Oh dear, another thread about Bosch vs. Assistent/DLX mixers!
theresse
10 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (104)
theresse
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agokitchendetective
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
Good stand mixer? Hate my Kitchen Aid!
Comments (34)Kristin S, I agree, the Ankarsrum (aka DLX/Electrolux) isn't something one buys on a whim! It will last, and most cooks pass theirs down to daughters and sons... I've a friend who dearly loves her KA and wouldn't trade it for anything... Re: the issues you mentioned with your KA, here's a photo I found after my first unboxing of the Ankarsrum... kinda shows you the inside and the most commonly used attachments (2) I use for mixing breads, brownies, and cookie dough's. This shows the 'roller' and 'scraper' attachment: You can move the roller away from the bowl side and fix it to any distance from the bowl side and tighten that setting easily, but the roller will still move outward into the bowl's middle freely on it's own helping to mix/incorporate. Sometimes, if there's a little something (and it's always precious little) in the middle that's not mixing, I just manually move the roller (holding the chrome arm on top) over to the middle, then let it go, so it moves back. It's a bit odd initially, using something called a 'roller' to mix ingredients... but it does an amazing job incorporating unbeaten eggs, sugar, flour, extracts, raisins and choc chips (without crushing - no more hand mixing chips and raisin!), anything, really. The bowl rotates constantly at the speed setting of your choice, it never stops unless you turn it off. I add ingredients as it's moving, and flours never puff out, or get on anything... easy cleanup, too! You've lots of open room to add ingredients even from large bowls. I always make sure my butter or cream cheese is super soft (for the roller and especially the whisks and cake whisk attachments. There is no lifting of anything... not until your batter/dough is mixed. You un-tighten the roller arm, it moves out of the way on it's own, and you lift the bowl out. You can see the scraper is naturally sitting against the side of the bowl. The scraper gets "everything" and I rarely move it unless there's a bit of unmixed floor or ingredient on the scraper, at which point I just move it gently out toward the middle of the bowl, then let it naturally go back to the bowl side. Now, if you need to whip egg whites first, you'd instead use the clear bowl and use the whipping attachment instead. If you are making a thin batch of cookie dough or a cake that's thinner, again, you'd use the clear bowl but with the cake whisks. The clear bowl does not turn on it's own, it stays stationary while the whisks move. Here's a photo of the dials.. One changes speed (variable so any speed, plus the high speed is well, very high! It's not got labels, so you basically just go by how it feels and looks to you. The other turns it on, and if you turn it past the 'on' it acts as a timer as well... you can walk away if you need to and it will shut itself off. Another nice thing is the scraper, a simple plastic spatula that fits into the grooves of the 'roller', making batter scraping so easy! Weight: it's no lightweight at 19 lbs, but I think the KA weighs in at 25-29 lbs. Height: I've got 18" between counter top and cabinets... easy fit. Noise: You can hear it, but it runs on a belt drive... it's much quieter than any mixer I've used. I ordered mine from Pleasant Hill Grain, and after it arrived they sent me an email with a .pdf to print out explaining attachments to use, speed control conversions, etc. So, yes, a learning curve, but it's not a huge learning curve : ) There are a multitude of attachments also, but you turn the Ankarsrum on it's side to use most of them. I think the KA is great for many people, but has drawbacks. The primary drawback of the Ankarsrum is the price, IMO....See MoreHelp with food processor and stand mixer
Comments (20)I did a lot of reading about mixers this summer, spending waaaay too many hours on the 'net :) Frankly, IMHO, the bottom line is all brands do a good job with cakes, icing, cookie dough, & whipping & creaming. Read the reviews online, visit the forums & it's the same story: most people love their mixer brand; a few people who bought the brand got a lemon & will tell you different. It's when you start kneading multiple batches of stiff bread doughs that a few brands stand out. The Cuisinart has a timer & a fold feature that sounds nice. A caveat I read about is that the bowl is tall & narrow, so when you fill it to its professed capacity, the batter is over the top of the beater....See MoreComparison of Bosch vs Delonghi Mixer
Comments (2)I owned a Bosch for twenty years and loved it's performance. The only thing I didn't like was that the bowl and lid were not dishwasher safe. However, that is NO longer the case, I think. So, check that part out. It does a terrific job with bread which was my primary concern. It will throw a small amount of flour if you forget to put the lid on. But, it never throws as much flour as the Kitchenaid regularily does. Another positive of the Bosch is the ease of adding ingredients. Because the bowl sits on top of the motor, there's nothing to hinder access to the bowl. Under heavy strain, it will walk across the counter. When I purchased my Bosch it came with the blender which added to the value. I don't know if it still does; or, if it's now a separate purchase. Again, you'll need to check. In twenty years, I never had a need to even phone for a question much less need a repair so I can't speak to their customer service. But, that fact does speak very favorably about the reliability of their equipment. I've never used a Delonghi so won't offer any comments. After an exhaustive search and review of stand mixers 3-4 years ago, I replaced my Bosch with the Electrolux 'Assistant'. I went to the King Arthur Test Kitchen in Norwich, Vermont and spent an entire day test driving the major brands. King Arthur sold all of the major players so they had no need to influence me in any direction. The 'Assistant' was the clear winner. You won't be disappointed with a Bosch. I replaced my Bosch after twenty years of trusted service not because it wasn't working but because I just got sick of the non-dishwasher safe bowl. Health reasons make ease of use critical to my choice of kitchen equipment. Since I believe they've corrected that, I highly recommend a Bosch IF the cost of the 'Assistant' is too steep. Tricia...See MoreKA mixer better way to make my bread?
