kitchen-aid mixer

[SETH885315]

ok, can someone explain to me what a kitchen-aid mixer can do that other appliances can't? right now i only have a hand mixer, but everyone i know who loves to cook has one of these monstrosities taking up a TON of counter space in their kitchen, so there MUST be a good reason.... please enlighten me http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
thanks,
seth

[Kimba]

Strength and power.

If you're using your handmixer for mixing cake mixes, then you won't need one.

But if you're whipping cream and making homemade pound cakes and kneading bread dough, then you might want to consider one.

[luv2cook]

I use my mixer for mixing meatloaf, cakes, cookie dough and beating the snot out of eggs for meringue or whatever. It's awesome. Beating whipping cream with a hand mixer can take forever. I did it in 2.5 min....

[Wendy w]

I got one as an early Christmas gift and I love it! I agree with all of the above reasons and would like to add that I would not have survived making 5 batches of cookies in one day without it! I am looking forward to making bread dough and doing some grinding with it. BF wants the sausage maker really bad!

I love having my hands free to add the other ingredients or to chase the dog (a frequent activity) out of the kitchen.

Yes, it does take up some space in the kitchen and my roommate was not thrilled with having another thing on the counter (besides the toaster oven, coffee pot and butcher block w/knives).

In order to convince her to let me keep it out, I started baking a bit more and sharing the goodies. One day, I came home to find that she had nestled the mixer in its own little corner of the kitchen.

It does take up some space, but not much. We are also blessed with a lot of counter space, which helps.

[BosunsWife]

Hi. I'm new here and this topic looks as good as any to get my feet wet.

I for one could not live without my Kitchen Aid mixer. Cobalt blue and I love it. My husband bought it for me for Valentine's Day about seven years ago. We move a lot (military) and everytime the packers pack it they comment on the fact that it weighs a ton.

I love to make cheesecakes and it mixes with ease. I do find that even on low speed you have to adjust your beating time down if you are using a prepackaged cake mix.

[Leslie w]

I have a basic KitchenAid. You don't need to spend a ton of money for a good mixer. Mine was about $150 10 years ago. It only has 250 watts but it works like a charm and is perfect for me since I don't make huge batches of anything. It fits all of the accesories like pasta maker, food grinder, etc. My MIL has the same one and her's has been going strong for 30 years. They just never wear out!

[AD]

It's best suited for those of us who make things like thick, sticky divinity! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[RobinC]

I am going to go out a limb here, risk raising the ire of the fine cooks here, and reject the Kitch-Aid mixer for my own use.

I have Kenwood (I think it is called Rival now) mixer with a 7 1/2 (yes, that is a seven) quart bowl (mixes THREE cake mixes at once - fills up a half sheet pan) and a 650 watt motor. I chose this when I was shopping for a mixer and doing a lot of cake decorating. The people at the cake/candy supply shop I frequent gave me some really good imput. Several of the ladies there had burned up the motors on their Kitchen-Aids when in the thick of making icing. The Kitchen-Aids have plastic gears that will seize when over heated. The Kenwood has metal gears and the motor will shut off when getting too hot.

Now before I get flamed for denouncing the Kitchen-Aid for myself, let me add that my mom has a Kitchen-Aid and I think it is a great mixer for her. She doesn't do the heavy mixing that I do, and doesn't require the capacity.

A stand mixer will give you much more power than a hand mixer. It also provides for much more even and consistant mixing. A heavier stand mixer (Kitchen-Aid or my beloved Kenwood) will also allow for kneading bread dough.

I will always love my Kenwood. If not for performance reasons, than for the sentimental. I got my mixer when I moving into my first apartment after college. The owner of the cake supply shop where I got it knew I had my eye on it. Every time I when in he said, "You know Robin, for my best customers it is 90 days same as cash." I caved in and paid the $400 over 90 days. There was a recall on the mixer and the owner of the shop gave me a loaner to use while I had to wait for a new one. Just a trip down memory lane......

[Gail]

Originally posted by luv2cook:
I use my mixer for mixing meatloaf, cakes, cookie dough and beating the snot out of eggs for meringue or whatever. It's awesome. Beating whipping cream with a hand mixer can take forever. I did it in 2.5 min....

[Gail]

Originally posted by luv2cook:
... beating the snot out of eggs...

Eeeew!

Thanks for the vivid imagery, luv2cook. Don't know if I'm ever going to be able to look at another egg the same again! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

[luv2cook]

Originally posted by Gail:
Eeeew!

Thanks for the vivid imagery, luv2cook. Don't know if I'm ever going to be able to look at another egg the same again! http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/biggrin.gif

hey, my new word of the week!

