Tell Me About The Kitchenaid Mixer

[BlessedMommy]

So, is it worth it? What does it really do to baked goods that I can't do with a spoon and some elbow grease? Does the texture turn out better when beaten with a stand mixer?

 

If you used to bake without one and now have one, how are your baked goods different now that you're using one?

 

Thanks in advance for any comments. 

 

 

[cyclinglady]

I do not have one. My kitchen is too small. I have a nice hand mixer that has served me well.

My grandmother (got the baking gene from her), simply used a wooden spoon. That is what is I use, along with my hands. I baked all my bread without a mixer. I once had a bread maker, but gave it away. There is nothing like kneading bread by hand.

I suppose I might need one someday if I am not able to hold on to the hand mixer.

I think it is just a personal preference. It is just another tool in your kitchen. It has no impact on the final product.

[BlessedMommy]

So I could whip up gluten free bread dough with a hand held mixer?

[StephanieL]

If I had the choice of my Vita mix or my Kitchen aid, I would splurge on the vita mix hands down!  I think for most things I do I could get away with a hand mixer but my vita mix....pure gold!  Can grind gluten-free flours, makes soups you would swear had a quart of cream in and makes a mean dairy free buffalo chicken hummus dip and so much more!

[BlessedMommy]

Good to know, thanks! We purchased the Vitamix 2 1/2 years ago and have never regretted it! 

[SMRI]

Hummm...my step-mom has a Vita-Mix she doesn't use 

[1desperateladysaved]

Kitchen Aid mixers aren't that tough for large families.  I got told not to put more than a few cups of flour in at a time!  I did work with whole grain gluten bread at the time.  I ended up with a commercial Viking machine that held for several years.  Now, I have had it in a cupboard so long that I would be tempted to give it to you!  I have been using food processors instead.  I grind to nut flours before mixing recipes in it.

[chocominties]

I got a Kitchenaid last Christmas, and while I don't use it all the time, it's been great for those times when I want to bake something and don't want to stand there pounding batter with a spatula (what I used to do).  I suppose a hand mixer and a deep enough bowl would give the same results.  I just never had good luck with hand mixers. 

 

I've never used it to bake bread, but I've used it to make a lot of cakes, whipped cream, that sort of thing.  It's great for whipped cream or meringue--no splatter, no "when is this going to be done" ...

[Adalaide]

I don't have the physical stamina for mixing by hand and have never had any luck with hand mixers. I own one, but they just don't stand up to the kind of work I put a mixer to. If my house was burning down, I'd save my KitchenAid if I could. It isn't just awesome because it's awesome, I also have one of the attachments for it and want to get more. Right now all I have is the grater/slicer. I'm not thrilled with its ability to slice but I didn't buy it for that anyway, I bought it to grate things because again, I don't have the stamina or strength to do it myself. It's great for grating things quickly and easily. I think for someone who bakes a lot and would get a lot of use from it, it's worth having. I can't really say how things are different now with it than without it since I've always done my gluten-free baking with it. I will agree that there is no substitute in the world for hand kneading a bread, but since we aren't really doing that anyway with gluten-free breads I don't think it matters.

[LauraTX]

So I could whip up gluten free bread dough with a hand held mixer?

 

That may burn out the motor if you give it too much of a workload.

 

Kitchen Aid mixers aren't that tough for large families.  I got told not to put more than a few cups of flour in at a time! 

 

All of the kitchenaid mixers are rated for how many cups of flour they can deal with at a time for thick stuff like bread making.  I am not sure which one you were using that only allowed for a "few cups" but as you get the better models the capacity increases, the cheapest/less awesome "classic" model is rated for 8 cups, but overall since baked goods differ, it is all about the power of the motor + the size of the bowl.  Like anything where you get what you pay for, I recommend not going for the bottom line model, and choosing somewhere in the middle, or if you are using it a whole lot, one of the bigger ones.  The "artisan" is the classic one that is most common.  

 

All the attachments are good, I really like the ice cream maker, and the food grinder/strainer is nice for making things like applesauce.  If you make your own pasta, the pasta roller is great, too.  But overall, yes, it is all stuff you can do by hand.  For people like me with arthritis and such, it is invaluable.  I need to pick up the grater, I have trouble grating things, too.  But the more you use it, the more it pays off.

[love2travel]

I had to leave my professional grade KA behind in Canada when we moved to Croatia recently. It was one of the most difficult things to leave as it was irreplaceable but then I made tons of yeast breads, etc. It was absolutely essential. For the first month here I was without as Croatia does not carry them. We are 45 minutes from Italy and could not find them there, either. So, I have a professional Electrolux that is just as powerful and I use it regularly. I almost feel disloyal to my KA back in Canada! But I practically would not have survived without it, like Addy.

[Kharma]

I have the KitchenAid Pro 600 series bowl-lift model.

 

I'd hurt anyone who tried to take it away from me! It takes all the fight out of baking, no matter what it is. I have myasthenia gravis and even though it's been in remission for decades holding a hand mixer up for any extended period of time, much less stirring by hand isn't going to happen. But even without that factored in, the mixer is one of my top cooking tools, tied with my knives. Good to have an extra bowl for it, too.

 

I'd definitely advise to go for the pro model; the extra power and durability is well worth it.

 

The VitaMix is wonderful as well; one doesn't replace the other.