Mixers?

AbbysMom

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So two days before Christmas in the middle of baking, my mixer died. I ran to the closest store (covered in chocolate batter) and picked up the last mixer, a cheap $10 one, that could barely handle the cake batter, frosting and pie that I still had to cook.

So, I'm in the market for a new mixer and looking for recommendations. I realize the Kitchenaid stand mixer is the Holy Grail of mixers, but I am reluctant to spend $300 on a mixer that in truth I don't use that often. My mixer gets the most workout during the holidays with many batches of cookies, cakes, frosting, etc. My Farberware hand mixer lasted about 5 years or so.
 

Winchester

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Well, in addition to my two KA stand mixers, I have two portable mixers....one is a Kitchen Aid and the other is a Hamilton Beach. I use my portable mixers for mixing a cake batter for the most part and that's pretty much it, although rarely I will use it for cookie doughs and then only for those doughs that don't require a lot of mix-ins (choc chips, nuts, things like that). And I think I like the Hamilton Beach better than the Kitchen Aid for a portable mixer. We bought the HB mixer for about $15 at Kohl's a few years back; my mother gave me the KA portable mixer right around the same time......I also have her old KA artisan stand mixer; that's why I have two stand mixers right now (I had three stand mixers, but gave one to my niece-in-law when I realized that three stand mixers was a little much.) I really do use both of the stand mixers, especially around this time of year.

Sometimes, you can find an older KA stand mixer for fairly cheap. And a couple years ago, we happened to be in Williams Sonoma just looking around when we heard somebody talking about the price for the newer (for that time) 6-quart professional mixer.....for a really good price and with a $50 rebate! Our ears perked up and we went right over to the clerk to talk to her. That price with the rebate enabled me to get the new, larger mixer for about what I had paid for my old 5-quart artisan mixer over 20 years ago! I think when it all said and done, I paid about $200 for the larger, professional mixer! When things like that come along, I take advantage.
 
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Willowy

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My mom just got a KitchenAid stand mixer, and she says she wishes she had gotten it a long time ago, even though she doesn't use it that often. So she thinks it's worth the price!
 

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I have a Kitchen Aid Artisian stand Mixer (tilt head)! I can't live without it.  I use it for practically everything:

- batters

- bread dough

- pastry

- whipping cream or egg whites

- mixing meat

- slicing large batches of vegetables (I have the shredding / slicing attachment)

- shredding beets for soup

- mixing ground meat

- grinding meat (I have the grinder attachment)

- cookies / muffins

- whipping potatoes

- Ice cream (I have the ice cream attachment)

It's the most awesome mixer I've ever owned.  I've had mine about 12 years or so, and it still looks like brand new.

I want to get the pasta attachments next.
 

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You will love the pasta attachment! I use it for all kinds of pasta....I'll take a day and do nothing but make pasta and noodles. (My MIL gave me her old pasta maker, but I use the KA attachment most of the time)

I have the grinder attachment and use it for cranberry relish and the like. Mixing horseradish. I don't use my grinder much for meat (other than ham), but I can see that time coming....we are thinking about starting to grind our own ground beef.

We don't have the ice cream attachment because we have a neat Cuisinart ice cream maker that Rick enjoys using. We don't have the slicer attachment because I have the food processor.
 
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AbbysMom

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So out of all of the KitchenAid mixers is there a style that is better than others? Are they all OK?
 

Winchester

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Karen, if you don't really do a lot of baking and such, I'd recommend the  4-1/2 or 5-quart Classic or the Artisan stand mixer. That's the tilt head mixer and it works beautifully. As Linda says, it will do what you need it to do: whipping, beating, mixing, even kneading smaller recipes for bread doughs and such. (I wouldn't recommend it for doubling/tripling batches of cookie dough and if you're interested in that, then get the 6-quart professional mixer.....that one has the bowl lift; at least mine does.)

FWIW, my old tilt head KA? Is 20+ years old and it's still going strong. We were trying to figure out when I bought it; it was right after we moved to our house and that was in the mid-80s. My MIL's is older than that.

If you don't need it right now, wait. Keep your eyes open for sales.
 
