Cookaholics Bulletin Board

What's the best price you found for it, Emilie? I really want it, but the price is painful when my 5 qt bowl lift is still working after 10 years.

Yay about the new mixer! Hopefully the storm doesn't turn out to be too bad.

Yes, we're really lucky here in Virginia -- looks like we might be escaping the worst that was predicted. Apparently the folks up north won't be that fortunate though...

Becca, I looked all around online and couldn't find any price variations. Everyone seems to be selling it for $550. If BB&B carried it, that would obviously be the place to get it b/c of their 20% coupon. But it's not yet in their stores or online. I did find an online coupon for $25 off a Chef's Catalog purchase, plus they have free shipping/free return shipping and no tax. Also, they have it in onyx black, which is the shiny finish I wanted. W-S only has the softer, matte black finish. I did pick up the scraper beater at my local W-S store, though. Their price online is $39.95 but it rang up in the store as $49.95 (which is the KA.com price) -- of course they were glad to do a price adjustment. (Fortunately I can sell my 6 qt. on Craig's List for at least $250, or else I'd have the same consternation as you as far as getting a new one when the model I have still works.) I'll let you know soon if the upgrade was worth it!

Emilie

Whoops -- missed the leaf lard question, Amy. It's only $3 a pound. Where it hurts is the shipping, which was $18 from PA to VA. I could get up to 11 pounds of it for that cost, though, and they said it keeps for well over a year in the freezer. So I got 10 pounds and will give a few to my brother who also likes to bake. (I sent him an email and told him there was some lard in his future. )

Do you use it for anything besides pie crusts? I was thinking it might be great for biscuits too, which are a major weakness of mine.

Emilie

I'm not Amy, but I definitely use it in biscuits.

Agree with JB...also tamales. Unbelievable in tamales. Other things too, but I'm so tired right now I can't think. Will post when I find my brain. It's around here somewhere...

Amy

I've seen in it recipes for empanadas and samosas (I'm almost positive on the second one)

Reporting back about the 7 quart model. I finally got it out of the box this weekend and used it a couple of times. I'm sending it back (Chef's Catalog has free return shipping ) On the plus side, it was very quiet and obviously has more power than the 6 quart model I've had for several years. But I made a triple batch of bread dough, which was 12 cups of flour, and even though the instructions say it handles up to 16 cups, when it was kneading, it still slowed momentarily every now and then. And the top of the mixer was quite warm when it was finished. Of course those things don't necessarily mean there's any problem -- my current model gets warm when it kneads for 7 or 8 minutes. But they still gave me pause. The other thing I wasn't crazy about is the taller workbowl. I'm sure I'd get used to it but it just didn't handle as easily to me as the 6 quart bowl. Plus, I really love my stainless whisk that I bought several years ago (since it can go in the dishwasher), and it won't work with the new bowl shape.

So that's my two cents -- nice features, but at least for me, not worth the cost of the upgrade.

Emilie

Emilie,

You've probably saved many of us mixer envy! Thanks for the review.

I have used my new 7 quart mixer many times now, and I am much happier with it than I was with the 6 quart model. All the whisks, paddles and hooks from my old mixer fit the new bowl perfectly. They are the same size as the new ones. Are you sure your stainless whisk doesn't fit?
I have only made double batches of bread dough and cookies and I thought the mixer did a very good job.
I had bought the new bowl scraping paddle they advertised with the mixer. It did not work very well, and I was happy to be able to use the sideswipe paddle that I already had.