Stand Mixers....whaddya think of them? - Page 2

[bigeyes]

I find it less messy, and since I have a bit of carpal tunnel and shoulder pain from my fibromyalgia, it's much easier for me to let the machine do it.

Plus, I can have the machine do it while I'm doing something else, which isn't an option when you're doing it by hand. I make different kinds of bread in the bread machine and the kitchenaid. Regular loaves go in the bread machine, bigger recipes, buns and hand shaped loaves go in the kitchenaid.

[Abarat]

I have a kitchen aid and the only downside I can see to it is that it uses electricity....other than that they're easy to clean and save me tons of personal energy. We're doing our best to limit our use of gadgets/electricity, etc. but I do find I use it a lot....especially for bread dough.
It saves me a lot of time and effort, especially since I have a toddler running around wanting attention while I'm trying to do things. He also finds it fascinating and likes to switch the speeds for me. LOL
It's also great because for things like cookies, batters, etc. I can just throw ingredients in and have it mixing while I'm collecting other ingredients or putting things away.

[rinnerin]

Originally Posted by bigeyes

I use mine several times a week. I can't even remember where the hand mixer is, I may even have given it away.

The thing I don't use as much I thought I would is the food processor. It's just too much to wash.

We are just the opposite. We use our food processor a lot, but our stand mixer? Not so much. I got it cheap at a consignment shop though, so I'm not too heartbroken over it.
I do like to bake, but I find I use our hand mixer more often nowadays because it's more convenient. I don't dirty nearly as many bowls as I used to. We also bake vegan now, so no more creaming butter (which is what I really used the stand mixer for).
It is really good for mashed potatoes and sweet potatoes. And I would miss it if I didn't have it.

[vm9799]

i have a kitchenaid stand mixer that my husband bought for me several years ago and i LOVE it! we don't use it as often as we could, but it's a godsend around the holidays with all the baking we do! we also use it for alot of scratch baking (muffins, breads, pizza dough, etc). it's been totally worth the money and used counter space!

[StormySar]

my mom blessed us with the kitchenaid pro model this past christmas and i love it! I mainly use it for bread, but have used it for other things. if you bake, its a godsend :-)

[CeciMami]

love mine...wouldn't cook without it!

[karne]

Kitchenaid...love it, would not want to do without it. The thing is a tank, and sturdy...never"walks" around the counter.

[Ironica]

Apropos of this discussion... there's a coupon in this month's Costco mailer for $35 off a Kitchen-Aid Professional stand mixer (was $279.99 at our local Costco).

There's one in the trunk of our car right now! Whee! (I'll dragoon DH to bring it inside after he gets home... cart to trunk, not so bad. Carrying up steps, not for the 8.75-months-pregnant.)

[chel]

I'm also one of the few that uses my food processor more than my stand mixer.

I don't bake that much. My mixer is a Sunbeam, with no additional attachments, passed down from my mom. I could probably make-do with a hand mixer as I mostly use it for cakes, puddings, and cookies.

I use my food processor to shred cheese, chop veggies, crumb crackers and bread, and to make spinach artichoke dip (my official potluck dish)

[Benjismom]

I too love my Kitchenaid stand mixer. I find that it is much easier to have little helpers pitch in when using the stand mixer--they love to turn it on and vary the speed, but they would not be able to do much of anything if I were using a hand mixer.

Beth
DS (8), DD (5)

[annekevdbroek]

I sold my Kitchenaid because it 10 years or so I almost never used it. It was heavy, too large to leave on the counter, and didn't (for my purposes) do much that I couldn't accomplish with a hand mixer or my food processor.

I use the heck out of my food processor - which can also be used to mix bread dough and such.

[EmsMom]

I bought a kitchenaid last year and I find that I still use my hand mixer for most things. However, I bought it specifically to see if I could use it to knead 100% whole wheat bread. It can so I use it a couple of times a week to make bread. For Heartlight, I still hand knead after the machine has done its thing because I think it makes a nicer loaf and yes, all of the mess is contained. Very little clean-up at all. I am not convinced that a stand mixer is worth either the cost or the counter space unless it is used regularly for bread making, though. A hand mixer takes care of almost everything else. Does anyone know what to do with a broken Kitchenaid? I have one and since I found another one at a yard sale, it isn't worth it to fix the broken one but it seems a shame to just chuck it out. I tried to Freecycle it but got no takers.... I feel like it can probably be fixed. Maybe I should call a service center (if there are such things) and see how much it would be to fix it and then sell it on Craigs list..

[sunnysandiegan]

We have pretty much decreased all of our kitchen small appliances down to three:

toaster oven (use nearly every day)
Vitamix (used often)
KitchenAid standmixer (used often)

We donated all other electrical appliances, except the can opener that removes the whole lid (no sharp edges) and microwave. I rarely use the microwave, but DH would freak out without one. LOL I put the can opener away and we hardly use it. We don't buy many canned foods for one thing and we have an Oxo brand manual one that is easier/faster for just one can of beans. When the microwave breaks (it is 20 or so years old), I don't plan to replace it. (DH might do it on his own, though.) On my next run through the kitchen in decluttering, I may give away the electric can opener.

DH cooks breakfast and dinner most often and I prepare lunches and snacks most often. We both bake occasionally. DH uses the standmixer most often and I use the Vitamix most often. They both get used frequently!

[Norasmomma]

I cannot live without my KitchenAid, I bought a refurb from Amazon a couple years ago I got it for a great deal $150. Now it is my favorite thing in my kitchen, I make bread in it, cookies,any baked goods. I love making cheesecake in it it makes it really fluffy. I like that there are different attachments, my neighbor had the pasta maker attachment and gave it to me recently, I just haven't made it yet. I waited for years to get one, it's a boring white basic one, but it is the one with a stronger motor than the version Walmart sells. They last forever, so I think it was a great investment.