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pushylady

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Useful thread! I've been thinking for a long time about getting a Kitchen Aid mixer. I have a Sunbeam one which I bought years ago at Costco and it did an OK job, except now for some reason the attachments are grinding against each other and not working properly.

Do they splatter much? I find the batter splatters a lot in my Sunbeam.

Can you buy extra bowls? I'd like a choice of small and large like my Sunbeam.
 

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They can splatter, especially if you're trying to whip cream into whipped cream. I have splatterguards for both of mine. The guards help when I'm adding flour to the batter, too (sometimes the recipe will tell you to add the flour while the mixer is running); you don't have all that flour flying around.

As for the two bowls, I honestly don't know. I have three (largely because of my MIL, who for some reason ended up with three bowls to hers and gave them to me) stainless bowls for my tilt head, but only one for my lift bowl. There is a glass bowl out now for some models. My very old Hamilton Beach stand mixer had a small and a large bowl....I don't think the KA does. Mine didn't.

Is there a way that you can adjust the attachments to your Sunbeam? Reason I ask is because you can adjust the ones on the KA, so they don't grind against the bottom of the bowl.
 
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AbbysMom

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Still debating here. :sigh: My husband is telling me to go for it and get the KitchenAid, but I hate to spend that kind of money.
 
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AbbysMom

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:lol3::lol3::lol3: I may break down before the end of the weekend. One of my friends is telling me I would use it a lot more than I think.
 

blueyedgirl5946

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(I agree with your husband.) :anon:
Do you bake a lot. I don't cook that much anymore as far as baking, etc. So I never could justify spending the money for one. I mostly use my for mashed potatoes or to whip up a cake once in a blue moon.
 
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natalie_ca

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Still debating here.
My husband is telling me to go for it and get the KitchenAid, but I hate to spend that kind of money.
I agree with your husband. Get an Artisan tilt head Kitchen Aid. It is a machine that literally lasts lifetimes (notice the `s`` on the end). People pass them down to their children who pass them down to theirs.  My friend has one that is over 60 years old and runs just as good as mine.  And the attachments fit across the models because of they model the attachment hub the same for all models.

It is a work horse and it won`t let you down. Best investment in a kitchen appliance that I`ve ever made.  Since I bought mine, the prices have come down quite a bit.  But really, if you pay $99 for an appliance, don`t expect it to really meet all of your needs.  Yes, a Kitchen Aid is around $300 (at least in Canada), but for an appliance that will literally last a lifetime, what is that in per day cost? Literally, nothing.
 
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AbbysMom

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I did it. :anon: I just ordered the Pro 600 model for not much more than the Artisan would cost, plus free shipping, plus a mail-in rebate to get this ice cream attachment for free:

http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/-[KICA0WH]-400076/KICA0WH/

:eek:
 

natalie_ca

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I did it.
I just ordered the Pro 600 model for not much more than the Artisan would cost, plus free shipping, plus a mail-in rebate to get this ice cream attachment for free:
http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/-[KICA0WH]-400076/KICA0WH/
Yay!!!!  You won't regret it!    It's an amazing machine!   I have the ice cream attachment. I love it!

I love, love, love the rebates!  I bought the stand mixer years ago, but within the last year I've switched to the Kitchen Aid blender and food processor, and I've added to my accessories for the stand mixer, all coming with rebates between $20 and $40.  It's nice to get that cheque in the mail from them.
 
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AbbysMom

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Thanks ladies! :D
 

pushylady

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:clap: I'm sure you'll get way more use out of it than you think. And it will last well too, so well worth it.
 

pushylady

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Well, I finally got a KitchenAid too! :clap: My DH totally surprised me for Christmas with a KitchenAid Pro mixer. We had been looking at all the sales and talking about getting one for ages. I was so surprised though! :D
It's awesome and I love it! So far I made the best ever pavlova for New Years, and DH made some cookies. I found it didn't splatter at all, unlike my old Sunbeam one which is one of the reasons I never wanted to bother using it. This one is great, and so powerful too. It did a fantastic job of whipping up the meringue mixture. Next I think I'll try making bread in it.
:blobyello
 
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