Thread Number: 7235
More KitchenAid Complaints 		[Down to Last]

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Post# 142554   7/15/2006 at 14:14 (6,493 days old) by kevinpreston8 ()        

Some of you may remember my complaints about my mostly KitchenAid new appliances when we bought all new appliances last year.

Since the problems with the trash compactor and refrigerator are many, now that I don't like something about the dishwasher I decided to make a video and sent it to the Vice President of Customer Service and the VP of marketing at KA. I am really sick of the bad performance of these items. I cannot imagine any of them in good looks and function 5 years from now.

The latest complaint is on my stainless KA Superba dishwasher. The first few times I used it, streaks appeared running down the outside front panel. I assumed these were left from water droplets that slowly moved down the panel. To my horror, these would not wipe off with water, soap and water, or anything else.

I called KA service, and you can guess what they said. You see, my water, according to KA, must be very high in mineral deposits, and that is leaving the marks. I needed to use the little bottle of stainless steel cleaner that the washer comes with.

Using that and a variety of soft cloths and terry cloths, I was able to reduce it slightly but you could still see these terrible streaks. My wife went and got Easy-Off stainless cleaner, and after alot of intense scrubbing, they all came off.

Fast forward to today, after tons of scrubbing with Easy Off, I can only get the streaks slightly reduced. I have never had trouble with the stainless on my Viking stovetop coming clean, and Lord knows it gets alot more stuff on it then a few streaks of water.

The claim of water hardness or minerals is even more bogus by the fact that whatever I put in the dishwasher comes out sparkling clean with no streaks...stainless, glasses, whatever. The washer does a superb (no pun) job cleaning, but the stainless panel is a major burden.

Does anyone else have this problem? Any solutions? My wife has done some research and seen suggestions such as Lime A Way and CLR. All I know is I used Lime A Way before, and it was useless on my old shower stall, so I don't have alot of faith in that product going in.

-----------------------------------------------

Summary of all problems:

Dishwasher--

Unstoppable and uncleanable streaks on stainless

Trash Compactor--

Sharp edges

No way to effectively clean behind drawer without cutting yourself.

You can take the drawer out to clean but you can easily scuff or scratch your floor with the unfinished bottom

The push pedal is too narrow and flimsy to use, and your foot easily slides off it, wrenching your toes or even catching ladies' toenails on it if you are barefoot.

You can use the big handle to open it, but the whole door is only folded sheetmetal and only attached down at the trash box, so it makes the whole thing a bendy affair. '

In fact, the entire design is so poor I cannot believe this is a 2005 product.


Fridge--

Every drawer is flimsy in the pull out area, and if you pull on the handles you can often hear the plastic tweaking as if it wants to break or you are putting too much pressure on it. One already broke on us. Wife called KA and at first they tried to pull the out of warranty game on us, but she persisted and they sent us a new drawer, which of course, is just as flimsy.

Every month I have to dump all the ice and clean out the crusher unit as it freezes over and won't drop ice in. Changing the freezer temp does nothing to fix this. My parent's much less expensive Frigidaire unit has never jammed after continuous use for 5 years.

Microwave--Grille above microwave unit has broken off FOUR times, and each time a new replacement has been sent out, which also fails after a few weeks. I took one of the old ones, broke off the two mounting tabs that did NOT break off previously, and mounted the grille using two black tie straps to hold it on. Actually, you can't see them unless you look, and at least it's holding.

Every week I am disappointed at some aspect of these appliances. I thought a good video, sent to them on a CD that you can play on anything, might be a good idea. Visually show them how crappy their products are.

And then I use their Mixer, which I have had for 8 years, and it is unbelievably good. The difference in products is shocking, and sad.




Post# 142559 , Reply# 1   7/15/2006 at 14:56 (6,493 days old) by dadoes (TX, U.S. of A.)        

dadoes's profile picture
Try Bar Keeper's Friend (mild scouring powder) on the stainless. It works great on my DishDrawer & GE fridge (which has a problem with what I assume is condensation oozing down the door from behind the water/ice dispenser trim).

