Kitchenaid vs. Bosch

[caitlinsmom]

Which do you prefer and why?

 

I am looking at the professional series Kitchenaid and the blender/mixer combo from Bosch. I make a lot of bread, granola, and cookies. I cook most everything from scratch so either way I go the machine will get used.

[Shelly in IL]

I know when I bought my Kitchen Aid Pro, I did so because I preferred the metal machine and I didn't need the 8 loaf of bread capacity. I love my KA. However, my friends with large families love their Bosch. Good luck.

[lllll]

We had a Bosch mixer/blender combo. I liked everything about it except one thing. The whisking beaters connect to the base of the mixer with plastic parts. When I tried to make divinity in it, they got hot and ceased to work. :glare: Major defect in the design. Sad, too, because the rest of it is so well made with nice heavy metal.

 

Also, it didn't seem to be built to handle small anything. It plastered the butter and such against the side of the bowl, unable to be mixed well with the other ingredients. Seems to be built more for large batches - and esp. bread.

Edited February 9, 2010 by ksva

[BlsdMama]

Having owned both the Kitchen-Aid and the Bosch, I would say the DLX. Maybe I'm just whiny but here's why -

 

The Bosch is incredibly powerful. It kneads five loaves of bread without any issue at all which is why I bought it. Having had spent the $$ though I believe it has a serious design flaw and for the $$ I don't think it should have such a flaw. The mistake is that the cone has an opening on the top. And if you make bread often or just sometimes, you'll quickly find the dough gets in there. And it's nearly impossibly to get out. It's disgusting. Beyond disgusting.

 

Nope, if I were to do it all over again (for bread making) I'd get the DLX.

[cjzimmer1]

Having owned both the Kitchen-Aid and the Bosch, I would say the DLX. Maybe I'm just whiny but here's why -

 

The Bosch is incredibly powerful. It kneads five loaves of bread without any issue at all which is why I bought it. Having had spent the $$ though I believe it has a serious design flaw and for the $$ I don't think it should have such a flaw. The mistake is that the cone has an opening on the top. And if you make bread often or just sometimes, you'll quickly find the dough gets in there. And it's nearly impossibly to get out. It's disgusting. Beyond disgusting.

 

Nope, if I were to do it all over again (for bread making) I'd get the DLX.

 

Did you know that you can turn the thing on the bottom of the bowl and the center rod pops right out? I always separate the pieces and throw them both in the dishwasher. Never have a problem with build-up that way.

[Ellie]

I have a friend who owns both. She prefers the Bosch for making bread, and says the difference is obvious. I forget what the difference is; I'll ask her when I see her in a couple of days.

 

I have a Bosch that's probably, oh, 15 years old, or more. I use it for almost everything, including creaming butter and sugar. That's a little tricky, lol, but with scraping the sides it usually works out fine. I also have the food processor attachment, which is fine for the little bit I use it (making mayo, grating cheese, occasional chopping).

[AFwife Claire]

Having owned both the Kitchen-Aid and the Bosch, I would say the DLX. Maybe I'm just whiny but here's why -

 

Nope, if I were to do it all over again (for bread making) I'd get the DLX.

 

I just bought the Electrolux DLX, although I haven't used it yet! I did a lot of research, and it seemed like it was built a little more substantially than the Bosch. I have a close friend with a Bosch who said that if she was ordering today, she would also buy the DLX. But I'll have to let you know what I think after I actually use it, LOL. All this shoveling of snow has meant no time for playing around with mixers!

 

I will say also that I currently have a 5 year old KitchenAid--one of the 6 qt. Professional ones. I find that it just can't handle what I need it to do--make bread, mash potatoes, whatever. I know I am burning out the motor because I can smell it as the motor labors away. It hasn't given up the ghost yet, but it is on its way. Of course, we have 7 kids, so we definitely a need a large-capacity mixer.

[caitlinsmom]

Thanks for the opinions. I looked at the DLX. Wow that is a pretty machine! :) However based on price and needs I am leaning toward the Bosch. I think that in the end the Kitchenaid will be too light of a machine (even at the professional level) for my needs.

 

I keep seeing that the Bosch doesnt handle small tasks well, is this because the attachments fit in the bottom rather than the top like a Kitchenaid?

[Quiver0f10]

I used my KA for years making white bread but when I switched to whole wheat the KA didn't handle it well. I bought a Bosch and LOVE it although I have the same complaint about the inner thngie getting gross. It's a pain to take it apart every single time I make bread.

Edited February 9, 2010 by Quiver0f10

[delaney]

I love my KA pro but I find I need a bigger bowl when making a double batch of CC oatmeal cookies. I don't do bread in it b/c I cheat and use the bread maker/dough cycle. I couldn't live without mine and love it for grinding meat as well. We get 1/2 a cow 2 times per year and all those roasts...ugh. Grind them suckers to ground beef.

[iquilt]

I have had a Kitchenaid Pro for 8 years and I use it at least daily. I use it for all of our baked goods including bread with no problems. Easy clean up, good size, well worth the price all of those years ago. We make home made pizza weekly, granola, bread, rolls, cookies, etc. My Kitchenaid is the only mixer I've used for the last 8 years, however, so I know I am biased.

