Stand mixer - worth having?

Question

The impulsive "love all kitchen tools" side of my brain really wants a stand mixer, but the voice of reason keeps asking "why?". I'm not much of a baker, though if it were easier I might be. I do like muffins, and we make bread and pizza fairly often. 
Do you use your stand mixer often? What do you use it for? What brand/model do you like best? Bottom line, is it worth the hefty price tag?

Answer

Ask yourself: do you have room for it on the counter? will it look good on said counter? if you store it away, how often do you think you will lift up/out? 

I've lived quite well without one and I do bake, make pizza, bread, souffles, whipped cream, etc.

Answer

meatloaf, mashed potatoes, pulled meats, dips, baked goods, pasta, ice cream, corned beef hash, egg white whipping, cream, pancake and waffle batters. you'll have to pry mine out of my cold dead hands.

also if you've ever attended a cookie swap and had to make 10 dozen cookies from a stiff dough, this is worth it alone for that one task once a year.

make sure your cabinets have enough clearance. and if you can, get the bowl lift. i love mine. 6 qt. 9 years old.

Answer

I got a KA one at Costco for around $200 and don't see the need for anything more expensive.

I've only just begun baking but I really bought it in order to get the pasta maker and meat grinder attachments. The grinder alone is worth the whole price as far as I'm concerned. It's about $50 and we now make THE best burgers. I have room for it on the counter (and I consider my kitchen a work space so aesthetics don't play a big part). When I didn't have it on the counter, I rarely use it.

Just this morning I've made bread dough and a mayo and am heading in to make a different mayo.

Answer

It's well worth it. You'll find yourself baking more and whipping up cream and souffles and all sorts of delicious things.
I adore my KA lift.

Answer

If you bake, get a stand mixer. It makes life much easier. You can easily develop small batches of bread dough, cream butter & sugar, egg yolks, make meringues, just an endless list of tasks.. You can do some of these tasks in a food processor but generally not as easily or as well. When Kitchen Aid stand mixers were born it sent hand mixers close to near extinction.

Answer

I couldn't imagine not having a stand mixer. I have a KA 6qt lift bowl and I would never go smaller. I bake a lot , use the pasta and grinder attachments etc. I keep mine on a wire shelving unit close to my counter. It's no big deal to just pick it up and move if to my counter.

Answer

Is the pasta attachment easy to use and clean?

Answer

If you are going to use it, then yes.

You can mix dough for baking, and with attachments grind meat, make sausage, and mix, roll, and cut pasta. Today we use ours primarily to grind a good batch of various meats on a quarterly basis, freezing it in zip bags. We started with a fold-out metal shelf, but lift our mixer out of an overhead cabinet to use. The fold out device was taken off and up to a property in the mountains for slicing meat.

Stand mixers take up counter space, and even the quietest of models make noise. Ours registers somewhere between a AB-380 and a Hammer film Banshee. The space solution is to put your stand mixer, or other devices away in a cabinet if you can, along with the associated mixing bowls, and attachments, as shown in the photos. 

Best not to operate the mixer on that fold-out device by the way, or it will loosen and shake off with the vibrations.

Answer

I dithered for danged near a decade, and now I love my KA stand mixer. If you have access to CostCo, wait till they go on sale--got the 6 qt, bowl lift Pro model for much less than anywhere else. Also got a freebie ice cream bowl for it, which works great.

The first time I dumped in ingredients and WALKED AWAY (sorry for shouting), it was a revelation. Very nice.

Only thing I don't care much for using it is mashed potatoes. There are only 2 of us, so if we had a bigger household and therefore a big bowl of cooked potatoes, that might be different. But, our puny few cooked potatoes don't get as well squished in the KA as I like. Hardly a big problem, though.

Answer

I'm vegetarian, so the meat attachments are not appealing to me (though may be to some who may be lurking on this thread with the same question). The pasta feature is huge for me - I have had a pasta machine (hand crank) on my Amazon wish list for almost a year I think. My mom used to make pasta when I was a kid, and not only was it delicious, but it was fun to help her hang it (maybe my son will think so too someday). 

