The Fresh Loaf

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KA vs DLX - physical ease of use?

MontBaybaker's picture
MontBaybaker

KA vs DLX - physical ease of use?

Strongly considering replacing my dead KA Pro 6qt with a new Ankarsrum.  Getting by for now with my 1981 Hobart 5qt (bowl lift) which works well, but is too small and now belongs to my daughter.  I don't want to kill it while she lives in Paris.  I expect she'll get many more years from it since she doesn't bake yeast bread.  

I'll never stop baking and hope the new mixer will be my last.  I've been researching for months.  Now pushing 60, with nerve issues in my neck and both hands (trying to avoid surgery), I'm realizing what I increasingly don't like about now 2 KAs (my only stand mixers since 1981):

The bowl lift can be a challenge for stiff bread or cookie dough (as can removing the hook or paddle from stiff mixtures).   The need for frequent scraping; poorly-mixed gunk on the paddle that needs to be worked in repeatedly (sometimes over-working a batter), plus the bottom of the bowl that likes to trap dry ingredients.  You scrape (and scrape), yet when pouring batter into a pan there's sometimes dry stuff that never mixed in.  The paddle design makes scraping tedious and not fast.. Adding ingredients in stages without spilling:  there's not much clearance unless one removes the bowl & beater. Looking at the 7q & 8qt NSF commercial Joe talks about, there's even less open space between the bowl top and the head.  I'm 5' 3", and even with the mixer on a 31" counter I think the 7 or 8qt would be even harder to see into, scrape, and add ingredients to.  Fortunately I don't have to pick it up for storage, but do need to slide it forward several inches to use it and then push it out of the way (small kitchen).      

The lower profile and weight, lack of bowl lift, scraper, and open/flat bowl design of the Ankarsrum seem to solve these issues.  If you've used both KA & Assistant, what's your opinion comparing performance and physical ease of use?  Not interested in the Bosch.  Thanks!     

liz grieve's picture
liz grieve

Hi 

I spent  a year debating about a new mixer I am similiar age to you I was thinking about the DLX or HAUSSLER mixer which is many more $$ than the Dlx The DLX can be used to make cakes cookies etc  I have a Kitchen aid since 2000

I decided on the DLX and I am delighted with it It will take a bit of practice but my second batch turned out great You can make bigger batches of dough Cant wait to make my pannetone at Christmas time The are lots of videos on you tube I th many ways of dough making 

Where do you live In the UK there is a sale on e bay for new mixers limited colours  

Go for it 

Happy Baking

Liz 

 

barryvabeach's picture
barryvabeach

In terms of performance, the DLX is far ahead of the KA in kneading dough, it handles low hydration, high hydration, small amounts, and large amounts, and is a kneading machine.  As an all around mixer, it is closer.  For example, the DLX does a nice job whipping cream, but you need to use a separate bowl that has to be stored somewhere.  In terms of ease of use, it is very easy to add ingredients to the DLX, no bowl lift to slow you down.   You do need to manually move the arm of the DLX to the middle in the first minute or two sometimes to make sure all the ingredients are incorporated, but after that, you can just set the timer and come back when it is done.   The bowl on the DLX is a little heavier and deeper than the KA, so that may make a little more effort to take the bowl off for cleaning.  Overall, I think you will be happy with the DLX.  

MontBaybaker's picture
MontBaybaker

Liz, I'd LOVE a Haussler except for $$ and space.  Only have room for a multi-use mixer, though I know it excels at bread.  I live near Monterey CA.  

Floyd, thanks for confirming what I've observed from watching many You-Tube DLX videos made by different sources.  Pulling out small accessories is no problem.  After making 2 batches of bagels and Jacque Torres chocolate chip cookie dough this weekend, that stiff dough & heavy bowl and a sore hand made me think of the KA in new ways.  Going with DLX.

Next house will have a kitchen designed by a baker, plenty of countertop and logical cupboards.  Our kitchen side of the house abuts the hill, so it's not $$$ viable to punch it out several feet like I want to.  Thanks all!.

liz grieve's picture
liz grieve

Hi Look forward to hearing how you get on with your new mixer  The haussler is very heavy too The dlx is easy to move around there are lots of accessories for the DLX By the way I  call mine "Aggie"   When is your mixer being delivered 

Cheers

Liz

bigcrusty's picture
bigcrusty

Dear MontBayBaker,

I've had my DLX for eight years now.  I had a standard mixer before I invested and since I bake rye and country breads with natural leavens I have very heavy doughs and it was burning out my old mixer.  I bake 4 loaves at a time (6-7 lbs of dough) and have had great results with the Anskarum.  I did have to send it out for a repair (circuit board which controlled the speed) but it has been super reliable otherwise.  As pointed out in another comment the bowl is stainless steel and is heavy.  I'm 74 and 6'4" so it is not an issue for me.  It is easy to add ingredients.  With the Anskarum you start with the liquid - water & liquid leavens then flour and salt etc.  I add about half the flour and get a nice slurry and then add the rest.

I get the dough out with a plastic sweeper by holding the bowl up over my counter and scraping it out before folding.  The mixing attachments come off easily and are not all that difficult to clean.  I would guess the downside for you will be the weight of the bowl with the dough.  I have the milling attachment as well and it works very nicely for my coarse flours.

Good luck with your decision,

 

Big Crusty

MontBaybaker's picture
MontBaybaker

Liz, hopefully Friday or Sat.  My mother-in-law will be here Sat-Mon (a very good thing, we are great friends).  I'd love for her to be able to play with it as she's never seen one.  She bought an identical KA Pro 8 months after my purchase (to replace a long-used Ronson Food Center) and has never had issues.  I've used it to bake when visiting ABQ,and hers runs quieter and smoother than mine ever did.

