I have a Kenwood Chef, bought for me by my husband in 1973, and still working perfectly. I broke the original pyrex-type bowl and replaced it with a new plastic one and I replaced the whisk beater as one of the wires snapped. When it was bought it cost £24.99 (about 50 dollars) but they now cost ten times that! I also have a Kenwood hand mixer which I use for small jobs but I wouldn’t like to be without my stand mixer for big mixes especially my Christmas cake which I have made this week. Do you have fruitcake as a Christmas cake in the USA?
Do you have fruitcake as a Christmas cake in the USA?
Yes, some people in the US do make fruitcake at Christmas, but I think more people joke about receiving and re-gifting the same fruitcake year after year because nobody wants to eat it.
I suppose I’m primitive, but surprise, I don’t own a stand mixer. I’ve had success using a hand mixer for regular-size batches of cakes and buttercreams, but I would be up a creek if I ever had to make a wedding cake. I knead all of my bread by hand.
I suppose I’m primitive, but surprise, I don’t own a stand mixer. I’ve had success using a hand mixer for regular-size batches of cakes and buttercreams, but I would be up a creek if I ever had to make a wedding cake. I knead all of my bread by hand.
Wow, I am surprised Matthew! After seeing some of your kitchen creations, I’m completely impressed.
I use a big Kitchen Aid. The biggest one they have. I bought this AFTER I had the medium sized one and found it could not handle heavy jobs. SO now I just have both on the counter all the time and use according to job. It is a lot of fun too, when my daughter gets baking, we don’t have as much stress. Sometimes I like to hand mix. My family thinks this is crazy, but there are times when I really want to get the feel of the batter. You guys understand this, but many do not. Mixing by hand is also good when you add fragile blueberries or something like that to the batter. We had a Kenwood once early in our marriage because my husband is European and thinks its best. It is what he grew up with. It just stressed me out too much. Too fussy and reminded my of the dreaded mother in law. Finally it broke. I was happy. I wish Kitchen Aide would make the additional large bowls more readily available and affordable. Thanks
I currently use the 5qt KitchenAid, but I’m seriously considering getting the 6qt for large wedding cake sized batches of buttercream and cake batter. I wish KA would make a 10qt - wouldn’t that be the best! I’ve found a few 10qt hobarts for sale, but they look so industrial (and not in the good way), and even heavily used ones are so expensive, comparitively speaking.
I use a 5-quart KitchenAid, and I have a small Sunbeam hand mixer that I use for “quick jobs.“ I did without a stand mixer for many, many years, though.
I have the 6 qt. Kitchenaid. I don’t think it’s as good a machine since Hobart stopped making them for Kitchenaid. When this one bites the dust, I think I’d get a Viking. I really need a heavy duty one because I do all my baking from scratch.
What kind of stand mixer do you use, and what size is it?
I have an Kitchen Aid 5 Qt Artisan. It whips and creams like a dream.
I briefly flirted with the idea of buying the new Cuisinart stand mixer, but after seeing all the parts of it that are made of plastic (under the top cover), I ran back to my tried and tested KA.
I have 3 mixers. One old KitchenAid/Hobart Classic. One KitchenAid hand mixer. One KitchenAid Artisan (5 qt) mixer. I would love the new Cuisinart Mixer and get rid of the Artisan. I have been through 3 Artisan’s; they can’t handle too much load and don’t like to be pushed. But KitchenAid is good about replacing their mixers (within 1 year) when they blow up. Lorraine
Cook’s Illustrated rated different stand mixers, and their results can be found here. It’s about 2 years old, however, so the newer ones off the market won’t be in it.
I have an old 5-qt. KitchenAid ProLine I inherited from my mother when she bought her 6-qt. about four years ago. Prior to that, I had an old KA 4.5-qt.
