I've followed the discussion on the merits of various mixers here with
intererest. Several comments and one question:
I've been using a KichenAid 5-quart mixer for 10 years for mixing and
kneading dough. Some weeks I've baked just once or twice, some weeks
I've baked a dozen or more batches. I've never had a problem with it.
The housing has sometimes gotten hot, but the machine has never
overheated, even when I've been making large recipes ("large" is half a
cup less than what it takes to get the dough creeping up above the dough
hook).
I much prefer the KitchenAid to my Cuisinart for kneading. The Cuisinart
is certainly faster, but it's sometimes difficult to clean and it's a
real bother when the dough gets under the blade and the whole thing
locks up.
My only complaint about the KitchenAid is capacity for occasions when I
need a lot of bread: the KitchenAid is fine for six 14" or 16" loaves of
French bread or one large sourdough, for example, but if I need more of
either then I have to do two batches. A friend lent me her Magic Mill
DLX for a month and it did a fine job handling twice the load of the
KitchenAid. After a few weeks I found myself using the DLX for large
batches, the KitchenAid for smaller batches. That might change once I
get really comfortable with the DLX (I suggested to the kids that a DLX
would be preferable to an electronic gadget for my birthday this year),
but for now I see the two machines as serving slightly different needs
very well, and we have sufficient counter space so having them out isn't
a problem.
I have one question about the KitchenAid. Several correspondents here
have said that KitchenAid was a much sturdier machine when it was made
by Hobart and that the current version is prone to mechanical failure
under heavy use. I'm wondering if the reason I've not experienced any of
those difficulties is because my machine is of the Hobart vintage. Is
there some marking on the machine that would let me know who actually
manufactured my machine?
I've been lurking on this listserve for a couple of years now. It's been
a great help and a constant source of good advice. Thanks.
Bruce Jackson