Education
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Stand
Mixers 101 |
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What
are stand mixers actually for? |
Mixers are a fabulous tool for
the individual who is looking for ways to eat healthier and
also save money on the meals that they purchase. Mixers
cut the time, cost and effort that is needed to create home
cooked meals. Mixers were thought to be replaced at one
time by light-weight, storable, hand mixers however the
benefits of this sturdy, irreplaceable tool can be found in
most cooks kitchens.
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What
can I make with a stand mixer? |
Mixer are useful for cooking
many things including, cakes, frostings, biscuits, breads,
mashed potatoes, meat loaf, pie filling, cookies, candies,
eggs, mayonnaise, rolls, buns, coffee cakes, and a host of
other things which would take up many more pages to identify.
There are numerous books that can be purchased for help in
identifying healthy, easy to use recipes.
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Why
do I need a stand mixer? |
People who don't enjoy cooking
are typically missing two things: the correct recipe and
the correct tools! Investing in a mixer will give
aspiring cooks the correct tool for most cooking
adventures. Also, if you purchase correctly you can use
your mixer as a foundation for acquiring other attachments
that will help build the essentials for running a your kitchen
without spending a fortune. If there was only one
kitchen appliance that I could recommend it would be a stand
mixer.
Many fast food companies would
have you believe that quick meals are only available through
the varieties of fast-food franchises...the on-going problem
is that you don't know what is going into all of the fast-food
that you are purchasing and feeding yourself and your
children. We are not trying to be alarmists or advocates
of purchasing all organic foods, however the growing markets
for healthy products is evidence that people are more aware
of the dangers that come with buying chemically enhanced
foods.
By cooking your own meals you
know exactly what is going into every meal. Does it take more time?
Yes. But it doesn't have to take A LOT of
time. I can make bread (not including the actual baking)
in about ten minutes. And, I can put as many healthy
grains and as much protein enriched wheat in as I
desire.
Having the right tools and the
right recipes gives you control of what you are feeding your
body. You only get one body...take care of it!
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Stand Mixers
In-Depth
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Now that you understand why
you need a mixer and what it can do for you and your family
it's time to explain the makings of a mixer.
A mixer is a motor that can
drive a wire whip, dough hook, or flat beater around in
circles to mix ingredients in a bowl. The debate between
the multiple mixer offerings is in HOW the mixing is
accomplished.
The different mixer
manufacturers will use different motors, different designs,
different bowls, different rotation schemes, and different
mixing tools which they will boast to be the best for your
mixing endeavors.
Important
Considerations
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The Bowl |
What size is
best? Bowl sizes will range anywhere
from four quarts to eight quarts. We recommend that you
go with the six to eight quart bowl...however, if you don't
cook very often or if you only make small portions this may
not be a very important factor in your purchasing decision and
most people don't use any more than a six quart bowl.
Having said that, we found that even with the larger bowl you
can make smaller portions without wasting ingredients or
compromising your mixing. With the Bosch Universal we
were able to whip one egg-white in a six quart bowl!
Stainless Steel or
Plastic Really it is a matter of
personal preference. We have had reports from people who
think that it is harder to clean a plastic bowl and therefore
prefer the stainless steel bowl. Our experience with the
mixers that we have tested is that all of the bowls are
dishwasher safe. Therefore we didn't see how this was a
very big issue. Plastic bowls are known to be easier on
the motor as they are designed with some "give" in
the consistency which allows for less friction and easier
toque from the motor. Most mixers offer an extra bowl as
an additional purchase option making it possible to have both.
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Watts & Power |
How
much is enough? This is a very important
question because we have heard a few conflicting
opinions. 700 watts is typically where you want to place
your focus. There is only one manufacturer that markets power
as a feature that is not very important and ironically they just happen to
be the manufacturer with the least power (KitchenAid
Professional 550w).
How Important is Power?
Power is important with any
motor especially a motor that is trying to knead over ten
pounds of dough. Is power important for mixing cake
mixes, frosting, or egg whites? Probably not...however,
if you want to make bread, rolls, or large volume batches of
cookies it is imperative because you don't want to over work
your mixer and burn up the motor.
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Engineering
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Gears & Motor:
This is a key differentiator
for mixer manufacturers. We compared two manufacturers,
the KitchenAid Professional and the Bosch Universal.
Although there are probably ten other manufacturers we decided
to only compare the two that showed the most value for the
dollar. The KitchenAid uses a standard gear driven
system with inter-locking fiber or nylon gears. The
Bosch Universal conversely uses a German engineered
belt-driven system. The Belt-driven system provides some
very distinct advantages over the gear driven
system.
- No heat build up- the heat
generated into a fiber gear, or a nylon gear is tremendous
and can lead to tooth separation caused by overloading or
weakening due to heat.
- A belt transfers power more
efficiently- Belt driven transmissions allow the motor to
handle different loads and speeds without straining or
breaking.
- Smoother motor drive- A
belt driven transmission powers more smoothly and delivers
more torque than a gear drive.
- Durability- Belt
driven transmissions in the Bosch Universal have a less
than 1% failure rate over the past twenty years.
They simply outlast gear driven systems.
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Design
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Fortunately or unfortunately the
stand mixer will typically be out on your counter and
therefore needs to fit with the look and feel of your
kitchen. KitchenAid offers a very unique, nostalgic look
while other stand mixers offer similar looks but don't quite
accomplish the same feel. The KitchenAid and most other
stand mixers offer a product that has a tilt back head where
the motor is located above the bowl allowing for the mixing
tools to be driven from above. The Bosch Universal European
design allows for the motor to be
located in the base of the machine. This design
(although arguably not as attractive as the KitchenAid) is
much more functional and allows the user to insert ingredients
much easier without the obtrusive over-head motor. We will go
into further comparison on the "Comparison"
page.
 
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How
much should all of this cost? |
We have seen stand mixers
priced anywhere between $130 to close to $1400. We
believe that the best value for the money is found between
$250 and $400 (see Comparison table
for more details).
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Mixers 101
