teresag715 <teresag715@aol.com> wrote:
>Subject: mixers
>Date: Sat, 27 Dec 2008 07:54:33 -0500
>
>I have a Bosch mixer that I quite like for when I want to knead
>loads of bread dough. (It's been somewhat neglected since the advent
>of artisan bread in 5 minutes a day. . . but that's another story.)
>I also like that I can do double or triple batches of cookies in
>it. It wasn't 1,000 dollars, but it is a spiral mixer I think. I
>got it from Pleasanthill Grain (who have amazing customer service,
>I've dealt with them a few times over the year and they go above and beyond).
In addition to the Bosch Universal mixer I owned, the Electrolux DLX
I still own, the KitchenAid K45-SS I still own, the Hobart A-300 I
owned, I also owned a 55 quart spiral mixer.
The 55 quart spiral mixer was an Italian brand that is no longer
imported, Impasti. I had a love/hate relationship with it. It was
broken and waiting on parts more than 1/2 the time I owned it. I
spent more on fixing it than I did on buying it. I'd rather shoot
myself than buy anything from that company again. We called it
"impastible." But, when it worked, it was amazing.
I've also used and watched others use other spiral mixers. As
mentioned above, I've owned and used a Bosch Universal mixer.
With a spiral mixer, the bowl moves, insuring the dough will be moved
around to the stationary, but revolving, dough spiral. This is one
of the gentlest of mixer styles. Dough heats up very little, even
with long mixes. While gentle, the kneading action is very thorough,
so long mixes are rarely needed.
With the Bosch, the bowl is stationary, the dough hook is moving
through the dough, and has two relatively straight sections that
engage the dough. Straight compared to the spiral hook of a spiral
mixer, that is. The Impasti's hook had about 3 complete turns on its
spiral hook. As the dough hook on the Bosch turns, the plastic bowl
flexes. Some sales droids claim that this is to emulate the action
of human hands kneading the dough, a claim that seems absurd at
best. The action of the Bosch mixer does pull the dough together
quickly, and does work the dough. However, it doesn't seem to
develop it more quickly than other mixers. As a result, to get the
dough developed, it gets more mechanical action from the mixer and
more temperature rise than it does in other mixers.
None of the other mixers I own or have owned are in any way similar
to a spiral mixer in terms of action, gentleness, lack of dough
heating and dough development. You can make dough as well developed
in any of the other mixers, but the actions of the other mixers are
not at all similar to a true spiral mixer. And that includes getting
a spiral hook for a KitchenAid or Hobart mixer.
I found that none of the other mixers heats dough as much as the
Bosch. And, yes, I checked. We monitored the mixer friction factor
as part of the dough development process.
The closest is arguably the Electrolux DLX. However, it does not
have a rotating spiral dough hook. Whether you are using the roller
or the hook, the action isn't really comparable to a spiral
mixer. It is similarly gentle, doesn't heat the dough very much, and
while it develops the dough quickly, it doesn't do so as quickly as a
real spiral mixer.
Mike
*Bake With Mike <http://www.mikesbread.com>*
Mike Avery
A Randomly Selected Bread Saying Of The Day:
"Bread and water--these are the things nature requires. For such
things no man is too poor,
and whosoever can limit his desire to them alone can rival Jupiter
for happiness."
-Seneca