I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
What do you like or dislike about yours?

Goomba wrote:
> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
> any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
> What do you like or dislike about yours?

I have a 5qt. It's great for big jobs such as tiered cakes. I use it to make
bread frequently (making bread eventually almost killed the Cuisinart due to
leakage around the stem turning to cement). Having one of those shield
thingies that helps prevent flour from being thrown around is essential.
Things I wish I had: the sausage grinder attachment and an extra bowl. There
are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the appliance
garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not ideal for recipes
that start out by whipping a small number of egg whites or yolks. (5 or more
is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to readily engage the beater).

"Goomba" > wrote in message
...
> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have any
> input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
> What do you like or dislike about yours?

We love ours.

Buy as many watts (power) as you can afford.

I even scored a meat grinder ($5.00 at a rummage sale).

I would suggest the one where the bowl comes up.

Dimitri

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:26:02 -0500, "Janet" >
wrote:

There
>are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the appliance
>garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not ideal for recipes
>that start out by whipping a small number of egg whites or yolks. (5 or more
>is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to readily engage the beater).
>

I just ordered this beater for my KitchenAid...it is new and I have
been seeing posts about it on several food blogs. It is for the 5
quart lift models.

It might help solve part of the problem, at least with egg yolks...

http://www.amazon.com/Design-Beater-...f=pd_rhf_p_t_4

Christine

Janet wrote:
>
> Goomba wrote:
> > I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
> > any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
> > What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
> I have a 5qt. It's great for big jobs such as tiered cakes. I use it to make
> bread frequently (making bread eventually almost killed the Cuisinart due to
> leakage around the stem turning to cement). Having one of those shield
> thingies that helps prevent flour from being thrown around is essential.
> Things I wish I had: the sausage grinder attachment and an extra bowl. There
> are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the appliance
> garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not ideal for recipes
> that start out by whipping a small number of egg whites or yolks. (5 or more
> is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to readily engage the beater).

I have the KA Artisan (tilt-head), and I love it!!! It fits on the
counter under my top kitchen cabinets with no problems, but I think the
KA lift-bowl models are way too tall (for my kitchen).

Having an extra bowl definitely helps too, although the one I have is
smaller and does not have a handle. I think it's a 4-quart bowl instead
of five.

The attachments are especially nice, also. I have the shredder, ice
cream maker, and meat grinder attachments. Thing is, I still haven't
used the meat grinder! My bad.

Sky, who's making cheese straws all this week (ugh!)

P.S. This is when the 20%-off coupon comes in handy at the local BB&B
shop

--
Ultra Ultimate Kitchen Rule - Use the Timer!
Ultimate Kitchen Rule -- Cook's Choice

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:10:12 -0500, Goomba >
wrote:

>I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
>any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>What do you like or dislike about yours?

I don't know what is happening today.... manufacturing. My
machine standard 4.5qt machine is over 23 years old and running like
a workhorse. I make bread twice a week.....and everything
else....but what they are manufacturing today might be in question
with some of the complaints I have read about.

On Tue 16 Dec 2008 05:26:02p, Janet told us...

> Goomba wrote:
>> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
>> any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>> What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
> I have a 5qt. It's great for big jobs such as tiered cakes. I use it to
> make bread frequently (making bread eventually almost killed the
> Cuisinart due to leakage around the stem turning to cement). Having one
> of those shield thingies that helps prevent flour from being thrown
> around is essential. Things I wish I had: the sausage grinder attachment
> and an extra bowl. There are only two real problems with it: it is too
> tall to fit in the appliance garage, so it has to sit out on the
> counter, and it is not ideal for recipes that start out by whipping a
> small number of egg whites or yolks. (5 or more is fine, 1 or 2 is too
> little liquid to readily engage the beater).

Tip from Julia Child regarding beating eggs with the wire whisk
attachment... Place the whisk on the shaft and lower the head into the
bowl or raise the bowl to the beater (depending on the model you have), but
*do not* engage the whisk on the retaining pin on the shaft. It will reach
the absolute bottom of the mixer bowl and will work fine with just a could
of egg whites or yolks.



--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Tuesday, 12(XII)/16(XVI)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Christmas Day
1wks 1dys 5hrs 58mins
************************************************** **********************
Man who get hit by car, get that run down feeling
************************************************** **********************

On Tue 16 Dec 2008 05:44:52p, Christine Dabney told us...

> On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:26:02 -0500, "Janet" >
> wrote:
>
> There
>>are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the
>>appliance garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not
>>ideal for recipes that start out by whipping a small number of egg
>>whites or yolks. (5 or more is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to
>>readily engage the beater).
>>
>
> I just ordered this beater for my KitchenAid...it is new and I have
> been seeing posts about it on several food blogs. It is for the 5
> quart lift models.
>
> It might help solve part of the problem, at least with egg yolks...
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Design-Beater-...rs/dp/B0015TMH
> SI/ref=pd_rhf_p_t_4
>
> Christine
>

I want one of those!

