I Think I'm in Love: New DLX
Hello there,
My name is Jennifer and I am one very grateful newbie.
My bread odyssey began a few months back while shopping at the grocery store: I'd finally had it up to -here- with the cost of bread vs. the quality. We live in a hideously remote location, the selection is bad and we're feeding three growing boys. My priority, of course, is my kids; I can't do a thing in the world about my location; I can definitely do something about the quality of our food.
I wish that I would have found y'all early on in my search for a mixer. Have a little KA that I love dearly but knew it'd never do the whole wheat thing for any length of time, so we started looking for a good machine to do the job. Researched and selected the Viking 7 qt. Let this be your warning: STOP. Don't do it! Save yourself before it's too late! I love my Viking Pro food processor; could all those negative reviews about the mixer really be on the mark? NAHHH. About 7 batches into its short life here, it started leaking oil from the thingie (sorry, I'm tired...waiting for the bread to finish baking) that holds the attachment. I have a hard enough time getting flax oil past my five year old, let alone motor oil. I shoulda known, though, when it up and died on the very first batch of dough.
So then the search was on. Again. This time, we'd decided on a 12 qt Hobart. Love the machine and was totally confident that it would have the muscle--And Then Some--to help me bake simple wholesome whole wheat bread for my family. [Note to self: simple does not equal easy.] Was given marching orders by my DH to "Buy It Now" and just. couldn't. do it. The cost was the thing that stopped me in my tracks. That, and we really don't have a separate helipad for it. And...it would be my luck that the indestructable mixer of the millenium would break down, and out here in the middle of nowhere I couldn't get it fixed in a reasonable fashion, and I'd be right back to Square One and out $1500.
So as my mouse was hovering over BIN and breaking out in hives, I had the inspiration to google "bread baking forum" and that's how I found y'all. I was really hoping to find an enthusiastic recommendation for a reliable workhorse of a bread mixer that didn't require paletizing or a small crane to move it around. That's when I found the reviews on the Electrolux DLX/Assistent/Magic Mill/whatever it's called. They can call it what they want, I'm gonna call it my bread baby forever.
This is one *awesome* machine! I l-o-v-e that the cavernous 8 qt bowl is so open (no precision aim or arm contortions required in order to add ingredients) and that I can move it myself easily; nor does it demand more than its fair share of real estate on the counter. It's not pretty, but it is built like a tank and works like a dream. I was concerned at first about the whole spinning bowl thing, but then I watched the video that some kind soul posted here and liked what I saw. I still had "planetary or bust" stuck in my head, and that was a hard concept to let go of. But something about the design and the reviews here made me take the leap, and I'm so glad I did. It was a fraction of the Hobart's cost (I don't run a bakery and I'm not a professional, just a mom with very hungry boys : ) and just all around a better fit for our family at this time. Granted, it's just my first loaves in the oven now, but you should smell the fragrance. It's heaven. It was super easy to mix, kneading was a snap once I got the arm figured out (and yes, I did walk away : ) and it made up the most wonnnnderful dough. Really looking forward to my first try at pasta with it (we got the attachment goodies, since we weren't buying the Hobart). (Got our DLX at www.pleasanthillgrain.com [1])
Anyhow, thank y'all so much for this forum and for your honest reviews and experiences with products. The bread just came out of the oven and it's fantastic. Wish I could share it with you.
Thank you!
Jennifer : )