Post# 142643 , Reply# 2   7/15/2006 at 21:19 (6,493 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

I am wondering where that water is coming from. If it is full of minerals and dw detergent, it is not condensation. If it is water from the dishwasher, how is it getting from the inside to the outside? Since it is water containing minerals at least, an acidic cleaner like CLR or Barkeepers friend would be better suited chemically than Easy Off. Are the drops of water still running down the front of the dw or was it just when you first used it? Sorry for your disappointment.

Post# 142671 , Reply# 3   7/15/2006 at 23:51 (6,493 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

KA machines-My newer (2000) Dishwasher(Supurba)died from a storm in the area after it had been used for 2 years-the machine also failed 1 WEEK after it was installed-and it took A MONTH for the dealer to get the parts to fix it-timer board and control panel-turned out the panel was OK and they let me keep the one they ordered at no charge.In the older days to be a KA dealer-you had to have spare parts on hand to fix the unit within 24Hrs.At present-I have a KA18 that replaced the newer machine-the "new" one sits in the corner of the kitchen-serves as a table.I don't like some of KA's newer mixers-they make the most distressing whine.also you can't service the motor brushes yourself.I have an older one-it is MUCH better.also it has the nice COATED beater blades instead of bare aluminum.I use a Kenwood at present.Feeel their machines are better quality.KA's blenders are USELESS.I have three in my collection-they leave lumps in drinks and milkshakes no matter how long you run it.Their French made food processors are very good.Don't know about their present chinese made ones.In looking at them at stores-they look flimsey.I have a KA fridge I bought in 2000 and have had no trouble with it-works great-and the icemaker has had no problems.I am also wondering why some of their machines are very good and others are lousy.for mixers I am on the hunt for Hobart made ones.Those were better quality.Explains why most of 'em are still going today.

Post# 143555 , Reply# 4   7/19/2006 at 13:16 (6,489 days old) by rp2813 (Sannazay)        

rp2813's profile picture
So far no problems with my 2 year old KA stainless side by side, but I don't like the way the crisper drawer needs to snap back into place when you close it. I get streaks from any water on the finish but they do come off with some cleaner and a soft cloth. I would have preferred a frig that had a stainless "look" finish but that wasn't available with KA or Whirlpool. I like the ice maker arrangement with bin in the top of the freezer door--bought it mainly for that feature--but am wondering how the whole electric eye system that controls the ice maker will hold up. I do find that once in a while there's a big mass of cubes all stuck together in the bin, I just remove them and let that ice get replaced with new loose cubes, not a big deal. It runs very quietly but the frig side does seem to have zones where things can freeze, but if you adjust the temp for that, then the drinks aren't cold enough. Is there any frig out there that doesn't have this kind of problem?

Post# 143725 , Reply# 5   7/20/2006 at 01:58 (6,488 days old) by mixfinder ()        
KA Quality

 The newer Kitchenaid 6 qt mixer is a phenominal bowl and beater design. It finally solved the annoying 1/2 cup of unmixed ingredients at the bottom of every bowl of cookie and cake batter, the splashing cream all over the walls when whipping cream, and the 2 cups of ingredients plastered to the motor housing while adding ingredients. The bad news is that the shrill and piercing scream of the motor makes your ears bleed. Mine is 2 years old and has no mechanical issue. Since it is so wildly noisy, I bought an Artisan to use as a daily driver and in one year, have had to replace it three times. Twice for bearings and once when using the food slicer something in the gear box made a loud crack and the mixer slowed to groan and barely turned. Kitchenaid has an amazing over the phone replacement program for cookware, smallwares and appliances. No questions asked and in two days a new one at the door and a sticker for UPS to pick up the old one. After spending several years trying to grow up to be a "real" chef and use a gas stove and a Kitchenaid, I finally said, "I hate this, it is harder to use and a pain in the ass to clean." I went to back to clean, fast, reliable electric and make all my cakes and do all whipping in a 50 year old, all original Sunbeam Model 12.

