KitchenAid vs. Bosch {Which Mixer Do You Really Need?}
It’s KitchenAid vs. Bosch! In this ultimate showdown between two of the most popular stand mixers on the market, learn the ins and outs of each mixer, and find out which stand mixer is right for you!
Disclaimer: this is an unsponsored post (i.e. I haven’t been paid to talk about these mixers); this post contains a few affiliate links which means that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thanks so much for your support in this way!. As always, feel free to shop around for the best price!
In my extremely scientific (read: not scientific at all) research analysis, I’ve found that out of all my readers that own a stand mixer, most of you have either a KitchenAid or a Bosch mixer.
There are other brands on the market, but today, I want to focus on these two mixers.
It’s a battle of KitchenAid vs. Bosch!
My Experience Using Both Mixers
They are vastly different mixers. You can see this immediately in terms of shape, color, size, and design.
And because of that, each have good points…and some not so good points.
I’ve been a loyal Bosch Universal fan for years. I received one in the first years of my marriage and have been using it since (not the original mixer – I gave that one to a friend when I upgraded to the new model design a couple of years ago, but the 14-year old Bosch is going strong for my pal, Katie).
As for using a KitchenAid, many years ago, Costco was running a huge rebate on KitchenAid mixers, and I took the plunge and snagged one during the sale.
I never thought I would be a KitchenAid owner (or fan), but after hearing several friends rave about their KitchenAid’s strengths, I decided I wanted to try one out for myself.
She’s definitely a beauty, no doubt about that.
In all honesty, I was tempted to return the KitchenAid mixer within the first few weeks I had it (mostly because it felt, and still feels sometimes, excessive to have two stand mixers), but I stuck out the learning curve of a new mixer, and I’m glad I did, because it’s given me time to figure out which mixer really is the best.
Comparing KitchenAid to Bosch Universal
The KitchenAid I bought at Costco is unique to Costco stores and is a bit different than KitchenAid mixers you can buy online or at other stores, but it is very similar to this KitchenAid mixer.
This is the Bosch Universal mixer I have.
The Bosch stand mixer is also offered in a compact version (400 watts, 4-quart bowl capacity, about $189). And the KitchenAid mixers come in many different variations of motor power and bowl capacity (such as this 5-quart, 325 watt mixer, about $299).
For the purpose of today’s KitchenAid vs. Bosch post, I want to compare similar models between brands (so that it wouldn’t be an unfair contest, like comparing a Ferrari to a Nissan Sentra).
Below, you can see some of the basic specs for each of the mixers.
Fairly similar in price and bowl capacity, the Bosch shines in it’s higher powered motor at 800 watts (and let’s be serious, the KitchenAid can’t be beat when it comes to color options).
This makes a big difference when it comes to making things like bread. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that someone’s KitchenAid mixer burned up making bread…
It seems to be a common issue with KitchenAid mixers, although less so with higher powered KitchenAid’s (500 watts and above).
However, I have never heard anyone say their Bosch mixer motor burned out, especially not while making bread, which brings me to my first comparison point.
The Bosch Shines at Bread-Making
The Bosch Universal is hands down the best mixer for making bread.
Because of the bowl design (the mixing shaft comes up from the bottom rather than the top, like the KitchenAid), and because of the higher power, the Bosch can easily hold upwards of 22 cups of ingredients in the bowl and will mix bread like a boss.
I always make large batches of bread in my Bosch, including my go-to whole wheat bread recipe that makes 5-6 loaves.
I think the Bosch handles small batches of dough just fine, also, although I will say that this is a common complaint with the Bosch: small batches of anything don’t fare well.
The secret I’ve learned is to add the flour very gradually for small batches of bread in the Bosch, otherwise, you’re left with dry patches as the dough just spins aimlessly in the mixer unable to incorporate all the ingredients.
The KitchenAid and Bread-Making
Now let’s talk about the KitchenAid and bread.
I have turned to my KitchenAid a time or two to make smaller batches of bread (like these divine breadsticks).
It works fine, but I find it’s much easier to overflour the dough in the KitchenAid in order to get all the ingredients mixed based on how the dough hook moves around the bowl.
Making large batches of bread dough is out when it comes to the KitchenAid, in my opinion, but small batches seem to work ok. I’ve found I often have to scrape the sides of the bowl down to help incorporate flour – a difference between KitchenAid and Bosch as I never have to scrape down the sides of the Bosch bowl when making bread.
I’m going to detail a few more side-by-side comparisons below, but if you want to jump right to an overview, here’s a little chart for an at-a-glance picture at how these mixers measure up against each other.
Cookie Making in a KitchenAid and Bosch Universal
Both the Bosch and the KitchenAid are awesome for cookie making.
I made the exact same chocolate chip cookie recipe side-by-side in each mixer.
You can see that initially, the Bosch does a slightly better job at incorporating the butter and sugar together. The butter doesn’t get as hung up on the cookie paddles in the Bosch like it does in the KitchenAid.
As a sidenote, the cookie paddles are not included with the Bosch mixer, but are totally worth the extra $20 purchase; I use the dough hook or cookie paddles for everything I make in the Bosch.
UPDATE: I’ve started using the cookie paddles to cream the soft ingredients and then switch to the dough hook when adding the dry ingredients (I had a couple sets of cookie paddles break on me). And often, I just use the dough hook start to finish.
This dough hook that is sold separately is a game changer for the Bosch – it helps with dough climbing up the center column and overall just does a better job mixing any and all ingredients. I wish this was the dough hook shipped with the Bosch!
After a little pause for scraping the butter off the paddle, the KitchenAid works great.
Interestingly both mixers struggled a bit to incorporate the eggs into the cookie dough without some excessive scraping action, as well.
Which brings me to a pretty major point that BOTH mixers have issues with ingredients getting stuck to the bottom of the bowl, especially with wet batters or doughs, and based on design (and even after manipulating the screw on the KitchenAid to bring the paddle closer to the bottom of the bowl), it requires some scraping to get everything incorporated.
This is NOT an issue when doubling a standard cookie dough recipe in the Bosch, FYI (beautiful double batch of cookie dough pictured just below).
