February 8, 2010 - 1:55pm
Is there a difference in speed settings between home mixers? Most instructions say "Mix on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid)"
Is there a difference in speed settings between home mixers? Example: instructions say "Mix on low speed (#2 if using a KitchenAid)", at least most of the books that I have mention KA. I am following instructions now which say KA, waiting between mixing and I had a "hmmmm" moment.
I have a home model Cuisinart and I use the same settings in the formula's instructions even though most say KA. I think I'm correct using same speed settings as KA but never hurts to double check.
There goes my timer, time to add the whole grains and mix again.
Thanks,
steve
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Hi Steve,
All mixers are not the same so I think your best bet is to read your Cuisinart manual and determine the dough mixing speeds recommended by Cuisinart.
Speed two for KitchenAid mixers is the top speed the manufacturer recommends for mixing dough. Speed one on a KA is low speed. Those are the only two recommended speeds for dough.
Am pretty sure Cuisinart has its own recommendations for dough mixing speeds.
I am making RLB's Troylean Ten-Grain Torpedo bread, and she has mixing in a KA on #4 for 7 minutes. I can also recall a PR's ABED method going to 4 or perhaps 5.
Thank you for the suggestion of reading the manual, I've never done and have had it for over a year, so its probably time LOL
Yes, I guess it's easy to give out advice to run a KA mixer (or any other, for that matter) at a high speed when it's not your mixer and you don't have to pay the repair bill.
Happy reading!
I did Reinhart's BBA Vienna Bread this weekend and he says to run the mixer at medium speed (i.e. "5") for six minutes. I thoughtlessly flip my KAid up to that for a few seconds and the thing was immediately jumping up off the counter. I turned it back down to 2.
I may be pining for a new DXL but I'm not looking to kill my KAid just quite yet. Sorry Peter.
Paul
http://Yumarama.com
Yeah, the bread looks good, but what's the gear train in your KA look like? Try to remember that an author's recommendation for mixing speeds on KA mixers (or any others for that matter) don't always take into consideration which model of that mixer is being used. Some models of the KA mixer can tolerate higher speeds for dough mixing but there are many factors to consider. How heavy is the dough? Dense dough will weigh heavily against the machine's gear train while a slack dough may be somewhat easeir to move. My mixer (KA) does not like turning a paddle or dough hook through heavy dough beyond the #2 speed. It will overheat and leak lubricant (it's food safe lubricant so that's no risk to health) if I push it beyond it's tolerance level.
The Cuisinart I bought is the top model for its line of home mixers. It has handled anything I've thrown its way so far. And I know, what the coil burned smell is, believe me LOL. I do not know if there is extra wear and tear above what would be normal.
However, whether the mixer can handle cement is not the point, I want to make and bake correctly, like you folks do. Is not going above #2 the rule most of you, with all due respect and awe, home baking superstars adhere to, for making dough at home ?
How do you folks compensate for the slower speeds ? Do you kneed longer ?
I knead the proscribed amount of time then check the dough's suppleness and warmth (by hand and if it feels close, by thermometer). I also do the windowpane test, often - not always. So if these two weren't quite there, I'd keep the dough hook going for a minute and check again. Repeat as required.
The dough should dictate when it's done, basically, not the clock.
Paul
http://Yumarama.com
Makes perfect sense..when its done its done. As I get more experienced I will rely more on what I know.
Probably wise to be cautious about fast speeds so you don't overoxidize and overdevelop the dough.
If you think about it, you should watch the dough as it's being mixed, not the clock.
An example is the bagel recipe in Hamelman's Bread. He calls for three minutes at speed one with a spiral mixer and five to six minutes at speed two with a stand or planetary mixer. The dough is supposed to be strong and well developed, so I always stop the mixer every couple of minutes to feel and tug on the dough.
It's noteworthy that there are mixing guidelines in Bread for spiral, planetary, oblique and stand mixers, and the only speeds mentioned are first and second.