NO ONE makes anything with same quality that used to evoke pride of ownership. The technology and innovation today is almost beyond believable but it is housed in a bunch of plastic crab held together with rubber bands.
Kelly

Post# 143730 , Reply# 6   7/20/2006 at 04:15 (6,488 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        
Unmixed ingrediants in bottom of KA mixer bowels

 This can happen in time-you need to adjust the height of the bowel with respect to the beaters-On tilt head KA machines-their beaters have a nut at the top(Also Kenwoods are like this)that you loosen and can adjust the beater height to where it just barely touches the bottom of the bowel.On the machines that have the lever or crank to raise the bowel to the beater blade-there is a screw under the motor head that you adjust to set beater blade height into the bowel.These instructions are also in the KA's machine operators manual.If the machine is old or has had a lot of use these adjustments can change and you will need to adjust them.If you are using the machine and have the unstirred ingrediants at the bottom of the bowel its time-or if you hear the beater scraping the bottom of the bowel.I have had to adjust my older one for this.I think its bad if the Kelly had to have his KA mixer replaced three times--an older Hobart made one wouldn't have given those problems.The Hobart home models were built like their commercial machines but on a smaller scale with all machined steel inner gears and parts.I don't know if they are true but heard rumors that WP substituted the metal gears with plastic ones in their line of "KA" mixers.I also know that the older Sunbeam mixers had machined gears in their transmissions-explains why many are still going today.

Post# 143821 , Reply# 7   7/20/2006 at 11:44 (6,488 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Adjust your own nut , please

 I know all about bowl heighth adjustment.

Kitchenaid, for all time, in the 4, 4 1/2 and 5 quart models leave the bottom 2 inches of ingredients unmixed from the top, when adding dry ingredients. If you pour out cake batter or dip cookies, you see the unmixed creamed mixture at the bottom, which of course ruins the consistency of the cookies and the cake.

So with EVERY Kitchenaid mixer, in those sizes, to be sure, you must stop the mixer, remove the paddle, remove the bowl, use a large spoon or spatula and manually turn the batter over and then reattach the bowl, reattach the beater and finish mixing. A mind numbingly frustrating process.

Kenwood Chef has never had this problem and is a wonderful machine, but also annoyingly loud beyond medium speed.

The two new wider bowl models from Kitchenaid in the 51/2 and 6 quart sizes are the amoung the best mixer performers I have ever used, but the screaming motor really is harmful to your hearing.

Just so you know, I put myself through college working for Sunbeam and in later years tested and assisted in developing recipes for the 1-7 Mixer and the LeChef Processor. I have worked with every mixer, domestic and imported, commercial and home.

I worked for 11 years with General Mills and products from Krusteaz and Pillsbury, testing 1,000s of recipes, mixes, flours and procedures, batch after batch in every mixer known to man.

In my retirement, I bake 500 a cookies a week for Gilda's Club and 1,000 cookies once a month for church. I still do some consulting and occasionally do some products for photo layout. I entertain at least three times a week and often more.

Trust me, I know intimately, from the bone, the nuance and operation of every mixer every made, their faults and foilables.

I have spoken repeatedly with Vern, from Kitchenaid, their VP of marketing in the small appliance division, about the changes in quality and asking to combine the new bowl design with the older mixer.

Kitchenaid is phasing out all repair of appliances, since it so much more cost effective to replace and not maintain the building, employees and inventory required to operate authorized service centers.

Sunbeam and all the minor appliance manufacturers did this years ago. No parts and no repair are available for any Kitchenaid prior to solid state technology, as Kitchenaid maintains those machines are dangerous to use.

Then we have just scratched the surface in my never ending opinions about gas over electric, major appliance brands, cookware and smallwares, ingredients, ad infinitum.

