Cookaholics Bulletin Board

That is what started this problem, the 5 qt KA tilt head is a good mixer, it doesn't have a big enough bowl. The 7 qt 620 I got 3 years ago was big enough but doesn't have the horse power of the 5 qt and overheats under the same load.

The 5 qt KA is, I think, about 475 watts, but will deliver that continuously.

The 7 qt 620 over heats under the same load and turns it self off after about 5 minutes.

A horse power both has an exact definition, the ability to lift 550 lbs 1 foot in 1 second, and an exact definition in watts, I think 736. If you say a motor is a 575 watt moter that means it should be able to lift about 425 pounds one foot in one second. And it should be able to keep this up for whatever a normal work day is for a horse.

If you can find a Kenwood (sold in the U.S. under Delonghi, I think), they are sturdy. I have a 5 quart and it handles bagel dough that shuts down my KA bowl lift (older model that is otherwise excellent). That Kenwood is one sturdy machine. Mine is a few years old.

I've also heard VERY good things about the Electrolux Magic Mill, and if I were to shell out bucks for yet another large mixer, that's what I would get (unless I found a used 10 quart Hobart for a deal...)

Well this isn't going to be a right now purchase. It looks like between $400-$600 and I think the washing machine died yesterday, hopefully it is just the lid interlock, but who knows.

So far this year we replaced the fridge and the small stove, more or less planned. The dishwasher went about 12 days before Thanksgiving, and 7-8 loads a day is normal for us everyday with the family here. The Saturday before Thanksgiving the chest freezer was discovered to be dead, we got that repalced the next day. A retailer who seemed to care and now the washer.

Ugh...appliances. I hate it when they all die at the same time. This summer we had to replace our TV and washing machine. The TV was only a few years old but the convergence went out on it (a rear projection model) and would have cost between 300-500 to fix. Didn't seem worth it when the price of plasma screens were finally coming within reach. The washing machine was 9 years old and was giving us grief every few months or so. DH finally said he was not fixing it anymore when it flooded our wood floors.

My new KA Pro 600 (that I got last year at Christmas) was still smelling like a new motor when it was running. I called since the warranty was almost up and they decided to send me a new one under warranty. Hopefully this one will not have that problem. I'm not really sure if it was a problem or not, but it just seemed odd. As far as mixers for bread, I use my Bosch exclusively. I like the KA for cakes and batters, but the Bosch is going strong after 10 years of very frequent use. My mom still has her Bosch that's 30+ years old, and before my grandma died a few years ago, she still had one that was 40+ years old. I can fit a lot of bread dough in there, upwards of 15 cups of flour.

Warner, I gave my Cuisinart a good workout over the holidays, and I would steer you away from it. My major problem is the spring in the bayonet-mount housing for the beater. It is way too flimsy, and has become less springy in the 6 months I've had the machine. Now, the beater pops out with the mere touch of a spatula, which is very annoying. So far, the beater has not released while the machine is running. So now I face the unpleasant task of contacting the company and seeing what I can do to fix the problem--not exactly how I want to spend my time.

In addition to this, the machine is light in comparison to it's size, and rattles like crazy when it runs. The bowl is huge and very heavy, so it's difficult for me to handle. The handles are on sides of the rim of the bowl, which is not as easy to work with as the KA handle mounted on the side of the bowl.

All in all, a huge disappointment, especially since CI gave the 5.5 qt. model a favorable review.

HTH,
Marilyn

Well the washer did turn out to be a bad lid interlock switch, $70 part and the washer and dryer are a matched set, even if different brands. One is a Kenmore.

The Bosch sounds good and the company has a good reputation, but so did KA. Too many things these day are being designed by the accounting department with advice from the faux-enviornmentalists.

Well baking day is approaching, I will be doing the white from Baking with Julia. I will try other whites, but the other breads for Sunday are either brand new, the foccia (sp), or I need more practice, the baguettes. And there is only so much I want to experiment with on one day.

We are eating more bread.

I have a Viking and I love it. I know that CI doesn't like the release catch for lowering the head, but I just flip the lever back, lower the head and lock it in place. No slamming down to get it to lock. I also like the fact that it doesn't walk. I bought mine at an appliance repair shop in Detroit. I did a lot of research and called around and this guy had the best price. He is a Kitchen Aid authorized repair man also and he highly recommended the Viking. Mine has a slight imperfection in the finish and so it was cheaper than a brand new machine. I have the 5 quart.

BOSCH ROCKS!

...lou

What I LOVE about my Bosch is the size & weight. The base is about 4 inches in height, the bowl comes off. I just made pizza dough. When done, I merely removed the bowl for washing, and tucked the little POWERFUL thing back in the cupboard.

Amazing how much power the little thing has! It just whips through 3 pounds of rye dough!

Janet

BALLLLLLLLLLLLLLLS UP BABY! YEEEEAH!!!!!!

AND GO PHILLY!!!!

[.....oh, yeah....they didn't make it this year.]

...lou