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For Christmas this year I received a Kitchenaid Artisan Stand Mixer. I had been talking about wanting this mixer for MONTHS, so my hubby and MIL came through and gave it to me for Christmas.
So far I have used the mixer to make the following items:
Carrot Cake & Cream Cheese Frosting
Oodles of Chocolate Chip Cookies
Oodles of Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Pumpkin Bread
Orange Nut Bread
Bran Muffins
Meat Loaf
Mashed potatoes
I find myself trying to plan meals that will allow me to utilize my mixer -- I just absolutely love it!
For others, what are some of your favorite items and what might you suggest? Just FYI, we have a bread maker, so I probably will not do bread dough in the mixer. I am game for anything else, though!
I make meatballs in it alot..perfect for whipping up the soaked bread and also the meat to get it fluffy.
I also love it for whipped cream.
I love the shredder attachment for parmesan!- well, I usually use grana padano but you know what I mean. Makes it perfectly shredded and it's so fast!
I was given the sausage attachment as a gift for Christmas but I haven't used it yet, but can't wait!
Many of the tasks involving my mixer involve bread dough...rustic whole-wheat, rye, and similar breads. I also make my "daily" bread dough with it, too, as well as Italian, Cuban, and French types. Roll doughs and cookies are a snap also. Potatoes for potato candy and mashed potatoes also are good especially if going for whipped type ones...and yes, whipped cream and egg whites and all the things they go into are great uses for the mixer. If you are going to make coconut macaroons, you want a heavy duty mixer like a KitchenAid.
I use my meat grinder attachment a lot...earlier today I made some chicken mull and ran it through the grinder. I sometimes use it to grind my own pork, lamb, and beef. I also use it to make my own sausage, even stuffing my own with the sausage stuffing horn attachment if I want links.
What a timely post. I have been cruising EBay all day looking for a great deal on a Kitchen Aide mixer. I found a great deal on a floor model but went to get a basket and it was gone. Does anyone know were I can get a great deal on one. I have been itching to get one and know is the time to pull the trigger.
Our Kitchen Aid gets hauled out at holidays for cookie dough; we have several recipes that make up a heavy, sticky dough, and before we had the KA, I'd have to finish mixing them by hand because the cheap mixers just couldn't handle them. It's so nice not to have sore shoulders after mixing up a batch of lebkuchen or pepparkakor now!
It's also great for mixing up meatloaf, particularly when the ground meat is very cold. I used to do that by hand (literally) and I'd have to run my hands under hot water to restore the circulation.
Spouse does use the mixer quite often for making bread dough, even though I know you said you have a bread machine.
They're great kitchen tools, and you'll never run out of new ways to use your new toy! Have fun with it.
Location: Finally made it to Florida and lovin' every minute!
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I cheaped out and bought a Kenmore. Don't do it. The KitchenAid is much nicer. I can't use mine for half this stuff. Live and learn, eh?
My sister has one and she makes excellent divinity fudge. If anyone makes some, please send it to me for quality checking. What I don't do for my CD Foodie friends.
What a timely post. I have been cruising EBay all day looking for a great deal on a Kitchen Aide mixer. I found a great deal on a floor model but went to get a basket and it was gone. Does anyone know were I can get a great deal on one. I have been itching to get one and know is the time to pull the trigger.
I have seen good deals on Amazon dot com for the Kitchenaid stand mixers.
My "dream" mixer would have been the Kitchenaid Pro 600, which is a bit more pricey than the Artisan. My hubby and MIL went in together to buy the Artisan, and I could not be happier!
One of the reasons I was interested in the Pro 600 is that the bowl capacity is larger. In addition, I didn't know how well different recipes would perform in the Artisan -- I was concerned that some items might be too "heavy duty" for the Artisan.
I am VERY delighted to say that the Artisan has been perfect! I have yet to go above a Speed 2 for anything, and the 5 quart bowl has handled very well everything we have thrown at it. Our bran muffin recipe makes a LOT of muffins, and we always hand mixed it in a LARGE bowl previously, and the Artisan handles it like it was nuthin'! I love it!
Meatballs -- that is one I have thought of that someone mentioned... I will definitely have to try that one.
And all the bread doughs everyone makes -- yum!
Please keep ideas and suggestions coming, everyone!
Like stated earlier I hate working with cold ground beef. I like to mix ground beef with sausage when making meatballs. I have also looked at the new Cusinart mixers. They don't look as well as the Kitchenaid but they have 700 & 1000 watt motors which is much larger than the Kitchenaid models offer.
My KitchenAid stand mixer gets a working over the holiday season. I have had mine for years so I don't know if you receive the same cook book or not. I make the cinnamon roll recipe that always gets raves!
Once you get over the fear of baking bread, you will discover that your stand mixer is the best thing ever! I have two tips for new bread bakers:
1) Don't kill your yeast by adding liquids that are too hot.
2) Add enough flour so that the dough forms a ball on the dough hook - no need to measure the amount of flour again.
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