Large Stand Mixer

Look for a used 10 or 20 quart mixer.  Upgrading from a KA 4.5/5 quart to a Viking 7 quart isn't much of an upgrade.

I replaced my 4.5 quart KA with a 6 quart Pro.  However I also have a 20 quart used mixer that allows me to whip up bigger batches.

I would also recommend the 10 or 12 qt hobarts, You can sometimes find a good deal for them on E-bay.

If you have deep pockets you could also look at the Santos Fork Mixer

Sams club also has some reasonable spiral mixers.

and lets not forget the DLX and BOSCH mixers. Both of which are very capable machines.

Lots of options, depends on budget and what you intend to do with it.

allan

I use an old KA 5qt mixer.  It works well still.  But it never holds the larger doughs I make.  I have added an Electrolux Assistent (DLX 2000) for those doughs. I recommend that you decide how much dough you're likely to be making regularly and choose from the mixers that will hold that volume.  By the way, my daughter has the Viking, chosen because she wanted something that wasn't a KA and was slightly larger.  I've used it and DO NOT LIKE IT because it seems somewhat unstable and, like the KA, is hard to work with when adding ingredients. 

I'm not sure how much you want to spend, but eBay is now featuring a Hobart 12-quart tabletop mixer for $750, with estimated shipping of $200 from Chicago. That's a "Buy It Now" price, with no bid option.

It is slated to stay on the site until the afternoon of Sept 27 2010.

You'll need a sturdy table for this bad boy. Here's the link:

http://cgi.ebay.com/Hobart-A120-12-quart-tabletop-mixer-W-stand-/150486211368?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item2309ad5b28

Hello again Emily.

You might want to check out this Fresh Loaf forum post from early August on larger stand mixers:

http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/19042/professional-planetary-mixers-great-prices

Good luck!

Each mixer you are contemplating should have a capacity chart.  Owning a Globe 20 qt mixer, their website shows 15 lb dough capacity at 55% hydration (heavy dough) and 25 pounds at 60%.  Their 10 qt model is 7 1/2 and 10lbs respectively.  Since I make 5 loaves at a time just over 10 lbs of dough, I went for the larger 20qt which I found used in nearly new condition.

I would rather be oversized than undersized.  If you are only making 3 loaves at a time, say 4-5 lbs of dough, an 8qt machine is borderline but fine and the 10 qt is more than enough. Ask for the specs and go from there...  Globes 8 qt machine weighs 55 pounds, and the 10 qt is 132 pounds and my 20qt is 199 lbs!!

These machines are heavy, and mine is in the garage on a stand.  But I am happy to have the horsepower as these machines do not break a sweat.  If looking for an in home setup, the DLC 2000 by Electrolux (see pleasanthillgrains) gets great reviews and can handle relatively large amounts...

A 20-quart Hobart is really not appropriate for regular home baking. As Nicksafoodie mentions, it weighs a ton and you cannot move it by yourself. It's also a bit of a challenge to empty the huge bowl by yourself, especially with very elastic, clingy doughs.

I have such a little monster in my kitchen to bake larger batches (I sell my breads), it is very powerful and works really well. I also was lucky to get it for 2,500.- at a used restaurant appliances shop. Normally they cost over 4000.-, also a prohibitive factor for home baking.

I use a 7-quart Cuisinart for all my pre-doughs and to knead 1 - 2 breads (regular size). I use my KA Artisan only for pastry, I hate how it whirls the flour or liquid dough out of the bowl if you don't cover it up. The larger Cuisinart works much better, and has a timer, too.

Karin