I have the electrolux magic mill. Like you, I had an older KA that I loved, but started having problems after I started making bread with it. Since I have a ton of attachements for it, I got the Elux for bread and was going to keep the KA for light mixing only.

And while the Elux was in transit, the darn KA gave up while making a cake. Turns out it was cheaper for me to buy another KA than the attachments for the Elux, (and this happened Thanksgiving weekend) I got a great deal on a higher powered KA mixer.

I've never made any large batches of dough in the Elux yet (only two of us) but it handles the amount that the old KA struggled with as if it wasn't there. It's a very differnt type of mechanizm, (the bowl turns, not the beaters) and I'm very happy with it. But I also really like my new KA mixter too -

I also did a lot of research and I lusted after the Elux for a year before I talked myself into the purchase.

Here are the two side by side - they actually arrived at my door on the same UPS truck.

And in their "home" - which should get doors mounted this weekend! got the two lower drawer fronts on last night.

I have an older Magic Mill (DLX 9000), they are on eBay for $250 or so if you don't want to spend $500 or so for a new one.

It works effortlessly with bread dough. The most I've done so far is a 4 pound batch (for me, that is 4 loaves) using the roller. I've heard they can handle up to 8 pounds. It has a timer which is handy - set for X minutes and walk away. I would very much recommend these if you're doing bread. I don't make cakes etc, and for whipping cream we use a hand mixer, so I've no experience with the Magic Mill's various beating, whipping, meat grinding, grain milling, pasta extruding, liquid blending, and hair styling attachments.

My newer Cuisinart with the dough blade will handle 2 lbs of bread dough (my older one will not), I have never tried with a larger quantity.

I've never owned a Kitchenaid, and am unlikely to get one.

A baker friend suggested Kenwood and we bought one off ebay. They are a British company. It is 650W, I believe, and very sturdy. They are a little hard to find here, but worth it in my opinion.

Viking makes a 7 qt if you are looking for something between 5-10qt. I am looking into this one now. Had the KA for 7 yrs and looking for a more powerful unit. The Viking is 1000 watts and is a dream for dough making.

i just knew i'd find help here. thanks so much!

macy: how stunning your pair look right next to each other! it looks like the perfect combo. my KA is one of the K series, 325 watts and i have no idea about the motor. i'm going to purchase from pleasant hill grain and they include the attachments i need, so that will work out. i would like to try out the juicer so i might buy that since i don't already have one. if i need anything else i just buy of the electrolux since i never bought additional accessories for the KA.

johnliu: i didn't know there were hair styling attachments too! but why wouldn't there be? i have to admit, i rarely look at cuisinart products since i burned out the motor of my food processor chopping an onion several years ago. it's good to know how the DLX handles your bread dough. that's exactly the kind of info i was hoping to get.

eoz: it was my research on the kenwood that led me to electrolux. it looks like a very good mixer, but it looks like the DLX's motor can handle a bigger load. i also like the design of the dlx. it has a nice wide viewing area and also provides easy access. if i didn't find the electrolux i would have gone with the kenwood.

The Kenwood is marketed in the US under the DeLonghi name. I had the 750, and it was much more robust than the modern Kitchenaid mixers. In fact I finally sold it, since I really wasn't making large enough batches to merit its power. But it might be just the ticket for you, if you want to stay with a tilt-head model.

I can also warmly recommend the Bosch mixer line; I've made pounds of stiff dough in my mini and it handles it all effortlessly. (Don't let the flimsy white plastic appearance of the Bosch line put you off, they are amazingly well made!) The 'satellite' orbit of the bowl is much better at incorporating all the sides of the bowl, unlike the Kitchenaid line, which are great otherwise. Check out the Universal, it's a favorite of serious home bakers. Link below.

Happy mixing!

Here is a link that might be useful: Bosch Universal

I asked at the Cooking Forum when I was looking for a mixer, and got a lot of feedback - linked below.

Here is my streamlined process for (straight) bread dough using the DLX. Dump flour, water, salt, yeast in DLX bowl. Set bowl on mixer, attach roller and scraper, set timer and speed to desired settings (I usually use about 2/3 speed) and walk away. There is no ''climbing the hook'' problem, no walking on the counter, and you never need to stop and scrape. Come back, remove the roller and scraper, scrape dough from the sides of the mixer bowl down to join the mass. Carry the mixer bowl to a warm place and rise the dough in the mixer bowl. When the loaves are formed, toss the mixer bowl in the sink or dishwasher to clean up. Unless you have a fireclay sink, then delicately lower the bowl into the sink while holding your breath and mumuring your rosary.

