KitchenAid Stand Mixer Dilemma

[Linus]

But not everyone can afford a spiral mixer. They are ridiculously expensive anyway! Don't they run on 220 voltage? If you live in an apt, that would probably be hard to do. Commercial mixers also, don't allow you to make too much dough! The lower-priced ones. Only 4 to 5lbs at a time. I have 2 Globe mixers & they both allow me to make 4 to 5lbs of dough. I don't care because that is all that I would need anyway. I bought them mainly because I wanted powerful & robust mixers

 

[Norcalbaker59]

But not everyone can afford a spiral mixer. They are ridiculously expensive anyway! Don't they run on 220 voltage? If you live in an apt, that would probably be hard to do. Commercial mixers also, don't allow you to make too much dough! The lower-priced ones. Only 4 to 5lbs at a time. I have 2 Globe mixers & they both allow me to make 4 to 5lbs of dough. I don't care because that is all that I would need anyway. I bought them mainly because I wanted powerful & robust mixers

The European market has both planetary and spiral mixers for home bakers. It’s just the crappy American market that only makes them for commercial use.

Fortunately there’s a couple of retailers that sells European home spiral mixers here.

Brands listed by most affordable to most expensive:



NutriMill Artiste (parent company owns Bosch mixer, so Bosch attachments fit this mixer as well)

WonderMix

Bosch Universal

Ankarsrum

Häussler Alpha

Famag Grilletta


https://pleasanthillgrain.com/resources/dough-mixer-comparison-buying-guide

 

[Linus]

Nutrimill Artiste, I have Electrolux DLX2000 An older version of the Ank, I have. Wondermix uses a cheap plastic post to drive the beaters. Keeps on breaking. I don't want that!

 

[Norcalbaker59]

Nutrimill Artiste, I have Electrolux DLX2000 An older version of the Ank, I have. Wondermix uses a cheap plastic post to drive the beaters. Keeps on breaking. I don't want that!

Now see that’s a totally legit complaint about the Nutrimill!!!

And that was my point about KA. People complain about KA for stripped gears. But if you look at the actual use behind the complaints, you see they’ve used the wrong mixer for the job. It’s like a mallet and a claw are both hammers. And yes you can drive a nail with a mallet. But then complain the mallet is worthless because the head of the rubber mallet shreds apart from the beating it takes from pounding nails.

 

[Linus]

The Nutrimill Artiste uses A Stainless steel drive post that fits through the bowl that you fasten under the bowl. It is removed before cleaning the bowl so that it doesn't get wet from the water.

It can be wiped clean with a damp cloth, but for the most part, it can't be submerged in the water. The Bosch Universal has one also.

 

[Raul9797]

Do you know the name of that tool to remove the gear ?

 

[Norcalbaker59]

View attachment 2877View attachment 2878Do you know the name of that tool to remove the gear ?

A friend of mine is an extraordinary mechanic that Can fix and fabricate any kind of equipment I have no idea what the heck that tool is but I sent the photo to him and he answered immediately. He said

“it's an external snap ring plier. 90 degree type.“

edit:


I asked how to pick the right size plier. He said you look at the specification and it will tell you the size range.



He said a plie with this range of specifications should work (click on “Product Overview” to see the specifications)



https://www.homedepot.com/p/KNIPEX-...External-Snap-Ring-Pliers-46-21-A21/205944349

 

[retired baker]

there’s a lot of third-party retailers that are selling stuff on Amazon. And a lot of brand name stuff you buy on Amazon is mostly counterfeit. Their counterfeit problem is so bad that Amazon finally had to inform their investors that they could not control the counterfeit problem. And in fact their counterfeit problem is so bad that Amazon now is getting out of the business of being a retailer because they’re being stuck with the cost of replacing the counterfeit items. Amazon used to buy directly from manufacturers and then resell. Last year they just abruptly stopped buying from thousands of companies. And told them that if they wanted to continue to do business on Amazon that they would have to sell directly to the customers.

if you look at the price of goods on Amazon and then you go to the retailer’s site you’ll see the goods on Amazon are always cheaper. And the reason being is the goods on Amazon or counterfeit. it’s gotten so bad that a lot of manufacturers like ThermoWorks The manufactures of high in thermometers will not honor a warranty on any thermometer that is purchased on Amazon.

KitchenAid does not re-package and sell returned mixers is new. KitchenAid has refurbished mixers on their own website. if a retailer has their own site there is no reason to go to Amazon and get ripped off with a counterfeit. If the retailer has an Amazon store, then they will link it on their site so Amazon prime members can take advantage of prime benefits.

I own two KitchenAid mixers. One is 20 yrs old. I haven’t had a problem with either mixer. And I guarantee I bake way more than the average person. The issue people have with mixers is they buy the wrong mixer for the job. Planetary countertop mixers are not designed for mixing heavy doughs. The dough is not even kneaded. The dough ends up wrapped around the dough hook because the bowl is stationary. It just gets dragged against the bowl. It never gets kneaded at all. That dragging just creates heat in the dough, which takes the dough beyond DDT. All the ruining the gear as it requires a lot of torque in the to drag that the dough hook and ball of dough around the bowl.

