Electrolux Assistent (Magic Mill) - Happy V-day to me!

18 years ago

Day before Valentine's Day, my hubby surprised me with his idea for my Valentine's Day gift (not that he's not a gift every single day): a new mixer for making/kneading bread. My 8 year old KA just isn't up to the challenge anymore, and me man wants his bread! :) We'll keep the KA for ordinary kitchen tasks (we have a lot of the attachments) because it works well for tasks such as egg-whipping, meat grinding, pasta making, cheese grating, etc., and I haven't killed it just yet.

DH was originally considering (based on reports and reviews by the LA times, Cooks Illustrated, etc.) the Viking and the DeLonghi, but after I mentioned the rave reviews I've seen of the Electrolux Assistent (Magic Mill) here, we expanded our horizons. I researched this machine, read through posts on the Yahoo group Mixer-Owners, watched some home videos of it in action and we debated the relative merits (and demerits) of all of the above. Thanks in large part to the positive, detailed and well-thought out reviews by TriciaE, and the recommendation of the Cooking Forum's AnnT, I ordered the Electrolux Assistent/Magic Mill last night through King Arthur Flour's The Baker's Catalogue. Woo-hoo!

The unexpectedly fun bonus was that there was a "10% off your next order" coupon for the Baker's Catalogue online, plus I got an automatic "5% off volume discount" for a +$500 order. Shipping was only $16.38, and due to their very clever marketing (I'm very aware that I'm a sucker for marketing), I added an additional 11 items to my cart without changing the shipping cost. I spent no more than it would have cost to buy the mixer shipped at the regular price, and I'm also getting a lame, 4 stainless scoops for my flour bins, Pain de Campagne starter, Fiore di Sicilia, Vietnamese Cinnamon, bread salt, a good oven thermometer and looking at my reciept, it looks like maybe some sort of gift? Yippee!

I just wanted to say how grateful I am for all of the information so generously shared here. I look forward to using my machine, and being able to post some useful information as well. Maybe even pictures! Thanks so much!

Susan

Sort by:Oldest

Comments (11)

