How do YOU use your Kitchenaid Mixer?

[oobiecoo]

I just ordered a Kitchenaid Stand Mixer last night on Amazon! It is the Pro 600 series and was half off so I just couldn''t pass it up since I''d been thinking of getting one for a while now. I figured I will use it for baking and might get the grinder attachment for meat.

I was wondering what kinds of special things everyone else uses their mixers for.

 

[Cleopatra]

I loooooove my mixer - you are just going to LOVE it! I have an Empire Red KitchenAid Artisan mixer that I use all the time. I have the ice cream maker attachment and I made gelato just this weekend - DH just gobbles up every batch of ice cream that I make! I also have the shredder/slicer attachment and I just love it as well! Shreds cheese in seconds!!

I don''t use my mixer to the capacity that it COULD be utilized - I tend to make cookies, a few cake batters, mashed potatoes, etc. I love it and I try to find any excuse to use it!

Congrats on the awesome purchase! I saw that deal on Amazon just yesterday and I thought it was a fanastic bargain!!

 

[Octavia]

I'm so jealous that you got the Pro! I have an Artisan and it works perfectly for what I need it for...but the Pro just sounds so much cooler.

I've been baking all our bread lately, so I've been using the mixer to knead bread dough (see The Bread Thread). It's fantastic for that. I also have the ice cream attachment and, while I haven't made ice cream lately, it's definitely nice to have. In fact, I might whip up a batch of vanilla spice for Thanksgiving.

I have the food grinder attachment but haven't actually used it yet...my friends who have it say that it's really hard to clean and I've been too lazy. I also have the citrus juicer attachment and it squeaks so badly, I can't use it. There must be a fix for it, but I haven't found it yet. If you get the pasta attachment, get the metal one -- NOT the plastic tube one. The plastic one heats up too much and turns pasta dough into a gushy, inedible mess. I'm actually surprised it's still on the market.

Other things the mixer is great for: mashed potatoes; meringues; cakes -- especially angel food cakes, which are practically impossible if you don't have both hands free; cookie doughs; meatballs and meatloaf (keeps the gunk out from under your nails!). Pretty much the only thing I use my hand mixer for anymore is custards where you need to beat egg yolks over a double boiler, since you can't do that with the KA.

 

[elrohwen]

I''m so jealous of all of you and your stand mixers!!! I want one so bad, but we don''t have room for it or the money right now. I can''t wait til I can get one though

 

[April20]

I use mine for all things baking and have a frosting recipe that can ONLY be accomplished with a Kitchen Aid.

We have the pasta attachement and that's being giving my KA the most mileage lately. We LOVE it. We use it to make homemade ravioli and lasagna sheets. It's a great attachment and so, so easy to do.

ETA: We have the metal pasta attachment. I didn't even realize there was a plastic one out there! The metal attachment is about $100, though you might be able to get a better deal on Ebay.

 

[elrohwen]

So I already mentioned my lack of KA, but I would recommend anyone getting a pasta attachment or regular simple pasta maker with a hand crank. I can''t believe how good homemade pasta is and I''m totally hooked! It''s far more worth it than I ever would''ve imagined and really pretty quick when you get the hang of it.

 

[Lulie]

I''m with April, mine gets most of it''s wear with the pasta attachment, YOU are so going to love it, congratulations!

 

[Haven]

I have the Artisan, but I only use it to mix things!

We received it as a wedding gift, and I *think* they gave us the pasta attachment, too. I should pull it out and give it a try!

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I use mine for everything, cookies, mashed potatoes, cakes....

 

[oobiecoo]

Thats disappointing about the plastic pasta maker! I watched a video where they demonstrated the metal roller kind and it seemed like a LOT of work so I was hoping to get the plastic one. Oh well! I really want to get the meat grinder since I like the idea of grinding my own chicken and pork. I really want to try and cut out as many processed and pre-packaged foods out of DH''s and my diet as possible so I think this mixer will really help with that.I never thought of using it for meatloaf... thats a good idea since it can get pretty messy! An ice-cream attachment sounds fun too... maybe we''ll get that next summer for some "healthy" ice-cream lol.

Does everyone puts theirs away in a cabinet or leave it out on the counter? When we move in a couple of months and have more room I think I''ll just leave this beauty out on display!

