February 12, 2011 - 10:37am
KitchenAid question
Hey guys,
I have th opportunity to buy a KitchenAid KV25MCXER for a good price. It is teh costco 575 unit.
I am hoping to use it for bread including whole wheat, so I was wondering if anyone had any input as to whether this unit can handle that type of work.
Thank you in advance
-D
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Have you read the reviews Here?
http://reviews.costco.com/2070/11590351/kitchenaid-kitchenaid-professional-575-watt-5-5-qt-bowl-mixers-reviews/reviews.htm
I have soon those, that is what confused me. It seems some people are able to make bread and some are not.
-Still confused.
-D
Like every tool KA has its limitations. If you understand them and your requirements are within them you should be fine.
This is what I am asking, I am looking to understand the limitations of this unit.
I was hoping someone who owned one would be able to help me.
-D
Something like that:
1. Don't make more than 3 pounds of regular lean dough of average hydration (~65%).
2. Don't go above speed 2 for more than a minute when working with 3 lb. batches, especially if your dough seems to be on the drier side.
Beyond that the machine is pretty forgiving, and if you are dealing with with 2 pounds of dough at a time, which I think is the ideal load for it anyway, quite realiable. I, in any case, so far haven't been able to ruin mine, although I most certainly have tried.
The advertised 575 watts is input wattage, the number of watts coming into the mixer from your outlet. It does not reflect the output wattage or how much power the mixer generates.
You might consider contacting KitchenAid customer service and asking them what the output wattage is (if they will tell you). You could also ask them if it can easily mix whole wheat dough without overheating and if so, how much dough.
Knowing the answers to those two questions may be of help to you.
Very good point. If it is only input wattage then it may not be as powerful as it seems to imply.
Choices choices....
If it has all metal gears, you likely will be fine. If plastic, run like the wind.
I have an older all metal gear 5.5 qt model and it only handles about 3 pounds of dough with constant attention as the dough climbs up the hood. still working well since 1982 - granted a different model than yours but metal vs. plastic being the issue.
My Mother's machine from the '40's had a similar twist on bowl- she had to put a paper towel in between the bowl and base to keep the bowl in place. It added enough to make a tight fit.
Re overheating, it will do that after awhile on bread dough. The metal housing on top will get really hot to the touch - stop if you get to this point. When mine goes it will not be replaced with a Kitchen-aid soley for the reason of the dough climibing up the hook and the need to watch it constantly, stop, push it back with a spatula, then start again...
Then again, $299 new - if you are getting a steal then I would go for it as these limitations are not deal breakers and the machine is great for mashed, cakes, and more...
This unit is 399 in Canada. I will check out the Bosch. I will be using this for almost entirely breads so if this is a weakness of this machine I may need to rethink.
-D
I would throw in another $61 and purchase the Bosch Universal Plus with its 800 watt motor at CSN with free ship and no taxes.
http://www.google.com/products/catalog?q=Bosch+Universal+Mixer&um=1&ie=UTF-8&cid=5324740274659662388&ei=QCFXTdepEMKt8Aacm622Bw&sa=X&oi=product_catalog...
Hmmm.
That unit is actually 429 when you click on the link. It does seem that from what I have been reading the Bosch is what I want. All reports seem to say that the KA is just no good for bread dough.
To bad my friend does not have one of those for sale.
-D
raised the pre-holiday prices from (actually) $359 at CSN. grrrr
anna
From the ratings I read on the link I am left witih the impression that those who had negative feedback created their own problems (e.g. running the mixer above #2 when making - I assume kneading - bread is a no-no) and were not familiar with proper applications for their mixer. You might be surprised how many people read their instruction manual when the get a new appliance. The number is low; and those who do read it often believe they can ignore specific details.
My KA mixer, while not this specific model, has become a good friend for bread making (and other mixing chores) and I wouldn't tade it for anything else I've ever used.
Read this post:
http://www.thefreshloaf.com/node/22109/what-really-meant-quotmedium-speedquot
Which model do you have? (If I may ask)
Mine is one of the less expensive models, No. KSM90. The full model number is KSM90WH but the "WH" simply refers to the color (white) of the machine.
You might consider all the comments and put them in context. I also suggest that you look on Amazon and view the comments, particularly the comments of those who have actually bought a Kitchen Aid or Bosch. With the large number of KA mixers out there, you will likely have more issues expressed on KA than with other units without the large customer base. This may bias the negative comments. You will need to choose what level of confidence you have in what is said.
In some ways the KA may be somewhat maligned. I have had no problems with my KA 600. I have several friends who have had nothing but praise for KA prompt service. If you are tempted to buy the Cuisinart, please look at the comments on Amazon regarding customer satisfaction with their service.
If you are interested in doing daily large batches of dough you might want to consider a Hobart etc. In other words "Buy the best and cry once."
Terry
I have decided to pass on the kitchenaid. Too many complaints about it just not being able to handle bread doigh in any quantities. I have decided to save and get a bosch universal or save longer and get a DLX.
I make nothing other than bread so the KA from what I can see will not be what I need. The Cuisinart was never an option.
Thanx guys.
PS. This is of course unless there is someone who has this kitchenaid and can tell me they make bread all the time with it. But I have just not seen that. Mostly cookie and cake bakers use it.
I bit the bullet and bought a DLX a few months ago. I cannot imagine being more satisfied. They tell me it will handle 5kg/11lbs of dough, but I've only tried 2.5kg/5.5lbs, and usually make 2kg batches.
Electrolux doesn't recommend using the dough hook until making large batches. I take that to be >2.5kg/5.5lbs. The roller and blade work well for all I've done.
cheers,
gary
I think that is what I am going to do as well. Maybe in a few months I can swing the money for one.
Thanks all!!
I use it all the time and make 6 500g loaves at a time.