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Adventures or misadventures of a Hotmix Pro owner


Franci

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So, here I am owning a Hotmix Pro Gastro. I started with the wrong foot already. I got a machine and after 20 seconds of use, I got a message of Code 007, already change the fuse??? Did it but blade where not working. I sent it back.

I finally got a new machine.

5904f6777add1_hotmixmachine.thumb.jpg.ccea56394b90121d560927b02e9bc7ce.jpg

There is a whole book of recipes already saved in the machine. You just need to access to the right program and select your recipe and follow the ingredients in the order listed, then press start.

 

I picked the recipe #12 in dessert, that is pastry cream. If you see in the top right corner of the screen 2 steps are listed. Step 1 is to drop all the ingredients and press start to go to the following step that is cooking the cream.

5904f679d2e25_pastrycream.thumb.jpg.4a6f359df25456a1aeeb645f15c6649a.jpg

 

That wait temperature function tells you that the cream is going to get to a certain temperature, in case of pastry cream it is 84 C and hold it there for the time you select.

5904f74473c7a_temperaturapastrycream.thumb.jpg.33c88433dc4f3de8427fc9cf2338fdb0.jpg

 

So, by pressing the temperature icon on the display that you see, it came out 84C that should be the cooking temperature of the cream. My problem is that I don't think I never went from step 1 to step 2 and the temperature never got warmer than 69 C and it actually reached 69C  just because I played with it.  I just think that the program never got to the next level and just pressing start after introducing the all ingredients, all it did was to start the blades and the paddle and the temperature increase was too slow. I got fed up and tried to increased manually but I got to 69C and that's it.

Then I pour everything in a pot on the stove to thicken and only after it got thicker I  poured the cream back in the hotmix to whip until got cooler and shinier.

 

Now I'm ready to unlock all the secrets of this machine because, on paper it's all very cool but still need to figure things out.

 

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Rotuts, I bought it for work. I want to make sure my  eggs are fully pasteurized without having to worry or spend too much time on it but, since I have it, I'll experiment. It looks so more cool than the thermomix. BTW, I think I am wrong about the steps. I just don't know why it takes so long to go to high temperature. I'll try now caramelization of sugar to see if it reaches the temperature.

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No worries !

 

I knew this was for your business !

 

yes   way more cool !

 

and is cools !

 

One that can mix up to 16’000 rpm, cook up to  +190°C (+374°F), and even cool down to -24°C (-11°F)

 

http://www.hotmixpro.com/hotmixpro-overview/

 

there is also a twin !

 

http://www.hotmixpro.com/hmpro-model/hotmixpro-twin/

 

all joking aside

 

nice.

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I poured in the sugar and the water and pressed start.

 

590506bd0a39f_PAB6.thumb.jpg.84389408b01f0f9c80598bfd3cba7672.jpg

 

Started at 26C. Now 20 minutes later is still at 46C...really??? if I hit the temperature icon it shows 100C temperature that the syrup should reach (but was not 121C for pate a bombe?).

Worst come worst I'll call Italy on Tuesday.

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Definitely me still missing something. I tried the caramelized sugar at 120 C, in the extisting recipes. So, just pour sugar and hit start but temperature didn't go up to the level it was supposed to.

 

Then I went manually: time 5 minute, temperature 100 C and start and it got there very fast. So maybe it's not so automatic but need to add time...ahh. It's going to take a little...

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I hate to say this, but did it come with an instruction manual or is everything done on screen?  I'm wondering if there's a button you need to hit between to steps, to let it know that you completed that step.  For instance, it tells you to add sugar - so then it has to wait for you to do that, and then receive a command that it's been done.  Then it tells you to add water, and wait again for the command to tell it that the water was added... etc etc..

