Looking to purchase a Stand Mixer For Home

[ManedWolf]

Heyas,
I'm looking to pickup a stand mixer for home use. I believe it will help me with alot of my baking stuff as well as other desserts. I have a unit that I've seen online and at the local Canadian Tire store. It's a Kitchenaid 5qt 300W mixer. It comes with a Dough Hook, Whipping head, and a Pattle Beater. I was wondering if anyne has experience with these machines and could recommend a brand or let me know if the one I have already seen will be sufficient. My budget for this uint is $500 CAD. Any advice you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated

HOWLS,
Wolf

 

[Katie H]

Hi, Wolfie, welcome to DC.

I have a large Kitchen Aid mixer with the accessories you have listed. I love mine and it has been a wonderful work horse for everything I've needed it to do.

However, I'm not the one to look to for advice on current models of the KA mixer because I bought mine over 25 years ago. If you do purchase one, though, I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[Corey123]

Yes, get it, Wolf!

I own one (K45SS) that's been a real workhorse and in use for over 20 years, and it's still going strong.

 

[Andy M.]

A 300 watt, 5-qt. KA should be available for a LOT less than $500 Cn. They are probably available for around $200-250 US so should cost about 18% more in Canadian currency, or less than $300.

 

[jpmcgrew]

I also have a KA thats over 20 years old and works great.that should tell you alot so many of us have had ours so long.
If you shop around you should be able to get a better price as the prices vary from store to store.Check online for price comparisons and be sure to count shipping or it may cost a little more but have free shipping.

 

[Corey123]

Yes, they ARE available for way less than $500.00.

While in Providence today, a friend and I were at Apex, a store that sells kitchen appliances and clothing.

There are a ton of K'Aid stand mixers there and two Delonghi stand mixers which look exactly like the former Kenwood mixers. A 7-qt. and 5-qt. model.

Upon raising the mixer head, I noticed that the air vent grill under the motor
has been replaced with a solid cover. The machines themselves now have an all-metal outer housing.

 

[ManedWolf]

Thanks To All

Glad to hear the mixers are holding up well over time. They looked and felt very substantial so I figured it was a good buy.
Andy you are correct that the mixer I had seen does indeed sell for less than 500. However I was also thinking if this particular mixer was not the most favourable then by providing my budget it would allow anyone with a recommendation for an alternate to know what level of mixer I'm looking for.
Thanks everyone for you advice. I think I'll go and grab it tomorrow.

 

[Corey123]

You're welcome!

 

[TATTRAT]

as stated, Kitchen Aid ftw!

 

[bushy]

Again, another unsolicited opinion from a know-nothing:

I'm playing with the idea of setting up to produce real pizza at home.
As I have a rather vicious form of arthritis, I looked into a mixer for dough.
The reviews I saw indicated that the model sold in the US as "Artisan" are adequate for MOST eveything, but would strain if fed a constant diet of bread dough, but the next model up (sorry, don't remember the name, but I seem to recall that it was a 6 qt model with lift-up bowl instead of a pivioting head.
FWIW, YMMV, offer void where prohibited/restricted/taxed.

enjoy!

p.s. - please excuse the hijack, but:

Can any of the current batch of bread machines be trusted to prepare pizza dough? (they are a WHOLE bunch cheaper, and, as a single, I doubt I'd ever find another use for a monster mixer on the counter).
Thanks!

 

[Corey123]

I also own the Electrolux Assistant, which comes with an 8-qt. SS bowl to make large batches of dough.

That one might be the one for you if you plan to do very large amounts of pizza dough on a daily basis.

 

[mad_evo99]

Heyas,
I'm looking to pickup a stand mixer for home use. I believe it will help me with alot of my baking stuff as well as other desserts. I have a unit that I've seen online and at the local Canadian Tire store. It's a Kitchenaid 5qt 300W mixer. It comes with a Dough Hook, Whipping head, and a Pattle Beater. I was wondering if anyne has experience with these machines and could recommend a brand or let me know if the one I have already seen will be sufficient. My budget for this uint is $500 CAD. Any advice you guys can offer would be greatly appreciated

HOWLS,
Wolf

Yes! I just bought mine a couple weeks ago and love it. My mom has had one for years, and I wanted to get more into baking. So far I've only used it for a batch of cookies and some pizza dough, but both were a snap and turned out well. I'm sure you'll love it.

 

[Katie H]

Can any of the current batch of bread machines be trusted to prepare pizza dough? (they are a WHOLE bunch cheaper, and, as a single, I doubt I'd ever find another use for a monster mixer on the counter).
Thanks!

I use my Welbilt bread machine to make pizza dough all the time. I've been doing it for almost 6 years with no problem. In fact I have two bread machines, one of which I bought at a thrift store for $3. It's a Welbilt, too, and sometimes both of them are in use at the same time.

I have arthritis in my right hand, as well as carpal tunnel, so I use my bread machines on the DOUGH cycle to do the kneading and first rise for me. What a breeze!!!

 

[ManedWolf]

I Picked The Mixer Up!

Hey,
Just wanted to let everyone know I grabbed the mixer today. Used it for the first time to mix a french bread dough, which is proofing right now. Thanks everyone for all the advice. I love the machine and can say without hesitation I'd recommend it to anyone.


HOWLS,
Wolf

 

[Corey123]

Thanks for telling us, and good luck with it!

I know that I was as happy as a 5-year-old with a new toy when I first got mine back in '86!!

 

[Candocook]

For pizza dough, many use a food processor to do it.

 

[Corey123]

True, but it doesn't hold as much.

And if you try to do more than one or two, the motor's overload switch will kick in, shutting the machine down for about 15 to 30 minutes, making you wait even longer before the dough is ready to be used.

 

[bushy]

I use my Welbilt bread machine to make pizza dough all the time. I've been doing it for almost 6 years with no problem. In fact I have two bread machines, one of which I bought at a thrift store for $3. It's a Welbilt, too, and sometimes both of them are in use at the same time.

I have arthritis in my right hand, as well as carpal tunnel, so I use my bread machines on the DOUGH cycle to do the kneading and first rise for me. What a breeze!!!

Thank you all for your advice - I need all I can get!

And thank you Katie for the good news re pizza dough in a bread machine - I get the impression that these are another of those "it sounded like a good idea at the time..." items - I've been checking thrift stores (anybody know of a modern waffle iron that:
a. Makes old-fashion skinny waffles - NOT the "Belgium" variety?
b. Has the same build quality of the irons from the 1940's through the 1960's?)

Anyway - still haven't found one of the great old beasties with the cast iron grids, but bread machines are all over the place and dirt cheap.