Stand Mixers 2002 – 2011

[Carole]

It's been a couple of months since the BeaterBlades were mentioned on this thread.  Has anyone bought one?  Tried one?  Liked it?

I am still thinking about purchasing one for my 7 quart Cuisinart, although when making Montelimar nougat a couple of days ago, it did handle two lone egg whites reasonably well.

Any comments on the BeaterBlade? 

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I haven't had any experience with it but you might want to search the KitchenAid stand mixer forum at:

http://forum.kitchenaid.com/forums/default.asp?CAT_ID=4

I saw some postings there by people who had tried it.

[dougal]

It's been a couple of months since the BeaterBlades were mentioned on this thread.  Has anyone bought one?  Tried one?  Liked it?

...

Any comments on the BeaterBlade? 

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http://forums.egullet.org/index.php?showto...dpost&p=1621415

[Darienne]

Thank you, Carole and Dougal

[DCP]

It's been a couple of months since the BeaterBlades were mentioned on this thread.  Has anyone bought one?  Tried one?  Liked it?

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I saw these for sale, then checked out a few reviews and decided against it - seemed like a good idea, but not enough labor savings. Then I got my mom a SideSwipe Blade for her mixer for her birthday, and ended up with it myself since she gave me the wrong size information. Really nice in that it directs the scrapings down into the bowl, so you really are saved from stopping to scrape. Some of the reviews on Amazon.com seem to concur that it's a superior solution.

[Darienne]

I saw these for sale, then checked out a few reviews and decided against it - seemed like a good idea, but not enough labor savings.  Then I got my mom a SideSwipe Blade for her mixer for her birthday, and ended up with it myself since she gave me the wrong size information.  Really nice in that it directs the scrapings down into the bowl, so you really are saved from stopping to scrape.  Some of the reviews on Amazon.com seem to concur that it's a superior solution.

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Thanks, DCP. That's what I needed to read...a personal connection. I think I'll order them when we are back in the USA. One for me and one for a friend with a KA.

[Kim Shook]

This arrived today from amazon:

That's a KitchenAid 600 series 6 qt. in Nickel Pearl. A (rather extravagant) "just because" gift from Mr. Shook . He says that he's doing his part to stimulate the economy ! Jessica is thrilled because it means she gets the old 5 qt. (if she EVER moves out). I am thrilled and can't wait to break it in!

[AmbrosiaFood]

I would hold on to my old mixer if I were you. Just in case this new one does not work out.

[paulraphael]

I saw these for sale, then checked out a few reviews and decided against it - seemed like a good idea, but not enough labor savings.  Then I got my mom a SideSwipe Blade for her mixer for her birthday, and ended up with it myself since she gave me the wrong size information.  Really nice in that it directs the scrapings down into the bowl, so you really are saved from stopping to scrape.  Some of the reviews on Amazon.com seem to concur that it's a superior solution.

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I've seen better reviews for the beaterblade, including this one by a pastry chef who replaced his sideswipe.

Kim, the new mixer looks great. Can I suggest that you break it in slowly? I got advice from some engineering types at KA.com who think this should be their official suggestion. Make a few batches of easy things. Let the gears work in and allow the grease to warm up and distribute itself properly.

These guys suspect that some of the reliability problems come from people setting up a new mixer and throwing triple batches of pizza dough at it.

[DesertTinker]

This arrived today from amazon:

That's a  KitchenAid 600 series 6 qt. in Nickel Pearl.

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It's beautiful, love the Nickel Pearl....

Green with KA envy!!

[Kim Shook]

Thanks, y'all! Paul, thank you especially for the tips. Maybe a couple of cakes before I try to knead bread! I have some cupcake ideas that my daughter wants me to try and that should be nice and gentle!

[baroness]

I saw these for sale, then checked out a few reviews and decided against it - seemed like a good idea, but not enough labor savings.  Then I got my mom a SideSwipe Blade for her mixer for her birthday, and ended up with it myself since she gave me the wrong size information.  Really nice in that it directs the scrapings down into the bowl, so you really are saved from stopping to scrape.  Some of the reviews on Amazon.com seem to concur that it's a superior solution.

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I've seen better reviews for the beaterblade, including this one by a pastry chef who replaced his sideswipe.

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I have the BeaterBlade and am quite impressed with it as well. Does a lovely job of creaming and mixing ingredients without having to scrape once. I've found that The Baker's Catalogue/King Arthur Flour staff really test the items before they sell them, and they've chosen the BeaterBlade.

[Darienne]

I have the BeaterBlade and am quite impressed with it as well. Does a lovely job of creaming and mixing ingredients without having to scrape once. I've found that The Baker's Catalogue/King Arthur Flour staff really test the items before they sell them, and they've chosen the BeaterBlade.

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Thanks for that piece of information.

[Old Timer]

This arrived today from amazon:

That's a  KitchenAid 600 series 6 qt. in Nickel Pearl.  A (rather extravagant) "just because" gift from Mr. Shook .  He says that he's doing his part to stimulate the economy !  Jessica is thrilled because it means she gets the old 5 qt. (if she EVER moves out).  I am thrilled and can't wait to break it in!

