stand mixer--alternatives to kitchen aid?

[Anonymous]

There are also a lot of KA for sale on CL and FBM.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I grew up using a Sunbeam Mixmaster and far prefer it to my kitchenaid. Easier to add ingredients. Easier to scrape down sides. Beaters actually clean the bottom of the bowl.

If you only make cakes and cookies, no need for a kitchenaid. And I don’t use a mixer for bread.

I also still use an older model Sunbeam and I find the wide shorter bowl far easier to add ingredients and scrape sides but it seems all models now have the skinnier higher bowl. But I like that I can store my Sunbeam under the counter and just take it out when I need it, which isn't really an option for the kitchenaid, that needs to be on the counter all the time.

[Anonymous]

What's your budget, OP? PPs are right there are usually holiday sales for Kitchen Aid mixers. I have an older 5-qt Professional HD with a bowl lift. It's just right for making batter for 24 cupcakes or 6 cups of Swiss meringue buttercream. When this one dies I plan to upgrade to their Pro series 7-qt model (I like having more room) or further investigate the Bosch mixers. I think in your case you'd be fine with a smaller tilt head, 4.5-qt KA machine.

[Anonymous]

I’ve got a DeLonghi mixer that I purchased around 2001 from Sur La Table. At the time I was interested in bread making and this had a better motor for that (I ended up not every really getting into making bread dough but have been very happy with the mixer). DeLonghi bought out Kenwood around that time—the cover I got with it still says Kenwood.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Bosch also makes one but it's going to be on the pricier side compared to an equivalent Kitchen Aid model. Is this more for making cakes and cookies or for kneading dough?

Cakes and cookies. What size would be best for that?

If all* I were making was cakes and cookies, I'd go for something less expensive


*No disrespect to cakes and cookies -- I have butter softening right now! But the bigger motor on a Kitchen Aid or similar matters more for bread dough

I also use my KA meat grinder attachment a fair amount. I often get better cuts of meat and make ground beef myself (it only takes about 10-15 min). Often for the same price or slightly more, we get much better ground beef. You pay extra to have them grind lower quality cuts of meat for ground beef. It's also great for making homemade sausages.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up using a Sunbeam Mixmaster and far prefer it to my kitchenaid. Easier to add ingredients. Easier to scrape down sides. Beaters actually clean the bottom of the bowl.

If you only make cakes and cookies, no need for a kitchenaid. And I don’t use a mixer for bread.

I also still use an older model Sunbeam and I find the wide shorter bowl far easier to add ingredients and scrape sides but it seems all models now have the skinnier higher bowl. But I like that I can store my Sunbeam under the counter and just take it out when I need it, which isn't really an option for the kitchenaid, that needs to be on the counter all the time.

Why? Because you can't lift it? We have a KA Professional that is moderately heavy. Both of us use it regularly and my wife has no problems taking it out of the lower cabinet to put it up on the counter. And my wife is far from a weight lifter. I do most of the heavy lifting around the house, but she can still lift the stand mixer.

[Anonymous]

Try the thrift shops for the old vintage ones. My relative was a kitchen gadget fiend, and I donated her very cool mixer to a Re-Store. Great way to get the old solid ones.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I grew up using a Sunbeam Mixmaster and far prefer it to my kitchenaid. Easier to add ingredients. Easier to scrape down sides. Beaters actually clean the bottom of the bowl.

If you only make cakes and cookies, no need for a kitchenaid. And I don’t use a mixer for bread.

I also still use an older model Sunbeam and I find the wide shorter bowl far easier to add ingredients and scrape sides but it seems all models now have the skinnier higher bowl. But I like that I can store my Sunbeam under the counter and just take it out when I need it, which isn't really an option for the kitchenaid, that needs to be on the counter all the time.

I'm another Sunbeam Mixmaster user. That's what I grew up with and all I use now. It's just easy. Someone gave me a Kitchenaid and I gave it to a family member.