Kitchenaid Mixer Question

I have a Kitchenaid stand mixer (one of the 5 qt. models with bowl-lift). I find myself using the wire whip far more than the flat beater, even for things that the beater is recommended for. The whip is really sturdy so it seems to be able to handle many things, and I don't like the way the beater leaves more on the side/bottom of the bowl (such as butter or shortening). I've adjusted the mixer to as close a tolerance as possible with the flat beater.

So, anybody else use the whip a lot? Does the flat beater have advantages that I'm not seeing?

Thanks,

Charles

i came very close to buying a kitchenaid mixer from craigslist a while back. But, i began to research them and read a lot of bad reviews. Especially about them leaking oil during use. Has that ever happened to you?

i was looking at the non-pro models, the one that run from 250-350 or so.

i came very close to buying a kitchenaid mixer from craigslist a while back. But, i began to research them and read a lot of bad reviews. Especially about them leaking oil during use. Has that ever happened to you?

i was looking at the non-pro models, the one that run from 250-350 or so.

Mine is great, about 5 years old. I got a refurb model from Amazon for about $200.

my mom's kitchen aid stand mixer used to belong to my great-grandmother. i'm not sure how old it is, but it is old. it has endured years and years of use (they both do a lot of baking) and it is still running like a champ. my stepdad got mom a brand new one for christmas last year and she took it back because she says her's is still good as new. i tried to talk her into passing one of them on to me, but she didn't (durn her).

I bought my 6-quart Kitchenaid mixer about 10 years ago. I don't use it very often because I don't cook much anymore (my husband does most of the cooking these days), but it's always worked perfectly and I've put it through its paces . . . breadmaking, pasta making, meat grinding and sausage stuffing, etc.

i know the older ones are good quality, it seems that kitchenaid sold or merged with another company, i do not know who. After that change in the company, many reviews said that the quality went down. a friend of mine has one that was her mothers, super old as well and still great. I myself do not have one, but just noting what i have read on a lot of research i did since i was looking into buying one. It was $50 on CL.

" I've adjusted the mixer to as close a tolerance as possible with the flat beater."

I have had the same concerns with my Kitchenaid. I am pricing a new flat beater that has silicone wings on it that are supposed to clean the bowl better. I have seen them on ebay and at Kitchen Collection stores. I love my Kitchenaid, I run the devil out of it for Christmas baking, have made sausage, ground meat and nuts and made ice cream with it.

I am pricing a new flat beater that has silicone wings on it that are supposed to clean the bowl better.

I saw these two on Amazon:

Sideswipe

Metro Design

I've worn out three Kitchenaides. Yes, really worn three entirely out. I used to do TONS of cakes out of my home.
Kitchenaide is an extremely reliable product. They repaired two of my mixers even though they were older models.

Be careful using the whisk instead of the paddle. You're going to incorporate alot more air into whatever you are mixing. That could cause some problems with recipes and baking.

1. By using the wire whip instead of the beater bar you may end up over-mixing. I'm not sure what that means scientifically (too much gluten developed?), but bread dough and some others may be tough.

2. We've had one for over 30 yrs now, use attachments (pasta extrusion, meat grinder, etc), and never had a drop of oil coming out

Strangely, I don't know that I've ever used my whip attachment on either of my KA's, I've always used the paddle, even for meringue. KitchenAid is part of Whirlpool now, all of my KA appliances are newer (last 5 years) and I haven't had any issues.

If you are looking to buy a mixer, I would highly suggest checking out the KitchenAid forums on their website as well as shopkitchenaid.com and watch for the weekly deals they put up. I got a 12 c. food processor for $90 including shipping with all the accessories, it was a color they were going to discontinue. Also bought my hand mixer and immersion blender that way, they weren't refurbs, just discontinued colors/models and less than half the normal price. The forum people are very helpful if you do run into an issue, plus all kinds of good recipes to try in your KA!

The oil leaking isn't as big a deal as it sounds, if you are mechanically inclined, it's usually something that can be fixed fairly easy. If you do a lot of breads or heavier doughs, do some research and go with one that has metal gears... not the popular Artisan model...they tend to have less problems, though are a bit louder. I have a Heavy Duty Pro and it's the one I use all the time, I found it on sale for under $300.

You may also want to see if they are making a Combi-Whip for your model. It is supposed to be the best of both worlds and get stuff off the sides of the bowl.

So, I ended up buying a sideswipe blade. I like it, but my daughter thinks it is not worth the trouble (she's 13).