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Tuesday, 12(XII)/16(XVI)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Christmas Day
1wks 1dys 5hrs 53mins
************************************************** **********************
Live as you will have wished to have lived when you are dying.
************************************************** **********************

On Tue 16 Dec 2008 05:35:07p, Dimitri told us...

>
> "Goomba" > wrote in message
> ...
>> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
>> any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>> What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
> We love ours.
>
> Buy as many watts (power) as you can afford.
>
> I even scored a meat grinder ($5.00 at a rummage sale).
>
> I would suggest the one where the bowl comes up.
>
> Dimitri
>
>

I second that.

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Tuesday, 12(XII)/16(XVI)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Christmas Day
1wks 1dys 5hrs 48mins
************************************************** **********************
Another great idea from the man who brought you Beer Milkshake
************************************************** **********************

"Mr. Bill" > wrote in message
...
> On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:10:12 -0500, Goomba >
> wrote:
>
>>I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
>>any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>>What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
> I don't know what is happening today.... manufacturing. My
> machine standard 4.5qt machine is over 23 years old and running like
> a workhorse. I make bread twice a week.....and everything
> else....but what they are manufacturing today might be in question
> with some of the complaints I have read about.
>

I think that would be about the time Kitchenaid took over the mixer
manufacturing from Hobart. I have a Kitchenaid that was made by Hobart and
it's still going strong.

Chris

Goomba wrote:
>
> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
> any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
> What do you like or dislike about yours?

Get the largest one you can afford. We have the smaller one (250 watts)
and often need to divide batches up to avoid straining it. It's only
real drawback is that it has dripped oil for years; still does a little
even now.

The attachments we have for it are the grinder (two plates) and pasta
extruders (which came with the grinder), plus what comes with
ordinarily: dough hook, whisk and paddle, one bowl.

It works fine (nearly 10 years of weekly use) but when it dies, a larger
one will replace it.

Janet wrote:
> Goomba wrote:
>> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
>> any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>> What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
> I have a 5qt. It's great for big jobs such as tiered cakes. I use it to make
> bread frequently (making bread eventually almost killed the Cuisinart due to
> leakage around the stem turning to cement). Having one of those shield
> thingies that helps prevent flour from being thrown around is essential.
> Things I wish I had: the sausage grinder attachment and an extra bowl. There
> are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the appliance
> garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not ideal for recipes
> that start out by whipping a small number of egg whites or yolks. (5 or more
> is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to readily engage the beater).
>
Ah ha. VERY helpful input, thank you! Does your mixer utilize the "bowl
lift" or a "tilt" head? Are the blades/hook plastic or metal?

Dimitri wrote:

> I would suggest the one where the bowl comes up.
>
> Dimitri

Why is that preferable??

On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:08:22 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> wrote:


>I want one of those!

So order one!!!

Mine arrives tomorrow.

Christine

Sky wrote:

> I have the KA Artisan (tilt-head), and I love it!!! It fits on the
> counter under my top kitchen cabinets with no problems, but I think the
> KA lift-bowl models are way too tall (for my kitchen).
>
> Having an extra bowl definitely helps too, although the one I have is
> smaller and does not have a handle. I think it's a 4-quart bowl instead
> of five.
>
> The attachments are especially nice, also. I have the shredder, ice
> cream maker, and meat grinder attachments. Thing is, I still haven't
> used the meat grinder! My bad.
>
> Sky, who's making cheese straws all this week (ugh!)
>
> P.S. This is when the 20%-off coupon comes in handy at the local BB&B
> shop
>

WOW... I'm getting great input here!!
Ok, the thing about the lift bowl versus tilt head makes more sense to
me now. It is only a space saving feature, right??
Extra bowls are a must, IMO. I wish they came with a small bowl though?
To do those smaller tasks.
I was looking to add the ice cream maker and meat grinder but don't need
a shredder. My food processor can do that if necessary? I have certainly
used my Oster Kitchen Center juicer for big jobs, but can just use my
manual juicer tools and save the expense of buying the KitchenAid one
for those rare times.
And the Artisan mixer is on sale at Macy's for $299. and I have a 20%
off coupon, and the store ad says I can get a bonus gift card rebate
also!!! <doing a lil happy dance>
So... I may not have made much of a dent in my Christmas shopping yet
but I found something for myself!! LOL

Christine Dabney wrote:
>
> On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:26:02 -0500, "Janet" >
> wrote:
>
> There
> >are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the appliance
> >garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not ideal for recipes
> >that start out by whipping a small number of egg whites or yolks. (5 or more
> >is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to readily engage the beater).
> >
>
> I just ordered this beater for my KitchenAid...it is new and I have
> been seeing posts about it on several food blogs. It is for the 5
> quart lift models.
>
> It might help solve part of the problem, at least with egg yolks...
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Design-Beater-...f=pd_rhf_p_t_4
>
> Christine

I like it. I'll have to order one, it should fit my Hobart ok, if not I
can always modify it a bit.