 

[Cleopatra]

Date: 11/25/2009 1:24:06 AM
Author: oobiecoo

Does everyone puts theirs away in a cabinet or leave it out on the counter? When we move in a couple of months and have more room I think I''ll just leave this beauty out on display!

I have almost zero room in my kitchen, but I have this front and center on display - despite it taking up some valuable counter space! I feel like if the mixer was put away, it would be out-of-sight, out-of-mind, and I would never use it. With it being on my countertop, I remember that I can use it since it''s there! Especially for tasks that I would never lug it out for....it''s pretty darn heavy!

 

[Lulie]

I should use the meat grinder more

to lazy to clean it lol mine is on the counter, too pretty to put away, btw any of you have seen the clear GLASS bowl? I WANT ONE

 

[oobiecoo]

Yep, at 25 pounds I doubt I''ll want to just lug it out for little jobs! I saw the anniversary edition with the glass bowl... it looks really nice. Do they sell the glass bowl separately also?


It arrives sometime today! I chose the free shipping option and it just shipped out yesterday so that''s overnight shipping for free! Way to go Amazon!

 

[Octavia]

Date: 11/25/2009 1:24:06 AM
Author: oobiecoo
Thats disappointing about the plastic pasta maker! I watched a video where they demonstrated the metal roller kind and it seemed like a LOT of work so I was hoping to get the plastic one. Oh well!

Oobie, I was just at Williams-Sonoma and saw that there is a new plastic pasta attachment that looks WAY better than the old one: see it here. They're not selling the other one, which I had a bad experience with, there anymore. The disappointing one is just a cheap-looking plastic tube with little plastic plates that slide in the end and is meant to be used with the food grinder (see it here). The new one is much more expensive, but hopefully that means it will work! If you get it, please let us know how it goes.

 

[oobiecoo]

That one looks great! Its a little expensive to purchase right now but maybe in a couple of months. That one definitely looks like the way to go! Thanks for pointing this out!

 

[Lulie]

style="WIDTH: 99%; HEIGHT: 61px">Date: 11/25/2009 11:43:03 AM
Author: oobiecoo
I saw the anniversary edition with the glass bowl... it looks really nice. Do they sell the glass bowl separately also?

I hope so, definitely going to check that out, there''s a raffle for one at a baking class I''m taking, they are simply gorgeous!
I NEED one

 

[oobiecoo]

It''s here! Now I just have to figure out how to hoist it out of the box without breaking my back!

 

[pennquaker09]

I have the Artisan also. I use mine for practically everything. I have the ice cream attachment, the pasta rollers, but 90% of the time, I am doing something baking related with it. One thing I recommend is buying an extra bowl or two, especially if you make cakes and frostings. And I also bought the stainless beaters because I hate the plastic coating. However, I''m pretty sure the 600 series comes with burnished beaters. And the spiraled dough hook is amazing.

I have mine on the counter, but I know a lot of people that have the base cabinet lift.

I don''t remember when it was exactly, but maybe a week and a half ago, QVC had that model on an extreme sale with easy pay (somewhere around $199.00 I think). I wanted to order one so bad.

 

[oobiecoo]

$199!? Thats crazy... ours was $299 but has a $50 rebate as well. We also got free shipping which apparently should have been like $25 so that was great. Yeah, I think ours has the burnished beaters,etc. I don''t know exactly what that means but I know they unfortunately can''t go in the dishwasher. I watched a video where they showed the dough hook in action and I think thats what helped me make the final decision to purchase it! The dough was just so pretty when it was done haha

 

[LtlFirecracker]

I have only used it twice. It was so big that when I had my condo, the only place it would fit was a cabnet that was over head, so it was a PITA to get it down. So in the 2 years I had it, I used it once to make angel food cake. It was super easy, and it came out really good. In my new place, I put in on the ground in the pantry, so I have it once to make punkin pie.

I was going to make more pie today, but I have the stomach flu

. I don''t want to be putting my hands into food others will eat.

Well, guess I should e-mail BF and break the news to him.

 

[rainwood]

I use my KA mostly for mixing. Yesterday, I ordered a beaterblade with silicone that is supposed to "squeegee" the side of the bowl so you don''t have to use a spatula quite so much. That''s one of the few things about my mixer that I wanted to improve on so I''m hoping it works.

