ok, now that the great British bake off is on the wife and i are back into cake mode… her birthday is coming up and id like to get her a mixer. anyone got any recommendations, looking at kitchenaid, k-mix type of things but i’d like to hear what they are like from real users as opposed to marketing folk.
cheers

I picked up an old Kenwood Chef off Freecycle. Definitely worth a look.

Like this –

We were kindly bought one of these for our wedding 8 years ago.

I use it fairly often (in fact have used it this morning to knock up some stuffing)

It’s simple, reliable, well built and weighs a ton – nice to have something substantial these days. I expect it to last 20 years plus.

My only gripe is when making soups the lid isnt absolutley watertight so if the bowl is full it will force a bit out above the rim. Other than that ace bit of kit. All the other gubbins that comes with it though I virtually never use.

http://www.magimix.com/index.php?rid=352&cid=3643&lg=502

We have a Kitchenaid; it does what it says on the tin and is built like a tank but the extra attachments (chopper, mincer etc) are plastic and overpriced in this country (much cheaper in USA). Older Kenwoods were also good but can’t speak for the current ones. Kitchenaid currently has the best pose value if she wants to show it off thanks to some good product placement.

Another vote for the Kenwood Chef – I’m still using my mum’s old one, about 45 years old in fact!

Breville in the colour match and you get the ice cream making bowl too

My granny has had a Kitchenaid for years and loves it (I can’t tell you first hand about performance but can confirm the cakes produced are first class). And she is even cooler than Mary Berry so she should know!

I’ve got an 80’s style Kenwood Chef. Decent things but pretty noisey! The capacitors inside it all blew up as well and the whole thing started smoking (Probably due to its age). I got replacements off Ebay and it’s as good as new now.

cheers

was also looking at the kenwood k-mix (ok , nice design and colour) but thinking the kenwood chef thingy maybe more multipurpose?

There is two models of kitchenaid. The v expensive artisan and then the much more reasonable classic. They look the same the only differences are a slightly smaller bowl, less colour choice and a slightly lower power motor. Bought my wife one (she did want it….I’m not just living in the 1950’s honest) and its great.

Get the best:

what the hell is that, ahh yes, its the bomb from the latest bond film

Get the best:

Isn’t that a blender/smoothie maker?

Another vote for a Kenwood Chef. If you have a Makro nearby, they quite often have good deals on them.

Got a Kenwood Chef and a Magimix. Magimix gets used 20 times more. It is the building site cement mixer of food processors. Love it and would have another before buying another Chef.

Kitchenaid K5 stand mixer – mrs yunki is a professional baker with a discerning eye for (cripplingly expensive) accessories and the K5 is her mixer of choice..
The Kenwood Chef is a very good practical alternative, but wins no style points..

turneround – Member
what the hell is that, ahh yes, its the bomb from the latest bond film

It does everything: http://www.ukthermomix.com

Team Sky’s chef has one so it must be good. Not cheap though.

Kenwood Major FTW Kenwood chef very good, but doesn’t do as much bread at one time though…

Mrs just got a Kitcheaid Artisan to replace a busted Kenwood – £409 inc some freebee baking tins

Built like a steam train and weighs about the same, only has one control, a 6 speed adjustment lever that’s rather oddly marked up 0,1,2,4,6,8,10

It’s one of those things that just does it’s job supremely

My only gripe is when making soups the lid isnt absolutley watertight so if the bowl is full it will force a bit out above the rim. Other than that ace bit of kit. All the other gubbins that comes with it though I virtually never use.

Good to know thanks, OH wants one of these for Christmas!

(not the most romantic gift ever but at least its more use than flipping Pandora beads :-/)

Another vote for Kitchenaid Artisan. A design classic from the jet age. If WWIII ever happens two things that will definitley survive will be cockroaches and Kitchenaids.

Another Kenwood vote

Yup, another Kenwood here, still using what was my Mums and it’s older than me (25). It had a moment last year and started smoking, let it cool down and it’s still going strong!

I love Kitchenaid stuff but my blender (model now replaced) disappointed me due to the rubber coupler which gave. My tip is buy replacement parts in the USA. I got the 2 couplers and a new rubber seal for the jug (just in case) delivered for the price of one coupler in the UK. Kitchainaid always insisted the failure was not due to bad design but have got a new design now…

But that said it blends better than any cheaper blender I have used. Even if they claim to have more power. The Cuisine Art stuff looks good too though.

The commercial kitchen suppliers in Avonmouth (Bristol) was selling ex demo commercial versions of the Artisan mixer an I’m sorry I didn’t grab one. They have a more secure bowl and a few other tweaks.

Other half is seriously into her baking but we’ll probably go with one of the high end Kenwoods as they stock them in Costco.

love that way the thermomix website doesn’t give out the price – it’ll be expensive then!

We have the kitchenaid mixer (alongside the blender, food processor and toaster) and its all brilliant heavy duty kit. Accessories for the mixer are great too. Homemade sausages anyone?

Actually, to be fair, the toaster is needlessly costly for what it is, but still very good.

Kenwood Chef every time. Mine is coming up to 20 years old and is still going strong. My Mum’s is nearer to forty years old and just the same.
I know it’s not the prettiest mixer out there but it’s still the best. Used every weekend and never let me down

My mrs had the dilemma last month – kichenaid or kenwood Kmix .
Decided on the kenwood in the end (though reviews seemed in equal favour).
Did a search on the prices – Makro came out at £240 including the delivery!!
Bit sceptical it wouldn’t turn up as the day after it said out of stock and I read on their site you have to be buying for a business. Anyway, a week after ordering it turned up . £140 cheaper than comet, John Lewis etc were selling for

My GF’s Sister has a thermomix, it does everything* a very impressive bit of kit.

*risotto
mashed potatoes
cakes
pastry
dough
milk for latte
jam
and a lot more

My missus is a baker (hence why I’m up now). For big stuff obviously she uses a big industrial mixer, but for cakes and home baking she’s got a Kenwood Major Titanium which gets used almost daily. its already done more than the average person’s lifetime use and shows no signs of age yet. It does everything, just works. The smaller ones don’t have much capacity. Like someone said you can get old ones very cheap and they last forever.

The Kitchenaids are very well made, motors last ages. It’s one of those designs that has hardy changed for yonks so spares are virtually guaranteed forever. we used to have an old one, but the Kenwood does a better job and is more versatile. Kitchenaids are still favoured by BMW Mini drivers throughout the suburbs!! Definitely the better looking of the two.

I’ve got a Kenwood Chef Prospero, it’s the smaller version of the chef and I use it quite often. It’s very good indeed.

My wife looked into all this and decided to get a Kenwood Major. You get so much more power than an equivalent priced Kitchenaid as it isn’t all about looks! I expect the Kenwood to last forever.

kenwood it is, just found out a mate’s friend can get me one of the top end titanium model for £300.

she didnt go for my suggestion of a rubber nurses outfit 🙂