cost about $25. Buying the replacement gears and washers cost about the same amount, so I decided to keep it simple. You need to get a new gasket for the gear housing. About $6 including shipping. If you have an old style plastic housing, you should use this opportunity to upgrade to the indestructible magnesium one. It's a pop-in replacement. 

 

You also need to replace the grease. KA uses and specifies their own food-grade grease (which is probably a Shell product). This is one of the weakest links in the whole mixer. It's a poor quality grease by modern standards. It hardens (which stops it from working) and it separates (which leads to the liquid portion leaking out into your merengue). I upgraded to a synthetic #2 grease called Superlube; there are other similar ones. It's food-grade, odorless, impervious to salt and water, safe on rubber and plastics, is completely stable, and has a temperature range nearly 200 degrees broader than the KA grease. People online have said the synthetic greases makes their mixers run more smoothly and quietly. 

 

People have also reported that they've discovered inadequate lubrication when opening their mixers ... like a top bushing or planetary gear that not been given enough grease, or in some cases that hadn't been greased at all. It's possible I'll find something like this.

 

This is going to be about $75 worth of maintenance after 8 years of pretty hard use. I anticipate that the mixer will run better than new when fixed and packed with the synthetic grease. The most expensive part of this was the snap-ring pliers ... if you have a pair you're set. If you're shopping for them, be careful—most are too big for the rings on the mixer. I'd also suggest getting some good-quality non-toxic degreaser. You want to get everything squeaky clean before putting in the new grease.

 

Overall, I'd say that fixing a pro-600 is a bit easier than working on a racing bicycle, a bit harder than assembling an Ikea coffee table. 

[Darienne]

So now, if you want to change careers, you know you have an 'in' in fixing stand mixers.  I'll keep your name in mind.

[Porthos]

I have a good friend that beats the snot out of her KA 600s mixing stiff scone dough. Her husband is well-versed in repairing them. She upgraded to the commercial version this year. I will ask how it is holding up when I see her.

 

Our 610 needed the speed control slide cleaned up (using contact cleaner) about a year ago (I think we've had  it about 6 years). Other than that it keeps chugging along but except for some cookie doughs at Christmas we don't do heavy-duty stuff with it.

[paulraphael]

2 hours ago, Darienne said:

So now, if you want to change careers, you know you have an 'in' in fixing stand mixers.  I'll keep your name in mind.

 

Ha. I'll just point you to a video. If you can bake a cake you can fix a stupid mixer!

[paulraphael]

Something I just noticed: the motor in the pro 600 is labelled "Ankarsrum," which you might recognize as the Swedish company that makes the Electrolux mixers (which are always getting pitted against the KA mixers in reviews). You might be getting the same motor in each machine.

 

Vitamix switched to a Swedish-made motor a few years ago also. 

[Deryn]

I fear that my 600 won't need repair till the next millennium - when of course no parts will be available. You just reminded me that I have one - which sits idle about 11.99 months of every year. But, I will bookmark this thread .. just in case I ever decide to use it again. I am glad to know that, should I ever need to, they are easy to repair.Thanks.

[Darienne]

I'm with you Deryn on the 'use' issue.  Mine is a Cuisinart, the BIGGEST home unit you can buy, bought by my DH for who knows why, and I use it at least once a year.  Fortunately DH is a fixer type guy and with luck it won't need fixing anyhow...

[Big Joe the Pro]

   Interesting thread.  Please let us know how your repairs turn out.

   The Cuisinart mixers sold in the US are made by Kenwood BTW.  Is that common knowledge?

   I bought the KA Pro 600 here in the States to replace a 220v Kenwood Chef I owned in Asia.  The KA Pro 600 is ok, but the Kenwood is a superior machine IMO.

[paulraphael]

I usually advise people in the U.S. to get KA, and people in Europe  to get Kenwood. If you read a lot of reviews, you find similar strengths and weaknesses among them. But one of the greatest strengths of each is the parts and service network on its respective continent. Hard to get Kenwood service here, hard to get KA service there. My KA project is relatively cheap and easy only because I'm in the U.S.. 

 

I'm aware that the Cuisinart mixer is a version of the Kenwood (as is the viking and I believe the delonghi), but it has not gotten the best reviews here, at least if you're not comparing one of KA's mistakes, like some of their models from the late 90s / early 2000s. I don't know if the Cuisinart is identical to the best models Kenwood sells overseas.

[Big Joe the Pro]

   Yes you are correct.  Parts, service (and price) are all important considerations.  That's why I went with KA here in the States, and it's working out OK so far.

   Besides the fact that I thought the Kenwood was a better mixer, I really like the Kenwood attachments.  I should have just brought the ones I had in Asia back to the States with me, but I didn't.  I sold them along with the 220v mixer.

