Mixer Recommendations

[The Nid Hog]

Somehow, my wife and I have squeezed a couple of decades out of an old mixer that she got from her mom's kitchen when we got married. It just isn't doing the job anymore and we'd like a new one that's more versatile. I could imagine a nice KitchenAid with a pasta attachment, maybe one for grinding meat, etc. etc.

Any recommendations on a good one?

What about a good place to get one? I would never say no to a deep discount or a good sale.

[Edcculus]

You really can't go wrong with a Kitchen Aid. I like the larger bowl lift models rather than the tilt head ones. I use the mixer a lot though, so I guess volume and frequency will determine size and style (read - how much you want to spend).

If I had the money, I would own a Hobart though.

Before we got married, my wife owned a cheap Sunbeam head lift mixer. We wore that thing out in 6 months of bread making.

[DFrancis]

My Mom has a Kitchen Aid mixer that is about 10 years old now and she loves it. I believe she has the pasta and grinder attachments and is quite happy with them. I also believe Costco carries the mixer.

[BobS]

We have had a KA since 1984 and it gets a pretty heavy workout. Last year it started making some noise and I took it in and had the gears cleaned and repacked with grease and it is just like new. The rework cost $75, I think.

Bed, Bath & Beyond has some good discount coupons at 20% off any single purchase and you can sign up, on-line to get them.

http://app.bedbathandbeyond.com/prefs/pref.cfm?promo=Y?

It looks like ebay has some pretty good deals and you might want to try Craigslist.

If you are interested in making bread, I would be sure to get one of the newer models that has the "cork screw" style dough hook rather than the older "C shaped" hook. It is not a simple matter of buying a different hook, because the bearings in the motor are designed differently to handle the upward thrust from the new design.

Good luck.

[damooshki]

Another vote for the Kitchen Aid. We got the large one with the lift head as a wedding present and really like it. My wife bakes quite a bit and the 'cork screw' dough kneader does indeed work very well. I don't think you could go wrong with any of the Kitchen Aid models though. If you do have the money, the Hobart is tops. My wife worked in two bakeries and every time she sees a Hobart mixer she tells me that she's used them and how great they are.

[Phog Allen]

We have a Kitcheaid 'professional' 5 quart lift bowl model that has served us well for over ten years now. It is not used heavily but I am not gentle with it when making bread dough.

If you go up in quality/price from there it is going to be significantly more expensive. Saying that, if you click on the Hobart link posted above, you will see the wonderful little N50. We have one in one of our small dormitory kitchens. It is decades old. And nearly bulletproof. Be prepared though, nothing with the name Hobart comes cheap. The N50 is about $1500 new. I don't know if you would have luck finding one at a restaurant supply house that deals in used and traded appliances. I doubt it would be "cheap" even if that meant half price. The N50 is going to be hard to locate used since most bakeries use 20 quart countertop* Hobarts or forty or sixty quart floor models. All those are pretty well beyond even the most serious home baker. Very pricey. The N50 is usually bought by someone who uses if for a couple of specific purposes. They aren't getting rid of them unless the business folds or it dies.

Saying all that, I would drop the money on one in a heartbeat if I had the income to allow it. I cannot begin to describe the difference in heft and build quality between it and my Kitchenaid. In complete fairness to the KA, it is NOT even considered commercial quality despite the ridiculous "professional" emblem on it. The Hobart is most assuredly commercial quality. And you WILL pay for it. If I can swing by next week I will measure and try to weigh the N50. It is a tank but certainly small enough to sit on most kitchen counter tops.

There is another option out there as well. I have seen some Bosch mixers referenced on the web before and they seem to enjoy a VERY devoted following. I know nothing of their use though. Again, I cannot fault my Kitchenaid one bit.

Regards, Todd

*I couldn't help but put and asterisk beside "counter top". Those 15 and 20 quart models may sit on counters but they weigh over 100 pounds and will most certainly NOT fit under your upper cabinets. They more like sit on a roll around cart. I just get a kick out of Hobart calling them counter top models.