I apologize for my know it all manner, as I understand my experience may be different than yours or anyone elses. Cake mixes, powdered sugar frosting and a stray batch of Tollhouse cookies, using 2 cups of flour may be the American standard. I am still a 100% scratch baker and often in double and triple batches.

I still find, in all quantity cooking, at home, I use the Sunbeam because I can take it off the stand and attack a washtub full of ingredients.

Kelly

Post# 143988 , Reply# 8   7/21/2006 at 00:36 (6,488 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Wow!1 haven't had the problem of unmixed ingredients in my mixers.I make Ginger cookies-guess their batter is stiffer.Other things I have prepared in my KA's both of them-haven't had the trouble of unstirred items.Thats is bad that KA is discontinuing repair of bad mixers-what are they going to do with ones that are returned for "repair"?How are the older mixers unsafe to use?Know of some people that have them and use them all of the time without difficulty.Sounds like WP-KA fears the older Hobart made machines.Countless numbers of these show up on EBay.Also some folks go to restuarant supply store and look for used Hobart "Bench" mixers to use at home.At this point that is what I would do before buying another wP-KA machine.Since they are phasing out their repair dept--WP-KA mixers could now be considered "disposable"?

Post# 144012 , Reply# 9   7/21/2006 at 02:01 (6,487 days old) by neptunebob (Pittsburgh, PA)        

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Maybe KA is Krushing the older mixers just like GM did with the electric cars, so they can keep making the new ones because if the older ones lasted so long there would be no demand. Then WP can just deny that the older, sturdier, mixers ever existed.

Just as Less Nessman on WKRP in Cincinatti would say, "It must be some kind of a plot".

Post# 144027 , Reply# 10   7/21/2006 at 06:05 (6,487 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

That would be too bad if KA is destroying the mixers sent in for service-many folks out there like us or others that like the machines would want to have them.If they have a policy like that-will no longer buy any more KA equipment.Also won't recommend it to others shopping for small kitchen appliances.Will recommend other brands instead-could this also mean that KA could be gearing up to build the KA mixers in China?Would be a shame.

Post# 144063 , Reply# 11   7/21/2006 at 11:34 (6,487 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Repairs

 When mixers are returned to Kitchenaid, under warrantee, they are examined and if it makes sense, the company refurbs them. They go back out as exchanges for defective units and are sold on the Kitchenaid web site. Overstock and refurbs are sold at a drasticly reduced price. Free shipping on purchases over $100.00. Amazon offers the same option on many brands. Some of the better original style processors are still available there. The older mixers are not repaired by kitchenaid and no parts, specific to those machines are manufactured. It is cheaper for Kitchenaid to pay the transit and do the repair in house. That said, much of the plastic items made in China, such as hand mixers, coffeemakers and toasters are simply crushed.

When Sunbeam had the authorized service centers and sold refurbs, we felt they were superior products, because the factory had a second shot at getting it right.

Kelly

Post# 144183 , Reply# 12   7/21/2006 at 23:52 (6,487 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Kelly: I remember a Sunbeam store in the Wash DC area in the early 70's -yes, you could buy refurbished Sunbeam equipment there and bring bad Sunbeam machines in for repairs-Was a pretty neat place.My Mom used it at the time-brought her Sunbeam mixers there for repairs-also got parts and attachments there.Also she had them fix her Sunbeam Courier vacuum cleaner.

Post# 144268 , Reply# 13   7/22/2006 at 09:05 (6,486 days old) by andrewinorlando ()        

Kelly,

In the 20 or so years I've had my KA mixer, I've never had unmixed ingredients on the bottom of the bowl...cakes, cookies, breads always mix up fine...just scrape the sides of the bowl. I've never had to adjust the beater height on it either (not that I would have known how!). It's an Ultra Power mixer, always and still performs flawlessly. Is this something that is more common in the newer KA mixers of the 4 to 5 quart variety (I bought mine in 1988)? Should buyers stay away from those and opt for the larger 6 quart? Curious to know what you think.

