Food processors/Mixers

miss.piggy

Hi all, I'm looking for some advice on food processors etc. I'm a little confused! Is a "kenwood chef" just a mixer (i.e. for cakes, dough etc) or is it possible to get attachments for it which do all other food processing e.g. slicing, mincing, grating etc etc. Or am I wrong and is a food processor a completely separate appliance? i.e. do I need to buy both to cover everything?
Also which is better - kenwood or kitchenaid, what prices are we talking and is it possible to get them cheaper on the internet etc?
Thanks!

Smileyx

My mum wants a mixer for her birthday- how exciting I know! But she can't decide between a kitchenaid and a kenwood. I personally think that a kitchenaid is more of a fshion accessory.

It's only going to be used for home baking, cakes and the likes.

What can you reccommend?

Snowie

Smileyx wrote: »

My mum wants a mixer for her birthday- how exciting I know! But she can't decide between a kitchenaid and a kenwood. I personally think that a kitchenaid is more of a fshion accessory.

It's only going to be used for home baking, cakes and the likes.

What can you reccommend?

kitchen aid gets my vote

miss.piggy

Smileyx it seems you have hijacked my thread! Can anyone help me out on my original post? Thanks

Snowie

miss.piggy wrote: »

Smileyx it seems you have hijacked my thread! Can anyone help me out on my original post? Thanks

:pac:

kitchen aid gets my vote there really good...

miss.piggy

For the mixer or for the food processor?!
Or is it one and the same? (see original post)

Snowie

miss.piggy wrote: »

For the mixer or for the food processor?!
Or is it one and the same? (see original post)

for the mixer do kitchen aid make food processors ?
Id ket a good mixer and a hand held wizzy thing...:)

bonkey

miss.piggy wrote: »

Is a "kenwood chef" just a mixer (i.e. for cakes, dough etc) or is it possible to get attachments for it which do all other food processing e.g. slicing, mincing, grating etc etc.

No, and yes respectively.

At the risk of being patronising, a google for "kenwood chef food processor attachment" would have answered this question.

Or am I wrong and is a food processor a completely separate appliance?

You can buy a food processor as a completey seperate appliance. If you had a KC, you may still want to buy a food-processor as a completely seperate appliance.

As a general rule, dedicated machines will outperform attachments on multi-purpose machines.

Also which is better - kenwood or kitchenaid,

Its a lot to do with personal preference and what your priorities are.

Also...it would depend on what models you're comparing.

Ddad

Kenwood do a lot of accesories for the chef but to be honest if it were me I'd buy a magimix and a hand mixer you'll get more use out of them if your only useing for light/moderate use. Both the chef and the kitchanaid both do the business very well but I've found more accesories available in Ireland for the chef. I'd check ebay if I were you but don't buy seconhand as the gears and the motor can get knackered on the chefs.

miss.piggy

Thanks for the replies Bonkey and Ddad

cnocbui

You can get a large range of attachments for a Kenwood chef, some of which will perform the functions of a food processor.

If you do not have a need to make dough or mix substances together, you might be better off just getting a food processor.

When I researched the topic some years ago, I came across several opinions by Americans, that the Kitchen Aid build quality had declined considerable under new management and that they no longer had the robustness that gave the brand it's image and reputation.

Similarly, I came across an opinion by an American who had one of the larger Kitchen Aid mixers, that her Electrolux Assistant was a superior machine, as she made small commercial quantities of baked goods and it was better machine in terms of robustness and mixing capability.

I ended up spending a great deal of time trying to get hold of one and ended up getting one from Finland.

Had I not been able to, I think I would of gone for a Bosch professional mixer or a Kenwood Chef.

bonkey

cnocbui wrote: »

When I researched the topic some years ago, I came across several opinions by Americans, that the Kitchen Aid build quality had declined considerable under new management and that they no longer had the robustness that gave the brand it's image and reputation.

Many opinions regarding the Kenwood also suggest that the quality has gone waaaay downhill over recent years as well...also to do with it having bought out / change of management.

