If you like to bake bread and want a machine that will last forever I think that you should go for the Swedish made “Assistent”. It has earlier been sold under the brand DLX or MagicMill, but the brand is now Ankarsrum Assistent.

http://www.magicmillusa.com/index.php?event=product-detail&productid=83
http://www.assistent.nu/us/

In the machine you can make up to 10 lb of dough, which is quite incredible. I have used mine for many years and am very satisfied!

I used my 5-Qt Pro Kitchen Aide with great success and enjoyment for over 20 years, and have just upgraded to the 6 Qt. I love it too, altho not good for tiny amounts (ie: 1/2 c butter to cream?). For smaller jobs I just use my little hand mixette (which I also would never be without!). The bigger KA also has an optional 3-Qt bowl which I plan to invest in soon. I don’t think you can buy a better mixer - I never even had my old one serviced in all those years of mixing enormous wedding cakes, fondant, fruitcake, yeast kuchen and thousands of cookies! They told me if it is working fine you don’t have to service it. So I passed it on to my daughter as is, and now she is using it. I got the K-6 for $599 incl. spatter shield (refurbished) in Oregon and schlepped it home from there (no sales tax, an extra bonus!). Definitely get it! You’ll never regret it!

kuchenbaaker - 31 January 2011 01:48 PM

I got the K-6 for $599 incl. spatter shield (refurbished) in Oregon and schlepped it home from there (no sales tax, an extra bonus!). Definitely get it! You’ll never regret it!

That seems a VERY high price for this machine.  I see it on Amazon for about $300.

CharlesT - 31 January 2011 02:18 PM

kuchenbaaker - 31 January 2011 01:48 PM

I got the K-6 for $599 incl. spatter shield (refurbished) in Oregon and schlepped it home from there (no sales tax, an extra bonus!). Definitely get it! You’ll never regret it!

That seems a VERY high price for this machine.  I see it on Amazon for about $300.

Check also the 6.2 I have seen it around 400 dollars .

Shucks - I guess I got taken again! Royally it would seem! I knew the K-6 goes for about 400 in outlet stores, as I had researched it abit online before going south. Then decided I reeeealy didn’t neeeed to have a bigger one so the decision was kind of an impulse buy. But the one I got is a type they only made a few of and then discontinued - it has ALL Steel gears in the motor, and brushed stainless steel casing outside (not coated cast metal). It was listed at $599 but I paid $549. The spatter shield was an extra $16.50. It really looks very beautful. I got it in July so I highly doubt that there is anything I can do about it at this point - other than whine loudly. The one thing that bugs me most is - it only had 6 months warrantee as it was a refurbished model (however the sales person said - often they are only used to demo for short stints in stores and then they have to be sold as “refurbished”). What she didn’t tell me that the warrantee only applies in the USA! Of course the 6 months are now over - I’ve used it quite a bit, and it does seem to be running just fine (the unit looked spanking new). But I do notice the motor makes a different sound sometimes at certain speeds… I do feel like I got taken though. Should I complain? I know stuff from Amazon is stupid cheap - I got RHC from them. But shipping up to Canada is way expensive and makes it a pain. I usually get my son to pick my stuff up in Point Roberts WA. Is there anything I can do now?

I think my KA motor makes different noises at different speeds also. Maybe it’s normal.

kb, yours sounds like a beautiful, limited-edition version that wouldn’t have been available for less.  The ones for less are almost always black.  When I bought mine, I had to decide between price (black for $300) and beauty (pearlized metallics at $600), as both were not available in one machine.  Now you just have to use it a lot to amortize the expense.

Mine also makes noises here and there, but so far nothing has come of it.

kuchenbaaker - 03 February 2011 12:11 PM

ALL Steel gears in the motor

I think all the bowl lift models have steel gears now.  Lord knows that KA caught a lot of flack for the plastic ones.

Thanks so much everyone for the encouraging comments! Yes - I think my St St unit is an especially nice professional looking one. If I get twenty plus years of rewarding mixing out of it also - I will be more than pleased! DH was the one who really encouraged me to spring for it - and also the extra bowl which I shall invest in soon. Considering how many times the poor guy had to pull it out and re-pack it into the vehicle for the last two weeks of our holiday his support is pretty awesome! Maybe I will have to post a picture of me and my K-6!