# Questions on New Kitchenaid Mixer



## bigdchef (Mar 13, 2002)

:chef: Hi, all. I just purchased a Kitchenaid mixer, not even used yet. It is the "Artisan" model. It has beaters made of a material that KA calls "Burnished". It looks like a coated metal of some sort. I'm concerned that the coating material might fleck off. It just doesn't look stable. The dough hook looks especially vulnerable already. Does anyone have any experience with this material? Does it perform satisfactorily? 

Also, one last thing. When the beater head is raised, it's too tall to fit under my kitchen cabinet so to use the mixer I will need to move it out from under the cabinet. Would it be feasible to put the mixer on a material that would make it slide more easily over the countertop?

Thanks very much.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Burnished means polished to a dull shine. It also means to hone without removing metal. My KA beaters were burnished although they turned darker with use. And nope, they weren't coated with anything; those beaters are solid thru and thru. So don't worry about flaking. Otherwise the FDA would have already interceded.

The mixer should NOT be placed onto a sliding mat otherwise it'll travel during use.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

I've never had a problem with the "burnished" beaters, either at home or in professional use (mayonnaises, vinaigrettes, meringues, tuille batters). Actually, it's the white-painted ones I worry about flaking.

If you do put the machine on something moveable, remember that it could still move in operation, which you don't want to happen (whoops, right off the edge of the counter!  ). You could make a pull-out shelf that is anchored to the wall at the back -- like a drawer on slides. Or you could just pull the mixer out when you use it, and push it back when you're done. More work each time, but less extra construction.

_Koko, I was writing mine while you were posting yours -- but I see great minds think alike! _


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I can't comment on the burnished beaters, mine were the white ones. I did have the counter problem in my last kitchen. I solved it by moving into a kitchen that has no counters  I would agree with Suzanne. You don't want to put it on anything that will facilitate movement. It will do more than enough on its own when in use. If I didn't watch mine it would do the Cha-Cha right off the counter.


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## isa (Apr 4, 2000)

If your mixer moves on the counter and you're too busy to sit and look at it, place a long spoon just in fron t of it. When it'll falls you know it's time to push back the mixer.


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## bigdchef (Mar 13, 2002)

Thanks to all who responded to my question about the mixer. I'll quit worrying and will deal with the counter situation.


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## marzoli (Nov 17, 2000)

I have the same cabinet problem, and yes, the mixer will move.
I did learn that the KA guarantee is good--I had to send mine back and they replaced it. 
Worth the effort.


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## henry (Jun 12, 2001)

I am considering purchasing the KA "Artisan" model also. It has 325 watts. The price at Amazon is $249, no tax, free shipping. Also, if purchased before May 31, you can select a free attachment, and I'm getting the slicer/shredder cones. Does anyone have any experience with these.

My wife wants the mixer and I want the slicer/shredder attachments. Also, she wants the bright red one. Hope that doesn't get lost on our countertop!!


ONe more equipment question. Since I'm getting the free shipping, would also like to order a new blender. Do you have any recommendations? Was condsidering the Waring, but would like to go with a lower price one if you guys have any recommendations. Would like it to crush ice.

When buying a blender, is wattage my biggest concern? Or bowl shape?

Thanks for the help!!

H.


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## suzanne (May 26, 2001)

The current issue of Fine Cooking has a comparison of blenders. You can't actually access it on the website, but you can get enough info to find the magazine.

In case you can't, their top pick overall was the Oster In2itive -- which is the only one they said crushes plain ice. For brute strength, they liked the Braun PowerMax model mx2050; best value was Hamilton Beach Blendmaster Ultra; and "oldie but goodie" was Waring Professional.

But try to get the article; very useful information.


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

Henry, I've had the same Waring blender for 40 years. The only problem I've had with it was that the gasket on the bottom dried out and/or disintegrated and it leaked. 

Waring sent me a gasket kit (free) and then talked me through re-assembling it on the phone. I could have sent it back to them, too, but this was quicker and easier. 

So if dependability and service are at issue, Waring gets my vote. Also I like equipment that has simple mechanical controls. Mine works on a twist timer.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

Henry - What does your wife want to do with the mixer? If she is going to do cakes, brownies etc. that one should be fine. If she is intending to do bread doughs, the 325 Watts is a little light. No amount of free shipping will make up for the aggrivation of having stripped gears or blown motors replaced.