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I purchased this same mixer for my restaurant kitchen. It is quite powerful and will take on pretty much any task, although I did find it wobbled a bit when mixing english muffin dough.

I purchased mine from Kitchen Expressions in Michigan City, IN as a rebuilt unit. It looks and performs like new. Paid $239.00 plus tax.

I have since moved up to the Cuisinart SM-55 which is a much heavier and more stable machine. At 800 Watts it plows through anything without hesitation and has a nice wide base.

[prasantrin]

I have since moved up to the Cuisinart SM-55 which is a much heavier and more stable machine. At 800 Watts it plows through anything without hesitation and has a nice wide base.

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This is one of the first things I've read about the Cuisinart from someone who actually owns one!

So I guess you like the machine? A lot of people mentioned the housing seemed cheap and flimsy. Have you had any problems with your machine at all? What are the other pluses? And minuses?

I need to wait another year before I can buy anything, but I still before the Cuisinart over the KitchenAid. It's just that it's difficult to find much info (i.e. reviews) from people who actually own one.

[Old Timer]

I have since moved up to the Cuisinart SM-55 which is a much heavier and more stable machine. At 800 Watts it plows through anything without hesitation and has a nice wide base.

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This is one of the first things I've read about the Cuisinart from someone who actually owns one!

So I guess you like the machine? A lot of people mentioned the housing seemed cheap and flimsy. Have you had any problems with your machine at all? What are the other pluses? And minuses?

I need to wait another year before I can buy anything, but I still before the Cuisinart over the KitchenAid. It's just that it's difficult to find much info (i.e. reviews) from people who actually own one.

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Up until I acquired the Cuisinart, I used KitchenAid exclusively.

Now, I would not go back for anything.

Here is a link to the Amazon Page for this mixer.

http://www.amazon.com/Cuisinart-SM-55-2-Qu...33599061&sr=8-1

You can read all about all the features of the SM-55 and see the 40 customer reviews associated with it. Take a moment and compare the bases of the two machines. You will see that the SM-55 has a wide stance with a low center of gravity whereas the KitchenAid has a lighter narrower base and a higher center of gravity making for a better chance to wobble when mixing heavier doughs.

Also, the KitchenAid puts out 550 Watts power and the SM-55 puts out 800 Watts.

[AmbrosiaFood]

Also, the KitchenAid puts out 550 Watts power and the SM-55 puts out 800 Watts.

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This is a little backwards.

The wattage information is INPUT wattage. That is what comes from the outlet into the appliance. Wattage tells you how much power the mixer USES, not how much is produced.

This information has NO bearing on the actual amount of torque that a mixer produces.

The numbers look good, but they are useless for determining the beater power. I guess that's why home mixer producers use this information.

Commercial mixer producers use HP indicating the torque power of their beaters -- not wattage useage. HP rating is a better determination of beater torque.

[andiesenji]

I have a bit of information about the bigger Cuisinart (7-qt. 1000 watt). A friend who has plenty of experience with commercial mixers, didn't want to wait until the Electrolux mixers were back in stock last fall and having tried my 6-qt KA and finding it did not handle the volume he wanted, opted to purchased the Cuisinart 7-qt.

His most recent remark to me about it was "a whole tree-full of lemons concentrated in this ##### mixer" and the "so-called" customer service is anything but."

He had problems with the dough hook freezing onto the shaft and taking extraordinary measures to get it off. The motor was noisy and the speed control was erratic. (Apparently the "gentle-fold or slow-start" functions cause the problems with the speed control.)

After some acrimonious discussion, he was finally able to return it to the dealer and borrowed a commercial mixer to handle his holiday baking.

He is not at all happy with Cuisinart and has nothing good to say about their customer relations and thinks part of the problem is the people in the call center know absolutely nothing about the product and even less about how to deal with people who have legitimate questions. The best they could advise him to do was pack up the mixer and send it to the service center at his expense and they would "fix" the problem with the dough hook but he would have to understand that any mixer would have problems if "used inappropriately."

I asked him to sign on to eG as a member (he visits occasionally as a guest) and detail his experiences but he declined but gave me permission to relay the above info.

He has since purchased the Electrolux and has given it a test run with some cakes but has not yet put it through its paces with his favorite sourdough or limpa bread (the stuff that killed the Cuisinart). (He is Swedish and has yet to share his incredible limpa recipe with me but I keep hoping that someday...........)

I am also keeping my fingers crossed that the mixer works as well for him as it has for me.

I know it seems to be much less powerful than the higher wattage on the Cuisnart machines but I believe that the way the power transfer works has a lot to do with the way it performs. I'm not an engineer but have only my own experience on which to rely.

I do have KAs and do use them for lighter tasks and they do a terrific job but for bread dough, cookie dough and etc., I use only the DLX/Electrolux.

[paulraphael]

This information has NO bearing on the actual amount of torque that a mixer produces. 

