Choosing the Right KitchenAid Mixer for Holiday Baking

[Whatsername]

So my mom wants to get me a kitchenaid mixer for christmas, I've always liked the lift bowl type but have never used one. I've used my mom's tilt head artisan for the last 15 years and it's stood up well. I moved into my own place a few months back and I do a lot of holiday baking. I also have a massive love for vintage everything. So I have really wanted an older kitchenaid mixer, also my mom can't afford brand new which here in lies my dilemma and I'd like any help I can get. I've read a lot about the sturdiness of the older hobart models, my mom's is from 2003 which like I said has stood up the engine has gotten noisier over the years but the head is solid. My only option for buying one is online I can't drive and my mom lives 3 hours away she works a lot so online is our best arrangement. I make cookies, cake, brownies (black bean and regular), frosting, quick breads, I want to try my hand at different doughs, dips, cheesecake (tofu and regular) and I'm always looking for new recipes to try. So my questions are these.

Who has experience with both hobart and new kitchenaid and what are your thoughts?

Which is better for making pretzel dough and possibly bread dough? Lift or tilt?

Has anyone had success buying a used mixer online? Any tips?

This will be my first mixer so I'm nervous and excited.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

So my mom wants to get me a kitchenaid mixer for christmas, I've always liked the lift bowl type but have never used one. I've used my mom's tilt head artisan for the last 15 years and it's stood up well. I moved into my own place a few months back and I do a lot of holiday baking. I also have a massive love for vintage everything. So I have really wanted an older kitchenaid mixer, also my mom can't afford brand new which here in lies my dilemma and I'd like any help I can get. I've read a lot about the sturdiness of the older hobart models, my mom's is from 2003 which like I said has stood up the engine has gotten noisier over the years but the head is solid. My only option for buying one is online I can't drive and my mom lives 3 hours away she works a lot so online is our best arrangement. I make cookies, cake, brownies (black bean and regular), frosting, quick breads, I want to try my hand at different doughs, dips, cheesecake (tofu and regular) and I'm always looking for new recipes to try. So my questions are these.

Who has experience with both hobart and new kitchenaid and what are your thoughts?

Which is better for making pretzel dough and possibly bread dough? Lift or tilt?

Has anyone had success buying a used mixer online? Any tips?

This will be my first mixer so I'm nervous and excited.

Hello welcome to the forum. I’m sorry no one answered your question earlier.

If you make a lot of bread and pretzel dough you do not want to purchase a planetary mixer. Home planetary mixers are not designed for heavy doughs. It does not matter what the manufacturer states. I guarantee if you mix a lot of heavy doughs in a planetary mixer you’ll blow the gears out. I just purchased a second KitchenAid 6 quart and the instructions state when using the dough hook the highest speed is #2. That’s because KitchenAid knows that they’re mixer will not stand up to heavy doughs. If you makes a lot of heavy dough, then you need a spiral mixer like a

Over the years the quality of KitchenAid has decreased. As manufacturing costs go up manufacturers have to look for cheaper components. And this is the case with all appliances for the home market.

Hobart and KitchenAid are designed for two different markets. The KitchenAid is designed for the home baker. Since it’s not getting daily use, and used hours at a time the components are not going to be as durable as the Hobart.

Since the KitchenAid is designed for the home market, they come in a variety of sizes from 3.5 quart to a 7 quart. They offer bowl material options: glass, ceramic or stainless steel. And they come in a variety of colors.


The Hobart is design for use in a commercial kitchen so it’s going to be a sturdier machine. The Hobart countertop mixer only comes in a 5 quart size. There are no color options in there are no board material options.

There is a significant difference in price between these two machines is well. Even a used Hobart is going to be expensive because new it retails for about $2500 USD. By comparison the KitchenAid mixer is going to be about $300 USD.

Tilt head versus lift a bowl has to do with the size of the mixer. The 3.5 & 4.5 quart size it is going to be a tilt head. The 5 quart mixer comes in tilted and lift bowl. Six and 7 quart mixers are all lift bowl.

Aside from the size of the bowl another thing to consider is how the bowl attaches to the mixer. With a tilt head the bowl will attach to the base. So the bottom of the bowl is narrower. The base also has extra metal in that piece that attaches to the base. So if you’re making something like a Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream where ingredients are heated, the narrow bowl and the extra metal will retain heat longer. The lift bowl has a wider bottom and air can circulate around in under the bowl so you can hold your ingredients faster.

KitchenAid 6 quart size comes in three models: standard 6 quart, Pro 600, and the 6000. The 6000 is made for commercial use, so it has a DC motor. The standard 6 quart and the pro 600 are both AC motors. The DC motor will be more powerful, more on par with the Hobart.

Hobart makes a very good machine, but that comes at a higher price. You have to ask yourself is that kind of an investment worth it for the amount of baking you do.



Spiral mixers - just so you can see The difference between a planetary mixer and a spiral.

https://pleasanthillgrain.com/appliances/mixers

 

[Whatsername]

Thank you! That's more than I knew about mixers. I won't use it primarily for bread, I'm not against kneading by hand, I do bake a lot of cookies, cakes, dog treats and such. I was thinking of the lift type so I could do double batches easier but I've also read that doing single batches are harder to do in the larger mixers. I actually have found a few used hobart mixers but even used I couldn't afford one now which is why I thought a hobart made kitchenaid might be a good in between.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Thank you! That's more than I knew about mixers. I won't use it primarily for bread, I'm not against kneading by hand, I do bake a lot of cookies, cakes, dog treats and such. I was thinking of the lift type so I could do double batches easier but I've also read that doing single batches are harder to do in the larger mixers. I actually have found a few used hobart mixers but even used I couldn't afford one now which is why I thought a hobart made kitchenaid might be a good in between.