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On 4/30/2017 at 7:54 AM, KennethT said:

I hate to say this, but did it come with an instruction manual or is everything done on screen?  I'm wondering if there's a button you need to hit between to steps, to let it know that you completed that step.  For instance, it tells you to add sugar - so then it has to wait for you to do that, and then receive a command that it's been done.  Then it tells you to add water, and wait again for the command to tell it that the water was added... etc etc..

Yes, there is a manual but didn't help too much.

Today for example I didn't use a set recipe. I only wanted to whip my eggs and sugar to 80C, never reached 80, when it got to 68C actually the temperature started to decrease. Then went into the pulse mode and I didn't manage to take it off. I'm a little frustrated. Tomorrow I'll call Italy, today is labour day there, and see if I can troubleshoot.

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@Franci I do not know anything about the machine you have acquired, but what you appear to be experiencing is a problem I have often come across with washing machines and microwave ovens manufactured in 220/240 volt 50Hz ac countries where they have tried to convert the machine to the US voltage and 60Hz electrical systems by simply using a different transformer to supply the unit with the required voltage. Unfortunately, the digital circuitry was designed to run on 50 Hz and not the 60Hz used in North America. Most digital controllers cannot handle the frequency difference and need to be specifically designed for the change. It screws-up motors, digital processors and other functions necessary for the efficient running of the machine.

 

What you are experiencing is exactly what I have experienced putting microwave ovens into yachts on a 220/240 volt 50Hz generation system - everything works brilliantly until you arrive in North American waters and plug into the mains via a step-up transformer. You change the 110volts ac to 220volts ac but the frequency also changes from 50Hz to 60Hz. Microwave ovens and their digital controllers cannot handle it and you get temperature, motors and timers going wrong and often totally failing.

 

Just something to mention to the Italian engineers when you speak to them.

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  • 2 weeks later...

A little update.

This is crazy. Yesterday I was on the phone with Hotmix Italy. So, following their instructions, I put water to the first level of the carafe (1L), selected the first speed and then temperature to 100C. The machined reached 100C. I repeated numerous times and each time took a different time, I supposed if the machine is still hot makes a difference. First time it went to temperature in almost 11 minutes. I also tried with milk. 500 g, reached temperature in 6 minutes and 29. I tried again with the pastry cream. At 25 minutes was still at 65C, I selected 84C.

Also on the other side of the phone were saying that it's crazy. I don't understand how this is possible. Next week we are doing a video call...

Edited by Franci (log)
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Sounds like you got a Friday afternoon unit. 

 

Or gremlins. 

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"Not knowing the scope of your own ignorance is part of the human condition...The first rule of the Dunning-Kruger club is you don’t know you’re a member of the Dunning-Kruger club.” - psychologist David Dunning

 

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@Franci  

 

very interesting.   did you ask them about the 60 Hz  vs the 50 Hz , the cycles / second of the power supply ?

 

Im interested in their response.  Im assuming the ' chips ' inside the machine were designed for 50 Hz.

 

Im betting you have a defective machine and I sure hope they replace it if so hassle-free.

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@rotuts, I think you were spot on regarding the power differences and how that might be affecting the performance, but nitpicking-wise I think the "chips" were probably designed for low voltage DC and it's the power supply that is designed to deliver it.

 

p

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On 5/12/2017 at 7:30 AM, Franci said:

A little update.

This is crazy. Yesterday I was on the phone with Hotmix Italy. So, following their instructions, I put water to the first level of the carafe (1L), selected the first speed and then temperature to 100C. The machined reached 100C. I repeated numerous times and each time took a different time, I supposed if the machine is still hot makes a difference. First time it went to temperature in almost 11 minutes. I also tried with milk. 500 g, reached temperature in 6 minutes and 29. I tried again with the pastry cream. At 25 minutes was still at 65C, I selected 84C.

Also on the other side of the phone were saying that it's crazy. I don't understand how this is possible. Next week we are doing a video call...

