Hector, that was some great information.  I know I was originally concerned when Whirlpool bought KA from Hobart, but my fears turned out to be unfounded.  I can’t ever see owning anything else.

I also don’t own a stand mixer. Until recently I didn’t even own an electric mixer, just a selection of whisks and one of those hand rotary mixers.

Now that I bake cakes from time to time, I do find my hand-held KitchenAid mixer to be useful.

My husband does all the bread baking, and he enjoys kneading by hand far too much to let a mixer steal all the fun!

I do more pie and pastry baking. I love my food processor!

I started with a sunbeam stand mixer.  That survived about 4 years.  Once I started making bread using the mixer (esp pita and gozleme doughs) a nasty smoke smell accompanied usage.  I was lucky enough to get a 5qt KitchenAid this August (as a birthday present from my husband- hence the grey).  In Australia they cost $650.  Almost bought on online to ship but postage and a converter from 110 to 220 made the cost difference negligable.  The 6 qt model is available through catering supply only here at $795 too much for me (for now).

The sunbeam had the 2 beaters or dough hooks and glass bowls that would spin around.  The beaters were really hard to keep clean (there was a little plastic bit to stop the metal from rubbing against the bowl).  Also the whole unit was quite light and it would have counter walks quite frequently.

I really love the KitchenAid.  I think I get better volume from egg whites and cream.  It copes with low hydration doughs really well.  I also like the paddle which wasn’t an option with my sunbeam.  It also makes cooking with children around so much easier- the pouring shield for me is mostly used to keep my helpers from getting too excited and putting their hands in! 

Stand mixers are wonderful to free you up for multi tasking.  The brand choices we have here are a bit more limited but even at the price here I would buy another KitchenAid.

i too have the KA 5 quart. what irks me is that i waited until i could afford the 5 because i wanted the biggest bowl possible and like 2 months later they came out with the 6 qt! grrr. Now, my dream mixer is a 20 qt hobart!

cant wait to get one.

jen

I have a five qt Kitchen Aid, as well… for about 21 years.... I have used the newer, 6 qt model, but don’t like them nearly as much.  perhaps it’s because I’m so accustomed to the older one… I got two bowls for mine, when I bought it, and it has joined me in many a commercial kitchen.  right now, it’s sitting in one of my kitchen sink (limited counter space).  I will admit, that it does show it’s age… but I’ve given it a few touch ups with my favorite nail polish colors..

I’ve got the Kitchen Aid 5 quart.  It was a housewarming gift from my VERY GENEROUS sister.  At that time, she worked at Linnens and Things...so the employee discount clearly helped...but it was a gift...and how can you argue with free!  I use it constantly and have had no trouble at all.  I love it.  I have been asked to do a wedding cake...first one...I think the bowl will be a little too small to do the frosting in one batch...but since I rarely need to do something that large...the 5 qt. will do just fine.

Electrolux Assistent N24 which has a 600w motor. I think the bad review is because you need to learn how to angle the dough hook. I never use the roller anymore. An electronics component broke on mine after 7 years. Electrolux thought it was odd to see an Assistent come for repair. I have got virtually all accessories and works well. I would rate it 80/100.

Same model has been around since 1940ś. Electrolux, the inventor of the modern refrigerator (the quiet one, still used in hotels). Did anyone know that?

//Stefan

I also have the Electrolux DLX Assistent. Mine is brand new - I’ve had it less than a month. Had a Kitchenaid 4.5 qt Ultra Power, but when I took up baking bread it didn’t feel very capable. Had been leaning toward a KA 6 qt Pro, but after running into some bad reviews (on amazon & epinions, mostly) and doing much research I settled on the Electrolux (In the end it had come down to a decision between the DLX and the Bosch Universal Plus).

So far I’m still learning how to use it, but I like my new mixer a lot.

i love my delonghi 7qt mixer,i’ve been thiking of getting another bowl to go with it for big jobs.

I have an Empire (?) Green Kitchen Aid 5 quart Heavy Duty from around 1992.  I wish the head tilted up like the new ones, but it sounds like I should hold onto it as long as I can due to manufacturing changes.  It’s a shame.  I spent about two years selling Kitchen Aids as a cookware store, and I always felt great about selling the product.  (I hate selling people things they don’t need, or aren’t any good.)

It hasn’t gotten nearly the workout as I’m sure many of yours have, but it has always done well by me.  When I got it, it came with an extra bowl and a pouring shield (special package from Williams-Sonoma).  The extra bowl is great.  I hate stopping to wash.  Especially for the Mouselline Buttercream.  One bowl and the flat beater for the butter, and the second and the whisk for the egg whites.  Works perfectly.  But I have to say, I’ve never felt the pouring shield was worth it, until I did the batter for two 10 inch cakes and the 11 cup recipe of Buttercream.  Kept it all in the bowl.

I have made bread, cakes, cookies, buttercream, brioche, cheesecakes, (the Cordon Rose is wonderful) and it’s never let me down (though it does heat up a bit with heavy doughs, and tends to walk accross the counter when kneading dough if the feet have any flour or dust on them).  It has needed one repair which cost about $50.  Oh, and I caught a spatula with my whisk attachment, and bent it (the whisk, not the spatula. Don’t ask).

I also have a 7 speed Kitchen Aid Hand Mixer which is great when I don’t feel like dragging out the Green Monster.  It does a fine job on cookies, whipped cream, rewhipping small amounts of buttercream, (boxed cakes ), etc.