A couple of people have asked about buying a KitchenAid mixer for making
bread. I have an old 4.5 quart KitchenAid, from back when they were still
made by Hobart, and it is wonderful. The newer ones, however, are not good
for bread, especially multiple loaves or whole grain breads.
One solution is to buy an old, used KitchenAid through eBay or another
source. These mixers last forever, so buying one that is used is not
really a problem. Sellers on eBay know the difference, so if you search
for "Hobart" you will pull up only the old KitchenAids, not the new
ones. I recently bought a 5 quart Hobart KitchenAid with bowl and (only
one) beater for about $135, so the price (even with shipping) is certainly
competitive too.
And no, I am not an eBay seller -- just a (too frequent!) purchaser!
Barbara