 

I'm not sure this is the answer to all of your problems but:

1 Water has the highest specific heat, i.e it will take more calories to raise the temp. 1 degree in water than other liquids such as the fat in milk and pastry cream.

2 If air is incorporated into the liquid as would be more likely in milk and pastry cream it would take even more calories to raise the temp 1 degree, therefore more time.

 

However it should take the same amount of time to raise the temp. 1 degree in the same volume of the same liquid every time.

All of these assume the same starting temp. and volume.

Edited by boudin noir (log)
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On 5/2/2017 at 0:02 AM, JohnT said:

@Franci I do not know anything about the machine you have acquired, but what you appear to be experiencing is a problem I have often come across with washing machines and microwave ovens manufactured in 220/240 volt 50Hz ac countries where they have tried to convert the machine to the US voltage and 60Hz electrical systems by simply using a different transformer to supply the unit with the required voltage. Unfortunately, the digital circuitry was designed to run on 50 Hz and not the 60Hz used in North America. Most digital controllers cannot handle the frequency difference and need to be specifically designed for the change. It screws-up motors, digital processors and other functions necessary for the efficient running of the machine.

 

What you are experiencing is exactly what I have experienced putting microwave ovens into yachts on a 220/240 volt 50Hz generation system - everything works brilliantly until you arrive in North American waters and plug into the mains via a step-up transformer. You change the 110volts ac to 220volts ac but the frequency also changes from 50Hz to 60Hz. Microwave ovens and their digital controllers cannot handle it and you get temperature, motors and timers going wrong and often totally failing.

 

Just something to mention to the Italian engineers when you speak to them.

I have had similar problems with European appliances used with a step-down transformer (not one of the simple converters).  

Toasters take longer to toast bread, a rather simple procedure.

Mixers don't work at the "posted" speed.

The Thermomix works fine but it was "reengineered" for the Canadian market.  Ones that come straight from Europe and have to be used with a step-down transformer also behave oddly.  

 

I have a "Vintage"  Teasmade from England  that has not been converted to 110  and while it works, the water does not get as hot as another one that was rewired for use in America.  The light is also dimmer than it should be.

 

"There are, it has been said, two types of people in the world. There are those who say: this glass is half full. And then there are those who say: this glass is half empty. The world belongs, however, to those who can look at the glass and say: What's up with this glass? Excuse me? Excuse me? This is my glass? I don't think so. My glass was full! And it was a bigger glass!" Terry Pratchett

 

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While not currently for culinary use, I have a drill press from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg that works perfectly in the US with a converter.  I suspect it depends on the internal electronics of the appliance in question.  Possibly also with the quality of the converter.

 

Cooking is cool.  And kitchen gear is even cooler.  -- Chad Ward

Whatever you crave, there's a dumpling for you. -- Hsiao-Ching Chou

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10 minutes ago, JoNorvelleWalker said:

While not currently for culinary use, I have a drill press from the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg

 

How many of us can say "me too"?

Edited by gfweb (log)
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14 hours ago, boudin noir said:

 

However it should take the same amount of time to raise the temp. 1 degree in the same volume of the same liquid every time.

 

All of these assume the same starting temp. and volume.

 

 

@boudin noir I repeated the experiment of bringing water to 100C different times, each time at the same 1L mark. I tried to use cold tap water to start, it might have been a slight difference each time and the base of the machine might have been a little warmer. But each time I took a different time and sometimes I've been minutes!

The funny thing about the pastry cream is that at a certain point the temperature starts to go down, without reaching the set temperature. This never happened with water.

 

I want to clarify that this machine doesn't have a transformer but has been reengineered  for the north American market

 

hotmix.JPG.0023fcb67bb4a49216a1ee47eabe5ac1.JPG

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@Franci 

did you ask them in Italy about the ' chips ? '

 

I think Id bet [ not too much ] that you need a new machine.

 

ps   the DrillPress from The Lux is probably just a motor and some belts.  no chips .

 

just my offering.

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