[AFwife Claire]

I just wanted to say that you can get the DLX from Pleasant Hill Grain for $569 with no shipping costs. That makes it only a little over $100 more than their Bosch price. The trick is that that do not have a link to their DLX page anywhere on their site. Here is the link to the page: http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/electrolux_magic_mill_dlx_mixer.aspx

 

I'm really not trying to sway you! This is just the absolute best price we found for the DLX, but it was not an obvious find, so I wanted to let you know about it!

[Faith]

I've owned both. I had a Bosch first, the one with the blender also. Blender was fabulous. The bowl part was great for double batches of bread. I NEVER, NEVER had a problem with it handling a double batch. I didn't like the center thing for making cakes and cookies. It didn't seem to mix it well. Now, I have a KA pro. I can NOT make a double batch of bread, partly whole wheat. It does NOT handle it at all. My machine shut down last time because it got too hot. Thank God it did end up working after it cooled off. I am somewhat disapointed in the KA as it does not seem to mix the bottom stuff up well. It seems to just scrap the top of whipping cream and the butter gets plastered to the sides of the bowl and there it sits until repeatedly getting scraped down by hand over and over. The KA is easier to clean than the Bosch, to me. The Bosch has more parts to pull apart and clean which did make me not want to use it sometimes.

 

If I was going to make a lot of bread then go with the Bosch. It's well worth the money. If you are only making a loaf or two every now and then but making cakes and cookies more, go with the KA.

 

That being said, I really do miss my Bosch.

[StaceyinLA]

I use it almost every day for everything! I think the blender is great, have the slicer/grater attachment which is awesome, and haven't had a problem with making small batches of goodies OR multiple loaves of bread. IMO, a Kitchen Aid just couldn't handle the bread. My sister has one (she bakes lots of sweets and LOVES her KA).

 

Everyone I know that has a Bosch loves it. I did look at the Electrolux and really liked it, but at the time (Mother's Day a couple of years ago), they were running a great deal on the Bosch with the Nutrimill and I got it all with blender, attachment, and everything (including my Nutrimill) for $550 with NO shipping.

[caitlinsmom]

I just wanted to say that you can get the DLX from Pleasant Hill Grain for $569 with no shipping costs. That makes it only a little over $100 more than their Bosch price. The trick is that that do not have a link to their DLX page anywhere on their site. Here is the link to the page: http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/electrolux_magic_mill_dlx_mixer.aspx

 

I'm really not trying to sway you! This is just the absolute best price we found for the DLX, but it was not an obvious find, so I wanted to let you know about it!

 

This is a great deal.....but the deal I am getting for the Bosch is $350 for the whole get up plus some extra attachments. :) This is why I even started having the dillema. The Kitchenaid was on sale for $307 and the Bosch for $350.

I put the Bosch on hold and will be picking it up this Friday. :D

[Quiver0f10]

I've owned both. I had a Bosch first, the one with the blender also. Blender was fabulous. The bowl part was great for double batches of bread. I NEVER, NEVER had a problem with it handling a double batch. I didn't like the center thing for making cakes and cookies. It didn't seem to mix it well. Now, I have a KA pro. I can NOT make a double batch of bread, partly whole wheat. It does NOT handle it at all. My machine shut down last time because it got too hot. Thank God it did end up working after it cooled off. I am somewhat disapointed in the KA as it does not seem to mix the bottom stuff up well. It seems to just scrap the top of whipping cream and the butter gets plastered to the sides of the bowl and there it sits until repeatedly getting scraped down by hand over and over. The KA is easier to clean than the Bosch, to me. The Bosch has more parts to pull apart and clean which did make me not want to use it sometimes.

 

If I was going to make a lot of bread then go with the Bosch. It's well worth the money. If you are only making a loaf or two every now and then but making cakes and cookies more, go with the KA.

 

That being said, I really do miss my Bosch.

 

 

This is exactly what happened to me. :iagree:

[dsacco]

I think it depends on the TYPE of bread you are making. I can mix up a 3-4 loaf batch of "the master recipe" from Artisan Bread in 5 Minutes a Day in just minutes with my kitchen aid pro and it handles it can cleans like a breeze in no time!

 

During certain times of the year I make about 50 dozen cookies for 3 days straight and it does just fine - never over heats and cleans up quickly between batches! I've had mine now - 10 years? I don't use it every day - but 3-4 times per week (then some weeks I'm really lazy and it will just sit).... I've only asked for the next size up (mine is 5 qt) but I don't have a problem without it!

[AFwife Claire]

This is a great deal.....but the deal I am getting for the Bosch is $350 for the whole get up plus some extra attachments. :) This is why I even started having the dillema. The Kitchenaid was on sale for $307 and the Bosch for $350.

I put the Bosch on hold and will be picking it up this Friday. :D

 

That IS a great deal! I think I would have made the same decision! I think the Bosch is a very good mixer, and I am sure you will be happy and get lots of use out of it. I think you will be MUCH happier than with the Kitchenaid!