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## henry (Jun 12, 2001)

Thanks Kyle and Everyone for the responses.

My wife has been threatening bread, though I can't see her making a serious attempt at it. She hasn't used the bread machine in about 6 months. She is more of a brownies person, if you know what I mean.

I think she just wants a huge red albatross sitting out on the countertop to show off to her friends. We have a small powerful hand mixer that works quite well, but it spends most of its life in the cabinet. I do like the tilt-head feature rather than raising and lowering the bowl.

Kyle, what wattage would you recommend for avid bread work?


Is a 325-watt KA powerful enough to do a double chocolate chip cookie dough?

I decided on the Braun Power Max (rated a best buy for $50) blender, mostly to be used for protein drinks, smoothies for my son, and the occasional margarita.

You guys are really helpful! Thanks!

H.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

For bread I would not buy a mixer with less than 500 watts.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

My Kenwood mixer rated at 600 watts kneads my usual bread dough in about a minute's time whereas the KA PROFESSIONAL mixer rated at 525 watts took about 4 or 5 minutes for an equal amount of dough.


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## waz (May 1, 2002)

Lots of folks are reporting problems with new Kitchenaids. The quality has dropped considerably since Hobart sold them to Whirlpool. You can find lots of discussion on Google Groups about the problems.

My Hobart era KitchenAid (350 Watt) has taken a beating and still works great. I've loaded it with enough flour to make it get too hot to touch. Actually put cold towels on it to try to keep it cool. Of course that's only about 5 cups or so. My wife came to the rescue and bought me an Electrolux Magic Mill DLX. Sweet! It'll do 24 cups of flour at a time. Great for a serious home bread maker that doesn't want to step up to a Hobart.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

A brand new HOBART 5 qt mixer runs well into 4 figures. Visit this site:

http://www.hobartcorp.com/hobartg5/p..._mixer_counter


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## mudbug (Dec 30, 1999)

Henry,

You may want to browse here for opinions and reviews on blenders.

:bounce:


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## annie (Mar 22, 2002)

Ok, I've done a search and seen all the threads that compare Kenwood vs. Kitchenaid. I'm ready to set up to a REAL mixer (iinsert reving the engine noises - vroom!) and I'm trying to decide between a 7 qt. Kenwood, and the Magic Mill 8 qt Assistent. The design of the Magic Mill is very different from the more conventional looking Kenwood. I don't think there is anywhere around Boston to take either of these machines for a test drive.

Bread bakers rave about the Magic Mill, but I'd be using my mixer some for bread dough, but mostly mousses and cakes: batters and lots and lots of Italian meringue and butter cream.

I think Kenwood just got bought out by DeLonghi - and I hope that doesn't indicate a Hobart-Whirlpool KitchenAid quality drop.
Magic Mill is by Electrolux of Sweden. 

So - has anyone had any experience with the Magic Mill other than kneading bread?  

Thanks!


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## annie (Mar 22, 2002)

Hello all- again  and thanks Waz!

I just went, for the very first time, to Google groups, and found more information than I can process  on Kenwood vs. Magic Mill. You cheftalk folks are the very best, but I wouldn't want to put you out, or burn out your motors, without doing my homework. Here's a relevant quote, from a guy who called the King Arthur Flour folks, who sold both the Kenwood and the Magic Mill, and asked about using the Magic Mill for non-dough stuff, like mashed potatoes:

"They were very friendly and helpful. The "bakers hotline" 
representative they transferred me to told me that the demonstrations she had seen with the MM mixing non-dough items were unimpressive at best, and that it was understandably poor at aerating cake batters as well as dealing with small batches. She presumed that potatoes would be impossible.

She did have first-hand experience with my other two choices however. She was so dissatisfied with the akward arrangement of her Bosch System 7 that she dumped it in favor of a Kenwood which she loves but has never used for 
bread."


Huuummm - I think I may start searching for a sale on a Kenwood!


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## waz (May 1, 2002)

My wife uses if for cakes and cookies. She used to ocasionally grab the KitchenAide for stuff like icing and what not. This weekend she baked our 3 year old a cake for his birthday. She used the Magic Mills whip attachment for the icing. I'm told I can get rid of the Kitchen Aide if I want now. She LOVES the Magic Mill.