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:10:12 -0500, Goomba >
wrote:

>I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
>any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>What do you like or dislike about yours?

I've used a 4.5 qt, 5 qt, and 6 qt. The 6 qt has the solid metal
paddle and dough hook; I prefer the epoxy-coated ones but that's
minor. Personally I like the tilt-head 4.5 qt and 5 qt rather than
the raise/lower the bowl on the 6 qt. Tilting the head is quicker and
easier, and seems more convenient (to me) for adding ingredients.
Speed control is roughly the same on all. I've not used any
attachments.

Our home KA has the bowl without a handle. UGH! Getting that thing
unstuck from the base is very unfun.

KA mixers last forever. My MIL has one that's almost 50 years old, it
still runs fine. Ours is about 20 years old.

I'd like to hear from anyone who has the Viking or Cuisinart 7 qt
mixers. Those are 1000 watt jobs. And if memory serves, the Viking
has infinite variable speed control. Can anyone confirm?

Best -- Terry

Arri London wrote:
>>
> Get the largest one you can afford. We have the smaller one (250 watts)
> and often need to divide batches up to avoid straining it. It's only
> real drawback is that it has dripped oil for years; still does a little
> even now.

I think I've figured out that the 250 watt one, while a lot cheaper, is
probably not the one to get because I want power. On occasion I strained
my Oster Kitchen Center (not often though) and always on those occasions
thought a little extra power would come in handy!

Goomba wrote on Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:10:12 -0500:

> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does
> anyone have any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
> What do you like or dislike about yours?

Functional (ugly as hell) and the earlier ones did not have a handle to
unlock the bowl but they work and work well. They knead dough well and
do all the beating necessary for me.


--

James Silverton
Potomac, Maryland

Email, with obvious alterations: not.jim.silverton.at.verizon.not

Goomba wrote:
>
> Sky wrote:
>
> > I have the KA Artisan (tilt-head), and I love it!!! It fits on the
> > counter under my top kitchen cabinets with no problems, but I think the
> > KA lift-bowl models are way too tall (for my kitchen).
> >
> > Having an extra bowl definitely helps too, although the one I have is
> > smaller and does not have a handle. I think it's a 4-quart bowl instead
> > of five.
> >
> > The attachments are especially nice, also. I have the shredder, ice
> > cream maker, and meat grinder attachments. Thing is, I still haven't
> > used the meat grinder! My bad.
> >
> > Sky, who's making cheese straws all this week (ugh!)
> >
> > P.S. This is when the 20%-off coupon comes in handy at the local BB&B
> > shop
> >
>
> WOW... I'm getting great input here!!
> Ok, the thing about the lift bowl versus tilt head makes more sense to
> me now. It is only a space saving feature, right??
> Extra bowls are a must, IMO. I wish they came with a small bowl though?
> To do those smaller tasks.
> I was looking to add the ice cream maker and meat grinder but don't need
> a shredder. My food processor can do that if necessary? I have certainly
> used my Oster Kitchen Center juicer for big jobs, but can just use my
> manual juicer tools and save the expense of buying the KitchenAid one
> for those rare times.
> And the Artisan mixer is on sale at Macy's for $299. and I have a 20%
> off coupon, and the store ad says I can get a bonus gift card rebate
> also!!! <doing a lil happy dance>
> So... I may not have made much of a dent in my Christmas shopping yet
> but I found something for myself!! LOL

On the slicer / shredder attachment, it will outperform a food processor
if you need larger quantities since it is continuous feed and output. It
may also be a bit better for some foods due to the much slower operating
speed vs. the food processor slicer / shredder plates going 150MPH.

On Tue 16 Dec 2008 06:34:47p, Christine Dabney told us...

> On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 01:08:22 GMT, Wayne Boatwright
> > wrote:
>
>
>>I want one of those!
>
> So order one!!!
>
> Mine arrives tomorrow.
>
> Christine

When I save my pennies. :-)

--
Wayne Boatwright
(correct the spelling of "geemail" to reply)
************************************************** **********************
Date: Tuesday, 12(XII)/16(XVI)/08(MMVIII)
************************************************** **********************
Countdown till Christmas Day
1wks 1dys 4hrs 36mins
************************************************** **********************
This isn't right. This isn't even wrong.--Wolfgang Pauli
************************************************** **********************

Terry wrote:
>
> On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:10:12 -0500, Goomba >
> wrote:
>
> >I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
> >any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
> >What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
> I've used a 4.5 qt, 5 qt, and 6 qt. The 6 qt has the solid metal
> paddle and dough hook; I prefer the epoxy-coated ones but that's
> minor. Personally I like the tilt-head 4.5 qt and 5 qt rather than
> the raise/lower the bowl on the 6 qt. Tilting the head is quicker and
> easier, and seems more convenient (to me) for adding ingredients.
> Speed control is roughly the same on all. I've not used any
> attachments.
>
> Our home KA has the bowl without a handle. UGH! Getting that thing
> unstuck from the base is very unfun.
>
> KA mixers last forever. My MIL has one that's almost 50 years old, it
> still runs fine. Ours is about 20 years old.
>
> I'd like to hear from anyone who has the Viking or Cuisinart 7 qt
> mixers. Those are 1000 watt jobs. And if memory serves, the Viking
> has infinite variable speed control. Can anyone confirm?
>
> Best -- Terry

The current generation KA mixers may not last quite as long. I think
since they split from Hobart they have gradually become more consumer
grade vs. the Hobart N-50 model that's still available if you want to
take out a small loan to buy one.

