Whatever model you choose, make sure it has enough power. I have a 5 qt KA 350 watt mixer, and it just barely handles a two loaf load. Wattage isn't everything, but it's a fairly good guide to the power.

I have no experience with this model at the link, but some other posters have mentioned the Cuisinart mixer. Cooks Illustrated liked it. I've seen it a Bed Bath & Beyond for a price similar to the online price. But this Amazon price seems pretty hard to beat, especially with no sales tax and free shipping.

Here is a link that might be useful: cuisinart 800 watt mixer

um.....how much dough would that be?

I've always had a KA mixer, currently use the 6qt professional. When I bought it, I didn't need it but I came upon a deal at one of the kitchen stores at the outlet mall and couldn't resist, not only was it bigger but the color was perfect for my kitchen. I use it too often to life in and out of a cabinet.

I'd love to test drive that Cuisinart! Looks good to me, I really like the splashguard.

Nancy

"Big Bertha" (my KA) is probably close to 20 years old.
It is 5 Qt (I think), with the lift up bowl.

The plate on the side of it says 325 watts.
Also says "Heavy Duty".

It handles enough bread dough for 3 loaves quite easily.
The bowl is not big enough to try more than that.

I did burn out the motor a few years ago trying to make divinity,
But I'm thinking that was more my fault than the mixer's.
Had it fixed, and it has been good as new ever since.

I'm sure you could find one on sale if you watch for it.
And I do use mine for a lot of things.
So it lives on the counter all the time.

So I have no answer to your question,
except another question.
How much bread would you be baking at a time,
And how often,
and what else would you use it for,
and how often.

I think the answers to those questions would help determine whether it would be worth the price or not.

That, and your budget, of course. ;>)
Which boils down to the main consideration.

Rusty

Thanks for the responses.

Capacity actually doesn't matter much to me. Mostly, I cook just for me. If it can handle dough from a couple cups of flour, I'm good. But it might be sort of dry dough-- I want to try making bagels-- so I am worried about burning out the motor.

Mom has kindly offered to buy me a kitchenaid for Christmas. I thought there might be a cheaper option. That stainless one comes reconditioned for under $200-- that seems like a great deal!

Jessica:
I bought The KA Classic Model at Amazon. I sent it back, because the Dough kept riding up the Dough Hook.

I got the Pro Model, which I am happy with.
It was only about 30 dollars more.
Look for good deals on Amazon.
That seems like a lot for a reconditioned mixer.
And if it is fairly new, why was it reconditioned ?????

I'll look for the bills and tell you what I paid.
LOU

Jessica,
I just received my Classic KA as a gift. It was on sale at WalMart (Canada) for $188. A fantastic price. It's on sale again this week as well.

It's the 275 watt, I guess.
It recommends that you don't exceed 8 cups all-purpose flour or 6 cups of whole wheat flour with my mixer.
Mix at no higher than Speed 2. I believe people burn out motors by using a too high of speed.

I haven't made bread yet, but I fully intend to, and soon.

Keep in mind that the KitchenAid mixer of today is nothing like the KitchenAid mixer of old. Back when they were built by Hobart they were true workhorses and got their reputation in bakeries and other heavy duty use. Today, people often buy them for the marquee value, not for heavy mixing. Not many home cooks really use it for heavy mixing and the ones that do have often burned them out. Today's units use plastic gearing and low power lightweight motors as exampled by the one burning out referenced above. If you could find an old Hobart-built unit on ebay or something you might get it at a good price and have a unit to leave to your heirs.

Not slamming anyone with the basic units today. It probably will work fine for you. The fact is, most don't use them for heavy mixing. Cake mix, quick breads, whipping cream and the like doesn't require much power. But if you do heavy wheat breads or the like it could require more power. (Tim Taylor, where are you when we need you?) When I was considering one I didn't want to look at anything less than about 400-500 watts, and as said wattage is only a guideline and one point of reference. And the price was prohibitive for the amount of use it'd get.

I must say, that Cuisinart is intriguing... :)

ON KA stand mixers... NEVER thought I'd shell out around $200 for a mixer until sil bought her KA stand mixer. She does a LOT of holiday baking and makes a chocolate chiffon cake that will make ya go OOOOOOOH!! Several times.

She got this mixeer and was raving on T-Day. I kinda pooh-poohed it. She sent me HOME with it that day with the promise too bring it back the following weekend. I made double batches of cookie dough for CC's, gingerbread, peanut butter and press cookies that weekend. Used butter right out of fridge and had dough with no physical exertion on my part... in no time. On way to return her mixer, bought one for myself!

On Hobart... I'm a yard sale, flea market and thrift store junkie. Was in Good Will and there was an "old" faded yellow Hobart KA stand mixer... kind with crank up/down bowl. Had whisk, paddle and dough hook. I hauled it over to an outlet and plugged it in... ran nice and smooth. Bowl sits on 2 pegs... wobbled a bit but has larger capacity than other mixer. BUT it was $39.99 and I already had a basic KA at home. Then I noticed that because of the color of the price tag... it was half price. I'm a notoriously FRUGAL person, but just couldn't pass it up. I cleaned it up, taped off all trim and cord, and painted it flat black with spray paint made for outdoor gas grills... looks like a million bucks!

I don't make a lot of bread but most Friday's I make pizza. Just toss all the ingredients for dough in and let'r rip.

Jasdip, that sounds like an amazing price. I'll be interested to hear how the bread goes.

