Mixers & Bread makers.

dfk41

Elcarajillo I think the dividing line is the amount of use. Can you get away with a domestic modelor do you need the extra grunt a commercial machine gives. I have used the dough hooks on mine a few times and find them quite acceptable. I would have a look on Ebay or Facebook Marketplace since like a grinder, a mixer is a motor and a case and providing it has been cleaned. and looked after you can make a fair saving on new. A few years ago I switched from Kenwod to a Dualit mixer and for me, I think it is better performing. My local Marketplace has loads for sale close to me with every make under the sun available.

DavecUK

I have a bread maker, they can do a great job of baking and making bread in a one part operation.You don’t have to touch anything, you just press the button.And a number of hours later, you got a fresh loaf pops out.But of course, you always got that hole in the bottom where the mixer paddle was. I think some modern ones retract them, but the other way you can use them is to just make the dough. As what really lets them down is the shaping and the tensioning of the bread. So you could use them just to make the dough and then just bake the bread as normal after shaping and tensioning it up yourself.

This post has actually made me think.I should get the bread maker out again.I don’t know why I put it away?

dfk41

DavecUK I must admit that I also tend to make bread in my breadmaker. It is just so convenient. The kneading obviously plays its part but the recipe and ingredients is just as important. I do not buy bread mixes but prefer to make up my own which is rial and tribulation but ever so convenient

Amberale

I recently bought a Sunbeam Mixmaster for this exact purpose.
I didn’t fall over but was tired of the kneading.
I really wanted an Ankarsrum mixer but it was $1000aud more expensive.

RickO88

I use a Kenwood Chef with dough hook to mix 2.2kg of sourdough. Have had it for 6 years or so.

No problems. Would not use a breadmaker for sourdough.

dfk41

I used to collect vintage Kenwood mixers

scwheeler

Best wishes to Mrs El for a speedy recover!

For purely bread baking I wouldn’t buy either - I had a bread maker years ago and so they may have improved but always found the results pretty average.

My best bread recipes (and pizza) are no-knead anyway (happy to share!) and I use this pullman tin to make a loaf which has been amazing:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Pullman-Cover-Corrugated-Alluminum-21-5×12-3×11-4cm/dp/B087R4F3BQ/?th=1

Otherwise I make a no-knead boule in a dutch oven style pan.

I you go for a stand mixer which I do use for other things, we have a Kitchenaid Artisan which has worked well and has become more useful over the years as we added the pasta maker, meat grinder, & grater attachments as it has allowed us to get rid of all the separate kitchen gadgets. However if it is within your budget I would recommend springing for the heavy duty version.

Dusk

I have a cheap stand mixer, it does the job and has lasted for over 5 years but it’s very noisy and feels cheap. If you’re going to use it a lot then I’d be getting a more premium version if only so it’s quieter!

Jony

its a minefield, what’s your budget Mixer

Platypus

@Elcarajillo Very sorry to hear about your wife’s accident, that sounds nasty, I hope she’s not too shaken and recovers quickly .

kenwood user here too . It’s a vintage one and rock solid the motor seems to cope with anything .

I replaced the aluminium dough hook with a stainless steel one . It does a brilliant job.

RickO88

Why is the stainless steel hook better than the aluminium one? Thanks

Platypus

RickO88 Why is the stainless steel hook better than the aluminium one?

The stainless steel is no better functionality wise than the old aluminium one . It was replaced purely for aesthetic and dare I say ,rightly or wrongly , for safety reasons.

The old aluminium one was quite badly tarnished , I was raised in the generation where uncoated aluminium cookware was demonised and even if unproven, you can never look at it in quite the same way again 🤣

dfk41

Platypus I found that the performance of the vintage Kenwood’s was quite a bit below that of the latest ones (10 years ago now). In turn, I found someone selling a little used Dualit food mixer for £50 so I bought that about 5 years ago and I find it just as good as my newer Kenwood for making cakes. I think if you want to buy new then you pays your money and makes your choice but if you use Facebook Marketplace, the advantage is you can refine your search to within say 10 miles of where you are (as you can do on Ebay) and find a choice close by. You look at the state of some mixers that are manky whilst others seem clean and little used.

This is on Facebook near to me. I am not really familiar with the brand but it looks clean and for £100 a canny buy.

https://shorturl.at/JdXwz

LMSC

Elcarajillo Very sorry to hear. Best wishes for her quick recovery.

Kitchenaid Artisan is going strong for 10+ years.

JammyDodger

I echo everyone’s sentiments above for a speedy recovery of Mrs El c.

Bread-wise, I agree with @scwheeler in that no-knead bread recipes would be perfect whilst your wife is convalescing. I really like Jim Lahey’s original no-knead bread recipe that started it all - video below!

scwheeler

I’ve used Ken Forkish’s books for bread, pizza, and now sourdough. What I really like is the fact that for each book he’s written he’s also made a YouTube playlist breaking down the techniques for a dummy like me!

You may have to google for the actual recipe (or pick up one of his books) but I’ve struggled to turn out a bad loaf or pizza and find myself always going back to them after experimenting with the latest and greatest recipe.

Similar to Jim Lahey above while there is no kneading he does use several folds during making the dough, hopefully Mrs El’s poor wrist is okay with that as I found that to be the secret sauce for making boules that are more rounded with a light and fluffy crumb.

Pompeyexile

Well here is my mixer, built like a tank and perfect for dough making as you can see…

Elcarajillo

Pompeyexile Thank’s for the photo’s. What make is it ? Is it only for bread or are there other attachments for it / with it?

Amberale

Elcarajillo
Looks like an Ankarsrum.
About $1300aud.

Pompeyexile

Elcarajillo

Yes sorry for the delay in replying. It is as others have said an Ankarsrum from Sweden.

I might take a bit of getting used to compared to the ususal stand mixer but as smallblueplanet has said I also think it is the best mixer I have used and would never go back. It is very well made, has a strong motor and is capacious and the open top makes adding ingredients so easy.

It comes with two bowls steel (mainly for dough making) and plastic for whipping up stuff and cake mixes etc. I also ordered the steel version of the plastic one because as I like to bake if the ingredients you are adding are very hot as in boiled sugar syrup for making Italina Meringue then plastic is no good.

As for other attatchments, if you have been on their website you will see they have everything you could think of. But like anything made that is quality it aint cheap.

As I said it is different but given time you will get used to it, plus there are some vids on YouTube that might help.

Best of luck!

Elcarajillo

Thanks to everyone for information on mixers and bread making.

Thank you also for the good wishes for Mrs El c. Slow progress still in splint and grumbling but like hell, but struggling to make bread one handed.