On Dec 16, 7:35�pm, "Dimitri" > wrote:
> "Goomba" > wrote in message
>
> ...
>
> > I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have any
> > input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
> > What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
> We love ours.
>
> Buy as many watts (power) as you can afford.

Watts is power consumed (affects your electric bill), Watts is not
power produced. KitchenAid mixers (and their ilk) with lower
Wattage ratings run best at lower rpm and produce more power for low
rpm tasks like kneading dough. If most of your mixing is in the
higher rpm range, like whipping, buy a higher Wattage unit... has to
do with the gearing... KitchenAid mixers have no transmission so they
design motors and gearing to accomodate different tasks, costs much
less than a transmission. Naturally they heavily advertise the
Wattage like it has to do with more powerful machines, NOT, has to do
with manipulating the pinheads. Anytime an appliance has a Wattage
rating but no Horsepower rating beware, it's a toys r us appliance.
KitchenAid mixers are not very efficient, most of the wattage consumed
produces heat.... a very expensive way to heat your house... but yoose
gals can use it for a hair drier. LOL

Goomba wrote:
> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers.
> Does anyone have any input on their's? Size? Horsepower?
> Features?

Do not buy a machine just because it's a pretty color and in your
mind's eye looks like something you just gotta display.

Wattage has all to do with power consumed, has not a whit to do with
power produced. With the higher Wattage rated units a greater
proportion of power consumed goes towards producing heat. The first
thing you need to do is decide on for what tasks will you mostly use
your mixer. If like most people you mostly mix cake batter, whip
cream, and those kind of high rpm tasks and you will not be producing
large capacities, then choose the lower Wattage unit with the smaller
bowl (larger diameter beaters consume more wattage, produce more heat,
and diminish shaft power... has to do with overcoming greater torque
resistance at higher fulcrum points). The lower wattage unit with a
smaller diameter bowl is more efficient for kneading dough... although
I don't really see the point in machine kneading so small a volume of
dough as can fit into any KitchenAid mixer... for so small a volume of
dough it's much better to knead by hand, and you'll produce a far
better product as no machine can knead better than the human hand.
For dough kneading the only good reason to own a small stand mixer is
if one is physically handicapped so that they are incapable of
kneading. And then if one is really into producing bread often I
would strongly suggest investing in a dedicated kneading machne, they
much better emulate the motion of the human hand than any silly dough
hook.. the dough hook was developed to conserve the shaft power of
under powered stand mixers, but they do not produce a properly kneaded
dough, they tear down more than they build up. I know you are so
intent on owning a kitchenAid stand mixer that you will totally
dismiss what I'm about to tell you... but you really need is your two
hands for kneading dough and for everything else a high quality hand
mixer... KitchenAid does indeed make a very nice hand mixer. And the
KA attachments, each and every one is absolute crap, they're all very
poor quality toys.

Sheldon wrote:
I know you are so
> intent on owning a kitchenAid stand mixer that you will totally
> dismiss what I'm about to tell you... but you really need is your two
> hands for kneading dough and for everything else a high quality hand
> mixer... KitchenAid does indeed make a very nice hand mixer. And the
> KA attachments, each and every one is absolute crap, they're all very
> poor quality toys.
>
I'm not looking for a mixer for bread. I rarely make it. When I do, I
LIKE to knead it by hand. I want the KitchenAid (with the additional
meat grinder attachment) to replace my Oster Kitchen Center which I use
to mix, whip and most often make large batches of mashed potatoes and
grind meat with. One appliance, multiple uses. I like that. I've been
pleased with my Oster yet they dont make it anymore. The KitchenAid
appears to be a well designed replacement.

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:26:02 -0500, "Janet" >
> wrote:
>
> There
>> are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the
>> appliance garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not
>> ideal for recipes that start out by whipping a small number of egg
>> whites or yolks. (5 or more is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to
>> readily engage the beater).
>>
>
> I just ordered this beater for my KitchenAid...it is new and I have
> been seeing posts about it on several food blogs. It is for the 5
> quart lift models.
>
> It might help solve part of the problem, at least with egg yolks...
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Design-Beater-...f=pd_rhf_p_t_4
>
> Christine

I'm always so skeptical and never buy 'new products.' Will you report back
in a couple of months? I'm concerned about the motor health when using an
after-market product. Thanks
Janet