The numbers look good, but they are useless for determining the beater power.  I guess that's why home mixer producers use this information.

Commercial mixer producers use HP indicating the torque power of their beaters -- not wattage useage.  HP rating is a better determination of beater torque.

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Beyond that, the pro mixer manufacturers advertise LOWER wattage as a selling point. And why wouldn't they? It means efficiency. Who sells a car by bragging about worse gas mileage than the competition?

I laugh when I see ads for viking and Cuisinart mixers claiming 1000 watts. That's more than the power consumption of a 20 qt hobart that could purée both of these mixers at the same time!

Edited February 2, 2009 by paulraphael (log)

[dougal]

You can measure power output in Watts. (Its pretty normal outside the USA.)

You could measure the input in Horsepower. In principle, at least.

Check the specification to see whether the figure given is for input or output.

It'd be a mistake to assume that 'watts' must mean that it refers to input. It doesn't.

It could, but it doesn't have to. Check. Ask.

Oh, and power and torque are, strictly speaking, different.

Mechanical efficiency of the mixer design (how much motor output power is needed) varies with the design - this is most clearly seen with different designs of specialist dough mixer. There's also the matter of gearbox versatility and multiple different power takeoffs. The more outputs the less efficiency (higher power loss) is likely.

Commercial tools generally need less versatility than domestic ones. They run many more hours each day. So power efficiency (giving coolness, durability, and energy cost advantages) is a much more important criterion of choice. For the home user, versatility, convenience and purchase price (and even colour) usually have greater importance.

Wattage wasn't the best way of comparing hifi amplifiers. It doesn't mean much more for mixers. But, between different products from the same manufacturer, it might give an indication of relative capability.

However, its not really a helpful measure when comparing products from different manufacturers, which naturally will have somewhat different mechanical designs.

[MSRadell]

Also, the KitchenAid puts out 550 Watts power and the SM-55 puts out 800 Watts.

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This is a little backwards.

The wattage information is INPUT wattage. That is what comes from the outlet into the appliance. Wattage tells you how much power the mixer USES, not how much is produced.

This information has NO bearing on the actual amount of torque that a mixer produces.

The numbers look good, but they are useless for determining the beater power. I guess that's why home mixer producers use this information.

Commercial mixer producers use HP indicating the torque power of their beaters -- not wattage useage. HP rating is a better determination of beater torque.

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OK, let's get back to reality. One horsepower equals 746 watts always has always will. They're just two ways of expressing the same thing. You can have input horsepower(or watts) or output horsepower(or watts) and I'm quite sure that everyone measures the input whether it's in horsepower or watts because that's very easy to measure. Output would be nearly impossible to measure on a mixer or any other kitchen appliance.

[paulraphael]

Check the specification to see whether the figure given is for input or output.

It'd be a mistake to assume that 'watts' must mean that it refers to input. It doesn't.

It could, but it doesn't have to. Check. Ask.

All the consumer mixer manufacturers are expressing input wattage. All of them. None publishes output power.

One horsepower equals 746 watts always has always will. They're just two ways of expressing the same thing...

In the Physics textbook, yes, but in appliances you can't extrapolate anything about output power from input power. Why? Because marketing departments ask the engineers to make machines that draw stupid amounts of power. The evidence is everywhere if you compare specs of home machines to commercial machines.

Output would be nearly impossible to measure on a mixer or any other kitchen appliance.

All commercial machines are rated for output power. Rating in the U.S. is given in horsepower.

[AmbrosiaFood]

I think this will clarify things.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2250/mixe...oks-illustrated

[devlin]

Don't know whether these have been posted, but here're links to youtube demos of both the beater blade and the sideswipe blade.

beater blade

[SugarGirl]

I bought a Delonghi 7 qt mixer a few months ago, and the tines on the whip attachment are breaking at an alarming rate. I mostly make marshmallows and nougat, which I know are hard work for the whip, but I'd love to avoid having to buy a new whip every couple months. Does anyone know if there's a way to reinforce the tines so that they don't break, or to re-attach them if they do?

Thank you!

[andiesenji]

I think this will clarify things.

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/2250/mixe...oks-illustrated

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I wrote to Cooks Illustrated after I read their review of the DLX in the magazine. The plain fact is that it is not easy to compare it to the other, smaller capacity mixers because it does not work the same. However the need to keep referring to the manual gave me a start. It takes about 30 seconds to figure out how to put it together and then one need only determine how long one wants to mix something and at what speed.

The timer is a huge plus for me and I have come to rely on it.

For mixing cake batter, or similar material, I use a KA or even one of my vintage Sunbeams or others in my collection. I have several vintage KAs too but they have glass bowls that are not that easy to replace so I do avoid using them.

One thing about the early KAs that I miss on the "modern" models is the "cutting" paddle - great for cutting fats into dry ingredients. I wrote to KA several years ago and inquired why it was not offered and was told "there is no market for it." I thought that was a bit odd as it seems to me that more people are baking in the home than have been for the previous three decades........