Comments (35)We bought this built-n Bosch mixer instead of the counter model. There is no danger of it walking away anywhere no matter how unbalanced a load you end up with. It was risky because the concept models are discontinued but not having to give up any counter or cabinet space for a bulky drive unit made it worthwhile. So far we are happy with it. It serves as a food processor (not a great one, it's on the small side and it doesn't autopulse like my old Braun multisystem, but it's okay) a slicer/grater/Julienner, a mixer, including a very heavy duty all-steel dough hook, a blender (superb performance out of that), and a stone grain mill. The pulser on the thing is kind of awkward, requiring you to twist the spring loaded knob to the left, and it only pulses to high speed, which can get messy when you are dealing with liquids, but overall, it works out great and saves me a lot of room in the cabinets. Again, this is discontinued and probably more for the appliance geek, but since you are posting on here all the time, asolo, I am thinking you ought to at least know about it....See MoreJohn Liu
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agobarryv_gw
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agodcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJohn Liu
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agodcarch7 d c f l a s h 7 @ y a h o o . c o m
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoJohn Liu
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agobevwinchester
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agokitchendetective
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalex9179
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalex9179
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalex9179
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agokitchendetective
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalex9179
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalex9179
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalex9179
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agokitchendetective
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agokitchendetective
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agobzamp58
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoalex9179
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agonanabaker
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoclanross
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoUser
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoclanross
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agotheresse
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoclanross
9 years agolast modified: 9 years agoola_sundell
9 years ago
Related Stories
FUN HOUZZEverything I Need to Know About Decorating I Learned from Downton Abbey
Mind your manors with these 10 decorating tips from the PBS series, returning on January 5
Full StoryDECORATING GUIDESFeel Free to Break Some Decorating Rules
Ditch the dogma about color, style and matching, and watch your rooms come alive
Full StoryORGANIZINGHouzz Call: Show Us How You're Getting Organized
If you’ve found successful ways to declutter and create order at home, we want to hear about it. Share your ideas and photos!
Full StoryTHE HARDWORKING HOMECES 2015: Inching Toward a Smarter Home
Companies are betting big on connected devices in 2015. Here’s a look at what’s to come
Full StoryMATERIALSAre You a Maker? Show Us Your Favorite Tool or Material
Houzz Call: A tool or material can be a maker’s best friend. We’d like to see your favorite — and what it helps you achieve
Full StoryDECLUTTERINGClutter vs. Keepers: A Guide to New Year's Purging
Simple questions to get in touch with your clutter comfort level — and figure out what needs to go
Full StoryBATHROOM DESIGN9 Surprising Considerations for a Bathroom Remodel
Don't even pick up a paint chip before you take these bathroom remodel aspects into account
Full StoryKITCHEN WORKBOOK8 Kitchen Amenities You'll Really Wish You Had
Keep kitchen mayhem and muck to a minimum with these terrific organizers and other time-saving, mess-preventing features
Full StoryLIFEHow to Build Your Housekeeping Muscle
Train yourself to clean and organize until the routine becomes second nature with this step-by-step approach
Full StoryORANGEColor Guide: How to Work With Orange
Orange is the most controversial color in the spectrum, but its warmth and personality can charm almost anyone
Full Story
theresseOriginal Author