Sky wrote:
>>
>> Goomba wrote:
>>> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone
>>> have any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>>> What do you like or dislike about yours?
snip
>
> I have the KA Artisan (tilt-head), and I love it!!! It fits on the
> counter under my top kitchen cabinets with no problems, but I think
> the KA lift-bowl models are way too tall (for my kitchen).
>
snip
> Sky, who's making cheese straws all this week (ugh!)
Too tall used to be true. Check the measurements on your space against
existing models. My new lift-bowl fits under my cupboards. The old models
wouldn't.
Janet

Goomba wrote:
> Sky wrote:
>
>> I have the KA Artisan (tilt-head), and I love it!!! It fits on the
>> counter under my top kitchen cabinets with no problems, but I think
>> the KA lift-bowl models are way too tall (for my kitchen).
>>



>
> WOW... I'm getting great input here!!
> Ok, the thing about the lift bowl versus tilt head makes more sense to
> me now. It is only a space saving feature, right??

No. not space saving feature. The older lift bowl models were built too
tall to fit under most kitchen cupboard installations. The current models
do fit under cupboard installations. I have a new model within the last 2
years and it fits. I looked at the lift bowl models about 15 years ago and
they wouldn't fit. It's a matter of how many inches from counter top to
edge of cupboard bottom. My previous model (25 years old and passed on to
daughter) was a tilt head model. I have no objection to either style of KA.
I simply wanted a larger bowl, a bowl with a handle and went for a model
with the most power -- why not?. Most models come with a bowl with a handle
now. I never had any problems with my old KA45's power. I make bread of
all sorts at least once a week and it was up to the job. I just wanted more
room in the bowl for larger bread recipes. The old KA45 was fully capable
of kneading a 7 cup flour bread recipe. As with any machine, you have to
use your common sense. You will find people that say the brand new KA are
no good and they burned out the motor and they burned out the motor on the
old models too. A kitchenaid is not a cement mixer; read the manual and
follow directions. I can't imagine the need for an extra bowl, but perhaps
someone who does more cake baking than I do would need one. The shredder
attachment is a pain. Too large and awkward to store, fiddly to use and
doesn't do as quick or good a job as a food processor. I don't use the meat
grinder attachment. Same reasons as the shredder. I'd rather use a food
processor or a meat grinder designed for the purpose. I have the full
attachment package and I find that every one of the attachments is a poor
substitute for using the proper device for the task. The newer models of KA
have a slow start feature which eliminates flour being thrown around.
Again, if you use common sense, you won't have ingredients tossed back at
you. I don't know about the ice cream maker. I haven't got one and don't
know anyone who does. I have noticed that the pasta maker attachment is
used by Alton Brown, Mario Batalli and others on the Food Network. Alton
Brown has made two shows, one devoted to pasta making and one to sausage
making. He used the KA attachments for each show. HTH
Janet

Sheldon wrote:
although
> I don't really see the point in machine kneading so small a volume of
> dough as can fit into any KitchenAid mixer... for so small a volume of
> dough it's much better to knead by hand, and you'll produce a far
> better product as no machine can knead better than the human hand.
> For dough kneading the only good reason to own a small stand mixer is
> if one is physically handicapped so that they are incapable of
> kneading. snip

Try kneading Carol Field's Coccodrillo by hand. There are bread recipes out
there that are so fluid that they literally flow across the work space. If
all you make is one loaf of sandwich bread ( unless you have a physical
problem) I agree with you. Go ahead and make the bread by hand.
Janet

On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:17:45 -0700, "Janet Bostwick"
> wrote:

>Goomba wrote:
>> Sky wrote:
>>
>>> I have the KA Artisan (tilt-head), and I love it!!! It fits on the
>>> counter under my top kitchen cabinets with no problems, but I think
>>> the KA lift-bowl models are way too tall (for my kitchen).
>>>
>
>
>
>>
>> WOW... I'm getting great input here!!
>> Ok, the thing about the lift bowl versus tilt head makes more sense to
>> me now. It is only a space saving feature, right??
>
>No. not space saving feature. The older lift bowl models were built too
>tall to fit under most kitchen cupboard installations. The current models
>do fit under cupboard installations. I have a new model within the last 2
>years and it fits. I looked at the lift bowl models about 15 years ago and
>they wouldn't fit. It's a matter of how many inches from counter top to
>edge of cupboard bottom. My previous model (25 years old and passed on to
>daughter) was a tilt head model. I have no objection to either style of KA.
>I simply wanted a larger bowl, a bowl with a handle and went for a model
>with the most power -- why not?. Most models come with a bowl with a handle
>now. I never had any problems with my old KA45's power. I make bread of
>all sorts at least once a week and it was up to the job. I just wanted more
>room in the bowl for larger bread recipes. The old KA45 was fully capable
>of kneading a 7 cup flour bread recipe. As with any machine, you have to
>use your common sense. You will find people that say the brand new KA are
>no good and they burned out the motor and they burned out the motor on the
>old models too. A kitchenaid is not a cement mixer; read the manual and
>follow directions. I can't imagine the need for an extra bowl, but perhaps
>someone who does more cake baking than I do would need one. The shredder
>attachment is a pain. Too large and awkward to store, fiddly to use and
>doesn't do as quick or good a job as a food processor. I don't use the meat
>grinder attachment. Same reasons as the shredder. I'd rather use a food
>processor or a meat grinder designed for the purpose. I have the full
>attachment package and I find that every one of the attachments is a poor
>substitute for using the proper device for the task. The newer models of KA
>have a slow start feature which eliminates flour being thrown around.
>Again, if you use common sense, you won't have ingredients tossed back at
>you. I don't know about the ice cream maker. I haven't got one and don't
>know anyone who does. I have noticed that the pasta maker attachment is
>used by Alton Brown, Mario Batalli and others on the Food Network. Alton
>Brown has made two shows, one devoted to pasta making and one to sausage
>making. He used the KA attachments for each show. HTH
>Janet
>
>

