Let's Dish on Stand Mixers (appliance, kitchen, brands, cold)

[Beretta]

I have a high end KitchenAid Pro stand mixer. I hate it. Yep, hate is a strong word and I hate my mixer. I am considering several other brands (Electrolux Assistent, Hobart, Hamilton Beach Commercial) for purchase and would love to hear your love/hate stories on your stand mixers. I am a pretty heavy user of my mixer. I have two cookbooks out and a cooking message board so I am looking for heavy duty and easy to use. Thanks in advance and I look forward to all of your comments. Regards.

[cdelena]

I bought the top of the line Sunbeam mixer over 30 years ago. Although it lacks many features the newer models have it has been so effective and reliable we have no experience with others. This one is used regularly and I doubt it will get replaced.

[southernlady5464]

You couldn't PRY my Kitchen Aid mixer out of MY cold dead hands. I love mine. I got my first one as a hand me down from my Mother when she died. Then the motor wore out. I got a new one. Had this one about a year. I expect to have it a LONG time. Liz

[Cattknap]

Smokey - what is it about your KitchenAid that you don't like? I love mine and I love my KitchenAid Food Processor as well.

[Beretta]

I got the Pro 6 qt a few years back when KA was skimping by putting in plastic gears . They have since learned their lesson and the newer models have metal gears once again. Also, I hate the up and down of the arm, I much prefer a tilt or more open bowl. I have the plastic apron to aid in adding ingredients, however, it is a hassle.

Interestingly enough, my grandmother's KA (approx. 50 years old?) is still working (God rest her soul) but my mother won't give it up (not that I blame her).

I am strongly thinking of purchasing the Electrolux Assistent. The only thing that I have heard negatively about it is pie crusts, and I can use my food processor for those.

I so love bouncing ideas off of y'all here; thanks for your input.

[southernlady5464]

See, that may be why I won't give mine up. My Mother's was ages old...not really sure but she abused it. And I got mine just last year. So I skipped the plastic gears. Liz

[yellowsnow]

I have a Bosch and I love it. It mixes better than anything else I've used and they last forever.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

I LOVE my Kitchen aid, and its the style you mention but its ALL METAL...if I can get all metal thats what I want in any kitchen appliances.

I love the Kitchen aid because of all the attachments you can get for it. They have an ice cream maker attachment you can get now.

I purchased the smaller one for my Mom that tilts back but its not the same size as the one I have.

If I were you, I would consider selling the one you have and getting another Kitchenaid, I can't tell you the number of people I have spoken to who WISH their Kitchenaid would die so they could get a cool new color...I have had the same Kitchen aid for over 15 years, its Cobalt Blue.

I am doing all I can to get away from plastics in the kitchen. The next toaster I buy is going to be one of those cool, chrome retro toasters...they are really neat looking.

[Drover]

We've got a KitchenAid mixer. The thing is a sculpted brick.

My wife and I have vowed that if KitchenAid ever goes out of business, we intend to start up a new company to fill the void and call it "NFA Appliances."

(I'll let you figure out what "NFA" stands for.)

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Have you guys ever seen the Hobart commercial mixers? They look like a KitchenAide but they are about 4 feet tall...now thats a mixer baby...when I was in high school I worked in a local bakery and we had several of them, they were awesome.