Andrew

Post# 144281 , Reply# 14   7/22/2006 at 09:51 (6,486 days old) by mixfinder ()        
On the bottom

 My experience is not unique. I made over 500 cookies yesterday and a wedding cake for 300. I had two Kitchenaids and a Sunbeam running sie by side, for about 12 hours. If I had more time, I would have taken pictures to demonstrate the consistency of this with the Artisan, Ultra and Classic. Look at the Afternoon Delight thread on Super.
I'll do a series next week. Perhaps I can get a video and do it all "live"
I have learned to say, "Really, that has not been my experience." I am glad for someone who cooks often and in quantity, you have not had this problem. It is the same, with 50 quart floor mixers as well. The narrow bowl just does not allow "rollover".
Kelly

Post# 146006 , Reply# 15   7/30/2006 at 13:37 (6,478 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

With both of my KA mixers, I lift the splatter shield onto the top of the motor housing and run a long handled spatula around the bowl sides, top to bottom after creaming and after adding the eggs. After all of the flour is folded in, I lift the head, remove the paddle and use the long spatula again to make sure that everything mixed together at the lowest speed when the flour was added. With MixMasters and our Hamilton Beach I have used, the bowl has to be helped when creaming is started. I don't know if it is professional to use a rubber spatula with a stand mixer, but mom did it, slowing the bowl with one hand while using the spatula periodically to scrape down the side after adding ingredients. This was done behind the beaters to prevent the spatula from slipping and being caught in the beaters. When I worked at the department store, we were always ordering beaters for people who bent them that way.

I remember the days when there was a Sunbeam service center in Falls Church, VA and one in Beltsville, MD along with Don Reedy's in Silver Spring that fixed most all brands and a small shop on Georgia Ave., NW that fixed small appliances. They moved to a smaller store in the late 70s, throwing out what was old. After the father died, the sons had a second dumping experience, taking all of the parts to the dump, we found out later. For a while, Sunbeam would still work on the Coffeemasters, but then there were no parts.

When WP first started dealing with KA, they offered WP dealers a chance to service KA small appliances, but unless you are set up with a whole different parts inventory and work space and space to receive them and space to hold them until they are picked up, you can't do it. It was sometime in the early 80s when the Hobart repair center on Bladensburg Rd in North East DC, closed. It was not a neighborhood most KA mixer owners wanted to travel to, but it had been built in a light industrial area and warehouse area that had at one time contained restaurant supply houses. When I found my K4, I had to go to a place in a similar neighborhood in East Baltimore to order the stainless steel bowl and all purpose beater. I wish I had bought more than one of each.

I am sorry, but I just do not see what is happening in this country as progress. I wonder where the really rich who have raped our land and economy are planning to go when our society really starts falling apart or the climate change is really beginning to make parts of the country uninhabitable and food and water resources are stretched and our enemies own most of the US and we become, for all intents and purposes, their slave laborers. I guess the very wealthy will live in walled and fortified cities, somewhere. I so hope that I am not here to see that.

Post# 146021 , Reply# 16   7/30/2006 at 16:02 (6,478 days old) by lightedcontrols ()        
Actually...

 I don't know what all the hoopla is about mixers. Real Chefs don't use mixers. Period. You learn what each whisk is for. What size for what application, and the mixing pattern for each job you're trying to accomplish. (ever hear of the figure of eight in mixing class???) First thing we learned at the CB was how to use a whisk! Then we learned how to use a knife. Food processor, PUHLEEZE. ( Julliane is not a blade size on your food processor, it is and EXACT thickness and length.) Then we learned how to use sieves by sizes. This is what separates the cooks from the CHEFS. And before you ask, yes REAL chefs CAN turn out thousands of cakes, cookies, etc because they understand the art of mixing ingredients. I will admit that these mixers, fp's, blenders, etc.... make things happen more quickly in the kitchen, but they will NEVER even come close to what great food is like when prepared by classic French method. Mark

Post# 146033 , Reply# 17   7/30/2006 at 18:45 (6,478 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
Mark-- I agree that food processors don't do a great job with tasks like julienned vegetables and I never use mine for those purposes. However, I definitely take advantage of the speed and convenience of a food processor for other tasks. I've made a lot of pesto lately, and I can't imagine how time consuming it would be to use a mortar and pestle instead of the processor.