Cynic and klseiverd, that is really helpful to know. I can make cakes, muffins and cookies with a little hand mixer, so what I'm really looking for is something for kneading. There is a used store near me that has nice kitchen appliances a lot of times that are super cheap. What do I look for-- does it say Hobart somewhere on it?

"What do I look for-- does it say Hobart somewhere on it?"

I'm wondering the same thing.
How do you know?

Rusty

"What do I look for-- does it say Hobart somewhere on it?"

Yes! On the band around the head of the mixer it will say Hobart. I have to add that I have a vintage Kitchenaid stand mixer from the 70's that works like a charm. You can get the manuals online.

klseiverd -your bowl that sits on the pegs will also snap into the clip on the back - it can be a bit fiddly to get used to, but once you get it to snap in you have a nice stable bowl.
All the attachments from 'today's' Kitchenaid stand mixers (with the possible exception of the ice cream maker) will fit the older models.

I love my old Kitchenaid and find it is a very powerful workhorse.

Age is also a way to determine. Hobart sold the small appliances to Dart & Kraft in 1980 and Whirlpool bought it in 1986. So if you know it's a 60s or 70s vintage, it's the old design and even into the 80s.

Rumor has it they've gone back to metal gearing in the Pro 600 series but I don't have anything to verify it.

And to tell if it's a 1920s vintage is to weigh it. They weighed about 70 pounds! Wouldn't you like to be one of the ladies who carried that door to door to sell? That's what they did when it first came out.

I have the biggest KitchenAid (The head is stationary and the bowl lifts up.) which DH brought home as a surprise in 1975. It is a heavy sucker, but it sure works great.

70 pounds?? I'd better hit the gym on the way to the store.

Huuum...I'm not seeing any suggestions for a cheaper alternative to the expensive KA. So no one has had any luck with the cheaper mixers out there? I was curious too!

What about if you buy a used bread machine for kneading the dough? I see them very cheap at thrift shops.

The best that I found was the KA mixer at Sam's Club. To me that really seemed like the best price. I don't have a Costco so I can't say about them. It's a 475 watt one for $270.

Here is a link that might be useful: the sam's model

A decent bread machine will mix and knead bread dough for you to shape it and bake in the oven if that is what you want to do. A decent KitchenAid mixer will mix and knead bread dough, mix up a recipe of cookies, mix a heavy "pound" cake, mix a batch of meatballs/muffins/mashed potatoes, etc. etc. etc.! In the opinion of many here, there isn't a cheaper mixer that will do all the KA will do.

I got my cobalt blue KA in the late 1980s at a Sear's discount warehouse. I could tell it had been used (telltale batter splatters) and they were selling it new at $165? in their going-out-of-business sale. I grabbed it, then got it home and found out it wouldn't run. They repaired it for no charge and I've been using it ever since. And, it has gotten a workout from my 2 seasons making breads for the farmers' market and my own bread baking almost every week. Also, I make my own sausage with the grinder attachment.

Just checked my Ultra Power model and it is 300 watts. If I were buying one today, I would get the higher wattage model, absolutely.

Teresa

70# was the original, the current models are about 1/3 of that. More plastic=lighter weight.

I have a sunbeam (I think) in the bottom of my pantry. It's barely been used. I received a Costco Pro KA shortly after I bough the other one..and tucked it away..I'll have to pull it out..dust it off and give it a whirl..I do remember it was the highest wattage, that Walmart offered at the time..Even higher than the KA they sold. And was cheaper than $200.

I made a loaf of bread today using Brigette.
Figured I might as well try her out and she how she does.

I halved the recipe in the book. It called for 5-6 cups of flour to make 2 loaves. In case it didn't turn out, I didn't need 2 loaves.

It worked great. I wasn't sure how much flour to put it (till it stays on the beaters and cleans the bowl). I also oiled my bowl too much I think when rising. It was pretty moist when I punched it down.

Other than that~~ human error, it worked like a charm.

Please do not go by wattage alone because it is not necessarily an indication of the available power of the motor. For example, an inefficient motor will not convert the watts into meaningful power.

Manufacturers have figured out that people believe more watts = more power, but that is not necessarily the case.

A current model Hobart N50, which is the smallest mixer Hobart now sells under their name, pulls a mere 124 watts. But, it is an incredibly reliable and powerful machine.

In other words, appliance manufacturers have duped buyers into an inaccurate standard of power.

A small tractor is a lot less horsepower than a Porsche, but I know which one I would want pulling my car out of the mud.

I have an old KitchenAid K45, a new KitchenAid Pro 600, and a Bosch. Obviously that's overkill, but all are fine machines. The only limit for the old KitchenAid is bowl capacity.

However, if I were concerned only about breadmaking, I'd look for a good thrift store find in bread machines because they come closer to emulating a commercial machine than home mixers do.

Carol

Interesting. I'm glad you told me, because I did think that wattage was the most important thing. Someone's selling a Hobart on Craigslist. I might think about doing that. I think I'd rather a mixer than a bread machine-- very small kitchen, and though the mixer would be used mostly for dough, it might occasionally be used for something else.

After looking at Amazon, I was toying with selling my 8 yr old 6 qt and getting something else. Intrigued by the Cuisinart, but then came to my senses. My matte black KA works like a champ on anything I ask of it. Never have had a problem with it. I treasure the pasta it makes! The Cuisinart sorta of does extruded pasta--nope, not in this house. And gee those KA pearl colors are beautiful! Maybe next year!

Good luck with your search!

My mom found a reconditioned Kitchenaid one at a black Friday sale. She got such a good deal, she gave it to me early! I had bagels for breakfast!! :-)

Good for you! Hope you use your wonderful just a whole lot!