The larger quantities of everything seem to help the paddles pick up all necessary bits, but doing the same and doubling a cookie dough recipe in the KitchenAid, I still had to dig in there to scrape lingering bits of butter and sugar off the bottom (but not necessarily the sides).
After the egg/vanilla point in cookie making, both mixers handle the cookie dough like the professionals they are.
Since I already touched on it above, let’s talk about the issues of making smaller batches of recipes in each mixer.
Small Batches/Thinner Batters
No offense to my Bosch, but it stinks when making small batches of anything. Even though the description will say it can whip even one egg white to stiff peaks (and it may, I’ve never tried it), when it comes to small, or more particularly, thinner/wetter recipes, I have to do a lot of scraping, especially on the bottom of the bowl, to help incorporate the ingredients.
There IS a bowl scraper available, but I don’t have it and can’t attest to whether it helps this issue out or not, and it certainly wouldn’t help with all the goodness that gets stuck on the center shaft of the mixer and the bottom of the bowl.
The solution in the Bosch is usually to double the recipe (not always possible, I know). A batch of frosting that might need a lot of scraping usually does great when doubled.
Even though the KitchenAid does require some initial scraping to get ingredients off the bottom of the bowl, it really shines when mixing wet batters, like cake recipes or frosting, or for whipping cream or egg whites.
There is also a scraper attachment for KitchenAid mixers. Again, I don’t have this, but it may be a help, although my issue with the KitchenAid is the ingredients that hang out on the bottom of the bowl even after adjusting the height of the mixer.
Despite having to still pull up ingredients from the bottom of the bowl, the KitchenAid is hands down the best mixer for standard-size recipes of thinner/wetter ingredients.
And I love having it for this perfect yellow cake recipe (although keep in mind when I made that dang recipe 17 times to get it perfect, I didn’t have a stand mixer, so my handheld mixer – more details below – did the job).
Ease of Use
I’m not going to lie, I’ve wanted to kind of scream in my pillow sometimes at trying to add ingredients to the KitchenAid while it is mixing.
My measuring cups hit the side of the mixer when adding flour and other dry ingredients; it’s hard to get all the flour added without banging the measuring cup against the side of the bowl like a madwoman to expel the last specks of flour.
If you have the flexibility to stop the mixer and lower the bowl, it’s much easier, but in small batch bread dough recipes or any recipe where you need to add ingredients gradually, it’s a pain.
However, adding liquid/wet ingredients, like eggs or milk, seems to be much easier.
I don’t know if it’s the measuring cups I’m using or not, but clearly, adding ingredients to the KitchenAid is kind of a love/hate thing for me.
The Bosch, on the other hand, is easier for adding ingredients while the mixer is running thanks to the open top design.
However, after adding dry ingredients, some light sweeping is usually necessary to get the excess flour (or whatever) off the metal driver.
And take care to avoid the plumes of whispy flour (or powdered sugar) that puff out of the mixer and may cause minor coughing fits (which is mainly caused by one sticking their face too close to the mixer during the dry ingredient adding procedure – not that I would ever do that).
Cookie maker beware.
Where Does This Leave Us?
You can probably already see (if you made it this far, and if so, you deserve a cookie), that instead of proclaiming a true winner, it’s clear that each mixer has it’s strengths and weaknesses.
And much of the decision about which mixer to buy really depends on what you predominantly plan to make with it.
For serious bread makers and avid bakers of many types, the Bosch is a strong contender.
For those that see themselves making average-sized batches of cookies and cakes more than bread, the KitchenAid might be the best option.
And just to muddy the waters a bit, I have to say that in addition to my two stand mixers, I rely heavily on my everyday hand mixer, too.
For the longest time (over a decade), it was just me, my Bosch, and my trusty hand mixer that I used to make smaller batches of frosting, thin cake batters, etc.
Maybe it’s just because I’m a creature of habit, but I like having it around.
And since I’m clearly having a good time putting together charts, here’s a recap of which mixer I use..and for what.
It’s probably really obvious from this post that I’m a huge fan of the almighty Bosch. I can’t help it. She’s been by my side for over a decade.
If I had to choose between mixers, I’d definitely go with a Bosch Universal.
For me, a Bosch + hand mixer (for those thinner batters) is everything I would need for day-to-day cooking and baking operations in my kitchen.
However, the lovely KitchenAid cannot be discounted in terms of all-purpose use, especially if there isn’t going to be much bread or large-batch baking.
And, I will definitely say that if you are into looks, the KitchenAid has much more of an ooh-la-la factor. They are shiny and purty, no doubt about that.
The Bosch, on the other hand, isn’t fancy and doesn’t come in a million colors – it is definitely more on the humble, hard-working side of things.
And guess what? I also believe you can live your life fully and with lots of joy without even owning a stand mixer!
So, now it’s YOUR turn! If you are a stand mixer owner, which one do you have? And why do you love it?
Thanks for sticking with me for this detailed post (assuming you did, ha!). Feel free to ask any additional follow-up questions or clarification in the comments. Later, skaters!
I’ve been shopping for mixers for a few months now (ever since this wonderful post!). I grew tired of my professional KA. It was heavy, hard to use, and started leaking grease all over the place. I didn’t feel it was worth repairing since I hated to use it, so I gave it away. After reading this post and doing a bit of research I thought the Bosch would be great. But, the difficulty cleaning it and frankly its space ship look has me a bit wary. I’ve come across a Swedish mixer that seems to be have the great qualities of the Bosch and KA. Its the Ankarsrum Original Mixer. It has a similar sized bowl and power of the Bosch with the open bowl design. Comes with a stainless bowl and a plastic bowl for cakes and light cookie batter. It’s beautiful and comes in many colors. My hesitancy is the price ($700) and relatively little reviews I can find on the internet. Anyone have any experience with the Ankarsrum mixer?
I don’t know anything about that mixer, Joce – good luck with your decision!
I got a Bosch for Mother’s Day and have been smiling ever since! This was probably my most favorite post ever, but I really LOVE all your posts and I make so many of your recipes that your name gets brought up often at family dinners.
Thank you, Kim! Have fun with that Bosch!