I have a cart just for storing small kitchen appliances, lol, so it would just be a matter of making room. I could probably get rid of the bread maker my MIL gave us, since I only use it for mixing dough (I think it makes funny shaped loaves, so I bake in the oven), which would probably free up exactly enough space for a stand mixer :) 

There is a CostCo being built just up the road from us, so soon that will be more convenient than it is right now. How much are they at CostCo?

I'm still a bit on the fence, but I'm teetering dangerously towards the "buy" side...

Answer

I vote yes. I have a basic KA that I bought nearly 25 years ago so the cost, amortized over all that time and regular use at least weekly, is pretty negligible.

Answer

Get the biggest KA stand mixer you can afford and be done with it. You will never look back.

Answer

Love my KA. I don't have the lift bowl style, just the regular one (Artisan, I think). It sits in the corn of my counter, and I just pull it forward when I need to use it. I'm not a big baker, but I do make the occasional cake, or batch of cookies or muffins. I love the kneading hook for making "atta", or the dough for Indian roti, as that normally takes some effort to knead by hand. I just add in my flour, add some water, turn it on, keep adding water until it's the right consistency, and then let the knead hook continue for a few minutes.

We also mix things like pancake batter, dips, etc. I don't have any attachments for it, but I do want to get the pasta attachment.

Answer

Ankarsum, made in Sweden for 30+ years. I use it for everything from cakes, cookies, icings, meringues and all kinds of yeast doughs including 100% whole wheat from home milled flour. Plus grinding meat and extruding cookies. 

Personally I gave away my KA, it's a piece of crap compared to the Ankarsum.

http://www.pleasanthillgrain.com/electrolux_magic_mill_dlx_mixer.aspx

Answer

Hi lizmari, 

I've got a KA 6qt bowl lift model, about 9-10yrs old. It used to be on the counter, but now it's underneath (we've got room, but like a less crowded look).

I used to use mine for mashed potatoes, but prefer the finer mash I get from a ricer. 

I used to use it to mix meat loaf, but now I like a looser mix, so do it by hand. 

I rarely mix anything in it anymore. Cake, muffins, brownies and corn bread are too easy to mix by hand, in a bowl. However, I *require* the mixer for pizza and bread. I hate mixing pizza or bread dough by hand. I have to pull it out for that and consider it worthwhile to do so. Otherwise, not so much.

If you keep it under the counter, you may find, like I did, that by the time you set it up, you could have mixed the batter by hand. 

I'd advise that if you want to use it a lot, you should plan to keep it on the counter, in the place you plan to use it. That's important. You don't want it across the kitchen from your mixing area. If you do this, you'll use it constantly, for everything. Otherwise, use your food processor for bread/pizza dough and keep mixing the easy stuff by hand. 

Duffy

Answer

I have had a KA 5-quart lift-bowl on my counter for 24 years. I use it several times a week. I has had minor repairs one time. It is one of my favorite kitchen decorations/tools.

Answer

KA with bowl lift of course & the older model (Says Hobart U.S.A. on the label band that goes around the motor) if you want both power and Quiet & you have to find them used; New out of the box can be noisier. Use for everything & if mashing potatoes use paddle on properly cooked ones that will crush if squeezed & mix only on speed 1 or 2 for less than 30 Seconds or you can end up with sticky potatoes: NEW Type Potatoes do not mash as well, as those used for baking. Testimonial from me is I had 5 quality rental homes equipped with both KA Bowl Lift mixers and attachments and a Chambers Gas stove (With accessories). I rented to faculty at a major Missouri University and my kitchens are what sold leases to those wanting more bang for the buck and those folk ranged from large families down to single loner types. Most of these people were cooks that enjoyed cooking or liked cooking & had little spare time so needed professional tools to get'er done and present a good table for visiting friends or family, plus can knead any kind of Bread even Hard Rye. Worth the Price a "Huge YES" vannatta1@gmail.com for furthers!
CMVHighPriest

Answer

I love my KA stand mixer (5 qt, 10-15 years old now). I don't have room for it on the counter, so it lives on top of my fridge, but it's definitely worth it, IMO. I use it for bread dough (you do have to go slow for this, or you can have issues), cookies, egg whites ... all sorts of things. :)

Answer

KA mixers can often be found lightly used for a song. Check Craigslist & Ebay. The older "Hobart" KA's are the most durable. Like many things back then, they were fully repairable and to the best of my knowledge the parts that carry the load during operation are still avail.