Post# 146053 , Reply# 18   7/30/2006 at 20:10 (6,478 days old) by lightedcontrols ()        
Dear Frigi

 ...the m&p may take a little more time but it's all the difference in the world.....and after all, it's the taste that counts! Mark

Post# 146094 , Reply# 19   7/31/2006 at 02:51 (6,477 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

On the things about kitchen tools-they are just that--tools-wether it be a spoon,wisk,or a knife-then we have mixers,food processors,blenders,etc.It is up to the user what the tools are used for and the result.Its like the idea a carpenter can build a home or a peice of furniture with hand tools or power tools.Which do you think he is more likely going to use?Esp if he has to build MANY homes or peices of furniture-undoudtedly he will use the power tools.Its the same idea if you have a lot of food to prepare-you will most likely use the powered appliances.The ideal thing is to have both carpenters and chefs trained in the use of BOTH-hand tools and powered equipment.And to be trained when the use of the powered appliance is appropriate.But yes-for either job-the end result is most important-to sum up-use the "tools" you feel most comfortable with.

Post# 146115 , Reply# 20   7/31/2006 at 07:50 (6,477 days old) by tomturbomatic (Beltsville, MD)        

The first Cuisinart food processors were made by the company that made the big ones for commercial kitchen use.

Mark has experience with cakes from world famous chefs, but somehow, I would think that in the chef's kitchen, there would be assistants who would do some of the tasks that were done by hand. I don't see why a chef would feel that a cake prepared, at least partially, with a mixer would be inferior. Some baking experts do say that they fold in the flour by hand and that's great. I don't get paid to bake and I am doing baking when I can squeeze it in with all of the other stuff so I mix a cake start to finish in a mixer, but I don't use a "box mix." I also wash clothes in a washing machine and use the dryer to dry them. Electric mixers certainly improved cakes made in the home because they eliminated the variables in the amount and quality of the mixing, based largely on the strength of the person preparing the batter, or the strength of others who could help. Julia Child used the mixer and some of her guests on "Baking With Julia" used the mixer. My mother would only make Angel Food cakes by hand with a spoon-shaped whisk. She thought a mixer toughened the cake, but she is not one who is anxious to try any new method or equipment. I remember the tiny bit of almond extract she added to the cake. The first time I smelled original Jergens hand lotion, I thought of Angel Food cakes.

Post# 146143 , Reply# 21   7/31/2006 at 10:36 (6,477 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Purist

 I have degrees from 3 Culinary Institutes. In every case we were taught the CLASSICS. Chefs used to grab tools from your hands and throw things across the kitchen and threat staff like slaves. It did not matter if it took you an hour to make pesto, because there were many other chefs working in legion to create the finished product. Thankfully congress, HR and litigation has removed much of that from the work place. Food is a blend of technology, chemistry and artistry. There is seldom a right or wrong, but acceptable variations on a theme. Like beauticians who cultivate a clientele with their style, so does the chef.
However there is a perfect world and then, there is the world we live in. Every commercial kitchen in the US is tightly managed by profit and productivity. Appliances, applied correctly can produce excellent results, quickly and efficiently. Today's cook better work smart and as the old saying goes, "shove the broom up your butt and sweep the floor as you go!" Efficiency and multi tasking make you a valuable asset as an employee.
I began cooking, because of my love for the tools. Then I studied cooking and then food technology and science. Often, my task was to take a perfect process, apply it to every conceivable variable when exposed to the lowest common denominator of skill and intelligence and engineer the tolerance in process and ingredient to make the best outcome. For me the joy of cooking is based on, how many tools and appliances you get to use.
Tolerance is the key word, there is a place for us all.
Kelly