Due to this review and all the comments, I decided it was time for a Bosch. Luckily my birthday happened to be right when I was reading this. I mentioned to my husband how I was considering getting a Bosch and left it at that. He must have known how much of a difference the Bosch would make in my world of baking breads. It no longer feels like I’m about ready to bust out of the seams in the Kitchen Aid. I love baking bread and have had waaaaayy better results with the same recipes that I had tried earlier. Thanks for being the persuading factor to buy in to a little bit of heaven.
Yay!
If you are ever going to make more than 2 loaves of bread dough, I think the Bosch is the only way to go.
My older Kitchen Aid had a J shaped dough hook, and even small amounts of dough crawled up in and flicked out of the bowl. I see pictures online that the dough hook is now more of a spiral. Maybe that is better.
I like that the Kitchenaid cleans the sides of the bowls on its own. I previously would have to stop my Bosch once or twice and use a rubber scraper to clean the sides of the bowl. However, then my husband bought me the Bosch attachment that scrapes both the sides of the bowl and the middle pillar while mixing. WOOT for that attachment.
My cousin kept her Kitchanaid after buying a Bosch for large volumes of bread. This is because her plastic cookie paddles for the Bosch broke twice with HUGE batches of cookie dough. If my cookie dough is doubled or tripled and hear that subtle change in how hard the machine is working, I pull out my paddles and use the dough hook for incorporating the last amount of flour.
I have destroyed both my Bosch whips and then chewed up the inside of my plastic bowl by trying to use the regular whips on something too thick. I have learned the hard way over the years how to treat my Bosch.
If you never wanted to knead bread dough, then buy a Kitchenaid.
I have also enjoyed my attachments for my Bosch. The blender is strong enough to grind ice for a Julius or smoothie. It does not pulverize like a Blendtec or Vitamix, but good for general mixed drinks. I got my first Bosch in 1989 and it also came with a food processor attachment. I only use it for huge amounts of grated raw potatoes or carrots, but I love it for that. If I soak the almonds, it is great for making YUMM sauce in!!
I have never owned the older two-speed Bosch. Mine was a 1989 model with three speeds. I was able to buy a newer model of Craig’s list. The previous owner thought it had died, but it really just needed a power cord. She sold it to me for “parts” and I got a working Bosch with blender for $40!
The only complaints I had with the older model was that it took up so much counter space and it “crawled” or walked off my counter a few times when I walked away during the kneading process. The newer model has some suction cups on the bottom.
My oldest daughter is using my mom’s Bosch from about 1987, and it works perfectly.
My middle daughter is using a very old 2 speed that I found at an estate sale. I had to hunt around to find all the parts because they didn’t know what they were selling.
I only know of two people who outlived their Bosch. One used hers almost daily for 40 years, and the other used a used one for 30 years.
If your machine ever dies, all of the accessories and bowls sell well on the secondary market.
I killed the highest end KitchenAid they make with making bread, and I kept the batches to not more than 5 cups of whole wheat flour at any one time. It lasted me a good 3 years or so, but then it smoked and died.
When it died I went with a Bosch, and now happily make 4 loaves whole wheat bread using 12 cups of flour. It could handle more, but I only have 4 loaf pans ;). I have been very happy with my Bosch and an inexpensive hand mixer, and haven’t missed my KitchenAid at all. The KitchenAid may be prettier, but it took up a lot of counter space and was too tall to store in a cupboard and very heavy to lug from my pantry everytime I needed it. The Bosch is light weight in comparison, and easily stores in my cupboard.
Robin, do you find the lighter weight makes it more prone to move around on the counter when in use? Does it have grippers on the bottom? Being able to store it in my cabinet would be a big plus over my really heavy KA Pro.
Stand mixers always seem soooo expensive. New ones, anyway.
30 ago I bought a Dormeyer Silver Chef 4300 stand mixer for $20. You’ve noted that mixer brands stay within families. My mother had a Dormeyer. It looked GREAT and served me well, even for small batches of bread, for 20 years. It even had a meat grinder attachment. When it died, it had simply worked itself to death. It was easily 50 years old.
At a local antique store, I found a Hobart Kitchen Aid K5A, with a slew of metal attachments, for $100. Of course, I thought I was breaking the bank at $100, but time marches on and what can you do about that? Your assessment of the design of the Kitchen Aid is spot on. It is NOT easy to add ingredients while it is running. But, the design of the bowl containing the ingredients to be added is equally at fault, when you think about it. I’m sure a bowl with a prominent and out-sized spout could be designed that would pour the ingredients without bumping into the mixer. A business opportunity!
eBay has lots of Hobart KitchenAids in the $150 range. Often, the description begins, “This belonged to my husband’s mother…..” Same with Kirby vacuums. The well crafted cast metal attachments are available there, too. You really can have a great stand mixer for very little money.
Great blog. Thank you!
I’ve used both plenty, and like both – though my preference is Bosch for bread making and KitchenAid for mixing and whipping. My Bosch is 12 or 13 years old and going strong. The KitchenAid I use most is probably 25 years.
Great post. I have to say that my KA Pro 500 bowl lift died a tragic death a little over a year ago. I had replaced the worm gears in it & the plastic gear housing cover (with the metal one) a couple of yearas before it died. The planetary shaft seemed to have bent on mine, and I couldn’t find a part so had to replace it. I had been quite happy with it until that time. I did have the scraper blade (purchased separately), and would tell anyone to get one. I sent mine to a friend in Oregon & she loves it.
I make bread quite often, usually only 2 or 3 loaves at a time tho, so I definitely wanted a mixer that could handle it. I had been hearing that the quality of Kitchen Aid had really gone down. With a limited budget since I have retired I didn’t want to shell out $500 or more to replace my stand mixer.
I looked at a lot of options for mixers including the Cuisinart stand mixer. I ended up purchasing a Sunbeam Mixmaster Planetary Stand Mixer. With the price being under $200 here in Canada I figured it was worth trying. It is 600 watts, 6 speed with a tilt head. I remembered the old Sunbeam Mixmasters that ran for years so hope they have continued the workmanship & quality with the new planetary stand line.
