A question for all bakers out there?

[Pdiff]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

SCChris :" I should also add that KA does not have this hook available for my 30 year old K5 stand mixer so I know it is only ok for some newer models. "

I use a spiral on my 30 yr old KA5 with no problems (the K6 spiral will fit just fine). I do keep the speed down with most doughs and monitor the units temp by hand. It gets warm occasionally, but still keeps rolling. It doesn't let the dough climb like the C hook. That said, I've been trying my hands, literally, at hand mixing too after reading Tartine. Not quite the 20 lbs Jay is talking about , but 6-8.

[Bigfoot21075]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

This works really well

http://www.amazon.com/Bosch-Universa.../dp/B001V5XZGO

[TropicalCoasting]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

me two looks good

I ve just got my kenwood a bit hot today
2 pizzas, 2 ciabattas and a sour dough loaf.

I just got some bannetons in the mail and got excited

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Nice, Al. Sounds like a 10L size would work out nicely (instead of the 20L). Gonna start saving my pennies...!

[brickie in oz]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Hi John.
Ive given the mixer a but of a go, yesterday with 1.5Kgs of flour and today with 1Kg, its supposed to be good for 2.5 Kgs and I have no doubt it would handle it with ease.
The bowl is bucket sized at 10 litres and locks into place with 2 clamps, the guard slides out of the way and stops the machine in doing so.

This thing is a beast and it very gently kneads the dough, Im thinking it kneads better and at a slower speed than the KA.

When I was using the KA for pizza party dough I would have to make 4 or 5 batches, now Ill just have to make 2.

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Al,
That's a good-looking mixer! I went right to Ebay and found a number of $800-$1000 mixers that I will think seriously about purchasing. Thanks for sharing. I would like to know more about your mixer's performance and your general thoughts (good and bad) once you've had the opportunity to put it through its paces.
John

[brickie in oz]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

I bought this off ebay its a Chinese model obviously, but its a beast for dough.

Edit:- It cost all of $600 which was cheaper than the KA.

[SCChris]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Al, John is right about the plastic gear thing and it occurs to me that the going back to metal and moving away from the old flat dough hook to a spiral hook may have happened about the same time. The Sprial shouldn't work the motor and gears as much. Does anyone know when the Spiral hook became a KA mixer item? I should also add that KA does not have this hook available for my 30 year old K5 stand mixer so I know it is only ok for some newer models.
:-(


Chris

PS Whirlpool aquired KitchenAid in 1986, I'm not certain when the changes from metal to plastic and back took place.

[brickie in oz]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Any chance you may have gotten one with the inferior gears?

John

Is there a place I can check the serial number to find out which batch I have?

[GianniFocaccia]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

I have a Kitchen Aide that is not that old and is dying, so much for getting a so called good brand.

I have the KA (575 Watts I think) mixer that I bought 20 years ago. Its been a few years since I made dough in it and even though the bowl wasn't over-filled, once the dough started to get tight the motor seemed to labor a bit so I quit using it for fear of damaging it. I understand that at one point KA went to cheaper, plastic gears that failed so miserably that they went back to the original gears.

Any chance you may have gotten one with the inferior gears?

John

[kmrice]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Thanks, Jay.

Did they use round or rectangular at SFBI? I would think a rectangular tub would be ideal for S&F. I've got to get a couple. About how deep is the 8.5x10.5 tub?

Karl

[texassourdough]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

I have several that I bought from a local restaurant supply. They are simply food storage tubs with lids. The larger ones I also use to store balled pizza dough. The smallest and the one I use most is a 5.2 liter "Half Size" tub from Carlisle (also says Ace Mart on the bottom which is the restaurant supply - they are all over the nation, I think.) Anyway its lid is a bit over 10 inches wide and about 13 inches long. The actual tub is about 8 1/2 inches by 10 1/2 inches. It holds a 2.5 kilo batch of dough really nicely for doing S&Fs and bulk proofing. I usually do the primary mix (leaven, flour, water, salt, etc.) in a bowl for this is a bit small for that but once roughly mixed and given five minutes or so and a bit of preliminary kneading I simply oil it lightly with canola oil and dump the dough in. Sort of flatten/stretch it to mostly fit the tub and come back a half hour later and do the S&F. Robertson (in Tartine Bakery) recommends using round containers and I find doing S&Fs in those very awkward. I think the tub encourages really nice natural dough development that is almost uniquely wonderful by comparison. (I am confident this part is delusional but after I used tubs at SFBI for a week I came home and used the round tubs and immediately went back to the rectangular ones!

Good news! These tubs are cheap! (by comparison to everything else!)
Jay

[kmrice]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Jay, what are you using for a tub?

Karl

[texassourdough]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Hi Al!

In reviewing this I just realized the seller refers to the Santos as a spiral mixer. This is not correct. The Santos pictured is considered a fork mixer. Fork mixers are considered marginally more gentle than spirals (but a bit more temperamental to use - the bowl is not driven and one usually has to hand turn the bowl until the dough begins to form). Spirals that I know of have driven bowls and need less attention but are often harder to clean.

Both forks and spirals tend to want a significant amount of dough to work properly. My hand mix/S&F routine has gotten so ingrained I no longer have much aversion to making any amount of dough. It is all pretty much the same whether it be four pounds or twenty. (Yes the hand mixing of the twenty takes a bit longer but that is only to the coming together/wet stage. Five minute rest and a bit of kneading to even things out and get a bit more organization and then into a tub. S&Fs in a tub are pretty much identical except the tub and dough are larger.) I am pretty much on auto now when it comes to mixing dough. And I tend to find that I can make pretty much any bread the same way.

Bake on!
Jay

[brickie in oz]

Re: A question for all bakers out there?

Its been doing my head in all day about what mixer to buy so Ive just bought a cheap chinese model off epay that has a 10l bowl for $600.

Cant be any worse than the over priced KA KitchenAid?: Welcome to KitchenAid.com
They seem to forget that ppl are willing to pay a premium based on their reputation and instead they build inferior products oversees in China to maximise profits.