Post# 146154 , Reply# 22   7/31/2006 at 11:56 (6,477 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Disbelief

 My pussy is shocked! She cannot believe this 300.00 Kitchenaid Artisan (no I never pay retail) leaves 1/2 cup of butter/sugar creamed mixture, untouched at the bottom of every recipe. The spatuala points to the small amount of sugary dough that ruins every recipe unless you manually turn the dough or batter upside down and mix again. Certainly not the end of the world but an agrravation. The new 6 qt and the 5 qt Kitchenaid Epicurian and Pro5 with the wider, flatter bowls, mix everything perfectly and leave more room to add ingredients. They just sound like "a long tailed cat caught in a room full of rockers."
End of drama,
Kelly

Post# 146171 , Reply# 23   7/31/2006 at 13:04 (6,477 days old) by frigilux (The Minnesota Prairie)        

frigilux's profile picture
Kelly, I agree completely. I was the kitchen manager/lead cook (I'm not a trained chef) for a catering business for 8 years and I learned quickly that you have to balance handmade vs. machine-assisted in order to keep the books in the black. Labor is always the biggest expenditure in a business like that. We had standards---I insisted all sauces and breads be made from scratch, for instance---but we definitely took advantage of time-saving appliances in the kitchen. You'd sink yourself in labor costs if you, for instance, shredded carrots on box graters for carrot cake to feed 500 people. It truly is a balancing act.

Then there's always the front room waitstaff issue and while most clients won't be able to tell if the bread dough was kneaded by hand, they will be very impressed if your waitstaff/guest ratio is 20 to 1.

Cute cat, BTW.

Post# 146314 , Reply# 24   12/31/2069 at 18:00 (19,838 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Tools--thats the reason I like to cook-I am no profesional chef-but I do have a collection of kitchen tools ans well as woodworking ones-I do more "Kitchenworking" but have done woodworking and carpentry as well-and yes-can most people tell wether the food was prepared by hand or machine-or the furniture they own-was it built by the carpenter with hand tools or power tools?As Kelly pointed out-you need both.Yes--I use my knives and other hand tools as well as the powered ones-I would do more woodworking--but the price of lumber has made furniture building almost cost prohbitive.for the price of the wood-esp that "designer priced-shrinked wrapped" stuff at HD--you could buy the furniture.I am not kidding-I found Oak random lenghts and widths lumber in shrinkwrapped bundles at HD for woodworking projects-this was not flooring.another way to put it-MEN are fascinated by the tools used in various jobs-wether it be carpentry-cooking,metalworking-or even earthmoving.Sounds like Kelly has a good colection of mixers-I have a large collection of blenders-love fixing various types of shakes and smooothies-mine are used everyday.Esp fond of vita-Mix and blendtec.Blendtec also makes a mixer type machine.don't know what its like-haven't used it.Kelly-Have you used the Electrolux-"Assistant" mixer?sort of curious of this machine-get the impression its intended for folks that like to bake MANY loaves of bread at one time.instead of beaters or whisks-it uses a rotating bowel and a scraper and roller to knead or mix the ingredients.