A KitchenAid will be fine for occasional use for bread. But those who regularly make bread would do better to invest in a spiral mixer. I cautioned against regular use for heavy doughs because KitchenAid unfortunately wrongly markets some models as good for heavy doughs. Even the Hobart N50 will fail under regular mixing of heavy doughs.

For cookies and cakes you should be fine with a KitchenAid.

Yes even used the Hobarts are very expensive machines. I was just in a bakery yesterday that expanded to their third location. Brand new ovens but their Hobart was a used machine. Bakery equipment is expensive so even professionals buy used equipment. And that demand keeps the used resale price stable.

The Hobart corporation actually sold the KitchenAid division to Whirlpool back in the 80s. So all Hobart brand mixers are manufactured under their parent company Illinois Tool Works. Hobart is produced in their Canadian plant.

KitchenAid mixers are designed and assembled in the US using imported parts under Whirlpool.

The issue with small batches in a large capacity mixer is the smaller quality means less resistance. When there’s less resistance against the beater, the batter or dough is going to be agitated more aggressively, so more gluten is going to develop. The baker has less control over gluten development. So appropriate mixer bowl size to batter quantity is very important.

Given the frequency and amount of baking I do, I buy additional attachments and bowls. It’s not only more convenient when your mixing multiple components, such as cake batter and icings, but it increases overal mixing capacity.

 

[Linus]

Hello welcome to the forum. I’m sorry no one answered your question earlier.

If you make a lot of bread and pretzel dough you do not want to purchase a planetary mixer. Home planetary mixers are not designed for heavy doughs. It does not matter what the manufacturer states. I guarantee if you mix a lot of heavy doughs in a planetary mixer you’ll blow the gears out. I just purchased a second KitchenAid 6 quart and the instructions state when using the dough hook the highest speed is #2. That’s because KitchenAid knows that they’re mixer will not stand up to heavy doughs. If you makes a lot of heavy dough, then you need a spiral mixer like a

Over the years the quality of KitchenAid has decreased. As manufacturing costs go up manufacturers have to look for cheaper components. And this is the case with all appliances for the home market.

Hobart and KitchenAid are designed for two different markets. The KitchenAid is designed for the home baker. Since it’s not getting daily use, and used hours at a time the components are not going to be as durable as the Hobart.

Since the KitchenAid is designed for the home market, they come in a variety of sizes from 3.5 quart to a 7 quart. They offer bowl material options: glass, ceramic or stainless steel. And they come in a variety of colors.


The Hobart is design for use in a commercial kitchen so it’s going to be a sturdier machine. The Hobart countertop mixer only comes in a 5 quart size. There are no color options in there are no board material options.

There is a significant difference in price between these two machines is well. Even a used Hobart is going to be expensive because new it retails for about $2500 USD. By comparison the KitchenAid mixer is going to be about $300 USD.

Tilt head versus lift a bowl has to do with the size of the mixer. The 3.5 & 4.5 quart size it is going to be a tilt head. The 5 quart mixer comes in tilted and lift bowl. Six and 7 quart mixers are all lift bowl.

Aside from the size of the bowl another thing to consider is how the bowl attaches to the mixer. With a tilt head the bowl will attach to the base. So the bottom of the bowl is narrower. The base also has extra metal in that piece that attaches to the base. So if you’re making something like a Swiss or Italian meringue buttercream where ingredients are heated, the narrow bowl and the extra metal will retain heat longer. The lift bowl has a wider bottom and air can circulate around in under the bowl so you can hold your ingredients faster.

KitchenAid 6 quart size comes in three models: standard 6 quart, Pro 600, and the 6000. The 6000 is made for commercial use, so it has a DC motor. The standard 6 quart and the pro 600 are both AC motors. The DC motor will be more powerful, more on par with the Hobart.

Hobart makes a very good machine, but that comes at a higher price. You have to ask yourself is that kind of an investment worth it for the amount of baking you do.



Spiral mixers - just so you can see The difference between a planetary mixer and a spiral.

https://pleasanthillgrain.com/appliances/mixers

I'd NEVER get a spiral dough machine. Too ridiculously expensive!! Even the table models are expensive.

 

[kgbakes]

Apologies for jumping on this thread, I posted a new thread but no replies.

I've been the home cook for years, and decided to improve on my baking. I am looking to get a new mixer (KitchenAid has been recommended), but unsure which size. I bake cakes, cookies, pastries etc... usually large 3 tier cakes of some sort. What size KA would be good. I will do a bread dough (kind of) for Jamaican Fried Dumplings on a weekly basis (which consists flour, water, baking powder, bicarb and salt) - it's a tough old dough, so would like to save my tired hands.

 

[retired baker]

no kitchenaid is designed for tough dough, if its groaning it will burn up.
its fine for milk bread or brioche etc.

"large cake" is subjective, to me thats at least 24 inch diameter, barely within a 5 quart mixer range, a 20 qt is more suitable.
for larger cakes i use full sheet pans and cut cakes from that. my largest mold is 18 inch, i actually just threw it away after 30 years.

 

[Mona]

If you’re leaning towards a used mixer, Hobart models are known for their durability and might be better for heavy tasks like pretzel and bread doughs. Newer KitchenAids are good too but may not be as sturdy. For lift bowl vs. tilt head, the lift bowl is generally better for heavier doughs. When buying used online, make sure to get detailed photos, check the serial number, and confirm it’s in working condition. Good luck with your search and happy baking!