[Phog Allen]

Hey guys. It just dawned on me to follow the Hobart link looking for specs and I was not disappointed. Sure enough, they have a link to PDF spec sheet and about half way down I found the sizes. It stands around 17" tall overall but weighs FORTY FOUR POUNDS. This is significantly heavier than my Kitchenaid. And it confirms my thoughts on the one we have at work. It is a bulldog of a little mixer. Oh by the way. Hobart now has these in five or six colours. Our is the standard battleship "Hobart grey" like they all used to be.

Regards, Todd

[Alacrity59]

I bought a Kitchenaid Artisan about 5 or so years ago. It came with three pasta making attachments. It is very heavy vs. the mostly plastic machine that my mother used for about 30 years. (Mom's was more akin to a hand blender on a stand . . .but she must have made hundreds of cakes with it)

Some moan about the post 1986 Kitchenaids. This is the year that Hobart stopped making them and sold the company to Whirlpool. Apparently there have been more problems with heavy use now that the gears are not metal.

Lately I've been using mine to make pizza dough . . . a Peter Reinheart recipe that I found based on comments here. Before this I made a similar recipe by hand but the Reinheart recipe has the perfect quantities that work in my mixer. I also think it is great for making the shortbread recipe I posted here last year which has become a Tradition now at my house . . . it a second year makes a Tradition.

Mike

[maxman]

We have a KitchenAid Ultrapower mixer and it serves us well.
SWMBO sells bread and the mixer is being used constantly.
I think this year we are going to have to move up to an industrial one like a Hobart. But for the average person and even those who sell baking, the KA is definitely a solid machine.

We have the pasta attachment and the grinder/pasta attachment. They work very well.

[Captain Pete]

Kitchen Aid; but get the 375 watt model if you plan to use it more than just occasionally, and especially if you plan to use if for bread dough.

[Sullybob]

We have a Kitchen Aid and it see's a good amount of use. It was a gift to my wife. If I was going to replace it I would look for a used Hobart or another Kitchen Aid.

[Sullybob]

After doing some searching for the 5 qt Hobart mixer the lowest price I can find on line is just under $1900. With that new little tidbit of information I would get a Kitchen Aid unless I could find a used Hobart for well under the thousand dollar mark.

[winkydink]

I have a KitchenAid 6qt (the bowl moves up and down - head is stationary) that has served me very well for about a decade now.

[Phog Allen]

Shawn, that is the trouble with the Hobart. I am all for a "buy it once, use it for decades" type of mentality. However, there comes a breaking point when you ask yourself whether you will actually use the device enough to even remotely offset the price. Sadly for me the answer is; not even close. I love to bake and daydream about making beautiful artisan loaves on a weekly basis. However, day to day life takes over, income levels slap you back into reality, and you come to the conclusion that it is a VERY big investment. I cannot justify it. Now, if a grand spot of money fell into my keeping, say from the lotto, then I would do it in a heartbeat. Another brand we seem to overlook here is Electrolux. They have a superb reputation and are in the $550-700 range.

Regards, Todd

[Sullybob]

Todd, I'll have to look at the Electrolux mixers.

I can't justify the price for the Hobart unless I was making money by selling breads and pastries made by it. I have used a Hobart at work and loved it. But for home use I can't see the Hobart being better then say 6 Kitchen Aid mixers.

[Prince]

A Kitchen Aid is a must for our house. Hard to think there is anything better for the same price. Very nice quality.

[Deltaboy]

Get the Industrail KI and it will be the last one you buy.

I have my Grandma's and she got it 1972.

[steammaker]

I have the KA Professional 650 and love it. I have the pasta rollers and have a great time making pasta now which I hated with a hand crank. Don't get the pasta extrusion unless its the William Sonoma model.

[smarttowers]

If you are looking for a great deal on a Kitchen Aid mixer sign up at slickdeals and setup a notification for when someone posts a Kitchen Aid deal.

I have seen the 6qt professional version down to the $220 mark from Kohl's usually. If you don't need it immediately you can really save a bundle on them.

Good luck, we have a re-manufactured version of the warehouse club version. It has worked well for us but I believe the gear housing may have a issue since it sometimes leaks oil through the attachment port.

If your looking for it right away amazon has one in Pearl Metalic for $272.74 after a $40 Mail in rebate.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00...6974448&sr=1-3

[Ethan.Bassist.]

Dude, KitchenAid all the way. I believe my parents got one when they got married and that was 20 something years ago.