It is really quite easy. Extra bowls show up on eBay in case you want to parallel process.

Here is a link that might be useful: CF Mixer Thread

I've had the Viking 5-qt. mixer for over 3 years and it's a great mixer. It makes enough dough for one large loaf or 2 small loaves. I like the fact that the bowl is more elongated and deeper than many of the other brands out there. It has wheels on the back so it's easy to manuever and also has a "stir" setting which gives you a slower start-up. It's lower in height than most stand mixers which for me is invaluable because we have a low kitchen ceiling. This necessitated our upper cabinets to be set lower and closer to the counters, giving us only 14.5 inches between the counters and upper cabs. The attachments can be adjusted (by the screw-set feature) to sit closer to the bottom of the bowl or conversely to sit up higher. It is noisier than many other mixers but that's okay because it really is a workhorse. In addition, Viking's customer support is excellent.

I also have a Electrolux Magic Mill and a KA 6 qt (professional?) I use the KA often, but never for bread. The Magic Mill is only used for bread. I guess there are a lot of good choices out there...

I have the big Viking. We replaced our two KA's after blowing the motor and stripping the gears. Dough and KA don't work well together IMHO. The Viking is much more powerful and I love some of the features. With that said, it is one noisy mixer! I have adjusted to this but it did make me cringe the first few times I used it.

I've had my Bosch Universal for about 14 years or so. It will handle 6 loaves worth of whole wheat bread (fresh milled flour) with no problem. No walking on the counter, no stalling, no dough climbing anywhere. I've been happy with the performance. I also have a flaker attachment for it, with which I roll oats and other grains for cereal.

Cj

jonliu: thanks for that link. i'm going to check it out.
i noticed there is another model with dual voltage. i don't understand how or why this would be necessary. especially at a price tag of $899. ouch!

thanks everyone for the recommendations. i'm definitely going with the DLX. it's the perfect size for me (8 quarts) with plenty of torque.

I LOVE my Bosch Universal for bread dough...I make dough for 5 or 6 loaves at a time. I read a LOT before deciding between the Elux and the Bosch. The Elux had mixed reviews all over the internet, with some opting to change from it to the Bosch and were happier. So I skipped that step and went straight to Bosch. No learning curve at all for me. We still use our KA for regular batches of cookies and cakes, not because the Bosch can't, or won't do a good job, but the KA sits out, we still like it, and it's just our routine.

I really like the Bosch, BUT the bowl it comes with is plastic - the stainless bowl must be purchased separately and it is $130! So if this matters to you (it does to me), you must take that added cost into account when comparing.

It's too bad the good mixers haven't caught on to the benefits of aesthetics - the only reason KA sells anything is becasuse it is Counter Candy! Literally like faux fruit - it looks good enough to eat, but you can't.

Kate--I'm going to hijack your thread to see how the house is coming along.. I don't want to open a wound, so feel free to ignore me if you want. I just think about your situation from time to time and wonder if you're still enjoying the shore house or not. ;)

To Kateskouros. I hope that this will find you. I read that you did find a dual voltage. Can I ask you which company was making this. This is great for us that are working in Europe and will eventually go back to America. Yesterday I was in Haa watching a friend making pasta with her KA and today I have spent hours on researching a mixer that would be more performing over the years.

I have a kitchen aid - it's the larger, 6 quart bowl model, I believe the same one macybaby pictured. I forget the specifications - I bought it 10 years ago - but the gears are metal and the motor is heavier than the 5 quart, basic KA mixers.

I used to make bread dough in it on a regular basis, but that is more rare in the last couple of years. I generally do smaller recipes, but also have done two to four small loaves and double or triple sizes batches of white rolls at once. It has performed well. (knock on wood!) I have also used it as an ice cream maker and a pasta roller.

So, it might be worth trading "up" for a bigger, heaver KA. I can't compare it to the other brands as I've never used them.

If you do bread, the Bosch Universal Plus is amazing. Heck, if you do anything hard to mix, it's great. You just don't have to worry at all about overloading it. We regularly just fill up the 6.5qt bowl, shove on the lid, and let it rip. Mashed potatoes, fresh milled whole wheat dough, cookie doughs, cooked chicken breasts to shred. We also drive a meat grinder, slicer for vegetables, flaker, and coarse mill, juicer and the like from it. It's not good without special attachments with very small batches of things though. I always make 2x-4x batches though as I have co-workers to take things into so why not make a LOT.