There was a definite learning curve with the new mixer. I do have to scrape the bowl quite a bit, and really wish someone would come up with one of the scraper blades for it. After getting through a season of Christmas baking & all my regular uses I can say I do like it. It seems to have enough power to handle everything I have done with it. Small batches are a bit of an issue with it, but that is common to almost all stand mixers. I haven’t had it get terribly hot while running for a long time. I whip butter to keep it spreadable from the fridge. It is actually quite a long process to do a pound of butter & whip 1 3/4 c – 2 c of oil into it. To get the oil all incorporated would take about 15 minutes with my KA mixer & I can get it done in about 10 with the Sunbeam. The mixer is barely warm at the end of it, no hot smell at all.
You can purchase all the usual attachments for it. I haven’t as I have a KA blender, a separate ice cream maker & a meat grinder, so I don’t have a need for them. My biggest complaint is the bowl design. It has holes in the bottom of the bowl that trap water when you wash it. Over all I am quite happy with my new mixer.
I’m going to have to go back and read through these comments. There’s just too many of them to read in one sitting. I just wanted to share my experiences with you.
…. I’m 66 years old and I’m sure you’ll never believe this, but I have NEVER in all my life EVER owned a stand mixer…. NEVER. They just never appealed to me. Since I learned to bake and cook, in Home Economics class as a teen-ager… and my mom giving some lessons too, I’ve used only an electric hand mixer or good old elbow grease to mix cookie dough, cake batter, frostings, merinque and whipped cream, but I’ve been getting into making breads lately, because I’m tired of spending $3 – 4 dollars for a loaf of bread. I’m on a fixed income now and I can’t and won’t dole out good money for a loaf of bread when I can make it myself.
…. The KitchenAid did appeal to me initially, but somehow the appeal never stuck. It’s a gorgeous mixer, yes, and seems like it quickly “became an American status symbol” very quickly. All serious bakers and cooks just had to have one! Well, for some reason that just cooled my own adore for one. I have NEVER been one to make a purchase out of “want” and that’s what it was… a want, not a need. I was doing just fine with my Japanese brand hand mixer I’d had since my husband and I married. It was a wedding gift ( at that time, about 35 years I’d had it ) and I used it regularly, until it finally gave up the ghost about 10 years ago, so I bought a new one, which I’ve loved and it too has served me well. So, to get a stand mixer, there’s no desperate need… well, I didn’t think there was, until I started making breads. My hands get so sore from the kneading. I’ve started to develop arthritis and that makes a big difference when you can’t knead effectively because your hands are killing you.
…. But the KitchenAid still doesn’t appeal to me for that, even with all the fancy colors and styles. That’s another thing…. I’ve never been at all attracted to kitchen equipment because of it’s beauty, but more for it’s durability and function. That’s why the Bosch appeals to me. I suppose it would be great if it came in different colors, but that makes little to no difference to me whatsoever. As long as it can give me a long life of service that’s all I care for.
…. As to the breakability of the plastic cookie and cake paddles, I’d rather spend $20 a pop on that than a more serious issue that often plagues the KitchenAid mixer head. The Bosch’s appeal for me is that 800 watt motor …with a transmission. If anyone knows how a car’s transmission works, you know you never force it into high gear without easing it up. And you never throw it quickly into stop either… you ease it down to stop. And I’ve watched the bread kneading videos. They tell you to never use the highest speed for bread dough. I’m sure the same is true for heavy cookie doughs. There’s obviously a reason for that, so heed the warnings. The transmission automatically gears the motor down to protect the motor and make the mixing more efficient and effective. You have to understand how a transmission works and why it does what it does. The KitchenAid doesn’t have that ability. That’s a plus to me.
…. I’ve already purchased all my Bosch attachments ahead, so I’ll have them once I buy my Bosch. And since I’m on a fixed income I’ll be purchasing mine through PayPal Credit where I can pay in installments. I’m confident I’m making the right choice in choosing the Bosch. For me anyway.
I grew up with a Kitchenaid, and couldn’t bring myself to go with a Bosch, so when I got married, a Kitchenaid it was (yes, the silver matte is really the best way to go).
And while I like what you did and am looking more favorably on the Bosch, I have to say, I’m still unconvinced that either of them is the best. I’ve wondered about King Arthur Flour’s mixer, but didn’t want to spring for one. If you’re ever out there, apparently they let you play with it – so if you ever get to do that, do let us know your thoughts. 🙂
I don’t see a mixer other than the KA on the King Arthur Flour website – is there another one they offer for sale?
I burned out my KA 600 series and am replacing it with a Bosch. I have seen the reviews indicating broken cookie paddles, and I wonder if those that broke them left them in when the flour was added? The Bosch video indicates to use the paddles to cream the ingredients, then swap out for the dough hook when adding the flour. I was a little concerned about ordering the Boschl but your coment about a hand mixer doing those smaller more liquidy batters was a great point. I already have that, so the Bosch will handle my bread and the hand mixer for the stuff Bosch is not so great at. Thanks for your review!!
There’s a really good chance the broken cookie paddles are because of that, Patty. I confess to leaving them in when mixing cookie dough (from start to finish), but I’m rethinking that now!
My second Kitchenaid just died, so now I am down to my hand mixer. Kitchenaid is a great appliance but I mostly make bread (two loaves or more at a time) and the standard Kitchenaid just doesn’t stand up to that. Too many bad reviews on the Professional model. Have been researching the Bosch Universal Plus and think that is the one for me. Will finish reading all the very informative reviews on your site before final decision is made. Thank you, Mel, for starting this discussion. The people who give the best reviews are the ones who actually use the products on a regular basis. By the way, your Blackberry Crisp recipe is out of this world . . . I know, off topic . . . but seriously, thanks!!!
There are definitely mixed reviews on that professional model, although people in this comment thread seem to love it! I love reading what everyone thinks about this fascinating topic. 🙂 And…I’m SO happy you loved that blackberry crisp. Thanks!
My second kitchen aid just died too – and when i say died I mean the head became unadjustable so I had to scrape down the bowl incessantly on one and unadjustable to where the beaters were hitting the bowl on the first. KA customer service was awful and it would cost me $50 just to get the machine looked at. I now use my trusty Bosch for big things and my hand mixer for little things. Never had a problem with my Bosch – mine is the one with the blender attachment…that was not a great blender and I ended up with a Vitamix. Another great thing about the Bosch is it’s light and easy to lift so I keep it in a cabinet and it doesn’t take up counterspace. With my Bosch I don’t have to think about the motor when I triple a chocolate chip cookie recipe or make a few loaves of bread. I would never buy a kitchen aid again based on their reliability and customer service.
