Trilemma
Happen to be in the market for a new mixer/FP. Looking at both Bosches, the Universal and the Compact, as well as a the line from Braun. Here's some background:
About 15 years ago, and after about 14 years of use, the fuse to my old Braun K-1000 blew when I stupidly grossly exceeded its mixing volume capacity, and attempted to run the machine full throttle against a really stiff batch of dough. The motor survived, so the service center informed me, but they were never able to get their hands on a new fuse for me. Tragically, I was unable to reclaim the base unit before that business place was shuttered.
By that time the K-1000 had long since been discontinued, at least for sale in the USA. But I hung on to all the other equipment I still had that came with the Braun, in the vain hope that someday I'd chance upon another working base somewhere. Never happened.
But now I see an upgraded version of the model I cherished is available online in the US for about $365-$400, after S&H. This K-3000 [1] includes a Large SS bowl rather than the white plastic one for mixing dough and batters that came with my K-1000; all the other parts and accessories look the same as mine.
Trouble is, it has not been remade for the US and Canada and runs on 240V/50Hz. The most appropriate device I can find to enable it on NA electric grid is the 1800 Watt LiteFuze Converting Box [2], available only from Overseas Electronics, about whom I know nothing. Coincidentally they also distribute the K-3000 [3], and at just about the lowest price, after S&H. Don't know whether I can trust either this company or their wares, but I certainly can't find a better deal anywhere else, especially after combined shipping.
Now, my kitchen in the city is not huge. Don't have room for a lot of different machines on the work table, so it makes most sense for me to find a single unit capable of both mixing and processing. The Braun 1000/3000 still seems to me the best solution because both its mixer and FP have decent capacity: 4 kilo dough and 1.5 liter for the clear container. Importantly, Braun is quite conservative in how they rate those vessels, which are actually about twice the size in volume as the capacity stated. OTOH, their glass blender jar is kind of puny, and though the capacity is 1 liter, the gradient is only just below the rim. Still, it comes with two easily interchangeable blades, one smooth and one for crushing ice.
In the 14 years I owned the intact K-1000, the only parts that I managed to total were that glass blender jar (by dropping it) and the plastic mixing bowl (forget exactly how I managed that feat, but it took almost all of those 14 years to happen. Probably fell off shelf and then I stepped on it.) Was, and still is, easy to find replacements for both containers. Other parts of the set do show some wear and there are even some little cracks: a tiny one running through the head of one of the plastic spindles, and a more concerning one inside a crux of the dough hook where one of the two SS arms is anchored. Amazingly that arm is still secure, I could not twist it free or even loosen it from the body of the hook. Found a reasonable deal on that part [4]; were I eventually to spring for the K-3000, I'd reserve an extra one or two right away as a safeguard.
As you can see from these pics of the remains of my K-1000 [5], the dough hook (as well as the mixing arm) is internally geared to spin slower than the drive. With the continually variable speed control you can get the dough hook down so low you can see each revolution. Like the Bosches, the Braun's motor runs on DC and is electronically controlled. I do not know however whether the K-3000 circuitry is as intelligent as either of the Bosches: one YouTube video showed how the Universal self-regulated its speed and torque based upon resistance generated by the workload. The K-3000's motor is rated 950 Watt (at 240V AC; the cooling fan runs independently.) My old K-1000 was 600 Watt at 120V and it never seemed to lack for power — though as I have already admitted, I did ultimately blow its fuse. Don't recall ever having had any other problems with the machine, it performed flawlessly at all tasks. Though their stated/recommended mixing capacity is not as great as that of the Universal, the high end Brauns come close enough. The bottom-up dough hooks, similar to the "European" ones originally designed for Bosch's obsolesced Concept, also sport fins that help incorporate ingredients. I never had a problem with mine handling even the smallest batches; was fine up to about 6, maybe 8 lbs. Hazarding a guess the Braun's mixing performance would come in somewhere between the efficiency of the Compact and the sheer power of the Universal (though I have no hands-on experience with either of those two, only watched the demos.) Only attachment I can think of that comes with a Bosch and not the Braun is the cookie paddle, which only fits the Universal. Nor does the Braun come prepared to drive separate grinders or mills. But I've ground various grains/peppercorns/dried beans to dust in its little blender, a cup at a time. Had to purchase the Julienne disk and also I think the french fry one separately; not sure whether they are included in the present offering.
Still not sure whether I want to run the risk ordering the foreign unit and having to depend on an unknown voltage converter for its lifetime. Also it is not clear from Braun's website whether this model is newly released or obsolete. The only video I could find on it was just a series of Low-Fi static shots from their photo gallery set to music. Braun's engineering is superb but their marketing sucks. :( At least Bosch is aggressively informative about their products, gives me the feeling they will stand behind them for time to come.
Thanks to Barryvabeac for background information.