An introductory greeting, and an apologetic DXL question.
Ok, so, i'll try to keep this brief, although I tend to wander a bit with my writing. So...
First of all, greetings from Philadelphia. Been bread baking for about eight months, and been lurking somewhat on this site, mainly just to see if I'm doing things fairly correctly. Based on how long the bread lasts (not long), I'm fairly certain I'm doing ok, but certainly would like to get better. I keep a 1.2.2 firm starter that I use to create other starters specific to each batch, and tend to bake at least once a week. Love nuts, seeds, and specialty flours, as well as enriched breads. So that's the introductory part. Now...
Before I pose my two questions, let me say that I have spent the better part of several days now researching mixers, reading user reviews, watching videos, travelling to examine them, and basically feeling like my brain is spinning in one every time I see the word Bosch, Electrolux, Viking, KitchenAid I know there is a ton of information on this site, and I perused most of it, as well as many other sites. I started out kneading by hand, still do to some extend, but at this point I'm often asked to make bread for whatever occasion, and it's easier to do in the mixer. I have been using a KitchenAid 5qt Heavy Duty one, which has accorded me just fine, but it's not mine, and now I need one. So. I've seen good and bad about most brands, a few horror stories about KitchenAid and Viking, and for the most part almost nothing negative about the Electrolux. I've been leaning toward buying one, but wanted to pose two questions regarding it's use:
1. From all that I've read, the DLX is clearly amazing at mixing large batches of dough. Now, I'm a single guy, and I can only eat so much, and my freezer is already overflowing with bread. For the most part, at least right now, I'm mixing primarily single batches of about 500g flour, which work just fine in the kitchenaid. I've seen a few posts noting the fact that the DLX is not so great at small batches of dough, which might render it's purchase, at least for me, pointless. So, anyone mixing smaller amounts in the DLX, and if so, how's it working for you?
2, While I primarily mix bread doughs, I do also have a sweet tooth, and find myself making cakes, sweets, chocolates, and pies, so the ability of the mixer to cream butter and whip eggs is an important part of my decision. Clearly the DLX is amazing at mixing bread doughs, but how does it work when you need to whip a half dozen eggs? I know it comes with a smaller bowl and a double wisk, but wanted to hear about it's abilities in that regard.
Like I said, I'm certainly leaning towards getting one, and certainly intrigues by this learing curve I've been reading about. So hope this wasn't too much for a first post...
Cheers and thanks.