Three generations of Kitchen Aide users. I received mine as a wedding gift 24 years ago plus I have a KA hand mixer that is a couple years older than the stand. I love both and use them all the time. Have had no trouble with anything I’ve tried to mix including bread. Granted I never try to make more than 2 loaves at a time but this has been a work horse for me. I went to a farm auction several years after purchasing my KA and was able to buy 5 of the attachments for next to nothing and they are also going strong. I don’t actually know anyone who owns a Bosch so other than sites like this I don’t know a thing about them. Next time at the store I’ll go take a look. Interesting comments, I’ve learned a lot.
Glad you love your KitchenAid, Margi!
About six years ago I bought a KitchenAid mixer from Costco. It was beautiful and I loved it. Until I became an avid breadmaker. Once I started making all of my bread it died after nine months. I took it back to Costco and luckily they gave me a refund. My friend has a Bosch so I started researching that mixer instead. I went into a local mom-and-pop shop called kitchen kneads and asked if I could buy a Bosch. I was surprised when they said they didn’t carry them and they introduced me to the blend tech mix and blend. The woman told me it was just as strong as a Bosch and a lot cheaper. I have now had my blendtec mix and blend for over five years and I absolutely love it! It does everything that the Bosch and the KitchenAid mixer’s can do combined. It came with all of the attachments for way less than the Bosch. It can mix up a huge batch of wheat bread just like the Bosch but doesn’t have the problems with cookie dough and frosting that the Bosch does. It has 1000 W of power And comes with a blender attached. I will never buy anything else. I use it for absolutely everything from making bread to shredding up my chicken. When I bought it it was around $400 and came with everything that you needed. I have looked now and they are about $480 and still worth every penny because you don’t have to buy any extra attachments. I love love love my blendtec.
That’s awesome, Carlie! I’ve never heard of that mixer until this post. Sounds interesting!
I have to disagree about the Blendtec. After burning out an Osterizer making strawberry daiquiris for our camping club (ice!), we decided we wanted to get a blender with a STRONG motor. We went back and forth between the Blendtec (“Will it blend?!”) and the Vitamix and finally decided on the Blendtec. Took it to the next camping rally and did a total of three – count ’em! – THREE pitchers of strawberry daiquiris before it BURNED OUT. Like DEAD. A brand new $400 blender. And since we were beyond the 90-day purchase date, they would only replace it with a refurbished one, not a new one. I’d think blending pitchers of ice wouldn’t be as hard on the motor as kneading dough!
I totally agree with you. I have a 5 quart KitchenAid that I use for small things like a single cake, a single batch of cookies, whipped cream, etc. I have an old Bosch that I found at a garage sale for $20 with all the fun accessories (I KNOW!!!) and it’s my go to for bread, quadruple batches of chocolate chip cookies, anything I want to mix in bulk. I also have a BlendTec. If I were starting from scratch, I would do a Bosch and a hand mixer, but I received the KitchenAid as a wedding present from my husband’s grandmother and it’s red and so pretty on my counter. 🙂
$20?? That’s insane!
I’m sorry I didn’t go through all of the comments, so this might be a repeat question. I have a bosch that was given to me by my grandma that is 25+ years…love it and it’s still going strong. What kind of tips do you have for dough creeping up the middle and into all the grooves? Loved this comparison, I’ve been debating getting a new bosch or KA…think I’m gonna stick with the bosch now. ;O)
Hi Lindsie – you aren’t the only one that wonders about this (and I dare say, it’s one of the more aggravating aspects of bread making with the Bosch to a lot of people). I don’t really have any tips, I’m afraid. Some people have suggested the dough hook extender (I don’t have it) helps with this. It hooks on to the Bosch dough hook. I do have the updated model of the Bosch (came out a few years ago) where there’s a quick turn/release option on the bottom of the bowl to remove the inner “stem,” so to speak and quickly wash out any dough that’s gotten in there.
Never saw this till now. Got behind with getting the kitchen ready for cabinets. What a good idea for a post. I have a new Bosch and a Kitchen Aid Artisan. Plus a Compact Bosch which I’ve had for quite a few years. Got a Kitchen Aid Pro from Costco sometime ago and always felt it was too big and too noisy. So this winter got the Artisan tilt-head and am glad I did. Don’t make any bread in it though, all bread dough is made in the Bosch. Probably appreciate my Bosch more than any other mixer. It gets the job done and probably has many more years of work left in it.
Used a KA 4.5 qt lift bowl 325 watt for years, and always thought it was under powered. Then read about the new pro-style KA rated in horsepower. Got one! It is quiet and has a 7 qt bowl – probably a better match for your Bosch. It can whip one egg white. That said, your description of the Bosch has probably won me over for bread. In the next, larger kitchen, will also have a Komo mill. Thanks for the very good review.
I love my KoMo mill so much!
We’re busy getting ready for new cabinets so I missed this. Will read your comments in depth when I get done painting, etc.
But did want to comment. I have the Compact Bosch, the new full size Bosch, and a Kitchen Aid Artisan (not the pro). I did have the pro from Costco, but think it’s noisy and too big. So this year bought the smaller Kitchen Aid. I never mix bread dough in the Kitchen Aid, always mix bread in the Bosch. But use the Kitchen Aid for everything but bread. I hardly ever use the Compact Bosch, so it sits in the pantry. Nice little machine but no need now. We have Bosch stores where I live in the SLC area and I’ve taken many Bosch classes, especially for bread making. I just don’t think you can beat the Bosch for making bread, especially in quantity. And I do appreciate the smaller Kitchen Aid with the tilt head. It does a good job with everything I’ve given it. Not sure it’s true but have heard it has plastic gears, so won’t subject it to bread kneading. To be honest, I would have a hard time picking just one. I make more bread than I do sweets, so probably my Bosch and a hand held mixer to go with it.