Answer

Have had mine now for about 3 years. Use it to whip egg whites for chile rellenos, pizza dough, Chinese dumplings.

Answer

If your needs aren't huge (i.e. for more than four people on a regular basis) and you want something that will do it all, including bread dough, I offer two words: Bosch Compact. It looks like a toy, it out-performs KA on all levels, and it's ~$200. They're built like tanks. Join our Yahoo Mixer Owners group if you want to pick more brains, including those of some very seasoned and experienced home-bakers, many of whom own more than one mixer: https://groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/Mixer-Owners/info . All in all, it's a friendly bunch and it includes quite a few VERY happy Compact owners (myself included), some who've had theirs for 20 years. :)

Answer

I NEVER thought I be willing to spend that kinda money for a stand mixer!?! My SIL got a basic model several years ago and was RAVING about it at Thanksgiving that year. She bakes a LOT and I don't... holiday cookies and an occasional pound cake is about it. She FORCED me to haul her's home that day, with the strict promise to return it the following weekend.

I made the dough for double batches of maybe 5-6 different kinds in no time. "Room temp" butter in my kitchen in late November isn't even really spreadable, and I just dumped stuff in mixer and let it do all the work. No wrestling with wooden spoons as dough got really heavy toward end of adding all the flour.

After I returned her KA, bought one for myself on the way home that same day.It's your basic model... a little less than $200. It does take up counter space, but that's OK. When weather gets cold, I make pizza almost every weekend. Making the dough is a total dump recipe now... mixer does all the kneading.

THEN I found a "vintage", faded yellow, crank up/down model at Good Will for $20, and just couldn't pass it up. Larger capacity, came with whisk/paddle/hook and bowl, ran just fine. I thoroughly cleaned it up with degreaser, taped everything off, and spray painted it flat-black with paint meant for outdoor gas grills... looks brand new. A few weeks later found a spare bowl (with tiny dent) for $5 at GW.

My sister bought herself a messa attachments a while ago and I got "gifted" the stuff she didn't LOVE!?! Pasta EXTRUDER... total waste of time. Some kinda slicer/dicer gizmo... food processor does that. Meat grinder... no complaints.

Kinda like if you've had a few food processors and then buy a GOOD one (not a million $$, just not $29.99), ya end up kicking yourself for wasting money on other ones.

I say YES, stand mixer is definitely worth the $, weight, and space it takes up.

Answer

Ice cream 
mashed potatoes
(used it to juice lemons once)

Answer

I drooled over KA mixers for 43 years. I kept telling myself I wouldn't use it. Finally Sam's had a 500 watter for $300, and I caved. Now I'm ticked that I waited so long. I have the pasta attachment, grinder, & ice cream maker attachment. It's a lovely dark red and looks great on my stone counter. I've used it more in the last six months than I used my hand mixer in the last six years. It makes you want to experiment.

Answer

If you are not going to use them much these things are just very expensive, huge, heavy, hard to store, status symbols or worse yet, dust collectors. If you have the use for them, the interest in finding more applications and more attachments, and the finances to afford one there is no better appliance than the 'Hobart' stand mixer from Kitchen Aid. I have gotten a couple thousand hours out of mine making bread and pasta alone. Grinding meat and stuffing sausage casing are also huge on my list. These become indispensable within a few months of use. They are also as tough as a tank. Well worth the price.

Answer

Just to add to all that has already been said, I've had a KA K5ss (5 qt. lift bowl model) for two decades and keep it out on my counter because I use it frequently. 

You asked about getting a KitchenAid from Costco. Costco (and Costco.com) has carried a couple of models. The current one is a "Proline 600" with a liftbowl and seems to run about $350. Coupons often take the price below $300. The tilt-head models often can be had for less and I've seen the "classic" at WalMart recently for under $200. It will do a pretty good job with pizza and bread doughs and handle most other mixing tasks with aplomb, at least for quantities approriate to its size and power. If you have access to Cooks illustrated, check out their mixer ratings. 

As for whether or not it is worth having one, that can be hard to answer "yes" or "no" rather than "it depends." Stand mixers (whether by KA, Cuisinart or whomever) are merely tools. They come in varying sizes and capacities. You match the tool to your needs and budget.