If people want to mix a lot of bread and pizza dough they should buy a spiral mixer. Spiral mixers actually move the dough ball as the bowl and the mixer both rotate. This action produces less friction, which creates less heat. And the mixer doesn’t take a beating. It’s not that kitchenaid is a junky mixer, it people are buying the wrong mixer for the wrong job.

I couldn't agree more, I used a k5a kitchenaid for decades without a problem, we hammered on it commercially, not doughs mind you.

 

[retired baker]

I bought the wife a 6 QT Pro. After it stripped the gears 3 times over 2 years, I'm done with it. I'm buying her a Primo PM-10 to use. It weighs more than she does, and was only $678 with free shipping. https://www.katom.com/163-PM10.html

Wow that is nice, good price too.

 

[Africa]

I received today my KitchenAid Artisan mixer. I wanted to ask: Is it normal when you lift the upper part body that in the Joint is some kind of grease/oitnment? I am rather suspicious as this product claims to be bran new.

 

[Linus]

Are you speaking of the motor head? I have to see a pic to know what part you are talking about.

 

[Linus]

I received today my KitchenAid Artisan mixer. I wanted to ask: Is it normal when you lift the upper part body that in the Joint is some kind of grease/oitnment? I am rather suspicious as this product claims to be bran new.

This is why I stopped buying KA mixers. The broken ones are sent back to the factory, & are rebuilt or remanufactured, then they are resold as so-called new again!! You don't really know what you're getting!! Some have complained that there is dried batter on them, a few scrapes & leaking oil or grease!!

 

[retired baker]

I received today my KitchenAid Artisan mixer. I wanted to ask: Is it normal when you lift the upper part body that in the Joint is some kind of grease/oitnment? I am rather suspicious as this product claims to be bran new.

on the pivot ? yes thats edible lubrication. Its new, don't worry.
Get baking. ! Time is money !

 

[letmepicyou]

If you need to upgrade to a commercial mixer due to repeatedly stripping the gears, then the KitchenAide home countertop mixer was inappropriately used.

Stripping the gears means frequent use for mixing heavy bread doughs. Cake batter and cookie dough do not create much resistance and require very little mixing. So they aren’t going to strip gears.

KitchenAid is not designed for heavy doughs like bread and roll.

When considering any piece of equipment, you have to first consider what you intend to use it for AND the frequency of the use. Then research equipment that is actually designed and constructed for that task.

A planetary mixer with its stationary bowl is the wrong mixer for bread doughs. The right mixer is a plunging arm mixer or a spiral mixer.

A failure on the consumer’s part to purchase appropriately designed and constructed equipment for the task is not a failing of the manufacturer.

I disagree, I think the KitchenAid mixer (at least the metal gear Pro line / lift bowl line) are just FINE for heavy bread doughs, that's what I use mine for. The PROBLEM with their mixers is in the assembly (they don't loctite their assembly screws so the screws back out and the gears jump in the transmission, causing stripping and motor over-loading) and the lubricant they use.

Loctiting the screws so they NEVER back out and using a grease that doesn't turn into a solid in 5 years is the absolute KEY to KitchenAid mixer longevity.

 

[Norcalbaker59]

I disagree, I think the KitchenAid mixer (at least the metal gear Pro line / lift bowl line) are just FINE for heavy bread doughs, that's what I use mine for. The PROBLEM with their mixers is in the assembly (they don't loctite their assembly screws so the screws back out and the gears jump in the transmission, causing stripping and motor over-loading) and the lubricant they use.

Loctiting the screws so they NEVER back out and using a grease that doesn't turn into a solid in 5 years is the absolute KEY to KitchenAid mixer longevity.

I have two KitchenAid mixers a 6 quart pro that I’ve had for a couple of years. I rarely use it.

The other is my primary mixer. It’s a 20-year-old tilt head KitchenAid mixer that has seemed more mixing than you can ever imagine. Still going strong—in fact never even had the grease repacked in it and has never stripped a gear. I’m thinking though it is long overdue for some grease.

if your theory was correct, my tilt head would have blowed out 15 yrs ago. Then again 10 yrs ago. And it should have blown out again this year. I‘be passed the five year mark three times already on that machine.

I’m very careful never to mix heavy doughs with my KitchenAids. As a baker of 20 years and one who’s had a lot of professional training I know that the appropriate mixer for heavy doughs is a spiral. If you go into a bread bakery, that’s what you will see. And if you get Jeffrey Hamelman‘s book Bread, all use of a mixer will refer to a spiral mixer, not a planetary mixer.

Aside from not handling heavy doughs, planetary mixers do a terrible job kneading dough. They create a tremendous amount of friction because wrap around the dough hook and just just drag the dough around the inside of the bowl. The heat is bad for the yeast.