Bigcrusty (love your user name), thanks for the tips.  I can't wait to mix something, have to decide what the first recipe will be!  Weight of bowl with dough will be an issue with any brand, but at least there won't be a bowl lift to fight.  I've been baking since my early 20's, and as much as possible try to feed my family homemade.  Plus, I love to share with friends & neighbors.  Bread, bagels, cookies or sweet rolls make a great gift.  I feel sad for the younger generations who've never tasted something home-baked. 

MontBaybaker's picture
MontBaybaker

Bigcrusty, meant to ask about the grain mill.  Had planned to buy a MockMill if I rebuilt the KA, but the DLX is en route.  

Are there any grains that mill better than others or should NOT be processed in the DLX mill attachment?  Won't buy it right away as I want to get used to the mixer first.  Finding good flour locally in bulk for a decent price is a challenge, so I'm interested in grinding my own.  If you're in the U.S., where do you buy your grain?  Thanks!

jaywillie's picture
jaywillie

After using my KA for decades, I got a new Ankarsrum about three months ago. Both have their strong and weak points. At this point I still prefer the KA for general baking and mixing, but I expect I'll try more of that on the Ankarsrum as time goes one. The KA does fine with most bread doughs. I still like it for my weekly loaf, for which I use a true dough hook, not the C hook that comes with the machine. But that is a single loaf, and it's a semi-stiff dough (it's a whole wheat/white mix), but the KA does it well. I have not yet done that dough in the Ankarsrum.

The Ankarsrum has some real strong points, but I'll warn you, it's hard to learn. It may be just the switch from the KA, but I'm still growing with it. The bowl is larger than the KA's, but heavier. And there's no handle, and with the corners at the bottom (it's more a cylinder than the standard bowl shape of the KA), it requires a bit more energy to get dough out of the bowl. In fact, I find that downright awkward and hard. But the Ankarsrum is terrific for multiple loaf mixing and great for really stiff doughs like bagels and pretzels, which I do a lot.

As for the learning curve -- I'm gaining on it, but still the Ankarsrum presents me with some problems. The mixer mixes in a much different way than the KA, so there's lots to learn about when things are working and when they are not. The dough remains very visible in the bowl, which is a good thing, because you can see it develop. So there's that. The kneading just doesn't look like the kneading the KA does, so I'm constantly adjusting the scraper and the cylinder to gather or separate the dough as it mixes. (And that's safer than any attempt to get in the bowl of a KA! The bowl is moving and everything else is more or less stationary.)

Of course, after having used my KA for so long, I know it really, really well. It's an older one, and I have had no problems pushing it through stiff and or large doughs. I have grown to know when to let it cool down and rest. I wanted to keep it going for all the other baking I do, so I wanted the Ankarsrum for those bakes that I knew were taxing to the KA. The power of the Ankarsrum is obvious, and it seems to me there is no way it could be overworked without serious disregard for the machine's capacity.

I have had some problems. My bowl wobbles (it's not a perfect circle), and I don't know if that's a flaw or a feature. The fluted roller rides up on my bowl, so the metal of the bowl hits the plastic of the roller when it's supposed to be hitting the rubber gasket of the roller. I have been in touch with customer support at the US importer, and they have been absolutely terrific. They sent me a new roller, but so far that is not a complete fix. Let's say that all the technical problems are still under investigation. 

I used the dough hook once, for a very stiff dough, and it seemed fine. That needs more investigation as well. Most of the time I use the roller. (You'll know what I mean when you get your mixer.) I have used the double whisks once, for meringue, and really liked it. But I would probably still get out the KA for that most of the time.

I think I would say that the Ankarsrum is a bit lighter than the KA, but I'm not sure. It may be just less awkward. I store both in a bottom cabinet, so if I want them, I'm lifting them to the counter. All the weight of the KA is at the top, and in the Ankarsrum it's at the bottom.

Enjoy your mixer,

jaywillie

barryvabeach's picture
barryvabeach

Jaywillie,  on mine , the bowl does not wobble, or if it does, it is too small to see.  I wonder if there is a problem with the bowl that is causing the roller to get misaligned with the bowl as it rotates. On mine, the rubber gasket on the roller lines right up with the rim of the bowl, and as it mixes, the arm and roller get pushed away from the rim, and then come back into contact nearly every rotation.    I came from a KA as well, though I switched over many years ago.  I am not sure why you would need to adjust the scraper - on mine, the only adjustment is the tension knob that impacts how far the roller can move towards the rim -  on larger quantities I crank it a few turns so the dough does not ride too high up on the roller.   On occasion, I use a teflon spatula to knock dough off the scraper, but that is about it.  If the bowl is off center, that may mess up the scraper function as well.  I agree the kneading action looks different than the KA, and I have read that it is a little slower and more gentle, but I haven't had any trouble getting a window pane.   

MontBaybaker's picture
MontBaybaker

Dear Jay and Barry,  Thanks for the mechanical tips - will be aware of them and anything else that seems off.  Mine arrives Sat., and I've been watching YouTube videos to get a head start.  Aready talked to Ankarsrum with a model# question, which turned into a color discussion (she recommended I not get the black matte I wanted because the finish traps flour (like the dark grout the prior owner put in our counter tile - clearly not a baker), and provided contacts at the 2 regional dealers.  I don't even have he mixer, and she was very helpful

A mixer has a dedicated counter spot so no lifting.  Will keep the old Hobart KA available for a bit while I transition, but need to keep it in decent shape for when my daughter moves back from Paris.  I'm selling some of the KA acessories to a neighbor.  He's excited about the Ank engineering & can't wait to see how it works, as he wants to make more than just pizza dough. Have a great weekend!