When it comes to bread doughs, breadmakers actually do a pretty decent job when making small batches of dough. Small being (to me) one or at most 2 pound batches. If the only real dough making you do is for small batches of bread, I'd say just keep using the bread maker for mixing them. (Heck, King Arthur Flour's test kitchen touts using Zojirushi breadmakers for preparing small loaves which are then baked in a regular oven.) 

For many other tasks (say, whipping cream) a hand mixer, a powered whisk, or even a hand whisk may be fine. How much such stuff are you planning on making and how frequently will you be doing so? If you make enough cookies for, say, two baking sheets, the power of a stand mixer can be big convenience. But, if you only make batches of six cookies to bake in a Breville Smart Oven, a stand mixer will be overkill and will go largely unsued. 

They are good for mixing things that hand mixers and whisks won't do as easily and great for things like heavier doughs and batters and also for letting things mix while you attend to something else.
 
Add-on mixer attachments are ... well ... conveniences of a sort. They are add-ons, not the primary reason to get a stand mixer.

If you don't make meatloafs, terrines, sausages and such -- which, as the vegetarian, you won't --- then you don't care about the grinder attachments. I will say in response to some of the other posters, that the KA meat grinder attachment seemed adequate to me when I used one. One might note that Michael Ruhlman used a Kitchen Aid grinder attachment for the meat grinding for his book Charcutiere. But, personally, I've found that I'm far more likely to use a tool when it makes my job easier and I've found a powered, dedicated grinder much better for the 10# batches I grind for burgers, terrines, meatloads, sausages and etc. I do that often enough that the dedicated tool is a boon for me where it might be a boat anchor for somebody less interested in that kind of cooking. 

So also is it with having a stand mixer versus whisks, spoons, and hand held mixers. 

If you like grinding your own grains for flours, KA makes a decent grain grinder attachment. For about 16 years, I've been using mine to make nut flours in addition to grind wheat and rye berries etc. for whole-grain breads. I've been using this attachment for about 18 years, but it is one of those minor conveniences which is an afterthought rather than a primary reason for buying the stand mixer.

I don't own a KA pasta roller and extruder, but I've used a friend's roller from time to time. I would find it a useful convenience if I regularly made fresh pasta. The KA pasta roller was about like getting a motor for the small, home-model pasta roller I once had (an Atlas, IIRC). No easier to clean, but rolling and cutting the pasta was definitely much faster and easier, as was mixing the dough. If nothing else, there is a great convenience in having the rollers rolling while I could use both hands to drape the pasta sheets through the rollers. (Of course, somebody's Italian grandmother is now rolling in her grave because using a machine is is so inauthentic and tha pasta won't taste right! So, I guess I am a barbarian with no taste or standards.) 

Never tried the pasta extruder or the ravioli attachments, so I can't speak to those uses. 

As for blowing out KA mixers and the "reports in baking forums," it seems to me that some of those bitter laments are from folks with lemons (inevitably there are some in every product line) and from others who tried regularly mixing overlarge batches for the mixer capacity and did not understand that KA mixers have a built-in overload protection in the form of a sacrificial gear that strips out when the mixer is too heavily loaded. It is meant to break when the abuse gets too great, and the repair is cheap and easy. I blew out my 20 y.o. K5ss about seven years ago when mixing seven pounds of rye bread. That was the kind of task for which an Anskarum Assistent is well suited, but I was cutting corners. As it turned out, the replacement gear was $4.50 and replacement took me, maybe, 20 minutes, including gathering and putting away the tools. 

Read up on KA mixers for any time and you will inevitably run across people who vehemently insist that current KAs are now crap because they don't use "all metal" gears like the KA models had before the revered Hobart sold the line to Whirlpool in 1986. In point of fact, the Hobarts used the same sacrificial gear and fail-safe system. It is an inexpensive, extremely reliable fail-safe protection.

