Stand mixers

[Jackie]

I've never owner a stand mixer. What do I want?

 

It needs to be easy to use and clean. It will be primarily used for cookie dough and kneading bread dough. Price isn't a big issue. It needs to last - all my appliances seem to be breaking lately!

 

KitchenAid seems to be what I see everywhere. If you recommend that, which line?

[cjzimmer1]

For kneading bread dough, I think the Bosch is a better choice, especially if you want to make whole wheat dough.  Mine can mix 5 loaves of whole wheat at a time. The kitchen aids are not made like they used to be and I wouldn't rely on one to do the kind of heavy mixing I need.

[pink&bluemommy]

I have a Bosch too and love it (killed a kitchen aid kneading bread dough, an artisan). I like my Bosch for cakes and cookie dough too (some don't like the Bosch for those).

[KatieJ]

I am in the Bosch mixer camp.  My DD and DIL all have Kitchen aid, and while they are fantastic for some things, they will not do bread like a Bosch will.  Small batches of anything are fine in the Bosch, but work better in the KA I think.  Larger batches of cookies mix well in the Bosch.  Easy to clean, easy to add flour to, unlike the KA.

I love mine.  My Mom's is over 30 years old and stil going strong.

[redsquirrel]

I have a Kitchen Aid and it works just fine. I have never needed to knead 5 lbs of bread at a time, lol. I have to imagine that the Bosch is really big to hold that much dough?

 

I use my KA quite often. I mix cookie dough, usually in double batches, cakes, bread (2 loaves), my super thick brownie batter, and lots of other things.  If I am cooking in bulk I use my KA to mix any large batch of stuff.  I also use it to whip cream and have made butter in it for the kids.

 

I have what is prob the cheapest one. My mom has a bigger one, where the bowl lifts up to meet the mixer. I don't think it works any better than mine.

[KungFuPanda]

I've been happy with the plain white Kitchenaid Artisan for years. (Maybe 8 years?) It meets my needs. I probably use it once or twice a week. There are only four of us, so I'm usually only baking one or two loaves of bread or a single cookie recipe. I've even committed the mortal sin of dumping a cake mix in there. I also use it to shred meats, mix meatloaf, and to make meringue and whipped cream. It works much harder around the holidays and she i have company. I put the bowl and attachments in the dishwasher. I have a small family and we just don't eat loads of bread or baked goods, but we do like the good stuff when we have it :-)

[Jackie]

I'll do some more comparing between the two brands. We're a family of three, so a double batch of cookies or 1-2 loaves of bread is usually all we do at one time. I don't need a lot of power, but more than my 12-year old hand mixer is giving me! And my food processor just died, so I'll use the stand mixer for breads, most of which are whole grain.

 

Any others I should look at?

[redsquirrel]

you've been using a hand mixer?  Oh man, you are gonna flip when you use a stand mixer :lol:

[KungFuPanda]

Back when I used a hand mixer I'd make my daughter hold it for me. When she was about 8, she told DH I wanted a stand mixer for Christmas and he got it that year. She's both smart and lazy.

[NASDAQ]

I use a commercial mixer.

 

If I had to get a home mixer, I'd get a Kitchen Aid from when they were still made by Hobart. The newer ones don't hold up to regular bread kneading. If that's what you want.

 

If you want to do cakes, anything can do it.

[Ellie]

Love my Bosch. :-) It's over 20yo now and going strong. Cookie dough and enough dough for five loaves of whole wheat bread...easy peasy.