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## kylew (Aug 14, 2000)

I have a Kenwood. I use it , 98 % of the time, for bread. I love it. 
Just one man's opinion.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Although Kenwood has a new distributor in the USA, DeLonghi I think, the unit is still manufactured by Kenwood in Britain. Unlike KitchenAid, there's been no change of manufacturer with Kenwood.

I've owned both the KA and Kenwood units and I much prefer the design and power of the latter. The Kenwood seems more stable on the countertop, too. My model has 600W of power and a 5 QT capacity, just right for a 1 or 2 pound dough. And for dips, my Kenwood mixes small amounts of cream cheese with milk and spices just fine. Get a Kenwood.

Do you really need a 7 or 8 qt capacity? I'd seriously inquire about that requirement unless you really make large quantities of whatever.


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

As the KA is in so many kitchens, it's simple to get repaired,`parts, attachments, etc. Could those who have these mixers comment on that aspect of the Kenwood and MM? 

One of the advantages of the KA is the wonderful array of useful attachments. Is this true of the others?


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

So many problems with the KA Professional mixer have cropped up lately that I no longer have confidence in their quality. Some brand new KA's, just out of the box, don't work due to faulty electrics. Not with Kenwood.

It seems that Kenwood offers quite an array of attachments for their mixer ranging from a blender to an ice cream maker.


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

Kokopuffs, I'm not sure why I'm so obsessed with the service issue. 

I have 2 KA's and have had only 1 service visit since the 60's. But I believe both the Kenwood and MM are made aboad, so I wonder about how available service is here. I know that if I were to buy a new mixer, my KA's would have new homes, probably serving my kids as well as they've served me --but I wouldn't buy a KA today.


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## kokopuffs (Aug 4, 2000)

Okay, Alexia, I have not heard any service issues with Kenwood. Don't know in other words. I would recommend that you contact DeLonghi (so a search at Google.Com for their number) for matters pertaining to service issues for Kenwood mixers.

If I encounter any problems with servicing my Kenwood, then I'll spend $500 on a used Hobart 5 qt model.


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## alexia (Mar 3, 2002)

Thanks Kokopuffs. It's a telling that old equipment appears to hold its value against the new. I can feel myself turning into a curmudgeon.


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## brook (Oct 27, 1999)

I got a Kenwood Major mixer last year and love it! I have used it for making bread, as well as for less strenuous baked goods. There are alot of attachments (including one that does fine grating, useful when making Viennese type pastries) that you can get for it, including many similar to those KA offers. But if you're planning to use the Kenwood as a substitute for a food processor, another friend, who has the smaller Kenwood mixer, said that it doesn't work very well. In Rose Levy Berenbaum's The Cake Bible, she cites Acme American Repairs (tel: 718-456-6544) in Brooklyn NY as a place where Kenwoods and Kitchen Aid mixers may be repaired, but I have, happily, never had to contact them.


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## annie (Mar 22, 2002)

Thanks everyone for your input. I'm back to being confused, again - but that's a good thing: it's wonderful to have a choice to make. It looks like I'll have   to make a road trip to Norwich Vermont, to test drive both at King Arthur. Bookstores in Hanover, driving along the Connecticut River, darn! I used to live near there, too.

Kokopuffs, I think I do want a bigger mixer. I just career switched to pastry chef (long hours, low pay - and something I thoroughly love) and I've made wedding cakes for friends. Only being able to made 8 egg white batches of Italian meringue in my little KitchenAid turns butter cream production into - not a death march, but something very wearing.

And, my little Kitchen Aid came close to croaking on the cake for my (unemployed) best friend's daughter's wedding. When it's time to move on up, you just know! Kokopuffs, it's good to hear that DeLonghi is only the distributor - Alexia, when you said "since the 60's" about your KA There are so many threads on baking groups about the decline in quality of KA's after the manufacturers changed. If you have an older model - hold on to it, you're one of the lucky ones!

And I've always rbeen a fan of KyleW's - it was his note on the KA board that led me first to cheftalk! So I repect his opinions - and now that I work in pastry, truly appreciate that fine line between hobby and bonkers


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