Thanks for your comments, Maureen…and good luck with the new cabinets!!
Awesome article with useful information, detailed reviews…thank you for sharing.
I will continue a reader your blog
Thanks, Monica!
I have a smaller kitchen aid with the tilt head. I’ve had it for 14+ years. I love it for everything except bread. The last few months I’ve been making all of our bread and it’s not so good for large batches. I would really love a Bosch.
Sounds like many people like the tilt head feature on the KA’s that have it, Juliana!
I have a Bosch Universal and a Kitchenaid Artisan. I love both and use them for different things. If you make bread, I agree that Bosch is the way to go. I nearly burned out the motor on my Kitchenaid once in the early years of using it. However, the Kitchenaid is MUCH easier to clean. That is my biggest gripe with the Bosch, I hate to clean it. I have the shield for the Kitchenaid and I find it annoying. I don’t use it any longer. I also struggle with adding items while mixing. The open top of the Bosch is much more convenient. If I’m whipping cream, making cookies, cakes, small batches of rolls, breadsticks, or a loaf of French bread, I use my Kitchenaid. If I’m making large batches, I use my Bosch. I also use a hand mixer, mostly for whipped potatoes and sometimes cream. I love them all. Although if I could only choose one, I would pick the Bosch. I love to make breads.
Hi Brianne – I kind of hate the shield for the KA, too. Thanks for adding your comments!
Thanks for the wonderful post, Mel. I grew up with a KitchenAid, so it was a natural thing for me to continue the tradition when I got married. A fresh, shiny KA for the bride! And I must say: my new KA does not compare to my Mother’s 40+ year old KA, and I suspect that it has to do with the fact that the original KA’s had Hobart motors. Because of the overall flimsiness and meager power of my current KA, I have decided to move on (which breaks my heart— Childhood memories will no longer be conjured up when I go to bake…). The Bosch was my “new hopeful” and your review clinched it. Thank you again.
I think that’s what I love most about these comments, Meg – so many of us have the same type of mixers our families had growing up; I agree that is kind of sad to have to break from traditions. I’m sorry! But I do hope you love your Bosch if/when you get it.
I love my Bosch for bread, and I use a hand mixer for most other things. One of these days I may get the cookie paddles for the bosch, but without them it doesn’t do very well. I had the blender attachment but stripped the gear pretty quickly; I wouldn’t recommend that. But I love my Blendtec 🙂
I use a Blendtec and not the Bosch blender, too, Barbara.
How fun!!! I was raised with a bread making Bosch loving Mom. When I asked what do you do if you don’t have Bosch when you get married, my mom quickly responded, “you don’t not have one!!!!” I purchased mine from a man who build it from the inside out. It looks like my mom’s vintage one with a groovy green turn—it is 17 years old and going strong!! Made hundred of loaves of bread, thousands of cookies and everything in between!!! I do have this say–when. I got married, we went to my in-laws and my husband wanted to make our favorite piazza breadsticks….we KILLeD her kitchen aid…
Love this post!!
Haha, I love your mom’s response to your question! Thanks for your comments, Jeni (although double oops to killing your in-laws KA!).
I started with a KitchenAid when I was newly married in the 70’s. When the family grew and I was making many loaves of bread, I discovered the Bosch and I love it so much. It is a work horse! It takes much abuse and still keeps going. I even took it to West Africa where we lived for 5 years. It ran with a current transformer and it did great. It was so loved by everyone that when it was time for us to return to the USA, I left it there for others to use. I got another one in the USA. We are now living in New Zealand and I miss my Bosch. I didn’t bring it this time because I didn’t want to put it through the strain of a transformer, and I knew there was a stand mixer here with the right wiring for the New Zealand electrical current. But, I really, really miss my Bosch!
Debbie – how sweet of you to leave your Bosch to your friends in West Africa! That is awesome. Good luck surviving without your Bosch in New Zealand – it will be a great welcome home gift to be reunited with it eventually. 🙂
I own both a Bosch like yours and an old (35+ years) Kitchen Aid 4 quart mixer I inherited from my mother in law that is still going strong–even after making countless batches of homemade marshmallows for my son’s wedding reception. I am a bit frustrated with how many plastic parts are involved in very high pressure places on the Bosch. They increased the power of the motor in this model and then replaced parts that were metal on previous models with plastic parts. I paid well over $400 for mine when this model was first released and really expected greater longevity from that price tag and the Bosch name. I have replaced broken cookie paddles twice–the little grooves break off where they run around the bowl. I currently have semi broken cookie paddles where only one of the two rotates as they spin around the bowl, but cannot decide if I should spend another $20 on cookie paddles that are of such a poor design. I love the size of the bowl of the Bosch, but am disappointed that it is made of such soft plastic. It has worn away a bit around the top where the paddles or whisks spin. Also, it never seems to be free of oil, no matter how much I soap it or wipe with vinegar or lemon juice. Because of this it is very difficult to make a good meringue in this mixer. I always get out the old Kitchen Aid to make anything with a meringue base. The Bosch does a great job with bread, but I have to use the little plastic shield between the metal dough hooks and the bowl that the manufacturer sent me or the metal scrapes into the plastic bowl. Are you not having any of these issues? Also, do you find that your Kitchen Aid from Costco over heats after making something that requires several minutes of beating (e.g., swiss meringue buttercream frosting)? I borrowed my daughter’s Costco model Kitchen Aid for that purpose and it started to smell hot after just a few minutes of beating on high. I had considered buying that model of Kitchen Aid, but perhaps they aren’t as solid as the older versions?? Sigh. I would love a Kitchen Aid with a larger bowl, but . . . I guess there is nothing absolutely perfect in the world of mixers. 🙂
Hi Nan! I haven’t had any of the issues you’ve described with your Bosch, but some in the comments have mentioned they’ve also broken cookie paddles. I haven’t had any of the plastic wear off on the bowl. I do think that is one downfall for some with the Bosch – the plastic. Interesting what you said about your daughter’s Costco KA – I’ve experienced the SAME thing when making a large batch of whipped cream and a couple other things that needed longer whipping times. To be honest, I’d never buy a KA from Costco again – mostly because some of the scraper and other bowl attachments aren’t compatible. Makes me wonder why it had to be made differently.