Remember, the TV chefs use products that are provided to them, not
necessarily what they would buy for their homes.

The Cook wrote:
> On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:17:45 -0700, "Janet Bostwick"
> > wrote:
>
>> Goomba wrote:
>>> Sky wrote:
>>>
>>>> I have the KA Artisan (tilt-head), and I love it!!! It fits on the
>>>> counter under my top kitchen cabinets with no problems, but I think
>>>> the KA lift-bowl models are way too tall (for my kitchen).
>>>>
>>
>>
>>
>>>
>>> WOW... I'm getting great input here!!
>>> Ok, the thing about the lift bowl versus tilt head makes more sense
>>> to me now. It is only a space saving feature, right??
>>
>> No. not space saving feature. The older lift bowl models were
>> built too tall to fit under most kitchen cupboard installations.
>> The current models do fit under cupboard installations. I have a
>> new model within the last 2 years and it fits. I looked at the lift
>> bowl models about 15 years ago and they wouldn't fit. It's a matter
>> of how many inches from counter top to edge of cupboard bottom. My
>> previous model (25 years old and passed on to daughter) was a tilt
>> head model. I have no objection to either style of KA. I simply
>> wanted a larger bowl, a bowl with a handle and went for a model
>> with the most power -- why not?. Most models come with a bowl with
>> a handle now. I never had any problems with my old KA45's power. I
>> make bread of all sorts at least once a week and it was up to the
>> job. I just wanted more room in the bowl for larger bread recipes.
>> The old KA45 was fully capable of kneading a 7 cup flour bread
>> recipe. As with any machine, you have to use your common sense.
>> You will find people that say the brand new KA are no good and they
>> burned out the motor and they burned out the motor on the old models
>> too. A kitchenaid is not a cement mixer; read the manual and follow
>> directions. I can't imagine the need for an extra bowl, but perhaps
>> someone who does more cake baking than I do would need one. The
>> shredder attachment is a pain. Too large and awkward to store,
>> fiddly to use and doesn't do as quick or good a job as a food
>> processor. I don't use the meat grinder attachment. Same reasons
>> as the shredder. I'd rather use a food processor or a meat grinder
>> designed for the purpose. I have the full attachment package and I
>> find that every one of the attachments is a poor substitute for
>> using the proper device for the task. The newer models of KA have a
>> slow start feature which eliminates flour being thrown around.
>> Again, if you use common sense, you won't have ingredients tossed
>> back at you. I don't know about the ice cream maker. I haven't got
>> one and don't know anyone who does. I have noticed that the pasta
>> maker attachment is used by Alton Brown, Mario Batalli and others on
>> the Food Network. Alton Brown has made two shows, one devoted to
>> pasta making and one to sausage making. He used the KA attachments
>> for each show. HTH
>> Janet
>>
>>
>
> Remember, the TV chefs use products that are provided to them, not
> necessarily what they would buy for their homes.

They turned out a product that seemed to be satisfactory. That's my only
point.
Janet

On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 18:16:25 -0700, Arri London >
wrote:

>
>
>Goomba wrote:
>>
>> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone have
>> any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>> What do you like or dislike about yours?
>
>Get the largest one you can afford. We have the smaller one (250 watts)
>and often need to divide batches up to avoid straining it. It's only
>real drawback is that it has dripped oil for years; still does a little
>even now.
>
>The attachments we have for it are the grinder (two plates) and pasta
>extruders (which came with the grinder), plus what comes with
>ordinarily: dough hook, whisk and paddle, one bowl.
>
>It works fine (nearly 10 years of weekly use) but when it dies, a larger
>one will replace it.

About 15 years ago we bought one of the biggest Kitchenaids (6 quart?)
Whirlpool made. In less than a year the speed control wasn't working
right and it dripped oil down the beater shaft. The idiot at
Whirlpool said that it was normal to drip oil. At that point my
husband got on the phone and asked for a supervisor. They sent us a
new one, the UPS guy waited while we put the old one in the box and
sent it back. The new one worked better, but when my son moved back
to the area and stored my old one (a Hobart) at the house, I promptly
traded.