   Which opens a whole another can of worms; when is the U.S. going to join the rest of the world and go with 220v appliances?

   I was in Sears awhile back and noticed that they were selling Kenwood brand standing mixers.  Anyone know what's up with that?

[palo]

1 hour ago, Big Joe the Pro said:

...Which opens a whole another can of worms; when is the U.S. going to join the rest of the world and go with 220v appliances?

It's not the appliances that's the problem, but rather the house wiring which is universally 120v in North America.

 

p

[MSRadell]

On ‎3‎/‎10‎/‎2016 at 9:47 AM, Big Joe the Pro said:

   Which opens a whole another can of worms; when is the U.S. going to join the rest of the world and go with 220v appliances?

? Why? There's no advantage to 220 V appliances, maybe the rest of the road should join the US and go to 120 V ones, it would make the same amount of sense.

[Big Joe the Pro]

2 hours ago, MSRadell said:

? Why? There's no advantage to 220 V appliances, maybe the rest of the road should join the US and go to 120 V ones, it would make the same amount of sense.

 

I'm too lazy to look it up at the moment, but if memory serves there's only one other country of any size that is 110v besides the U.S.  We're definitely in the minority.

[paulraphael]

19 hours ago, MSRadell said:

? Why? There's no advantage to 220 V appliances, maybe the rest of the road should join the US and go to 120 V ones, it would make the same amount of sense.

 

There's an advantage for things that draw a lot of power, like espresso machines and induction hobs. The assumption with appliances sold in the U.S. is that most houses have at least some 15 amp circuits, so standard appliances are limited to 1800 watts—and then only rarely, because they wouldn't be able to share the circuit with anything. Some heavier duty things come with plugs for special 20 amp outlets. These are one-outlet-per-circuit arrangements that take air conditioner plugs, and can handle appliances up to 2400 watts.

 

In the UK and France, the standard is 230v (it can vary by 10%, so people call it 220), with 13 amp circuits. This means any outlet in a non-ancient building can handle over 2800 watts. So appliances can be made more powerful.

 

Great if you want a professional espresso machine. Irrelevant with mixers, unless you need a Hobart that's big enough to climb inside.

Edited March 12, 2016 by paulraphael (log)

[rotuts]

"""   a Hobart that's big enough climb inside """

 

I almost got one of these at a restaurant liquidation sale.  floor model.  said to be able to whip a single egg.

 

fortunatelly a friend dragged me way before I bid.

 

It would have ended up in the kitchen as " Folk Art "

 

very cool fork art though.

[paulraphael]

All the parts came in and got the beast put back together again. It was unclear what caused the binding, since the only gear wear I found was minor, and none of it was in the planetary housing (which is what was getting stuck). The shaft that attaches the planetary to the gearbox was loose. It could have been that, or it could have been dried grease that assembly. 

 

Anyway, I replaced the slightly worn gears (unnecessary but cheap) and the planetary assembly. Then I gave the machine its big upgrade with the synthetic grease. No chance yet to use it, but unloaded it sounds quieter and smoother than ever. It's nice knowing that I'll never have to worry about the grease separating again from disuse or heat. And I won't have to worry about using the mixer hard when it's cold or has been sitting a long time. At least in theory.

[Big Joe the Pro]

   This reminds me of the extended warranty offer I received from KA soon after buying my unit.  I threw it away in disgust, but if I remember correctly they wanted US $ 500 to cover it for five years?  Can you imagine?  I think I only paid about $ 300 for the thing.  Crazy.  First-of-all, if it breaks within five years it's going straight back to Kohl's.

[Lisa Shock]

On 3/29/2011 at 8:12 AM, Shelby said:

If and when it finally dies, any suggestions for buying a new one?

 

I love my Kenwood 7 qt, mine is one of the ones sold under the DeLonghi brand name about ten years ago. It's powerful. I make big batches of bread dough at least once a week. I also use many of the attachments. It's a powerful continuous juicer, I make carrot juice, and can continuously shred and dice tons of vegetables. I occasionally make coleslaw for 300 with it.

 

This 5qt model is on sale right now. ($249.99)

 

The modern 7qt is very pricey, but, has an induction burner in the base. -And it comes with all the attachments you'd have to buy separately with the 5qt unit. I have used it in cooking classes, it's useful for warming liquids for bread and proofing in a cold room.

[Big Joe the Pro]

   The bowl shape is one main reason I preferred my Kenwood over my KA.  The Kenwood mixed my rustic doughs together much better than the 6 qt. KA.  I always have to stop the KA several times during the first minute or two and 'nudge' the wet starter and dry flour together.  Anyway, it's a minor annoyance.  The KA does a fine job on everything else, and I use it alot.