Similarly, I came across an opinion by an American who had one of the larger Kitchen Aid mixers, that her Electrolux Assistant was a superior machine, as she made small commercial quantities of baked goods and it was better machine in terms of robustness and mixing capability.

Yeah...but does it look as cool as the "alien head" Kitchen Aid...that's the real quiestion

cnocbui

bonkey wrote: »

Many opinions regarding the Kenwood also suggest that the quality has gone waaaay downhill over recent years as well...also to do with it having bought out / change of management.


Yeah...but does it look as cool as the "alien head" Kitchen Aid...that's the real quiestion

No, it doesn't look as cool, it just does an exceptional job of doing what is supposed to do

My suggestion re Kenwood was on the basis that my mother has one that was purchased in about 1965 and is still functioning. A great shame if it is no longer what it once was.

Here is what the Assistent looks like:


The double beater whisk&bowl attachment is really something.

Velcrow

Sorry to bring this back from the dead -

In the same position - "A Food Mixer would be a great birthday present"

So now I want to purchase one.

In practical terms would a Hand mixer (like Rachel Allen uses) or a "fixed" mixer (not sure what they are called) be better. It will be used to bake buns and cakes, so I have a vested interest

A recommendation (make, model & the shop I am based in the city centre) would be very welcome.

Yes I know nothing - I am at your mercy!

rubadub

Velcrow wrote: »

In the same position - "A Food Mixer would be a great birthday present"

Only great if the person wants one though, most people would have one, it is like the cliche toaster for weddings/house warmings, yes, most houses will need one -so they already have one...

Velcrow

rubadub wrote: »

Only great if the person wants one though, most people would have one, it is like the cliche toaster for weddings/house warmings, yes, most houses will need one -so they already have one...

My +1 has told me she whant one - who am I to question this decree.

Any idea on make or model or handheld vs the food mixer desktop equivalent

rocknchef

Arnotts does a great selection. it all depends on how much you want to spend. hand held range from€15.00-€60.00 and the fixed and counter top ones can go from €80-€400.00.

if it just for cakes maybe a good hand mixer would do you but get one with a powerful motor or it will just burn out.

Velcrow

Thanks

Took your advice and purchased a Wahl hand mixer, a stainless steal bowl and a Salter electric scale.

Let the bun making commence.

The Sweeper

FWIW:

Handblender - I have one of these:

http://www.amazon.com/Braun-MR5550CA-Multiquick-Professional-Blender/dp/B00006I4YF

That's the Braun MR5550 professional hand blender (don't you love the way they throw 'professional' in there to try to persuade you it's a great product?).

It comes with a stick blender, a whisk and a blade attachment on a small sized bowl. The bowl blending attachment is actually really good. It's a perfect size for turning, say, a 400g tin of chick peas into home made hummus, and not fiddly. It's also good for other little jobs. I had to make a parmesan crumb for a pie topping recently, and I literally threw a mini ciabatta, torn into four pieces, and the equivalent weight of cubed parmesan into the bowl, attached the stick, blended and had crumb in seconds. Much better than hauling a heavy blender with a large bowl attachment out of the cupboard.

I'm in the market for both a food processor and a mixer at the moment - though I'd probably go the mixer before the food processor. Have my eye on the Kenwood range as opposed to the Kitchen Aid range - mainly because of the near-$300 in the difference in price tbh! I'm not convinced that the build quality on the Kitchen Aid is $300 better than on the Kenwood, and believe the KA is overpriced because it's a style accessory.

For a mixer, I think I'd still go the magimix range over the others. I've tried buying cheaper jug blenders in the past for instance, and after some low-weight use, literally killed them with a single taxing job. I wouldn't therefore buy a mixer from the same manufacturer...

joanbrent

KitchenAid food processors are the best made in my opinion and recommended by most of the shopping guide users. I like the KitchenAid 7 cup Food Processor...this model combines 2 food processing tools in one. Its convenient, compact design requires little counter space, yet provides ample food processing power and capacity.