If keeping the mixer on the counter is a problem, then the Bosch and Anskarum Assistent mixers are considerably lighter and easier to stash out of the way when not in use. There are learning curves and the prices are higher than some stand mixers. The Bosch Universal, IIRC, is currently running about $400 and the Anskarum Assistent is around $800. Kitchenaids run the gamut from under $250 (sometimes $200) for the "Classic" models on up to $550 for the biggest 7 quart "Proline" liftbowl models. (There are some commercial models that are more costly. The smallest Hobart commercial model, the N50, which was mentioned in another posting her, is a real beast of machine. It also priced at something north of $2k last time I checked.

Answer

I have a big Kitchen Aid, love it but rarely use it. Never use it for muffins-you will develop the gluten in the flour & make them tough. I have simplified my kitchen & only keep butter (no shortening). By melting the butter in the microwave, I can stir up cookies easily by hand. I have also collected a number of cookie recipes that use oil so they are easy to mix by hand. I use a bread machine for bread &/or dough.

Answer

I love to get into very creative tamale making with homemade masa...stand mixer is indispensable for making awesome homemade masa....plus it kicks butt on pretty much everything else. Love the meat-grinder attachment, sausage stuffer attachment....the attachments ramp it up many more notches. Oh...and the pasta attachments...yes, plural. I say thumbs up...I have 2: the 6qt bowl-lift one (what a powerhouse!) and a somewhat lighterduty 4.5 qt tilt-head. I have to store mine on a low shelf near my tiny kitchen counter and the small one gets points for ease of use as it's lighter to move around, and the tilt-head makes it super-easy to add ingredients but has limitations due to smaller bowl size. So I do whip out (well...drag out...) the bigger one when needed. I noticed many tv chefs use the tilt-head version but I think that may in part be that it films better. I also have a Cuisinart hand mixer for when I am too lazy to hand-whisk whipped cream and similar little tasks; it just cannot replace the standmixer/s...I may have a bias as I grew up with one of those classic Sunbeam Mixmaster stand mixers; they rock! ....The Kitchen Aid larger bowl-lift version with glass bowl is an awesome thing!

Answer

Regarding KA sizes, I have heard that the 4-1/2-qt is too small for serious bread baking, and the 6-qt is too large for egg whites, so I'm glad that I have the 5-qt.

Regarding the Compact mentioned elsewhere in the thread, it is 4-1/2-qt; I wonder if this smaller size impacts bread baking?

If I were to ever start a baking business, I think I'd go for a Hobart!

Answer

I always debated getting one but never "pulled the trigger" I never SAID anything about it to my wife, but last year for Christmas, I got one out of the blue....totally floored me. Now, no idea why I waited so long. This is awesome. When I make my cheesecakes, my wrists do not hurt from trying to mix. 

I love mine.

Answer

I lived fine without mine. But then I got a Hobart-era vintage KA on Craigslist (model K-45) for $80 and I've really enjoyed having it. A lot of people say that the older models work better. I'm not sure about this, as I have no experience to compare it to, but I'd say it's worth checking Craigslist or thrift stores/garage sales in your area.

Answer

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQSDFyfzU6k

I posted this not to necessarily suggest a UP (which might be overkill for your needs) but to illustrate Bosch's quality which also applies to the Compact. If you do decide to invest in a stand mixer, it's worth knowing that there are some very reliable, long-lived options available that aren't sold in stores and that don't get a lot of hype.

Answer

Just saw this deal on a KA. It's new not reconditioned but it only is being offered in red. Maybe it's a discontinued model?


http://1sale.com/home-family/kitchen-dining/kitchenaid-mixer-offer/?utm_source=exacttarget.com&utm_medium=email_deals&utm_campaign=deals_20140625&utm_content=samsung_galaxy

Answer

Anybody with any opinions on the Breville Scraper Mixer?

http://www.williams-sonoma.com/products/breville-scraper-mixer-pro-stand-mixer/

Answer

I am not much of a gadget person, but the only two big electronics I don't think I could do without are my KA stand mixer and my food processor. I don't use them for everyday cooking, but when I am having guests or doing holiday cooking, they make my life so much easier, they are worth the price.

I have the KA 6 QT lift and it sits right on my counter waiting for me to use it.

Answer

Well, 170+ responses in a week or so! I only add my two cents because it's a bit different, for what it's worth. I have been tempted but never got a stand mixer.

