Hi Barb,
You asked about the KA versus Bosch Universal mixers. I have a Bosch
Concept 7 not the Universal but they are quite similar in operation. I can
say without reservation and from personal experience that the Bosch will
out perform the KA hands down. It'll easily handle small two loaf batches
as well as large batches of four or five loaves. I've made white, whole
wheat, rye and everything in between. I've never been able to strain the
machine even the slightest bit and my bread quality made a step change for
the better after I started using it. It's predecessor, a KA on the other
hand has stripped its little guts out twice while using it totally within
the guidelines of the manufacturer for kneading dough. The KA is a fine
mixer for cake batter, cookies and other light duty jobs and we still use
it for that. For bread dough however, get a heavy duty machine, you'll
never regret it. And, speaking of heavy duty, you might also want to look
into the Magic Mill DLX. I understand that it is a fine piece of equipment
as well.
If you do decide to buy the Bosch and have any questions about it's
operation, please don't hesitate to drop an e-mail. I'd be glad to help in
any way possible.
Good luck with your search and...
Happy Baking!!!
Don