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Re: Stand Mixers
Some other reviews that have me leaning:
Some other reviews that have me leaning:
I make bread weekly using a mixer and recently my Kitchenaid motor gave out after overheating. Though I prefer the looks of the Kitchenaid mixers (something more industrial about them), Cuisinart has addressed several of the key problems found in Kitchenaid mixers: not enough power, overly wide bowl shape, absene of timer/minimal speed control. The stronger motor is crucial if you're mixing bread doughs for minutes at a time. The taller, more narrow bowl shape prevents spilling. The timer function is tremendously useful. And the wider range of speeds (especially slow speeds) and gentle acceleration up to any speed, again, prevent spills and allow for more control.
Other features I like: the spill guard fits neatly and is ONE piece (again, unlike my old Kitchenaid); the lock feature clicks the top arm into place so you never run the risk of lifting from the top and having the bottom swing out; the smooth surfaces make for easy clean-up; the attachments all wash easily in the dishwasher.
I researched the Kitchenaid, Viking and several other brands of mixers. There were a lot of good and bad reviews of Kitchenaid, but what I was able to discover was that Kitchenaid used to be owned by Hobart Corp. At that time they were excellent mixers, but then they were purchased by Whirlpool. The mixers now have plastic gears. Although the higher-end models have metal gears (Pro series), they are still in a plastic housing. This decline in quality disturbs me. It is likely that most home cooks do not use it for heavy-duty usage, but those cooks who do have apparently found the products from Kitchenaid do not last (see negative reviews -- especially from the engineer who took several of them apart). The Viking seemed better made but was quite expensive. I settled on the Cuisinart after learning that its gears and gear housing are metal. Hopefully it will last a long time. I noticed that the Kitchanaid had only a one year warranty, but the Cuisinart has a FIVE year motor warranty, and a three year product warranty overall. It seemed a safer bet, so I got the Cuisinart. It performs very well. The timer is built right into the side of the mixer and is very handy. The mixer leaves very little batter unmixed even if you don't bother to scrape the bowl yourself. The range of speeds is very large -- from extremely slow (1) to incredibly fast (12). It is pretty quiet in its operation. I will have to continue using it to see how long it lasts, but so far it does a great job.
Other features I like: the spill guard fits neatly and is ONE piece (again, unlike my old Kitchenaid); the lock feature clicks the top arm into place so you never run the risk of lifting from the top and having the bottom swing out; the smooth surfaces make for easy clean-up; the attachments all wash easily in the dishwasher.
I researched the Kitchenaid, Viking and several other brands of mixers. There were a lot of good and bad reviews of Kitchenaid, but what I was able to discover was that Kitchenaid used to be owned by Hobart Corp. At that time they were excellent mixers, but then they were purchased by Whirlpool. The mixers now have plastic gears. Although the higher-end models have metal gears (Pro series), they are still in a plastic housing. This decline in quality disturbs me. It is likely that most home cooks do not use it for heavy-duty usage, but those cooks who do have apparently found the products from Kitchenaid do not last (see negative reviews -- especially from the engineer who took several of them apart). The Viking seemed better made but was quite expensive. I settled on the Cuisinart after learning that its gears and gear housing are metal. Hopefully it will last a long time. I noticed that the Kitchanaid had only a one year warranty, but the Cuisinart has a FIVE year motor warranty, and a three year product warranty overall. It seemed a safer bet, so I got the Cuisinart. It performs very well. The timer is built right into the side of the mixer and is very handy. The mixer leaves very little batter unmixed even if you don't bother to scrape the bowl yourself. The range of speeds is very large -- from extremely slow (1) to incredibly fast (12). It is pretty quiet in its operation. I will have to continue using it to see how long it lasts, but so far it does a great job.
). I made the dough by making three portions of a doubled recipe. So, after cranking all that dough out with the dough hook and at a pretty fast speed (it kneads dough really well) I noticed the top of the machine was getting a bit hot. Haven't had a problem with the motor yet but just wanted to put that out there.
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