For those of you who might have some experience with a Globe 20 qt. mixer, what would you consider the max dough weight for this machine? This would apply to both, first and second gear usage.
I know that the Globe 20 qt. mixer has a sticker by the gear lever which states to mix bread dough on the first gear setting only, which seems kind of limiting to me. I'd think that one would want to be able to use both, first and second speed, which so many recipes call for.
As for the type of dough, lets consider PR's basic sourdough for consideration to this question.
Thank you for your reply.
depending on the dough
heavy bread 8 oz water to the pound of flour about 8 pounds of flour
and follow the guide first speed only
soft dough like danish of sweet dough (buns) it will handle more
the moter moves at a fixed speed the transmision gears change and that causes the speed change with a big lose of tork
think of a 10 speed bike the larger gear is easer to pedel and your feet move fast but you lose speed.
at higher speeds the mixer turns fast but cannot move heavy loads. running a heavy dough at other than speed one you take a BIG chance of burning out the trans or breaking a gear and unlike the bike the mixer MUST be turned off and completly stop turning before you can change speeds (gears)
secong gear is for soft dough or creaming cake batters
third gear is for whipping cream or eggs ONLY
first gear is for most breads but second gear can be used for soft doughs or small amounts of heavy doughs 2 -2.5 pounds of flour but a small mix like that will barly make it to the bottom of the beater and might not get mixed correctly or will take a longer time to mix. check with globe for the minimum amount that it can mix. i would say that 4 pounds is as little you can mix correctly and anything over 10 pounds of flour would be pushing the mixer to the limit
nbicomputers,
Thank you for the information. I'll assume this applies to any brand of 20qt. mixer. Even though I had been looking at the Globe mixer, it just so happens, yesterday, I came across a rebuilt Hobart 20 qt. mixer at the right price. So now the Hobart sits in the kitchen like a trophy on a shelf! My intentions are that I'll be able to mix enough dough for four or five loaves at a crack. Where as with my small KA I was only able to mix one loaf at a time, which became pretty time consuming considering when one has friends that are asking for bread also! So first gear it is then!
Ricko
You will be able to make batches of bread dough totaling as many as 15-20 loaves in your re-built Hobart 20 qt. mixer..The maximum number of loaves will depend on the size bread pan that you choose to bake in..As someone that spent the first 3 years of my culinary career in bakeries and pastry shops, it is my recommendation to never fill the Hobart's bowl over 2/3's full with heavy doughs or mixes..I would be especially careful with a re-built machine..You have no idea how it was mis-used or abused prior to needing a re-build..As nbicomputers has stated first speed is the speed for doughs..The higher speeds are for creaming fats, making cake batters with the paddle (2nd speed), and for whipping egg whites with the whip (3rd speed)..Hobart mixers can also be used for such tasks as evenly incorporating ingredients into a meat loaf mix (dough hook), making mashed potatoes (paddle or whip), and emulsifying dressings (whip on 1st & 2nd speeds only)..I might suggest that you purchase, or build a heavy, sturdy stand / table to install the mixer on..An ideal height is one that puts the rim of the 20 qt. bowl at a comfortable distance off of the floor so that the user can easily look down into the bowl, add ingredients, and reach into the bottom of the bowl to scrape ingredients stuck to the bottom that the hook or paddle cannot reach..There is nothing worse than having a 20 qt. mixer installed on a normal height table or counter..It increases the difficulty of using these machines by a very significant margin..Unless one is 6' 8" tall a 30"-32" high counter is too high for a 20 qt. mixer..
Bruce
Thank you Bruce for the insight. I did pickup a 24" high equipment stand to set the beast on. Meatloaf....hmmm...that would be one large loaf!
Rick