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Mixers KA vs. MagicMill

Andie Paysinger <asenji@earthlink.net>
Sat, 29 Jun 2002 11:23:46 -0700
v102.n028.8
"linda grande" <lgrande99@hotmail.com> wrote:

 > I, too, own the Magic Mill...in addition, I've also owned for 15 years a
 > (Hobart) Kitchen Aid and I will have to echo what was said here a couple of
 > weeks ago by Don Bischoff (who is the owner of a Bosch Concept and a very
 > knowledgeable baker)..."for serious bakers, the Kitchen Aid is merely a
 > toy"!  I agree 100% and would never buy another Kitchen Aid.

My step-daughter has my first KitchenAid mixer, purchased in 1968, made by 
Hobart.  In fact I purchased it at the Hobart service center in Van Nuys, 
California.  It is still working without a hitch.

Subsequently I have purchased 3 KAs, burned out the motors on 2, still have 
the third but do not use it for heavy cookie dough, bread dough or anything 
that has some mass to it.  It does a bang-up job of whipping cream and 
eggwhites (I have the copper liner for one of the bowls just for egg 
whites).  It also is ok for  yeast dough that is fairly wet and loose. I 
would not buy another KA, they aren't what they used to be.

However I have an AEG which is the same as the DLX (made in Sweden by 
Electrolux) or Magic Mill for small batches of bread and a 25-year-old 20 
quart Hobart for very large batches of bread dough, cookie dough, etc.

The AEG does just fine with kneading the dough, one just has to adjust the 
roller tension.  It handles even very stiff dough and works it as well as 
the bigger Hobart (which has to be bolted to its own heavy cart otherwise 
it "walks" when working stiff dough).  It is also too heavy to be moving 
about and stands too tall to be on a regular kitchen counter.

If all one has, or can afford, is a KA you just have to adjust to its 
shortcomings.  It will not hurt a bread recipe if you hold back some of the 
flour, thus keeping the dough wetter and easier to work while the machine 
does the bulk of the kneading... simply wait until you feel the dough has 
been worked enough by the mixer, then turn the dough out onto a bench or 
into a dough trough or bowl with the remainder of the flour and work it in 
by hand, it will not take a lot of effort.

I grew up in a household where bread was made entirely by hand.  Then I 
went to baking school (in the 50s) and worked in a bakery where all the 
dough was worked by machine, including a huge horizontal mixer in which we 
worked dough for 300 loaves at a time.  This monster was bolted to the 
floor but if the dough was too stiff we still had to disengage the clutch 
and go to a lower gear - or - add a little water -  to keep the motor from 
straining.  No matter how powerful the motor, there are just some doughs 
that will be difficult for any mixer to knead.

Andie Paysinger & the PENDRAGON Basenjis, Teafer ,Singer & Player
asenji@earthlink.net   So. Calif. USA   "In the face of adversity, be
patient, in the face of a basenji, be prudent, be canny, be on your
guard!"
http://home.earthlink.net/~asenji/