Kitchenaid Mixer tips!

Kitchenaid Mixer tips!

My new mixer has enough space under the cabinet!

I've been wanting a mixer for about 6 months, and I think I've told just about everyone my quest.  Bed, Bath & Beyond was really nice--they let me spend time with both the Kitchenaid and Cuisinart mixers.  

Also, there were so many conflicting reviews!  Even Consumer Reports was confusing--they reviewed the Kitchenaid mixers highly, but the consumers rated them low.  Consumers talked about overheating, plastic gears, and oil leaking.

My choice wasn't getting to a final purchase, so I called Kitchenaid for help.  I spoke to a rep named Jordan, who explained that most of the problems listed are incorrect usage problems. She said that many people aren't using the mixers the way they are meant to be designed.

She suggested that I read my manual thoroughly, and start with some of the recipes in the book. Non-Kitchenaid recipes need to be modified, and the book will serve as a guide.

To remind myself, and help my baking buddies, I am listing the comments from the various reps with whom I spoke on several calls my first days of using my new Kitchenaid Pro 600 mixer: 

Kitchenaid Mixers, Per Jordan, rep, 7 21/10


This machine is made to be used really often, preferably daily.  It was made to get women out of the kitchen so they would spend more time with their families.  (Ha, Ha!  Women like it so much that they spend more time with it!)  Jordan said the overheating and oil leaking complaints are usage problems.

Oil leaking complaint:
Kitchenaid uses a food grade lubricant; they can't use an industrial lubricant in case it gets into the food mixed.  It does break down. The heat of mixing will keep the food grade lubricant oil as a solid.  If you don't use the machine really often, run it for 2 minutes at speed 10 every 2-3 weeks (on speed 2,  if it's humid here).  Otherwise, the oil will separate.

Overheating complaints:
The machine will overheat and shut off if too much flour is added at once, or a speed over #2 is used.  If recipe not in Kitchenaid care guide, have to modify recipe.  Use this mixing guide:

***For non-Kitchenaid recipes, modify the recipe so don't have too much flour in the beginning.  Add liquid first, then about 4 cups of the flour.  Add remaining flour slowly.   
***Cut mixing time in half, or less.  (Another rep said For every 10-12 minutes of mixing with another electric mixer or by hand, = 2 minutes with Kitchenaid!)
***If the dough is climbing up the dough hook, you are overkneading.
***For breads, don't go above speed 2--use only speed 2!

Add ingredients, go to stir speed to incorporate flour and then go to speed 2.  Mix no more than 5-6 minutes.  Dough hook mixes and kneads.  Cuts down work time.

For 6qt bowl, don't use recipes containing more than:
14 cups white flour OR
8 cups high gluten/bread/specialty flour


A number of people in my baking group mentioned that their mixer overheats.  I am guessing that they might not be modifying their recipe to the mixer's needs.  The recipes from "Healthy Bread in 5 Minutes a Day" call for putting the dry ingredients into a bowl and then adding the liquid.


I called Kitchenaid about that, because it seemed different from the recipes in the manual.  Candy, the rep said to follow the method of the recipes in the manual.  If I use my mixer for my HB5 recipes, I asked if I could my dry ingredients in a separate bowl.  Then I could put the liquid into the mixer's bowl, add about 4 cups of dry mixed ingredient, stir, and then add the remaining flour mixture slowly.  Candy agreed that would work better.


Differences between Pro6qt and Professional 600:

• Pro 6qt --11 wires on wire whip, less colors (have onyx black).  same wattage, 575 watts, like Pro 600
• Professional 600--9 wires on whip (not much difference), 575 watts, more colors. 

Both have all metal gears and transmission.  Auto reset, turns off if it gets too hot, shuts off, slow start--starts show and speeds up.   
 
A Later call tip--use the mixer as much as possible the first month.  Any manufacturing defects will show up the first month.

I look forward to using my new mixer!!!

The look of baking joy!!

First loaves of bread--white bread and cinnamon-raisin bread. The dough was lucious!

Look how high they rose!   WOW!!!










 8/9--I had some leftover bread, and decided to make a berry fruit bread pudding that was posted in a King Arthur flour email for Classic Summer Pudding

However, we found we had eaten half the loaf of the white bread.  The raisin cinnamon loaf, pictured on the right, just didn't seem right for the recipe.  Also, I didn't want to heat up the house by turning on the oven.  

The solution seemed to be to make a loaf of white bread in my bread machine.  We hadn't used the bread machine to bake a bread in over a year.  I couldn't believe how much better my breads look now, compared to using the bread machine--no hole where the paddle was, better texture and taste.


Both breads, combined, did make a great fruit/bread pudding with a 4 fruit mixture.  And the crusts are being used for Jim Lahey's chocolate torte!

Happy Baking, hope these tips are helpful to you.  Please leave a comment about your mixer.