My husband bought me a kitchen aid mixer when we were first married. After 25 years of use – it broke! My husband bought some parts to fix it, but I thought it might not work as well as a new one. So we gave my old mixer to our daughter. Which she still uses after 10 years!
I decided to buy a Bosch. I had heard wonderful things about it and wanted to try it. I have a side business of baking cakes. Therefore, I use my mixer a lot! And that is a definite understatement!
After replacing the mixing bowl three times and countless paddles and beaters, I decided to go back to a kitchen aid mixer!
In my opinion, the Bosch is not designed to make lots of frosting on a weekly basis. It was frustrating to spend extra money on replacing parts.
I love my professional kitchen aid!
Thanks for your insight, Michelle!
I am going to weigh in on this debate. I love my professional 5 quart lift up KitchenAid mixer I got as a graduation gift from my parents in 1994. I use it for everything. I have a hand mixer only for whipping cream when the amount called for is less than 2 cups. I also have a 6 quart lift up professional series KA I bought in 2000 to make larger batches of cake batter and buttercream for wedding cakes. Now my caveat is that I prefer the lift up the bowl KA mixers much more than the tilt head kind. I can add dry ingredients without a cloud of dust coming out because I can slowly lift up the bowl while mixing on lowest speed. I don’t have to unlock and lift up the tilt head to scrape down the sides of the bowl either. I also have the scraper beater blades for both mixers and really don’t need to scrape the bowl at all. I highly recommend it. Personally, I would never buy a KA bigger than 5 quarts if you only make standard baking recipes and don’t double them. The 6 quart and larger sizes just won’t mix up regular sized recipes very well cause they just don’t fill the bowl well enough. KA professional series mixers are the best for bread making cause they have more horsepower.
I have no experience with the Bosch mixer, but if you mix up large batches of bread doughs, I could see it would be worth it.
Thanks so much for your comments, Melissa!
I had a Kitchen Aid my husband bought me in 1970, sold it to a friend in 2000 and bought a Bosch. Bosch was love at first sight, Bread batches were sufficient that I could make a full batch of whole wheat bread (6 loaves) or a double batch of any other type. 22 cup capacity is a lot. Dough was perfect every time, unlike the Kitchen-Aid that would bog down and I would have to do it by hand the last 10 minutes. We now have two homes and two Bosch mixers and my husband decided to surprise me with a new high end Kitchen Aid because his sister recommended it. I have used it two times, still prefer the Bosch. Sadly he bought a ton of the bells and whistles for the Kitchen-Aid and I still grab my hand mixer to whip up a cake or something small and ignore it. I think he would feel bad about it, but he stays out of the kitchen most of the time.
I am with you, in a fire I would grab my Bosch and my genealogy and mom’s jewelry. The rest is just stuff
So helpful, Ronda! Thank you so much.
I’m the opposite of you Mel. I have a Kitchen Aid, the 5 qt tilt head one. It’s been going strong since 2008. I have a pouring shield as mentioned in other comments, so I’ve not had issues adding ingredients. Except for when I couldn’t find the shield after a babysitter put away dishes, but I digress.
When Grandma dies, I inherited her Bosch. It’s the Compact one you linked to above. Maybe it’s the difference in sizes, but overall I still prefer the KitchenAid. I don’t like the shield on the compact Bosch, and find it a pain to move every time I’m adding ingredients. I did find it okay for bread, but it’s hard to scrap with that dang shield, and it’s not easily moveable like on my KA.
I am also in the camp of making bread weekly, and don’t have issues with it in my KA, even your breads! LOL. Thanks for the good review, it’s nice to see an honest opinion.
I have the ice cream maker and pasta thing for my KA. I love the ice cream maker!!
Loved reading this, Courtney – and I love that there is room in this world (and most definitely on my blog) for loyalty to all stand mixers! 🙂
Thanks for the great review and helpful charts! I make bread by hand and use a hand mixer for everything else. I’ve been deciding for years which mixer to splurge on and your review definitely helps me come closer to a decision! Thanks, Mel!
Thanks, Marcie!
Hello! I got my first Kitchen Aid mixer at my wedding shower. Then 2 years later we burned out the motor using the meat grinder attachment for venison. Oops. I got a bigger wattage model and it has been going strong for 13 years (bright orange if you’re wondering!). I will say one of the best things about the Kitchen Aid are the attachments. I have them all except the pasta maker. If you garden or preserve they can’t be best! The fruit strainer makes quick work of applesauce. The shredder helps get all the zucchini ready for the freezer. Plus once you invest in those they will fit all Kitchen Aid mixers. Until reading your post I had never even seen a Bosch mixer!
So glad your KA is going strong, Judy! That’s awesome! The attachments for the KA sound amazing…after reading all these comments I’m going to have to check into some of them (like that fruit strainer??).
Holy Toledo, you are so famous! I had to scroll down for 10 minutes to get to the comments…I love you and your site and refer everyone from my friends to my YW to my daughters who see you as the ONLY source of cooking knowledge online. I loved this post, concur 100%, and thought I’d just put a couple of thoughts down, in case your million and a half comments already on here didn’t cover these:
1) I havea Bosch and have the scrapers and LOVE THEM for making cookies! They actually clean the shaft well and the sides. For the bottom…I just end up licking the bowl of whatever doesn’t mix in. Life is rough.
2) One of my cookie paddles broke right away because it was the older plastic model, and I should have replaced it but never got around to it. My Bosch is so amazing that it makes incredible cookies, mashed potatoes, you-name-it with just one good and one gimp paddle. Kind of amazing!
3) You didn’t mention the one and only thing I hate…cleaning the bread dough out of the Bosch when you’re done. #firstworldproblems
Thanks for all the tasty goodness you’ve put out into the world, and all the smiles you’ve put on my face! Not only are you a good cook, but you’re a gifted writer into the bargain. 🙂
Love your points, Jessica! And I think it’s awesome-slash-hilarious that the Bosch mixes like a boss with just one cookie paddle. If that’s not a testament of amazingness, I don’t know what it.