First point: I do NOT make cakes, quick breads, cookies or any batters very often, nor do I cream sugar and fat together or do any number of other more pastry-like preps with any frequency. Otherwise, I'd get a stand mixer in a minute, because they rule there. But....

I often use a bread machine for kneading doughs--in my case almost always high-gluten bread doughs of the sort that stand-mixers (apart from $1600 Hobarts or old-school KAs) struggle with a bit. And even then, many of my recipes go with the no-knead approach. My bread machine is a quality Zojirushi, but most any bread machine does that process well, and they're to be found for a song used at Good Will or whatever. 

Interesting to see that people make meat loaf and mashed potatoes in stand-mixers. I'd think stand mixers would be too violent for that, but I have no experience. In either case, however, I'm alway making a point of not overworking things there: mix meat loaf by hand; mash potatoes with either my food mill, my hand masher, or my manual ricer. 

I have a pasta machine, too, but no power-roller attachment, as it's pricey, but that would be genuinely useful for lasagna and raviolis. The KA has such an attachment, but likewise very pricey.

Some of the issue for people might be quantity. How many are you cooking for? I cook for 2-4 most always. I really don't see a stand mixer justified for the space it takes, not to mention cost. But where something is genuinely useful, I don't balk at cost. But who needs another counter appliance around without knowing there's plenty of use for it? 


Bread machine (used), power hand mixer, ricer and pasta machine could be had for $100 easy.

Answer

Aside from my bread machine, my stand mixer is by far my favorite kitchen appliance yet! Then again, I am an avid baker so I'm biased. If you don't bake as much, a stand mixer can still be surprisingly useful to own. If you get a KitchenAid, for instance, you can get attachments that can help you with just about anything (chopping, dicing, shredding, pasta-making, ravioli-making, juicing, etc.). Of course the attachments cost extra but I think they're worth the price if you have the money to spend. Having a stand mixer opens the doors to a whole slew of recipes that you couldn't attack before. Like you, I wasn't big on baking before because it's near impossible without a good stand mixer. If you're anything like me, getting a KA will make you love baking.

If, however, you don't see yourself even remotely interested in becoming a baker, or having the money to splurge on attachments, I suggest you get yourself a bread machine. If bread and pizza are the two main things you want to use a stand mixer for, a bread machine will get the job done better, quicker, and cheaper.

Starter stand mixer recommendation: KitchenAid 325 watt (enough power to churn out anything you want without too hefty of a price tag)

Starter bread machine recommendation: Panasonic SD-YD250 (affordable, simple to use, and reliable)

Answer

I was given a KA Professional ~ 6 (9?) months ago.

I am using it for the first time today. Making a basic chocolate cake.

I bake bread and make pizza dough regularly, but I prefer to knead those by hand since I rely on "feel"so much.

I grew up with KA and Hobart since my mother baked avocationally. I am not unfamiliar with the machines. I suppose I just never thought I *needed* one. I cook more than I bake.

So far my impression:

Easy to use. 
Fun to watch.
Heavy!
More clean-up than bowl/spoon. 

Right now I would say take one if you can get it for free AND if you have counter/storage space. Or if you ~bake~ bake.

I am going to try whipping cream for my cake later. I have no problem whipping manually...but I could see that if one has physical limitations (or again is dealing with huge amounts) using a machine could be advantageous.

Answer

I've always thought there is a market for a larger home tabletop mixer than 5-6 quart Kitchen Aid. I always had a Hobart 20quart in my kitchens when I was cheffing. Those babies are powerful workhorses but too big for most home applications but when I was baking more bread I considered looking for a used one at a failed restaurant auction to keep on my butcher block table in my basement.. I saw this 10quart mixer that is not much more expensive than the higher end Kitchen Aids.I know nothing about this brand except I do have one of their large, home deep fryers and it seems well made.
http://www.webstaurantstore.com/avantco-mx10-gear-driven-10-qt-commercial-planetary-stand-mixer-with-guard-110v/177MX10.html?utm_source=Google&utm_medium=cpc&utm_campaign=GoogleShopping&gclid=Cj0KEQjw7vmgBRDdnLPZp7aBlroBEiQA7_NmVyVGxKrndxyifgc7PTZ8D0MftvgHqZGwAhTOrn3Ge0caAlXf8P8HAQ

Answer

Depends on how much $$ and space you have in the kitchen. If you are not much of a baker it is just going to gather dust.