mercedes_stewart
18 years ago
That's a great machine. Enjoy!
mrsmarv
18 years ago
Enjoy your new "Assistant" ;o) I purchased the Viking mixer from King Arthur's Flour?Baker's Catalogue, and their assistance and ability to answer all my questions was so beneficial. They stand by their products, as well. My KA mixer totally bit the dust, so I was looking for a mixer replacement as well as one that could handle mixing bread dough. I've had it since early January and I've been very satisfied.
I purchased a scale, Bakewell Cream and a lame, as well. You have to love their "see what else you can buy without adding on to your shipping charges" tact! I made a boule for dinner company this past weekend using my lame...our guests asked me where I bought the delicious bread! It tasted perfect and looked beautiful. That compliment was such joy to my ears, and DH was absolutley beaming!
Enjoy your new addition to your kitchen...may you have many years of happy baking!
Related Discussions
Just ordered my Magic Mill DLX!!
Q
Comments (4)
Hey Paige! I've had good luck with AnnT's Italian bread from the Cooking forum. She has an Assistent, and bought it specifically to make this bread. TriciaE (another bread afficionado) also has one and highly recommended it, but she hasn't posted in a while. I miss her! Ann T's Italian Bread (her words within quotes) "Italian Bread ============= This recipe is also perfect for both Focaccia and Pizza. Sometimes I make a Biga the night before using 1 1/2 cups of the flour used in this recipe with one cup of water and 1/2 teaspoon yeast. If you don't have time to make the biga then this the recipe works just fine as follows. This is a very wet dough and needs to be mixed in a machine for a long time before you can finish kneading by hand. I use a Magic Mill Machine. If you are using something like a kitchenaide you have to watch it carefully as it climbs up the beater or hook. 8 Cups Bread flour 1 Tablespoon Yeast 1 1/2 Tablespoons Salt about 4 cups of water 2 Tablespoons olive oil. (optional) . Mix flour yeast water and oil( Optional) (not salt) together for a minute and leave for 20 minutes for the water to be partially absorbed. Add salt and mix for about 30 minutes until the dough comes together enough to be worked by hand. Continue kneading until smooth. Place in an large oiled bowl and rub olive oil on top, cover and let rise until more than doubled. Pour out on to surface and divide into the number of loafs you require. Do not punch out the air. Shape into loafs, sprinkle tops with flour and leave to rise on a flour/cornmeal dusted surface. Heat tile/stones in oven to 500 degrees while bread is rising. Slide loafs on to hot stone and spray with cold water, three times, three minutes apart. Lower heat to 450Â° and bake for about 30 minutes. (I can do two loafs at a time in the oven on a large stone). Focaccia: To make Focaccia use some of the dough and place in a oil rubbed pan (I use a rectangle shaped cake pan) Cover with plastic wrap and let rise. Using you fingers indend the focaccia and drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle with whatever toppings you prefer. Salt, Rosemary, Sauted or thinly sliced onions, black olives, etc.... Focaccia can be baked directly on heated pizza stone as well. I also use this recipe to make a number of large pizzas." I posted to you on the IKEA Fansite as well. I'll go hunt down that video I mentioned, and we can chat about the mixer some more. How fun! Susan
...See More
Oh dear, another thread about Bosch vs. Assistent/DLX mixers!
Q
Comments (104)
To bzamp58 Hi, I make and decorate cakes. I have NO trouble at all with my recipes for doing cakes. I always use the roller. Just make sure you do the wet ingredients first. The add the dry. My cakes are light, moist, fluffy. (As with all recipes and the DLX the wet should go in first dry last). Thanksgiving...Whip Cream! My granddaughter is not too familiar with my DLX...was using white bowl and beaters, she said I can do the whip cream Gram. Huh well we had chunky almost butter whip cream! The look on her face was priceless. How we laughed! Just added a tablespoon of cream to the 2 cups whipped and consistency was fine for the pumpkin pie! And I am thrilled this year to have my DLX for all my Christmas cookie orders! So much easier! Last year I used my 1980 Kitchen Aid and did 3000 cookies in three weeks. I had been so booked with wedding cookies so got a late start! Still got a late start this year cause we did a total "kitchen make-over"! But now my wonderful DLX and new kitchen...I am so blessed! Time to get Pecan Tassies out of oven. May all have a Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
...See More
No hot water coming into 627 Electrolux washer.
Q
Comments (58)
Terrible in what way? How does the clothing destruction manifest? Incoming water temperature drops quickly in a washer, particularly frontloaders that take less to fill, due to the clothes and material of the machine tub and drum absorbing the heat. A deep-fill toploader for example typically exhibits a 10°F to 12°F temp drop. One of mine takes in 116°F for a warm fill and ends up at 105°F-ish when the fill is done. Some cycles such as Allergy or Sanitary require a target temperature be sustained for a number of minutes to meet the sanitization standards. Heavy or Stain Treat cycles may start with cool water to avoid setting-in some types of soils such as blood or protein and gradually heat to a higher temperature as the wash progresses. The only way to do that is heat/boost the water in the machine.
...See More
My new cordless Dyson V8 animal
Q
Comments (51)
Okay I am truly crazy. I just ordered the V8 Absolute so I’d have the hard floor attachment. I’ll keep that one at home where I have the new wood floors and bring the V8 Animal to the lake where I don’t have as much wood and it’s 18 years old. I’m not at all a shopping nut but I’m glad this thing will arrive when DH is out of town and I can squirrel it away before he sees it. Otherwise he might think I’ve gone off the deep end - have hardly vacuumed in 20+ years and suddenly I buy two vacuums in less than a month. Being of a frugal nature I tell myself they‘ll pay for themselves after a couple months without a housecleaner. People ask me what I do now that I’m retired - oh, I buy vacuum cleaners and vacuum every day - well not every day but often.
...See More
cookiemonsterdh
18 years ago
Have to admit, they had her targeted perfectly with the "no additional shipping charges" and 5% volume discount in addition to the 10% first time order discount. ::grin::
Have to admit to a certain amount of concern over both an article in the LA Times AND in CI pretty much panning the Electrolux, but it seems like improper use was the problem in at least ONE of those cases, and I'm not sure about the other, though I take a lot of magazine testing with a grain of salt. I don't always agree with the judging criteria, and it's amazing how often the testers make mistakes using something that's substantially different from the norm. We'll have to try it out once we get it and see how it works for us. The nice thing is that Baker's Catalogue is likely to be pretty decent about a return if we change our mind and decide that the Viking would be a better choice.

