Recommend a Mixer?

RyanAsh

Hi All,
Im looking to buy a mixer for baking - you just can't do proper cakes, pastry or scones without one. My mum has a kenwood one and I'd like to get one also but i nearly fell over when i saw the price...some of them are over 400 quid!!! the cheapest is still over 200quid.....i'd budgeted about 80euro for it. Does anyone know of another brand which would be as good....or even somewhere i could get a kenwood one for cheaper?! Thanks!!

Acoshla

I made 250 cupcakes on Saturday with a handheld 20 quid Argos mixer, and I use the same mixer making 12 inch lovely chocolate cake etc, I use my hands for pastry, I don't get this thing of "needing" a Kenwood or KitchenAid to do a bit of baking.

Have a look at Argos site, a lot under 80 euro, think I saw a good Breville one there for about 60 a while back.

Eviledna

I got this Kenwood Kmix hand held last Christmas and it is absolutely brilliant. I had an argos €20ish one before it and tbh it blew it out of the water! I have made an entire wedding cake with it and it didn't faulter.

Acoshla

OpenBake wrote: »

I have made an entire wedding cake with it and it didn't faulter.

If a mixer faltered after making just one wedding cake I'd be fecking it back across the counter of the shop that sold it. Any half decent mixer should last at least a few years without any problems. The only reason my last Lidl mixer died was because I dropped it and broke one of the beater holes, other still works!

Eviledna

What I meant was that it mixed through the mixture at the greatest of ease, my ould biffnet used to slow down and whine at me when dough-ing got tough

The kenwood just flys through the stiffest of batters, cookie doughs etc. But it was a present and at ~€50 it's an investment. But it's pretty too.

barrigone

I bought one on amazon, a Andrew James Electric Food Stand Mixer for 100 sterling. It's cheaper than the kenwoods or kitchenaid but is very strong. Only complaint that it is very noisy. Love it though!

tootired

Hi B, I bought one of the Andrew James mixers too and agree it's very noisy....mind you the reviews on Amazon warned about this. I love it too but was wondering do you have problems with the beaters not reaching the bottom of the bowl when mixing, particularily the beater for making cake batter.

washiskin

It's a personal choice for me, but I love my Kitchenaid to distraction. I got some freebies with it when I bought it about 8 years ago - a front attaching thingy that grates and slices and minces - a godsend when making salads. I treated myself to a glass bowl for it a few weeks ago - pricy but worth it - and the man I bought it from also repairs and services them. The only trouble I've had has been self-inflicted and the next gadget I buy will be a pasta roller.
I have crap hands for pastry so the beater paddle works great for me.

smallgarden

we did an experiement in college and a standard kenwood hand mixer,not the the fancy one achieved same result as kenwood chef when making a fatless sponge cake.the standard ones are great,only around 20-30euro.did have chef for 200 but doubt youll get new one cheaper than that.aldi or lidl have there equivalent every so often thats much cheaper but dont know if its any good

Eviledna

I like the sound of that college! Was it catering school or something? Great experiment.

smallgarden

OpenBake wrote: »

I like the sound of that college! Was it catering school or something? Great experiment.

was cookery class on home ec course

barrigone

Hi i dont seem to have a problem with hitting the bottom of the andrew james mixer at all though i now am having a big problem with the attachment for beating coming loose while it is on? have you seen this at all, very scary!!!

smallgarden

barrigone wrote: »

Hi i dont seem to have a problem with hitting the bottom of the andrew james mixer at all though i now am having a big problem with the attachment for beating coming loose while it is on? have you seen this at all, very scary!!!

that sounds scary alright,im always afriad of something like that happening,especially with things like carving knives and hand blenders,with kenwood chef ive accidentally pressed the release button rather than stop button a few times so mixture goes everywhere and kinda dangerous

barleybooley

My mom bought a KitchenAid about 15 years ago and it's still doing a fine job and she does a SERIOUS amount of cooking. Does a mighty job for the Christmas cakes, all 12 of them that she insists on making to give away to oul ones that live around us :rolleyes:
Speaking of Christmas cake, this time 3 months and 1 day, I'll be having some and cutting a slice for Santa, can't wait!

tootired

Barrigone, is it the black disc coming off or the paddle itself? and is it only on the paddle?

freida

there is one in lidl at the moment for 69 apparently it is v good. If you don't have to get it now, wait for the sales I got the darina allen, v similar to kenwood in argos for 100€ in the sale, f