 

[Octavia]

Date: 11/25/2009 3:51:33 PM
Author: rainwood
I use my KA mostly for mixing. Yesterday, I ordered a beaterblade with silicone that is supposed to ''squeegee'' the side of the bowl so you don''t have to use a spatula quite so much. That''s one of the few things about my mixer that I wanted to improve on so I''m hoping it works.

I have one of these and it''s wonderful. Just make sure the mixer head is perfectly adjusted before you use it! If you''re not sure about the adjustment, put a dime in the bowl with the regular flat beater, and when you turn the mixer on, it should just nudge the dime -- if it pushes the dime along, it''s too low and should be raised, and if it doesn''t touch the dime at all, it''s too high. I''m not sure where the adjustment screw is on Pro mixers, but on Artisans, if you raise the mixer head and look straight back, the screw you see is the one that raises/lowers the head.

 

[rainwood]

Date: 11/25/2009 4:56:27 PM
Author: Octavia

Date: 11/25/2009 3:51:33 PM

I have one of these and it''s wonderful. Just make sure the mixer head is perfectly adjusted before you use it! If you''re not sure about the adjustment, put a dime in the bowl with the regular flat beater, and when you turn the mixer on, it should just nudge the dime -- if it pushes the dime along, it''s too low and should be raised, and if it doesn''t touch the dime at all, it''s too high. I''m not sure where the adjustment screw is on Pro mixers, but on Artisans, if you raise the mixer head and look straight back, the screw you see is the one that raises/lowers the head.

Thanks for the tip, Octavia! Glad to hear you love yours.

 

[PinkTower]

You will love it, especially if you have enough room to leave it out. I would never use it if I had to store it. They are just too heavy. Mine is red, and I have had it for about eight years. I use it for everything. I would love to have other gadgets, like a blender or a food processor, but my kitchen is too small. I improvise with this mixer for a blender, and got a good santuku knife instead of a food processor. If you don''t get anything else, get this mixer!!!

 

[lulu]

i had one of those pull-up shelves for the KA in my old house, but I never used it. It didn''t seem sturdy enough.

I do love it. Just finished baking six dozen cookies. I think I need a new one that matches the stainless

appliances so I can leave it out. My white one can come to Florida with me and live in the white kitchen.

But how to sell this to DH? He doesn''t think it''s necessary to match up your mixer to the kitchen.

 

[Elmorton]

Leaving it out is a MUST. I had a mixer in storage and never used it for 2 years...got my KA, put it on the counter, and I use it probably once every other week, more during the holidays.

I use it whenever I have to mix anything - even box mixes, haha.

Oh, and here's a testament to how much I use the thing: I actually got a kitchen aid hand mixer when we got married, too. I took it out of the box and into a drawer. I've moved twice, never used the thing, and a couple of weeks ago, I got the hand mixer out - and it doesn't work. I need to call KA to see if I can get a replacement, but I'm not looking forward to explaining that I've had it for over two years and NEVER USED IT!

ETA: Oobie, 3 words with the KA: Fresh Whipped Cream.


Mmmmmmmmm.

 

[FrekeChild]

I have a KA Epicurean in cobalt and I rarely use it. The only things I use it for are whipped creams and whipped egg whites/Italian buttercream. It''s not that I don''t love to use it, I just want to prolong it''s life as long as I can. Plus, I like mixing things by hand.

 

[missrachelk]

I have several friends whose KA's are from their grandmothers and have done 30+ years of steady mixing so don't worry about wearing it out! These things are made to last (or at least the old ones were!)

And for all the GRINDER comments re cleaning - we have the grinder and LOVE it!! we use it about every 2 weeks for meatloaf or meatballs or whatever and it is awesome. I make an amazing turkey meatloaf now using fresh ground turkey breast mmm!

So the keys to the grinder are: the meat must be partially frozen to grind easily, otherwise there will be spatter and it's kinda gory. Next to clean it, when you're done grinding your meat, move another bowl under the grinder and grind bread through the machine until there is no more meat showing up with the bread on the other side. We then wash all the parts in the dishwasher on a sanitize cycle and they come out spotless.

I haven't tried it yet but I read this tip in a magazine - use the KA to mix pie dough - it doesn't have such a quick ability to overwork the dough the same way a processor does. Sounds interesting.

 

[Rachel9]

So true, mother has used hers for so long, as a matter fact hers seems better made than mine

I mostly grind chicken and beef [great tips btw] can''t imagine making whipping cream without it!