Please recommend a new stand mixer (not Kitchenaid)

[Piglet]

I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer that I am not crazy about. It has its good points, but many things drive me crazy about it - specifically, the amount of flour that shoots out of it and the fact that it seems to labour with a big batch of dough (6+ cups of flour). My dad (the bread baker in the family) needs a new mixer and is asking me for advice, since I love researching these things. I am trying to steer him away from Kitchenaid, but they have such a huge marketshare that it is hard to find recommendations for anything else. Do you have a stand mixer that you love? Currently, he is looking at the Bosch, Hamilton Beach and the Cuisinart. Any others?

Thanks,
Marina

Mommy to
DS1 A 07/14/01
DS2 K 03/10/05
DD1 A 05/08/07

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[egoldber]

Honestly, the KA is the best one out there. What model do you have? The professional one we have can easily handle the dough for a large challah. You can also get a plastic shield which helps tremendously with the flour issue.

[TonFirst]

A friend if mine is a hard-core sourdough baker. She burned through the motors on two KitchenAids one Bosch and is now evangelical about her Viking stand mixer.

I think that KitchenAids are perfect for 99% of the home bakers out there, but for that 1%, I'd recommend the Viking.

[Piglet]

I have the Artisan. I wanted to buy the shield, but was too aggravated with the whole machine to pay more money for it, LOL. Maybe I have a lemon, but I have read other complaints about it as well. http://instapundit.com/archives2/010278.php


Marina

Mommy to
DS1 A 07/14/01
DS2 K 03/10/05
DD1 A 05/08/07

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[katydid1971]

The artisan has their smallest motor, its great if you bake bread once a year and use it for cookies mostly (like me). But MIL bakes bread all the time ( like two times a week) and she has Kitchen Aid Pro 600 (which has almost twice the power of the artisan) and it is great. She burned (literally) through a couple smaller kitchen aids and finally we all pitched in and bought her the big one. Its made a huge difference. She loves it. Plus all the new kitchen aids come with the shield now.
HTH
Sarah

[rgors]

I have to second this. The reason KA has such a large marketshare is that for 99% (as stated below), they work very well.

The Artisan is the lowest line for KA mixers. The pro mixers are awesome. Only caution on the pro mixers is that they are very tall (I think 16.5") and will not fit between a countertop and the wall cabinets in some kitchens. That space is supposed to be 18" high, but if the house has a thick countertop or a "lite rail" on the wall cabinets to hide undercabinet lighting, then often the KA pro mixer will not fit.

[DebbieJ]

Check and see what the King Arthur Flour company is selling. They probably have one that works.

~ deb
DS born at home 12/03
Breastfeeding After Reduction is possible! www.bfar.org

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[fortato]

Marina- it's funny that you posted this today-

Cooks Country Magazine (that came in TODAY) Reviewed a bunch of stand mixers and the KA Clasic Plus came in first, the Bosch Compact Kitchen Machine came in Second and The Hamilton Beach Electrics Stand Mixer was third.


I have a KA Pro 6qt. that I beat to hell... and it has yet to let me down. You might want to contact KA and let them know what's happening... your machine might still be under warranty.

[super_grape]

we bought this one for my mil last year
http://www.amazon.com/Hamilton-Beach-Eclectrics-63221-All-Metal/dp/B000308BUI and she loves it!
she does do a bit of dough making but not too much,
mostly uses it for cakes, muffins, cookies, etc.

sorry, that probably wasn't too much help :P ....
but at any rate she likes it so much that we
will probably go with this one over the kitchen aid
when we are in the market.

[Piglet]

That is the one my dad chose too! After an entire day of checking out every mixer on the market, this one was the one he liked best. It helps that is was $100 off, LOL.

Thanks everyone for your help! Maybe I will see about getting my KA serviced - it seems like it works for so many other people?!

Marina

Mommy to
DS1 A 07/14/01
DS2 K 03/10/05
DD1 A 05/08/07

http://by.lilypie.com/Jz7Qm6/.png
http://b3.lilypie.com/UqL2m6.png
http://b1.lilypie.com/O20wm6.png