My old Kitchenaid fit just fine under the cabinets of the house we
purchased new in 1974. Right now it is on a free-standing counter and
the Magic Mill is on the counter under the cabinets. I just measured
and the Kitchenaid would fit just fine under the counter in my present
house. Remember, if you are going to use the tilt-head while it is at
the back of the counter, you will have to have room to tilt the head
up.

On Dec 17, 3:24�am, Goomba > wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> � I know you are so> intent on owning a kitchenAid stand mixer that you will totally
> > dismiss what I'm about to tell you... but you really need is your two
> > hands for kneading dough and for everything else a high quality hand
> > mixer... KitchenAid does indeed make a very nice hand mixer. �And the
> > KA attachments, each and every one is absolute crap, they're all very
> > poor quality toys.
>
> I'm not looking for a mixer for bread. I rarely make it. When I do, I
> LIKE to knead it by hand. I want the KitchenAid (with the additional
> meat grinder attachment) to replace my Oster Kitchen Center which I use
> to mix, whip and most often make large batches of mashed potatoes and
> grind meat with. One appliance, multiple uses. I like that. I've been
> pleased with my Oster yet they dont make it anymore. The KitchenAid
> appears to be a well designed replacement.

Buying a KA stand mixer for its meat grinder attachment is the very
worst reason possible... I won't even dignify it by calling that tiny
plastic toy a meat grinder. You'll be much happier with a dedicated
meat grinder, the Waring Pro is excellent.... even the small Waring
grinder works well but for a few dollars more I'd go with the larger
Pro.

And you cannot mash potatoes with a stand mixer, it can whip potatoes
but it cannot mash potatoes... big difference... if you've not the
strength for actual mashing of large quantities of spuds get yourself
a heavy duty ricer; about $30... effortless and will last forever.
Processing spuds with a stand mixer, because it processes the same
smooshed spuds over and over, by the time you've got all the lumps out
you're already well into library paste.

I don't like multiple use appliances, typically the attachments don't
do anything well. If you really want a pretty KA stand mixer
displayed on your counter so be it but please do NOT buy any of the
attachments, they're all toys... especially that stoopid tiny plastic
meat grinder... folks can eat burgers faster than that toy can grind
meat for burgers, and it really doesn't grind meat, it makes mush
meat.

The new solid state KA hand mixers are powerful and heavy duty beaters
are available for things like cookie dough. For me the KA hand mixer
does everything I'd use a small stand mixer for, does everything well,
and it's easily stored out of the way. Since I bought the KA hand
mixer (about 7 years ago) I got rid of a 12 quart Hobart dust
collector and my ancient Sunbeam stand mixer with its two glass bowls,
both sat around for years, unused. The Hobart was a bargain I
couldn't resist from a neighborhood eatery going out of business, the
Sunbeam was my mothers. The Hobart meat grinder attachment for my 12
quart mixer was a consideration, a nice sized well made unit, but
would have cost as much as I paid for the mixer, and would be just too
clumsy a set up for meat grinding in a home kitchen. And I still
have an old Sunbeam hand mixer, but it doesn't compare to the KA, but
I keep it because it takes so little room, and even that was used more
than my stand mixers. Any hand mixer can easily handle a quart of
whipping cream, merangue from a dozen egg whites, and batter for four
9" diam. cakes... and it's very rare anyone makes those quantities at
home.... no one needs a 5-6 quart stand mixer to beat batter for one
cake. I honestly don't see the reason for a stand mixer in the home
kitchen other than for show... take the $50 you'll spend on that silly
KA toy grinder and put it towards a real grinder. My Waring Pro takes
about 1/3 the space of a KA stand mixer and only weighs about 10
pounds, very easy to move about... sits on a shelf in my little walk-
in pantry, really a closet I comandeered. I don't like clutter on my
kitchen counters. And I still have my old Moulinex grinder, served me
very well for many years, but the next size up Waring Pro is better.
Truth is I bought the Waring Pro for my daughter when seh had the
first grand (she mentioned she wanted to make her own baby food, I
sent her a nice food mill too, she never used it) but she said she'd
never use the grinder and didn't want it... it sat sealed in its
original carton for over a year before I decided to use it myself.
Worked out for the best, had she taken it she'd most likely give it
away when she needed to give a friend a wedding gift or some such, or
she'd find some way to return it to a store for a refund... she
inherited the cheap/trailer trash genes from her mother.

There are built-in home kitchen food centers available but they're a
rather costly gizmo; Nutone/TCC. I wouldn't want one even for free.

http://www.homeproductsinc.com/kitchen-center.html

Goomba wrote:
>
> I'm not looking for a mixer for bread. I rarely make it. When I do, I
> LIKE to knead it by hand. I want the KitchenAid (with the additional
> meat grinder attachment) to replace my Oster Kitchen Center which I use
> to mix, whip and most often make large batches of mashed potatoes and
> grind meat with. One appliance, multiple uses. I like that. I've been
> pleased with my Oster yet they dont make it anymore. The KitchenAid
> appears to be a well designed replacement.

