Which kitchen food mixer?

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Which kitchen food mixer?
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kGarden

Joined: 01 Dec 2014
Posts: 178
Location: Suffolk, UK

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 2:53 pm Post subject: Which kitchen food mixer?

I'm thinking of buying a food mixer. My Mum had a Kenwood one, she probably bought it just after the war and we stupidly threw it out when she downsized 4 or 5 years ago ... it had never given her a day's downtime ...

We have quite a few applicanced from Andrew James, and they have a mixer for ï¿½90 (or ï¿½100 including Meat Grinder and Blender attachment)

https://andrewjamesworldwide.com/UserControls/productIndividual.aspx?ProductID=579

but I don't know if I need something more ... ermmm ... expensive (as I have no idea whether a higher price brings me something more? Lasting 50 years, like my Mums, would be worth paying extra for!!)

The Independent has an article on "10 best Kitchen mixers" and starts with the "Kenwood Chef Major Titanium KMM020" at ï¿½715. Gulp!

Kitchenaid Stand Mixers seem to crop up often and the reviews are full of "Perfect" comments

4.8L bowl (AndrewJames 5.2L), pretty much the same beaters with both makes ... Kitchenaid starts at ï¿½380, or a bit more depending on colour.

So ... just buy the Andrew James? or is there some benefit of buying Kitchenaid? or perhaps something else entirely?

dpack

Joined: 02 Jul 2005
Posts: 46211
Location: yes

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 3:04 pm Post subject:
sorry ,i could help re hand mixers/stick blenders etc (i have killed a few and have new ones that are doing ok) but the big ones all i can suggest is make sure replacement parts are easy to get and that second hand industrial can be better than new domestic .

kGarden

Joined: 01 Dec 2014
Posts: 178
Location: Suffolk, UK

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 3:44 pm Post subject:

dpack wrote:

second hand industrial can be better than new domestic .

That's a good shout, thanks. Further reading suggests that decision might be best made on:

How loud the motor is
Whether the motor is, say, Belt driven or Induction as the later is likely to be longer lived.

I'm inclined to buy-cheap and see how much it actually gets used, and buy quality second time around (if there is a 2nd time around

)

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 4:52 pm Post subject:
Look for second hand Hobart mixers. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/hobart-mixer-/181607293369?pt=UK_BOI_Restaurant_RL&hash=item2a48a361b9

kGarden

Joined: 01 Dec 2014
Posts: 178
Location: Suffolk, UK

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 5:02 pm Post subject:

vegplot wrote:

Hobart mixers

Thanks, not heard of them before and look suitable robust.

Googling tells me that Hobart make a 140 Litre floor-standing model with stainless steel bowl - I reckon that will mix plaster!, which will bring a whole new dimension to marriage compared to cleaning my mower's Briggs & Stratton in the kitchen sink

vegplot

Joined: 19 Apr 2007
Posts: 21301
Location: Bethesda, Gwynedd

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 5:28 pm Post subject:

kGarden wrote:

vegplot wrote:

Hobart mixers

In the '80's I worked for Redland's (now La Farge) in the research labs We used table top Hobarts to mix small batches of cement. Never went wrong despite being driven hard by lab technicians.

sean
Downsizer Moderator

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 42219
Location: North Devon

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 5:40 pm Post subject:
Hobart kit is really good. It's not multi-function though so if you want the mincer and liquidiser functions you'll need stand-alone ones of those too.

kGarden

Joined: 01 Dec 2014
Posts: 178
Location: Suffolk, UK

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 6:00 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

It's not multi-function though so if you want the mincer and liquidiser functions you'll need stand-alone ones of those too.

We're not particularly short of space, and as such I would prefer tools that are good at jobs, rather than multi-function.

I bought a soup maker, which I love. It is also able to be a liquidiser, at which it is decidedly average, and it came with an egg boiler - no I have no idea why either, nor have I ever used it ... but I have felt obliged to keep it "just in case" so its wasting cupboard space. A dedicated mincer might not take up much more storage space than a strap-on one, perhaps?

Although now you mention it Mother's pre-historic Kenwood had a mincer. Looking at glossy ï¿½MegaBucks mixer models today there was one with a strap-on mincer, and then another strap-on which allowed the front of the mixer to driver a pasta maker. Surely one of those hand-wind Pasta makers would do just as well?, other than for industrial quantities.

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 6:13 pm Post subject:

sean wrote:

Hobart kit is really good. It's not multi-function though so if you want the mincer and liquidiser functions you'll need stand-alone ones of those too.

not actually true, if you look in the pic that the eBay link is for at the top front of the mixer is a little sticky out bit with a black knob.
that holds a plate on that can be moved and different attachments can be added, granted not a liquidizer ascthst needs a faster rate than the machine uses but on the big floor standing one I used to use I could grate a 5kg block of cheesewithout cutting in.
Mincers are also available and veg prep attachments.
One thing is be careful you down nt get carried away on size, even small catering kit can struggle to mix a Small enough forï¿½home use.

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 6:17 pm Post subject:
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/181600950421?nav=SEARCH mincer attatchment

Pilsbury

Joined: 13 Dec 2004
Posts: 5645
Location: East london/Essex

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 6:19 pm Post subject:
https://m.ebay.co.uk/itm/181600948454 veg prep

earthyvirgo

Joined: 24 Aug 2007
Posts: 7972
Location: creating prints in the loft, Gerlan

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 6:30 pm Post subject:
I asked Mum for her old Kenwood when she upgraded. Much prefer it to the more modern one I used to have. I reckon it's about 40 yrs old and still works a dream. EV

Nick

Joined: 02 Nov 2004
Posts: 34535
Location: Hereford

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 8:30 pm Post subject:
I think I'd buy a twenty year old kenwood. They'll do another century and parts are available.

oldish chris

Joined: 14 Jun 2006
Posts: 4148
Location: Comfortably Wet Southport

Posted: Mon Dec 15, 14 8:41 pm Post subject:

Nick wrote:

I think I'd buy a twenty year old kenwood. They'll do another century and parts are available.

Mine's 39 years old, not used a lot, but still works OK.

kGarden

Joined: 01 Dec 2014
Posts: 178
Location: Suffolk, UK

Posted: Tue Dec 16, 14 1:58 am Post subject:

Nick wrote:

I think I'd buy a twenty year old kenwood. They'll do another century and parts are available.

I clearly should have hung on to Mother's

Although it was blinking heavy, and would have been a chore to get out each time - Mother's was permanently stationed on the worktop, but back in those days she baked almost daily ...

"Restored" but ï¿½350 ...
https://www.kenwoodchefrestore.co.uk/shop/Kenwood-Chef-Used-Attachments/kenwood-chef-a700-mixer-restored

That's an A700 model (I now know) from the 1950's, didn't see any of those on eBay at the moment, although there are plenty of A900's (1976-88 )

which looks a bit of an uninteresting shape to me

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