I definitely like the idea of the open top on the bowl making adding ingredients etc a LOT easier than with any of the other choices...

James
cookiemonsterdh
18 years ago
Soooo... I'm not going to be stigmatized as giving an insensitive V-Day gift along with the hordes of guys who nearly get hit with the blenders they buy every year? ::grin::

James
garden_of_darwin
Original Author
18 years ago
NOT when it's something a woman loves! Thanks cookiemonsterdh! (That's my DH, everyone) Besides which, didn't I give you a table saw blade for our anniversary one year? Just don't use it to chop me up! :)

Susan
mrsmarv
18 years ago
You two are too cute ;o)...hope your Valentine's Day was perfect! One year Mr. Marv gave me a sewing machine and I gave him cordless drill for Valentine's Day. Someone made a remark that a sewing machine isn't a very "romantic" gift...I just laughed and said "to me it is, and that's what matters".
violet37
17 years ago
Just wondering what's happened with this mixer since February. Did you get it? Like it? I just read the LA Times review, and that scared me. I wonder how you feel about the points it made, particularly about the difficulty creaming butter and cleaning the unit... I don't see any mixers but KA on the King Arthur site now, did they stop selling the others? Appreciate your thoughts. I've read the rave reviews here about the Electrolux, which is apparently now the Magic Mill, but I'm concerned at how few places actually sell it...
Marigene
17 years ago
Here is a link that may be helpful. I love my Magic Mill for making large batches of cookies or bread. It is quite a large investment but worth every penny. I have had mine for about 20 years.

Here is a link that might be useful: Magic Mill
triciae
17 years ago
I love my Electrolux Magic Mill 'Assistant'...

I have no idea what they mean by "hard to clean"...the darn thing just goes in the dishwasher...what's "hard" about that? Seriously, all of the parts are d/w safe. The unit is smooth with no little nooks/crannies to collect "stuff" so it just needs a quick wipe down.

I have no trouble creaming butter/sugar. I use the roller with the scrapper in place & it works terrific.

Bosch also makes a fine mixer & it too is difficult to find in local stores. Americans want KA because it's all most know. Also, KA gives very attractive financial incentives to stores for selling their products exclusively.

Tricia
cyberima
17 years ago
I could really use some help with this machine. I've had it for a couple of years and haven't mastered it yet. Here are some of my questions: 1) When I use 5 lbs. of flour for baking challah bread, the dough creeps up the dough hook and becomes uncontrollable. Should I use the roller and scraper instead? 2) Can I substitute spelt and whole wheat flours for white bread flour cup for cup? 3) What do I need to do to adapt a bread machine and/or conventional recipe to the Magic Mill? 3) Is there an "official" help desk for the Magic Mill? All tips/suggestions/help will be greatly appreciated. Please reply to -- cyberima@aol.com
Thank you.
harritt67_speedyquick_net
12 years ago
Has anyone heard about problems, service issues when you have to send them back to New Jersey? Thanks.

Electrolux Assistent (Magic Mill) - Happy V-day to me!

Comments (11)

mercedes_stewart

mrsmarv

Related Discussions

cookiemonsterdh

cookiemonsterdh

garden_of_darwin
Original Author

mrsmarv

violet37

Marigene

triciae

cyberima

harritt67_speedyquick_net

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

Electrolux Assistent (Magic Mill) - Happy V-day to me!

Comments (11)

Related Discussions

garden_of_darwinOriginal Author

COMPANY

BUSINESS SERVICES

GET HELP

CONNECT WITH US

garden_of_darwin
Original Author