If your Oster is so great why do you want a replacement? Even though
they're not made anymore you can still buy one on ebay, etal. You can
buy the attachments and parts brand new from many sources on the net.

Wayne Boatwright wrote:
> On Tue 16 Dec 2008 05:35:07p, Dimitri told us...
>
>>
>> "Goomba" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone
>>> have any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>>> What do you like or dislike about yours?
>>
>> We love ours.
>>
>> Buy as many watts (power) as you can afford.
>>
>> I even scored a meat grinder ($5.00 at a rummage sale).
>>
>> I would suggest the one where the bowl comes up.
>>
>> Dimitri
>>
>>
>
> I second that.

Me too. Mine does that. (I didn't realize it was optional.)

Christine Dabney wrote:
> On Tue, 16 Dec 2008 19:26:02 -0500, "Janet" >
> wrote:
>
> There
>> are only two real problems with it: it is too tall to fit in the
>> appliance garage, so it has to sit out on the counter, and it is not
>> ideal for recipes that start out by whipping a small number of egg
>> whites or yolks. (5 or more is fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to
>> readily engage the beater).
>>
>
> I just ordered this beater for my KitchenAid...it is new and I have
> been seeing posts about it on several food blogs. It is for the 5
> quart lift models.
>
> It might help solve part of the problem, at least with egg yolks...
>
> http://www.amazon.com/Design-Beater-...f=pd_rhf_p_t_4
>
> Christine

Wow--thanks for the tip!

Goomba wrote:
> Janet wrote:
>> Goomba wrote:
>>> I'm seeing some great deals on Kitchaid stand mixers. Does anyone
>>> have any input on their's? Size? Horsepower? Features?
>>> What do you like or dislike about yours?
>>
>> I have a 5qt. It's great for big jobs such as tiered cakes. I use it
>> to make bread frequently (making bread eventually almost killed the
>> Cuisinart due to leakage around the stem turning to cement). Having
>> one of those shield thingies that helps prevent flour from being
>> thrown around is essential. Things I wish I had: the sausage grinder
>> attachment and an extra bowl. There are only two real problems with
>> it: it is too tall to fit in the appliance garage, so it has to sit
>> out on the counter, and it is not ideal for recipes that start out
>> by whipping a small number of egg whites or yolks. (5 or more is
>> fine, 1 or 2 is too little liquid to readily engage the beater).
> Ah ha. VERY helpful input, thank you! Does your mixer utilize the
> "bowl lift" or a "tilt" head? Are the blades/hook plastic or metal?

Mine is a lift model. The whisk is stainless, and the dough hook and beater
are metal coated with some kind of white enamel. The bowl does have a
handle, BTW. Mine dates to 1993. I've had it in for servicing once in that
time....it was quite a while ago, so it's hard to recall what the issue was.
Maybe the gears were stripped or something. <G> In any case, no problems
since then.

Despite what the other Janet says, despite the application of copious common
sense, mine DOES sometimes throw flour around at first even at the lowest
power setting unless I use the shield.

Sheldon wrote:
> For dough kneading the only good reason to own a small stand mixer is
> if one is physically handicapped so that they are incapable of
> kneading. And then if one is really into producing bread often I
> would strongly suggest investing in a dedicated kneading machne, they
> much better emulate the motion of the human hand than any silly dough
> hook.. the dough hook was developed to conserve the shaft power of
> under powered stand mixers, but they do not produce a properly kneaded
> dough, they tear down more than they build up.

Most of the time I make all of our bread. I let the machine do most of the
work, then I take the dough out and finish kneading it by hand, which
usually takes no more than a couple of minutes.

Certainly it is true that the machine doesn't do "finish" kneading well
enough to suit me, at least not with the quantity I'm making at once. Maybe
if I were using 4 or 5 cups of flour it would, but I'm using 7 or 8.

"Janet Bostwick" wrote:
> Sheldon wrote:
>
> although
>
> > I don't really see the point in machine kneading so small a volume of
> > dough as can fit into any KitchenAid mixer... for so small a volume of
> > dough it's much better to knead by hand, and you'll produce a far
> > better product as no machine can knead better than the human hand.
> > For dough kneading the only good reason to own a small stand mixer is
> > if one is physically handicapped so that they are incapable of
> > kneading. �snip
>
> Try kneading Carol Field's Coccodrillo by hand. �
> There are bread recipes out there that are so fluid that
> they literally flow across the work space.

Don't be silly... most folks have mixing bowls and spoons... I'm an
expert shit stirrer? LOL

On Wed, 17 Dec 2008 07:17:45 -0700, "Janet Bostwick"
> wrote:

I don't know about the ice cream maker. I haven't got one and don't
>know anyone who does.
I have the ice cream attachment, and it works quite well. Makes about
1.5 quarts of ice cream.

I think sky has it too.

Christine