Answer

I noticed Kitchenaid, amazon, Target, all have the Kitchenaid Professional 5qt lift bowl in red on sale. Target online has it for $249.99. 

Is that a good price?

Answer

I have several brands on my Amazon wish list. I have no doubt though that I would use it several times a week, if not more. I make lots of bread, biscuits, etc... I have been looking at the KA professional (600, I think?) and the Ankarsarum (spelling..?).

Answer

Now that I have a KA stand mixer I find I bake much more often. This includes things like making dough for pizza. While I made pizza and bread dough in the food processor, it always seemed like a bit of a hassle and the motor would object to batches with more than a couple of cups of flour. 

I really don't use the stand often enough to justify the cost, but the same thing could be said about my Vitamix or many other kitchen tools I own. Baking has gone from something I do a few times a year to something I do a few times a month.

FWIW I think the 7 & 8 quart bowl lift KA mixers are the best. They are quieter than other models and seem to have addressed some of the issues that seem to plague other models of recent build. This design is what is used for KitchenAid's commercial NSF rated models.

While I haven't had mine for long I suspect this model will prove to be as long lived as the old Hobart made ones.

Answer

Yes. Yes. YES!

My mom had a sunbeam mixer, then moved to Kitchen aid - right after I did. I have a 350 watts crank model and I love it. It makes break baking so much easier and I love with cookies, I can just throw butter in (even cold) switch it on - and it ready to work with very soon, I do other things.

I use it for pizza dough, cakes, much much bread. It just makes baking easier. And as I like a certain level of baked good, the $180 we paid we've gotten back over and over as we don't have to pay $1 per organic sugar madagascar vanilla cookie.

Well worth the cost and, the counter space.

Answer

They're great to have, and the price isn't that crazy for what you get. Pretty solid piece of machinery really too for the most part. But you need space because they're kinda a pain to lift. And there aren't really a ton of things you can't do without them. Just, they make life easier if you cook a lot.

Answer

Ideally, for developing gluten in bread dough, one might consider a larger, more powerful mixer than a 5-6 quart Kitchen Aid. Something like this 10 quart mixer from Vollrath would enable you to make more than one loaf at a time. The problem is you'd still need a smaller mixer too.
https://www.webstaurantstore.com/vollrath-40756-10-qt-commercial-planetary-stand-mixer-with-guard-1-3-hp/92240756.html

Answer

All kitchen processes can be carried out by hand, with nothing but muscle power, and it was done this way for centuries. That said, you'll appreciate owning a stand mixer. It may be that having bought one, you'll bake more.

I trained and worked in France for close to thirty years and in Michelin starred establishments. My home mixer is a Kitchenaid Classic, in white, still available for $200 ( I paid $200 for mine eons ago). I think they call it the Classic Plus now. 

Get one.

Topics

Locations

Your post has been published!

Stand mixer - worth having?

Discussion Summary

Product

Breville Scraper Mixer Pro Stand Mixer

Product

KitchenAid Refurbished Pro 600 Series 6 Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, RKP26M1X eBay

Product

Amazon.com: Customer reviews: The Mountain Men's Three Wolf Moon Short Sleeve Tee

More from Chowhound

Guides

The Ultimate Spring Produce Guide: What's in Season & How to Use It

Recipe Round-Ups

Quick and Easy Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes for Less Morning Stress

Guides

How to Care for Enameled Cast Iron So It Lasts a Lifetime

Home

The Best Tool to Clean a Wood Cutting Board Is Probably in Your Compost Bin

Trending Discussions

Chowhound Recipes That You are Saving

A Final Goodbye for Chowhound

Favorite Chowhound Memories

NY Times: Chowhound Closes After 25 Years of Food Obsession, Wisdom and Debate

January–April 2022 Baking COTM: DESSERT PERSON by Claire Saffitz

Quick Links

Latest Discussions

Cookbook of the Month

Dish of the Month

Weekly Menu Planning

Get fresh food news delivered to your inbox

12 Irish Foods to Celebrate St. Patrick's Day That Aren’t Corned Beef and Cabbage

Chowhound

Policies

Community

Editorial

Content