Mixers

[egalecki]

Re: Mixers

aww. I think it's kinda cute. I want to see the dough hook you make, Neill. I ran into my first problem with Dinah yesterday on a rye bread. It tried to climb out of the bowl and up the hook! It was a bit lively, to say the least.

[Les]

Re: Mixers

Neill,
I think the red button turns it on - not sure, I'm a little weak reading Chinese

[amber]

Re: Mixers

I'm with Elizabeth - I think he looks like R2D2. Adorable. I also love my KitchenAid, but before I got it, it was all by hand. From there, most anything's an improvement.

[nissanneill]

Re: Mixers

Archena,
does it really matter what something looks like when we buy things to do specific tasks.
Hell, if went on looks alone (as obviously some people do), then we have what we've got, a load of unusable inadequate mixers that are worthless for mixing dough.
Take it to the next level, some of us would still be single looking for a partner unless we are able to perform!!!!!

Elizabeth,
I will get a piece of stainless tomorrow, start to machine it tomorrow night and will probably have to wait until Tuesday when I can get access to an oxy set to heat and bend the hook to shape.I will however keep you posted.

Les,
like you, I am unable to read Chineses and in the instruction sheet/specis, I think it says that my model does not come with a dough hook.
Yes the red button turns it on (even though the button is upside downand you push the switch down to turn it on), the other button is a pulse, only operates the mixer whilst you hold it on.
I am happy with it so far (although I haven't used it yet) fairly quiet, smooth and good speeds. It seems well made and finished which is unusual for bottom of range equipment. The truth will be when I mix a 5Kg mix of dough.

Neill

[Wiley]

Re: Mixers

I'm with you Neil, the proof will be in the job it performs.

I have no problem with how it looks and as to the fact that it was made in China, frankly I look upon that as a plus, especially as it was made to be sold and used in China. And not made to some foreigner's specs to be rebranded and sold under some western name.

I've been lucky enough to spend a few short weeks in country. I was amazed by many things of which two things standout 1) equipment for the most part was strongly built and made to be repaired should it need it by relatively inexperienced people... no send it back to the factory; and 2) (totally unrelated and yet maybe not): everywhere one looks one sees smiles, the people are happy, life for them as never been so good; most unlike the glum chums endemic here (save for in the adverts where someone is trying to sell you something). It took some getting used to, walking down streets and almost everyone has a smile one their face, most disconcerting at first (and I admit to checking to make sure my fly was buttoned expecting the smiles were due to something amiss in my dress :-).

Wiley

[james]

Re: Mixers

I think it's ruggedly handsome. You gotta love that rough hewn commercial look -- he's a tough guy. My vote is that it's going to be great.

Can anyone give us the basic difference between a Hobart-like commercial mixer and the basic KA stand mixer with a dough hook? The pluses and minuses?

James

[RTflorida]

Re: Mixers

Neill,
THAT looks like a mixer, no pretending to be a design statement, just plain rugged commercial good looks. The only downsides for me are its size (just too big for where I need it to be) and my disdain for Chinese electricals (never owned anything designed for their commercial home market - just the mass produced, dirt cheap crap, destined for the low end Sams Club, Walmart, Costco market). I would be confident of getting decent life out of a commercial product. Too bad it came without a dough hook, I'm sure you don't mind with your crafty abilities.
I should be firing up my Bosch this week (just arrived yesterday). My wife wasn't surprised (she knew we needed one) but was surprised with all of the attachments (I caught a little grief for that). She will actually be the first to use it, my daughter and her have about 20 dozen cookies planned for tomorrow...sorry to say, I won't get around to any pizza dough until Friday or Saturday......look for a Bosch report early next week.

RT

[bturton]

Re: Mixers

Excellent! Be sure to send a picture of your dough hook. Bake on...

[ERASMO]

Re: Mixers

Bosch report:
I used my Universal Plus last night for the first time. I made a 1500 gram batch of Tipo 00 Pizza dough. Mixer performed great! Next time I will try 2000 gram.
YouTube - BOSCH UNIVERSAL PLUS MIXER PIZZA BREAD DOUGH GALANTINO

[Frances]

Re: Mixers

everywhere one looks one sees smiles, the people are happy, life for them as never been so good; most unlike the glum chums endemic here

...except for those of us who are lucky enough to own a WFO, of course.

I wish I could get my hands on equipment like that, strongly built and mendable. And I like the mixer, too. Bet it'll be a real work horse once you're finished with it!

[rcspott]

Re: Mixers

Any one have an opinion of the Santos for pizza dough? It is about $1300-$1400.

Santos - Dough mixer # 18 for restaurants, pizzerias, pastry shops, institutions...

YouTube - Santos Dough Mixer

[nissanneill]

Re: Mixers

rcspott,
an interesting mixer. I hadn't come across that one in my researching. A very simple mixing action but I wonder what it would look like with a lower hydration, full wheat load rather than that small high hydration demo clip?

Decisions, decisions! Ain't life full of them?
Thought that I had a few sources for hook designs so I did a Google search and couldn't believe the range of shapes. I have included a few pics of the shapes available. I will make one that is adjustable and can change the actual hook until I establish which one works the best and produces the lowest temp increase (as my new thermometer arrived yesterday).
I made the mandrel fitting last night, (well at least bored the 3/4" hole and turned it out to the 20mm required diameter) and went looking for my stainless hook rod - gone! Well I'll get some more today.
I guess that I will get the old forge going this afternoon and clean off the rust from the anvil.
Will keep you posted.

Neill

[Archena]

Re: Mixers

You can do metalwork? Man, I'm so jealous...

[RTflorida]

Re: Mixers

Neill, your killing me.....fire up the old forge? Clean the rust off of you anvil? I have not actually known anyone who owns a forge and the last person I knew that owned an anvil was during my youth (30 plus yrs ago). I really need to get out of the city more. You're simply having too much fun and some of us are really getting jealous.

Be sure to share photos as soon as you get a prototype.

RT

[nissanneill]

Re: Mixers

Archena.
Metalwork, doesn't everyone work with metal?
Why not, it's just another medium to work with. You simply use a few different tools, a welder instead of glue or mortar.

RT,
I just took a couple of pics, the forge came from my inlaws farm when they moved into the township, the anvil took a couple of years to source, I crank it up when I have enough spring steel tortion bars to make crowbars, jemmy bars, pinch bars and mean cold chisels (the ones you smack with a 16lb sledge hammer). It is a little crowded at the end of my wood pile, but manageable.
I don't use the hand blower, too much effort required so I plug in my leaf blower and whammo, a ripper fire and your underway.
The lathe is the most widely used tool I have, I turned up 2 different bosses (one on the rod and the other sitting on top of the lathe), for two different dough hooks, one straight and fairly simple whilst the other will be a little more difficult being a spiral.
The boss was made adjustable so that I can try different styles and shapes. I can also change the clearances with the bowl as required. The spiral hook will be welded into it's own custom boss.
I made a couple of patterns and secured them into the first boss for trials and clearances in the bowl but I need to use the oxy accetylene tomorrow for some tighter bends than I can easily achieve with the forge without deforming the 16mm (sorry 5/8" 304 stainless steel rod)Unfortunately I won't get them done for the pizza night tomorrow as I will need to make my dough as soon as I get home from work, but that's life!

Neill