Post# 146315 , Reply# 25   12/31/2069 at 18:00 (19,838 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Electrolux

 The Electrolux shares a design concept with the Bosch, the StarMix and many others that have a center post, turning a pair of beaters on an egg beater type gear. The dough hook is metal. The machines mix very well. The beaters are whisk like and after much heavy mixing bend and need to be replaced.
The motor on the Electrolux sits under the bowl and the fact it is direct, not belt driven, gives it an edge over the Bosch. I find them very cumbercome to use, but they are durable.
Kelly

Post# 146320 , Reply# 26   8/1/2006 at 03:53 (6,476 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Kelly:I have a cookbook from the 70's that features recipes for Kitchen Aid mixers,Cuisnart Food processor-and lastly for the StarMix food processor mixer-Was looking for a StarMix-would be an interesting machine to use.On these machines -does the bowel actually rotate-In one catalog I have they described the Electrolux machine with a rotating bowel and a roller and scraper that attaches to the machine.Does it have another power takeoff to rotate the beater or whisk?Now I am not so clear as to how the electrolux machine actually works.also the book mentions other attachments for the machine-such as a meat grinder,and grain grinder.Would LOVE to grind my own-but it is SO expensive to get the wheat berries at health food stores.And the ones out here don't have it.I would grind the wheat berries in the Vita-Mix-does it very well.Then, of course use the KA or Kenwood mixer to prepare the dough. I don't have the grain grinder attachments for the KA or Kenwood mixers.For meat-I have a grinder that I got from Cabelas.Better than any mixer mounted one-and easier to clean than the plastic grinder for the KA mixer.I grind my own hamburger meat.Won't buy it from a store.

Post# 146376 , Reply# 27   8/1/2006 at 10:22 (6,476 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Grain Grinders

 My kids in Kansas, have the meat grinder from Cabellas for the venison they get.
The grain grinder on a Kitchenaid really makes it labor. I would not recommend it for any but the casual user. It is very important the grain is properly dried or it gums the wheels.
There was a time when grinding was needed to get fresh flours and nutritious breads. So many good markets exist now that provide organic flours and some even let you mill the grain at the store, it made me wonder how much I would actually use my own mill.
The Electrolux does not have a governor control for speed like the Kenwood and the Kitchenaid, which is always the weakest link in any mixer. The Electrolux, StarMix can run for hours and there aren't any internal gears to go. If something wears out, it is the attachment you put on the PTO.
Kelly

Post# 146894 , Reply# 28   8/4/2006 at 06:35 (6,473 days old) by tolivac (greenville nc)        

Kelly:At this point won't get any grain mills-because wheat berries are just not available in my area-Could get them in the Wash DC area-but it was expensive.Probably the best areas for wwheat berries for human consumption is in the midwest areas.During the times I used frehly ground flour-the bread was much better.The Vita-mix did a good job of grinding the grain.Blendtec does make a grain mill.It has been said the machine does a fine job.I now just buy my bread at the store-Pepperidge farm makes a very good dark whole wheat bread.Also the Vita-mix ground flour worked well in my bread machine.
When I use my Cabela grinder-I only prepare enough ground meat to eat for that meal-don't like to store ground meat.the machine is easy to use and clean-for the most part you can put the parts in the dishwasher.Both the StarMix and the Electrolux sound like fine interesting machines.Maybe someday.

Post# 146913 , Reply# 29   8/4/2006 at 08:26 (6,473 days old) by bajaespuma (Connecticut)        
Mixmaster:

 bajaespuma's profile picture
The Kenwood mixers (rebadged in a lot of places as DeLonghi, Hamilton Beach, many others) are a good alternative to the new crappy generation of KitchenAid mixers. I still have and use a K5 from 1977 that has been repaired once. If I had to purchase new I would get a Kenwood 7 qt. or one of its clones. The Viking seems OK, but it is very noisy. See if you can find a Hobart "Cream Whipper" (Hobart's 5 qt. professional gear-driven version of the KitchenAid) on ebay. They're indestructible.

Post# 146941 , Reply# 30   8/4/2006 at 10:09 (6,473 days old) by mixfinder ()        
Hobart 5qt Professional

 The 5 qt professional is much heavy and more well built. It has a wider motor housing, making the addition of ingedient more difficult. It has three fixed speeds, not infinite. To change speeds, you must turn the motor off and wait for it to come to a complete stop, then change the gear box and turn the machine on again. It isn't convenient enough to make it worth the investment.
Thanks,
Kelly


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