After adding olive oil to the second try-out recipe for my ensaimadas a little too enthousiastic, my already quite developed dough literally launched out of the bowl. That in itself would not have been so bad, because i caught it :-)

My Kitchen Aid however didn't understand what was going on. Without any dough resisting,  suddenly it went into overdrive and... snapped!

I have already browsed around, and it seems my only option is to schlepp it back to the store... I recently bought it, so it should still have a working warranty. I guess that is the good news :-/

Do any of you guys know whether this sort of accident is covered?

Thnx!

Freerk

I saw a 3 quart SS mixing bowl for my 6-quart KitchenAid mixer model (KP-26) on Amazon. I'd like to buy one for mixing small batches of dough, but I'm pretty sure that my current dough hook would be too long for the small bowl.

Are there any bowls/dough hook combinations other than the 6 quart size that I could use on my machine? My current spiral-shaped hook doesn't really grab the dough well unless I use about 600g of flour or more. I could use the beater blade, then the hook, but I want to avoid that, if possible.

Hi all,

I am relatively new to bread making in general.  For mixing brioche dough (or anything for that matter), I often see instructions to mix on "medium speed" with dough hook.  I do have the larger of the KA mixers, maybe not largest.  In any event, I know the lowest speed setting is pretty slow.  But even level 2 seems pretty fast.  I'm afraid that if I were to turn it up any higher or to the medium levels, the whole thing would bend, snap, gyrate wildly, fly off the counter, etc.  Is this a common question?  Do they really mean level 2?

Thanks in advance!

Since I bought a Kitchenaid 6 quart Pro 600 mixer I've been asked several times about how I liked it. At first I was guardedly optimistic because it's hard to critique a product that you've only had a short time. Several months after I got it, my brother told me his KA mixer (a different model) had broken down twice and had to be replaced both times. The second time they made veiled accusations that he was doing something improper with it. After that a few other people I know who use their KA mixer to make bread reported the same thing: "The only good thing about the mixer was that it would probably break down before the warranty expired," they said. Awhile after the 6 month mark mine started heating up and occasionally exuding grease or something. About that time I got an offer for a 3 year extension on the warranty. It was clear the mixer would probably die sooner or later, maybe after the factory warranty expired so I paid for the extended 3-year warranty and filed it away when it arrived in the mail.

Well, the mixer quit working. The motor runs but nothing on the outside turns so I assume the gears inside are broken. The first thing I noticed when I pulled out my extended 3-year warranty was that it was only for one year. I hadn't paid attention when it came in the mail as I assumed they would give me what I had paid for. No matter, the 1-year extension had barely begun. The lady I talked to was helpful and promised I would be receiving a new mixer within five days. She said they aren't worth fixing so I would probably not be required to return the broken one.  Hmmm.

It's been over a week and this morning I was wondering where the promised mixer was. Then, about noon, I got a phone call informing me that they found a cheaply priced mixer of the same model on the web and would send me a check to cover the cost of that one. The check will take another 7-10 days to arrive. I was irked by the runaround they were giving me, but then I saw the silver lining. I can just take the money they give me and use it toward buying a better quality mixer.

 Maybe, the KA will last a long time if you only use it for stuff like meringue, whipped cream, and cake batter...I don't know.  Anyway, my revised recommendation would be to buy something more strongly built for mixing bread dough.  I'm leaning toward the TMB Baking Micro Spiral SP5...any other recommendations?

-greg

Just joined the site.  I have recently killed my kitchen aid mixer.  Walked away from it with too much dough in it.  Well when I came back, the kitchen was full of smoke and the mixer was d-e-a-d.  So I have been looking around for new ones.  Almost bought a Bosch after borrowing a friend's then read about the Globe 5qt and thought that sounded good.   So in true American overkill I came across a deal I couldn't pass up.  I happened upon an old Hobart a200t, 20 qt mixer- for FREE.  So I took it. It works.  Have to get a bread hook but figure I will use this space as a diary of sorts and see how it goes.  Really just writing to myself since I came across this space but if anyone has suggestions, I welcome them.  I've been a 5qt baker for a while and have many questions but will dive into this new situation with my usual ignorance.  I seem to like learning the hard way.  

 I am in the market for a new mixer. I have been using a Bosch Compact that I got off eBay. It was well thrashed when I got it but it was super cheap. That said it is in its last days. I has gotten to the point where it will not knead even small amount dough.

So I am looking around eBay and there are lots of choices. I figure my budget is under 200 bucks but that still puts lots of used mixers in my price range.

My question is, How much mixer do I need? I think the largest recipe I make would be in the 2 Kilo range ( 2 loaf)

I am looking at vintage kitchen aid K5, K45, Kenwood Chef 702, or just replacing my Bosch with a newer Bosch compact (um4)

Or are none of these going to give me satisfaction?

I would love to be able to plonk down and get an N50 or Bosch concept but I just don't have the cash now, and the mixer is done.

Another though, anyone know where to obtain service for the compact?

I use a Kitchen Aid Artisan stand mixer and bake bread about once a week.  From the beginning i've had a problem with the dough clinging to the dough hook and spinning uselessly around in the bowl.  I normally make about a three pound batch of 65% hydration baguette dough.  To combat the problem, i mix the bread on a speed of six or eight so that the centrifugal force will help keep the dough kneading by basically throwing it off the hook.  Nevertheless, I usually end up with the dough wrapped around the point where the dough hook mounts to the machine.  I attended culinary school and took a bread baking class and never once remember the dough in the big Hobar mixers clinging to the hook.  It always was kneaded neatly in the bottom of the bowl and at the end of the process the bowl was spotless.  By using the method I am using, I'm pretty sure that I'm basically burning up my mixer (it gets really hot by the time the dough is ready for first rise).  If anyone can suggest what I can do (maybe drier dough?)  I would really appreciate it!

I've taken in a stray.  I was more-or-less given a large hobart A200 20 qt mixer this afternoon... I found it for sale online, went to look at it and the guy just wanted it gone.  Apparently, he'd been trying to sell for 8 weeks and it needed to go before they move at the end of the month.  It is way too large for my needs--- I was secretly hoping it was a 5 or 10qt model when I saw it listed as "industrial mixer" and with a blurry thumbnail photo.  I'm at a bit of a loss as to what to do with it now that I have it at home.  It is used, dusty from garage storage, the wisk is missing a few wires, and has been re-painted rather poorly. But mechanically, it works perfectly.  My current thoughts are that I could clean it up a bit and resell it or I could donate it to a local soup kitchen.  Any other ideas or suggestions are greatly appreciated.

The manual that came with my Kitchen Aid mixer (Accolade 400) clearly states, " Do not exceed Speed 2 when preparing yeast doughs as this may cause damage to the motor." But Daniel Leader in "Local Breads" calls for faster speeds, sometimes for rather extended times, in several formulas. For example, in the formula for Genzano Country Bread (pg.199), he says to mix at Speed "5 or 6 on a  KitchenAid mixer" for 10 minutes, then at Speed 10 for 8 to 10 minutes.