Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

[Himzo]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Hey Himzo - how is that new machine of yours going? Is it giving good results??

Rossco

Hi Rossco,

working like a dream, 2kg of pasta dough in minutes.. I do have to make a stand for it as it's too tall to put on the kitchen benches.. probably about 600mm high stand would do the trick.
The other half just loves it, saves her heaps of time and she isn't thrashing the KA which she still uses for other mixing requirements.

Himzo.

[heliman]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Hey Himzo - how is that new machine of yours going? Is it giving good results??

Rossco

[heliman]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Hi Stan - the KA I was referring to is the basic one that is designed for home use. It was a 300 watt motor and uses a small C dough hook...

Your one is quite a bit larger and definitely more robust.

Rossco

[Stan]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Pardon my ignorance, but...

I know the OP was talking about the KA Artisan mixer. I've got a Pro 600 that I believe lacks the plastic cog, and I mixed and kneaded 2 kg of bread on Friday night. No trouble at all. I routinely make 1 kg of pizza dough in it too, and I roll pasta with the pasta roller and grind stuff with the grinder. Yes, if I need more than 2 kg of dough I have to do multiple batches. But I've NEVER heard the gears strain on a simple dough.

When I first bought the thing, the manual said to never knead dough with the spiral hook on anything past speed 2. I never have, and I haven't blown up my mixer. Apart from the coffee machine, it's the most used appliance in the kitchen. So it CAN be done.

Now, if I needed to mix 5kg of dough at a time, that's an entirely different story...

Different strokes (and mixers!),
Stan

[heliman]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Update on this one ...

I cranked up about 1.120 kg of dough this evening (for 4 x pizzas) and the KA handled it pretty well. Had to be careful that the paddle didn't through the flour out but once it was mixed it pretty much purred along. What was most interesting was that had been making 1/2 that amount in the past to experiment and the KA wasn't actually kneading the dough correctly. What it was doing was grabbing the dough in the mixer and swinging it areound without actually doing any kneading. There was the occasional slapping sound which gave the impression that it was kneading when actually it wasn't. Someone suggested that I increase the amount of dough in the batch ... and the results were that the gluten was correctly developed.

Great to know that, surprisingly, the KA is up to the job after all. It should be run on low speed only though and no more than 4 x balls worth (which is plenty for my normal needs anyway).

Rossco

[Himzo]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Any report on this beast's performance Himzo? I did give the seller a call last week and he said that more were coming in in a few weeks time (shipping to Perth was about $150 I think). Still a good deal though.

I will wait for your feedback before I make a move.

Rossco

It was fired up in anger for the first time last Wednesday, it was used to make pasta dough.. and the official response is "it cranks ".. The amount made was what my other half would normaly make with her KA, except she didn't need to do it in three lots..all up just over a kilo. She has decided that it will be 2 kilos next time...

154 lb? :shocked: I'd need a forklift to get it onto the counter!

Out of curiosity, how much bread do you guys make that y'all need such big mixers? Granted all my experience is in the kitchen oven but I've baked for 150 people and didn't see the need of using a mixer. I'm just curious - maybe you're baking more in a given bake?

No bread as yet, but lots of home made pasta..and I did chuckle when I took it home and and was told "just put it on the counter"..she hadn't seen it upto this point.

Needless to say, I left it on the floor. I will need to build a stand for it though...

Himzo.

[Archena]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Ah, I wasn't thinking about pizza parties. I had bread in mind. For pizza you'd need a lot more dough pre-prepped whereas I can prep as I bake (for large bakes, obviously).

Thanks, that makes more sense now.

[heliman]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

For me the idea is getting the job done quickly and efficiently and not killing the machine. The KA isn't up to it really so the next best thing is a Monster Truck equivalent of a mixer!! Aaaaaah the power!!!!

I normally bake for just 2 though my wife has announced that she is a bit tired of all the pizzas ... hmmmm..

The most I have cooked for at one time is about 22 and I work on 1 pizza per person so a big machine will be quite useful in those cases (and only costs a bit more than a KA!!).

Rossco

[Archena]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

154 lb? :shocked: I'd need a forklift to get it onto the counter!

Out of curiosity, how much bread do you guys make that y'all need such big mixers? Granted all my experience is in the kitchen oven but I've baked for 150 people and didn't see the need of using a mixer. I'm just curious - maybe you're baking more in a given bake?

[heliman]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Any report on this beast's performance Himzo? I did give the seller a call last week and he said that more were coming in in a few weeks time (shipping to Perth was about $150 I think). Still a good deal though.

I will wait for your feedback before I make a move.

Rossco

I was in Darwin all last week, so only got the machine this weekend. Haven't fired it up as yet. I can say it's bloody heavy, 70kg.

BTW, I didn't Email him, I rang and spoke with him direct..got a bit of discount after haggling as well..

Himzo.

[nissanneill]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Rossco,
I thik that you are spot on there.
My wife gave me hell when trying to make dough in her treasured Kenwood Chef. A great mixer for the kitchen, cakes, whipping etc, but lack badly when asking it to do 'real work' and larger batches and relatively often.
It's a bit like carrying 2 tons on a one tonner, it will do it but not continuously. Better to get a 3-4 tonner and it will last forever!
Keep checking ebay every week or so for a 10l dough mixer. they do come up occasionally. Anything bigger will be like getting a 10 t truck for a 2 ton load!

Neill

[heliman]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

This is the one I have - an "Artisan" ...
KitchenAid Stand Mixers, Food Processors & More - Free Shipping Over $100

It has a 4.8 Litre capacity bowl but it would appear that it is only good for general household baking - and not really the stiff dough that we encounter making bread and pizzas.

I think the 10 L planetary type is what I am after...

Rossco

[jmhepworth]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Several years ago we had a 4 1/2 qt KA. It's all but worthless for bread. When it kneads, it walks all over the counter. I have a 6 qt professional now, and while it's too big for some of the small things I wish I had the old one for, it handles bread and pizza dough without a strain.

Joe

[heliman]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

It seems that even very small amounts of dough cause stress to the machine. I had to tighten the bolts that hold the bar (that allows the head to flip up) several times along the way. Sorted that out by using some threadlock though though...

Rossco

[Himzo]

Re: Kitchen Aid - 1 kg flour

Sounds good - keen to hear your opinion of it once you've done some testing.

My KA has been protesting LOUDLY after doing a whole lot of dough this weekend. Will definitely have to find a stronger alternative.

Rossco

Yep, pretty much the reason I got this unit. As I said in an earlier post, my other half makes all our pasta these days and the KA has already been in for repairs once..seems thay use a plastic cog in them somewhere which tends to break if overloaded...I guess it must be cheaper to replace then the motor burning out.
I don't have a WFO as yet, but the plan down the track is to make our own breads as well.. though I'm looking forward to a roast goats leg ( is there a Homer drool smilie)..

Himzo.