The drawback with a spiral mixer is a good one is expensive. And some like the Famag Grilletta are designed just for doughs.

If you watch the video below you see there’s a significant difference in how the dough moves in the bowl of a spiral mixer compared to a planetary mixer.

Both the mixer head and the bowl rotate; you can see in the initial stages of mixing the water gets worked through the dough much more thoroughly. The dough does not get wrapped around the dough hook and dragged around the bowl. It also doesn’t get stuck to the bottom of the bowl and endlessly twisted around.

this is the spiral mixer at the training center where I take a lot of classes.

 

[bbyerly]

Ok LINUS!!! I am on to your mixer recommendations....I own a retail and wholesale bakery....we re whip our icing once made to give a nice smooth finish...the mixer is running I would say 5 hours out of an 8 hour day. I buy the cheap KA mixers and they last less than 6 months most times...Ive bought the commercial version and every version in between and its all about the same time frame. I have a basement full of them that I keep claiming that I will fix but I'm to busy baking...Maybe ill open a KA museum one day....we mix small batches of desserts on one in the kitchen its used the least and more of like a busy home baker would use one. The decorating side whips icing that is of normal consistency for decorating but we ice 150 cakes on a Friday and a good amount through the week so that one is almost always running. Whats your suggestion for a mixer for the icing? It must be table top and not overly large, I would like to stick around the 10qt range. Same with the baking one want to move away from KA but that does not have to have the ability to be running 5 hours a day, maybe 2-3. Looking forward to your thoughts.

 

[retired baker]

Ok LINUS!!! I am on to your mixer recommendations....I own a retail and wholesale bakery....we re whip our icing once made to give a nice smooth finish...the mixer is running I would say 5 hours out of an 8 hour day. I buy the cheap KA mixers and they last less than 6 months most times...Ive bought the commercial version and every version in between and its all about the same time frame. I have a basement full of them that I keep claiming that I will fix but I'm to busy baking...Maybe ill open a KA museum one day....we mix small batches of desserts on one in the kitchen its used the least and more of like a busy home baker would use one. The decorating side whips icing that is of normal consistency for decorating but we ice 150 cakes on a Friday and a good amount through the week so that one is almost always running. Whats your suggestion for a mixer for the icing? It must be table top and not overly large, I would like to stick around the 10qt range. Same with the baking one want to move away from KA but that does not have to have the ability to be running 5 hours a day, maybe 2-3. Looking forward to your thoughts.

you will burn anything you buy , mixers are not continual use machines like a water pump, they're batch machines.
Bigger mixers make bigger batches so you aren't mixing all day.
If you buy a hobart 60 qt and run it all day it will go into thermal reset, they aren't designed for that.

 

[Linus]

Ok LINUS!!! I am on to your mixer recommendations....I own a retail and wholesale bakery....we re whip our icing once made to give a nice smooth finish...the mixer is running I would say 5 hours out of an 8 hour day. I buy the cheap KA mixers and they last less than 6 months most times...Ive bought the commercial version and every version in between and its all about the same time frame. I have a basement full of them that I keep claiming that I will fix but I'm to busy baking...Maybe ill open a KA museum one day....we mix small batches of desserts on one in the kitchen its used the least and more of like a busy home baker would use one. The decorating side whips icing that is of normal consistency for decorating but we ice 150 cakes on a Friday and a good amount through the week so that one is almost always running. Whats your suggestion for a mixer for the icing? It must be table top and not overly large, I would like to stick around the 10qt range. Same with the baking one want to move away from KA but that does not have to have the ability to be running 5 hours a day, maybe 2-3. Looking forward to your thoughts.

I'm so glad that you are taking my advice! But I own 2 Globe mixers. The SP05, I would normally use to make frostings, while the SP08, I would use for making cakes & bread. Both models can be switched around though. They are very good. I don't go over the limit when using them, but they are better than most mixers I've ever had. They are very expensive at the regular price, but you can save some money if you buy them used from Ebay.

The SP05 has 10 speeds & a 5-qt bowl an 800-watt motor & metal gears, while the SP08 has 3 speeds & a 8-qt bowl & a 1/4 hp induction motor. Bowl have the bowl-lift feature. The SP08 has a 15-minute digital timer & heat-treated gears for longevity. But you won't go wrong with them at all!!

 

[Linus]

bbyerly, with all the dough that you're spending buying the cheap KA mixers, you probably could've invested in a decent commercial mixer, a 10-qt model, like you said. Buy quality once, or buy junk forever!!

 

[dferguson2]

I have a 40+ year old 5 qt. With bowl lift. I paid $299 for it. I mix rye breads, w/w bread and sourdough bread. I mix with no more than 5 cups of flour. I also use a variety of attachments. This is tough mixer and has had no problems with it.
Does the new “S” hook for bread fit these old mixers?