Machine mixing; advice needed

Kenwood fudges their capacity stats a little bit. If you read the small print, you can make 11 pounds of cookies or cakes, but only 5 pounds of bread. This is why i have personally decided against the kenwood.=20

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Are there other models of the KitchenAid that would be better? I checked the USA web site for the model I purchased and it is not there. It is a

525 Watt motor and a 6 quart bowl. It is a lot like the Professional 6 series of bowl-life mixers. The major differences are that 1) mine was not made in the USA and 2) the beater and dough hook are coated.

I have seen people in this newsgroup complaining that the models made in the USA are lacking in quality and that they come with burnished beater and dough hook. The burnished equipment tends to rust.

I've found in my country, if you want something better than a KitchenAid you have to go for the really expensive models like the Hobart. Then again, if you are going through mixers every six months it might be worth investing in a Hobart. Maybe look into getting a used Hobart.

--=20 Send e-mail to: darrell at cs dot toronto dot edu Don't send e-mail to snipped-for-privacy@whitehouse.gov

I personally have had no success with heavy dough with a home mixer. They just don't have the horsepower or the gearing to withstand it for long.

Here in the US you can find used but very good Hobart 20 quart mixers for just over $1000 or so. Older ones can go for less, but they are made for pro use and last forever, so they hold their value well.

You might find a good ugly one. If it works well, you can clean and paint it and Bob's your uncle.

Good luck!

I routinely make 11 pound batches of bread in a 20+ years old Bosch, from before they even applied the "Universal" name. Couple hundred watts weaker than the current model.=20

It's so old, the knob is avacado green.=20

In article , Jane Lumley writes

Thanks so much for all the replies. I did eventually find a new Hobart for 1990 GBP, and a second-hard one for 600, but decided in the end to go for a Kenwood Major, on the principle that I could alternate it with the KitchenAid so that only one was being repaired at one time! If I'm still frustrated after 12 months, I'll have to bite the bullet and get a Hobart.

I don't use a food processor for anything but very wet foccaccia dough (and piecrust) but was interested that people recommended it.

Contrary to popular opinion, home mixers aren't adequate for mixing bread dough. Those that think they are don't make as much dough as you or I do. If you don't want to invest in a commercial mixer, the you might do what I've done and that is to keep 2 KA mixers. You can use one while the other one is being repaired. I generally get them to last about 8-9 months and then something goes haywire. You're right in keeping them at speed #2. If you go past that, they will thrash themselves to death rather quickly. There is no way a home mixer is going to survive long making 2 bread doughs per day. I usually only make one.

The best solution, of course is the commercial mixer. There are some German made 10 qt. models that are fairly affordable. I use one occasionally in the bake shop. I can't remember the name but they should be less expensive in the UK than the Hobart units.

Fred Foodie Forums

I can mix and knead 11 pounds of bread dough with my 20 year old Bosch Universal. It doesn't even struggle. My parents had one just like it that made 11 pound batches of bread every week for several years without requiring any service. In about 1991 they bought a new one and gave the old one to my eldest sister, who has been using it since. At some point after my sister got it, it required new bushings of some sort - was a minor repair - and it's still going strong.

So I wouldn't say that *all home mixers aren't adequate.

I've seen what 11 pounds of bread dough does to a kitchenaid, tho.

My KA is 28 years old(KA45). I have made bread in it several times a week, often every day for all those years. I also go way beyond batch capacity and it has never broken down. It is all in how you approach the bread making and how dry you make your bread dough. My bread (any kind) is mixed a couple of minutes and then kneaded for about 4 minutes after an autolyse. Janet

OK, so you would like me to amend my statement to say that consumer mixers available today aren't strong enough to mix bread dough every day. No problem.

Fred Foodie Forums

*shrug*

KA 28 years ago was Hobart rather than the washing machine company. I'd buy a refurbished 30 year old KA, no problem.

The Bosch today is actually stronger than the Bosch 20 years ago.

And i machine knead for 12 minutes. I'm not at all careful with it. One time i had it on a smooth countertop that was a little greasy, left the room, heard a *wham*, came back to find the bosch lying on it's side on the floor, still kneading an apparently off-center load of dough. It'd walked itself right off the counter. It's no worse for wear.

I keep meaning to open it up, clean things, give it a liberal application of polysynthetic grease, but, meh.

To be fair, I was using the steel mixing bowl. Not sure how the plastic one would have fared.

How many pounds of flour to make 11 pounds of bread dough? I have maxed out on using 7 pounds of flour on my Bosch.

7lbs of flour and 60% hydration results in 11.2lbs of dough.

Graham