Accessories/Attachments for Stand Mixers

[Cleopatra]

Hi everyone!

I''m a fairly new owner to my beautiful Empire Red KitchenAid Artisan stand mixer. My wonderful godmother gave it to me as a wedding gift just this past August, and I absolutely love it! I''ve been baking cookies, cupcakes, etc - and also making mashed potatoes (DH''s favorite)...

I''ve been considering purchasing a few of the attachments for the KA mixer, but I''m unsure of which to get - I''ve heard both positive and negative reviews of the shredder/slicer and the grinder - I know I won''t be making any pastas (too impatient), but I''m wondering, if any of you have any of the attachments, do you like the ones you have and what kinds of things do you use them for???

Thanks!

 

[Octavia]

The ice cream maker!!!!!! Seriously, I love mine and I use it pretty regularly for frozen yogurt and sorbets all summer long. Even in the winter, it can be really nice to make homemade vanilla ice cream for topping pies at the holidays.

I just got the grinder a couple weeks ago and haven't used it yet, but I'm REALLY picky about my meats so I'm excited about the prospect of doing my own ground turkey and beef. I also have the citrus juicer, and I'm glad I got it on sale because it squeaks like mad. It does a decent job of juicing, but it sounds like fingernails on a blackboard! I've heard other people recommend it, though, so maybe I just got a bum one (come to think of it, maybe that's why it was on sale?).

There's also an aftermarket (not manufactured by KA) paddle beater that you can get at Crate & Barrel and probably some other places, and it has silicone fins on the edges to scrape down the bowl while it mixes. Genius. This is another one that I just got and haven't used (I haven't baked or cooked much in the past couple weeks

) but I'm so excited about it.

 

[April20]

We have the pasta attachment..... and we''ve never used it! We have such good intentions. I''m not a big fan of having attachements for this very reason, but DH really, really wanted it.

I find that keeping my kitchenaid clean can get tricky- there are so many crevices. For that reason, I''m avoiding using it for things I can do in the food processor, which I find easier to clean.

 

[JulieN]

I would probably get the grinder, though I''ve heard the Artisan might not have the power to grind lots of meat (or even knead large amounts of dough.)

I like to know what''s in my meat, and I don''t want to pester my butcher if I only want a small amount of something, and I''d feel better about making rare or medium burgers if I grind it myself.

 

[Lorelei]

I have the slicer/ shredder and it works reasonably well. Cons - I find it can slip a bit while in use unless you secure it very tightly with the bolt, and sometimes large chunks of whatever you are shredding or slicing can drop down away from the cutting edges, so you need to stop and pick it out. But having said that, I do find it useful.

 

[Cleopatra]

Is the grinder only useful for grinding meats? What about nuts/breadcrumbs/other things? I don''t want to "test" these things out and burn my beautiful motor

Thanks for your help ladies! I really like the idea of the ice cream maker - DH will not object

 

[October2008bride]

This isn''t a true attachment I don''t think, but my sister swears by this for mixing:

http://www.beaterblade.com/

It is a regular mixer blade but it has silicone edges so it scrapes the side of the bowl as it mixes!!

Here is another version:

http://www.sideswipeblade.com/

 

[teapot]

I have yet to use it, but my friend who is a chef loves his grinder attachment on his KA. I wouldn''t get the pasta maker attachment since it''s 3 times the cost of a hand crank pasta maker.

 

[movie zombie]

sort of a thread jack but you all got me motivated to ask: is this the best mixer, the kitchenaid artisan and if so why?

movie zombie

 

[JulieN]

If you can get it, get a higher power than the Artisan, like one of their pro models.

 

[Cleopatra]

Date: 1/29/2009 8:15:56 PM
Author: movie zombie
sort of a thread jack but you all got me motivated to ask: is this the best mixer, the kitchenaid artisan and if so why?


movie zombie

The Artisan mixer is great for some, and not so great for others. I guess it really depends on what you''d like to use it for. I''ve heard that the Artisan isn''t heavy-duty enough to make bread, although, some claim to have no problem making dough in the mixer. I use it for basic things - cookies, cupcakes, and a few other things - I''ve never done heavy duty mixing in my mixer, not that i don''t think it could handle it, just that I''m not that good of a baker!

 

[movie zombie]

thanks Cleo and Julie! any suggestions re an alternate?

movie zombie

ps very sorry for threadjack but it does seem appropriate as the next quesiton would of course be re accessories/attachments for the recommended mixing beast. my mixer is ancient, before the move to having great kitchen appliances and pro type appliances for the masses.

 

[Hudson_Hawk]

I don''t have any of the attachments, but I have to say that I LOVE my KitchenAid mixer!!. I made 2 cakes tonight, and it''s so much easier with the KA than a hand-held mixer.

 

[JulieN]

MZ, if you have an "ancient" mixer but you like it, I think you should keep it. If it still works great, then it's probably better than things you can buy on the market today.

 

[justjulia]

I''ve just started using the juicer for my KA. I''ve been making lemonade. Pretty cool.