[Gail]

Beside the above, I like the fact that it frees up my hands to allow me to attend to other business while it's doing its thing. If, for example, I'm not hand kneading a dough, I like that I can turn on the Kitchenaid and let it knead while I'm off cleaning the kitchen or working on some other project.

[SETH885315]

you're right, mrsreber, i am serious about setting up my kitchen right. i have a theory that most people disagree with, but i think that there are 3 rooms that are most important in any home... bedroom, bathroom and kitchen. these are what i think of as the "living" rooms, because they're vital to the comfort of any home, even my small apartment.
one of the first things i did when i was planning my move away from my parents was to buy a queen-size bed and some 310 thread count sheets (they're incredibly soft), and a really good, fluffy set of soft, white towels for my bathroom. a friend also gave me a towel warmer as a housewarming gift, so every shower is a great experience.
so now, after spending all this time and thought on those rooms, i'm working on my kitchen, which explains all the posts. and i only just discovered this bb, and i have to say i think i'm addicted. http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif
a lot of people spend their money on big screen tv's and elaborate stereo systems, only to go to sleep on uncomfortable beds and cook with cheap pots and pans that make cooking seem more like a chore than a creative experience. i didn't want to make that mistake. the funny thing is, i have nice sheets on my bed, nice towels and a rain shower head in my bathroom, and that starter set of all-clad in my kitchen (which i went and checked afterward and found it was really kind of pricey), but i have nothing in my parlor yet. i mean nothing. no coffee table, no sofa, no tv, nada. just a big room with only a few boxes left over from the move. but then, i also don't spend much time at home since i work full time and go to school. and i spend a lot of time at the gym now, too, since i don't have a tv to veg out in front of (although i DO have a computer. hehe).
and even though i'm still in the learning stages of cooking, i do bake, and have for years. i love making my own bread, and i actually LIKE kneading it by hand. it's very soothing, i think. so i don't think i'll be getting one of those behemoth mixers any time soon. but i appreciated the input about what they can do... i learned a lot. i wasn't expecting them to be so versitile. i think the one thing i heard that they do in this thread that i actually liked was mixing up hamburg for meatloaf. i dunno about you guys, but one of the things i HATE about working with hamburg is how cold it is to put your hands in. but if you leave it out to warm up a bit, it turns a really unappetizing color. what to do? anyone have any suggestions about that? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

seth

[Vanessa]

I agree with Gail. Also when you have to cream butter or cream cheese its wonderful. Take note that sometimes you have to mix 4 minutes and its great to let the machine do the work while you get other stuff ready (your pan, oven etc) Once you get used to it its really nice. If you on the other hand don't do much baking etc then your hand mixer is fine.

[MrsReber]

I don't have one, but my question is: What doesn't it do? I hear it can do just about anything, including make pasta. And I do hear that is has much more mixing power than a handheld mixer. I will get one someday, but not just yet. I make do with the appliances I have (and there are plenty of old appliance threads on this BB!) Boy, Seth, by the looks of your recent questions on the BB, it sure looks like you're very serious about setting up your kitchen right!

[Gail]

Originally posted by SETH885315:
...i think the one thing i heard that they do in this thread that i actually liked was mixing up hamburg for meatloaf. i dunno about you guys, but one of the things i HATE about working with hamburg is how cold it is to put your hands in. but if you leave it out to warm up a bit, it turns a really unappetizing color. what to do? anyone have any suggestions about that? http://www.cookinglight.com/bbs/smile.gif

seth

I work by the sink, occasionally immersing my hands into hot water as needed.

[MrsReber]

I second Gail's method. Occasionally my hands hurt so much from the coldness of the chop meat that I have to run the water over them to warm them up! However, being mostly Italian, this is the method handed down in my family. I had tried once or twice to mix with a spoon- most recently because I had a cut on my hand. I find that putting your hands in there is really the best method, by far. And we do use chop meat quite often since my husband hunts deer and grinds up alot of the meat. Saves me from buying it at the supermarket. I think we had about 65-75 pounds from last year alone. That's alot of freezing cold chopmeat to sink my hands into. Brrrr!

We're all addicted to this BB. I haven't been able to get away from it since I registered last summer.

Good luck with your apartment and welcome to our family!


[This message has been edited by MrsReber (edited 02-04-2001).]

[SallyJ]

Just used my KitchenAid this afternoon to knead bread dough for the 3rd time in about a week! I agree with all the other favorable posts about a Kitchenaid. It does so much of the work, especially if you like to make bread. I have Carpal Tunnel syndrome and kneading is too difficult for me without the mixer, so this is the way for me to go!