Got Dorie's Baking book – do I need a stand mixer?

[rgruby]

Dorie herself suggests that most of the recipes can be made without one (marshmallows was one she mentioned).

But I don't have a hand held mixer either. So, it's probably going to be one or the other.

So, while most of the recipes can be made without a stand mixer - that doesn't mean they aren't such a pita without using one that you'd try with a hand mixer once and vow never to make it again until you have a stand mixer. If you know what I mean. Which may not be the case given the mess that sentence is.

And, not owning a stand or even hand mixer, you can probably guess I don't do a lot of baking. That isn't likely to change a whole lot no matter what I end up getting. So, small batches, fairly infrequently. I have made my own bread in the past. Usually kneaded by hand, although getting some arthritis now so that may be an issue in the future.

I will also say that I did look into the stand mixers on the market about a year ago (thanks Andie!) but really couldn't tell whether any of them would do what I want. (Baking plus small - 1 to 2 loaves - of bread dough.)

So, if I can rule out making the recipes that call for a stand mixer and I decide that I can keep making bread by hand, is there really any reason for me to pick up a stand mixer?

And a further question - didn't most of the baking techniques that would use a stand mixer exist before they came into being? I know that the mixer makes things easier, but for how much are they actually essential?

Thanks,

Geoff

[HungryC]

You can certainly get a tremendous amount of baking done without a stand or hand mixer. That said, I use mine plenty. You can allow the mixer to do its thing while you line pans with parchment, preheat the oven, or load the dishwasher...you'll never cream butter & sugar as thoroughly by hand as the mixer will achieve...your arm will get mighty tired if you try to make Italian buttercream or marshmallows by hand. Yes, it can be done, but it's more physical labor than most of us enjoy (even on an occasional basis).

RE: needing a stand mixer for bread; as of late, I'm stuck on high-hydration doughs that are stretched & folded, not kneaded, so I use my mixer less for bread than for sweets/pastry.

[Katie Meadow]

My husband bakes bread (he likes kneading)and makes a mean pie dough and we make relatively simple cakes or baked desserts without a stand mixer. I've often flirted with the idea (they look so lovely!) but considering how often we would really use it, I keep balking.

Most hand held mixers are pretty junky, and believe me I've been through many of them; I find a hand mixer invaluable for whipping egg whites, cream, creaming butter and sugar, etc. Finally I bit the bullet and bought one that was a little more heavy duty, the Viking. I like it a lot and it seems worth the extra $25 that it cost above most other basic hand mixers. Perhaps if you had a good hand mixer and used it for a few months it would be easier to decide how much you really want a stand mixer. And if you do decide to invest in a stand mixer, for smaller jobs you would still be glad you owned the hand one. The hand mixer thread here was very helpful to me.

[Lindacakes]

You don't need a stand mixer, or even a hand mixer.

I didn't have either for years and years and did just fine. I think it makes me a better baker, I have learned more about the cues of texture and color.

I took a pie class with Carole Walter and she was blown away that I'd never cut in butter to flour without using a food processor. I first started using one after I took her class. It works well to cut in butter what a PITA to clean just for that.

If you can enlist someone on your household to cream butter for you, it works just like turning on the mixer and doing something else . . .

That being said, I do have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and a Cuisinart hand mixer. I could go back to the hand mixer quite easily but you want a nice big deep bowl to keep icing off the fridge and the cabinets.

I have also heard good things about the Viking hand mixer.

It is true that you want a stand mixer for marshmallows.

[chezcherie]

consensus seems to be that you don' need one.

if, on the other hand, you are looking for permission, permission granted!

i can't imagine my happy kitchen life without a stand mixer and a food processor. yeah, i'm good with a knife and a mortar and pestle, but the tools make things so streamlined. i enjoy the process more with the tools, and don't mind washing the pieces and parts one bit. i find that theraputic!

[Special K]

I would say get a stand mixer if you can afford it and if you have room to leave it out on your kitchen counter. If it's right there, handy to use, you probably will use it and you'll be glad you have it. But if you don't have room to - or don't want to - leave it out, it'll be such a "pita," as you say, that you won't bother with it. In that case, get a good hand mixer. As with the stand mixer, if you have it and it's easy to get to, you'll use it.

Also, if you do decide to get a stand mixer, do yourself a favor and get at least one extra bowl for it, and switch to one of the new sideswipe or flex edge mixer blades.

[Anna N]

I think it is also worth considering a vintage stand mixer such as a Sunbeam. Kerry Beal and I have seen some amazingly well maintained and sometimes barely used stand mixers in thrift stores for very little money (I am talking $5-$10). For baking they should work fine but they pre-date dough mixing I do believe. Just a thought.

[runwestierun]

If you are getting arthritis you might enjoy the stand mixer. Because it mixes and kneads, and because you don't have to hold it like a hand mixer, you might find yourself doing much more baking than you have in the past because there would be no pain involved. I really enjoy the expandability of the stand mixer's function with attachments, too. I use my pasta roller attachment quite often. I use my extruder for macaroni way more than I thought I would.

I really like being able to make anything quickly and efficiently. I live 20 minutes from the nearest store. If I am out of bread or pasta, I like that I can make it quickly without great effort. Before I had a stand mixer I would have to really psych myself up for a baking project because it was a serious undertaking. Now the mixer sits out on the counter and I can just do it without all the resistance from my inner lazy self.

[rgruby]

I think it is also worth considering a vintage stand mixer such as a Sunbeam. Kerry Beal and I have seen some amazingly well maintained and sometimes barely used stand mixers in thrift stores for very little money (I am talking $5-$10). For baking they should work fine but they pre-date dough mixing I do believe. Just a thought.

Hmmm. that may be worth a look - but I don't really know what I'd be looking for, what brands were quality and which were junk etc. But I guess for a few bucks, might be worth taking a chance.

Although I think I'm going to take the plunge. Probably on a KA. I've decided that the Electrolux/DLX/ whatever its called now is too spendy - at about twice the top of the line KAs here in Canada. Despite seeing yet another thread on here about a KA dying while mixing bread dough. I guess I'll have a look at the Viking and the Bosch as well.

Cheers,

Geoff

[tikidoc]

Think about a Bosch Compact. Similar $$ as a KA but much better mixer. Mine does not even hesitate on a bagel dough that caused smoke to come out of my KA Pro 600. The Compact looks like a toy, but it's a great mixer, and much cheaper than the Universal or DLX.