I have a 40 year old Kenwood with multiple attachments. It’s made in England and was a gift from my Dad. It has mixed hundreds of loaves of yeast and quick breads AND ground the wheat for the flour, juiced cases of citrus, shredded and sliced who knows how many vegetables, ground meat, mixed cakes and cookies galore, and whipped cream, potatoes, and egg whites to perfection. I love it and would gladly replace it with another Kenwood if it ever dies. It does have two downsides: good luck finding anyone to service or repair it in the US and it only makes three 9×5 bread loaves at a time but not because of the power of the motor. Mine has a 7 quart bowl but the flour will fly out if you make too big of a batch. I think the newer versions might have a guard to prevent that problem.
Ann, thank you for this information. Things have changed this week with a project that was in the works and as I’ve been reading all these comments. Kenwood was on my list – almost bought one at Christmas. Your plus other comments … anyway, it is in my cart at kenwoodworld.com .
The site shows 3 service areas near (ish) to me. And yes, the current models come with a guard. I have also been “seduced” by the chopper and juice attachments with others to hopefully be added.
Stop laughing, Mel!!
I’m not laughing, I promise! 🙂 But I have a big grin plastered on my face.
Liz, you’re almost as famous as Mel and Aunt Marilyn on this site! I love love love the Kenwood and all of the attachments I have for it. Get the biggest bowl and the most powerful motor and you will be a happy chef. I also use a hand mixer for small (one or two egg whites, etc) needs.
Thank you, Ann – I very much appreciate the Kenwood info!
I finally came back to read this post even though I was pretty sure the outcome. Bosh all the way. My mom owned one all growing up and I would feel so unfaithful making bread in anything else. I did own the scrapers, for about a month before they broke, so don’t bother FYI. And I was going to say that there are two awesome Bosh repair places in Utah, probably elsewhere, that you can take yours into for a ‘tune up’. They fixed my clicking issue and some weird thing where water got in the center part. I’ve been tempted by the KitchenAid too, for decorative purposes. 😉 Thanks Mel!
Interesting about the scrapers – I read a lot of reviews that said they broke, too. Bummer.
Hi Mel~
I always enjoy reading and learning from you! I have had my KitchenAid for 33 years and it’s still going very strong. I use it for everything from making bread (though not 6 loaves), to pizza dough, pasta, cake, cookies, bars, icing and whipping potatoes. I love my stand mixer. I do use the paddle for mixing up the various breads and switch to the dough hook for the kneading process. As you pointed out, I like the top of the Bosch for adding ingredients. I did buy a guard when the boys were little and helping in the kitchen so their little fingers would not get into the bowl that fits nicely. It also has an extended piece to make it easy to add any ingredient. I just love my Kitchen Aid.
I’m glad you love your KitchenAid, Debbie! Thanks for the comment!
I got a Bosch from my mom for my wedding almost 15 years ago. Absolutely love it and make bread all the time. And yes I did take it with me when we evacuated our house for a fire!
Oh gosh, I’ve always joked about that – sorry you’ve actually had to live that nightmare!
What an awesome post, I have read many Bosch vs. Kitchen Aid comparisons over the years. This is the one I will refer others to and I agree with you completely. One thing you didn’t mention is that if you are making your own mixes, like pancake or cake mixes, the Bosch also wins. You can load it with all the dry ingredients (and veggie oil in the case of pancake mix), put the cover on, and mix without making a huge mess. A huge time saver if you like homemade.
Yeah, that’s a great point that I missed!
Thanks for your post, Mel! I’m a Bosch girl through and through!
Love all these Bosch girls commenting with their loyalty. 🙂
We were gifted a Kitchen Aid at our wedding 6 years ago, but when we were moving to Georgia, we sold it with the intention of replacing it once we moved, and then never did. I have a $20 Kelsey Nixon (former BYU friend turned kitchen chef and extraordinaire, I’m sure you know her) hand mixer, and make most things with either that, or by hand. I have really fallen in love with the art of bread making the last couple years having to do it all by hand. The last time we were in Idaho though, I used my mother in law’s Bosch to make rolls for the entire family for dinner (30 people and 60+ rolls) and they turned out amazing, and I found myself becoming a Bosch convert. (Although using my Kitchenaid it ALWAYS struggled on bread dough). I used my friend’s Bosch a few weeks ago when I had to make 200+ cookies for a church function, and was blown away by the bosch again. So, now my husband and I are looking at buying a Bosch this summer. Also love that it comes with a blender, because we don’t own one of those either.
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I hope you are able to find/get a Bosch, Paige! Thanks for your comment (and I love Kelsey…I mean, I don’t know her, but have followed her for a long time; fun that you are friends in real life!). 🙂
Such a great post Mel! I grew up with a Bosch and my Mom wasn’t much of a baker but we used it for cookies. When I got married 12 years ago I got the standard size KA and have loved, loved, loved it! I don’t make bread like you, (I wish I did!), but don’t. So when I make an occasional pizza dough or your divine bread sticks, it does just fine for me. I make a lot of cookies, and muffins, and frosting and like others have said it helps to add the ingredients in a certain order. I do have to scrape the bottom, but I do that with any way that I make things, even with my hand mixer. I just love the fact that I can put things in and walk away (read:help a crying child) and come back to a fully whipped cream! I have been wanting to upgrade to the KA you have, but also keep both! Small batches I think work better in the smaller KA, but there are those times when I triple a frosting and just cannot mix it in mine. I bought a little scoop like an ice scoop at Gygi’s and that’s what I use to add the dry ingredients and ever since I’ve done that I never have an issue with adding the dry. My sister has both like you, and she has said that she only used the bosch for her bread days, and the KA for everything else. Fun informative post!!
Helpful feedback – thank you, Jen! What is this order everyone speaks of for the KitchenAid?
We have both a KitchenAide and a Bosch (granted, it’s very old). My husband, who is the small-batch cookie makeer in my family, uses the KitchenAide exclusively. I use it for frostings and cakes if it is already out (because that sucker is HEAVY and too big to fit under my cabinets); if it’s not readily available, I use my handheld mixer. My Bosch I use exclusively for bread because it is about 40 years old (bought it in the classfieds) and it only came with the dough hook. I might use it for more things when a new one (PLEASE, SANTA!), but I kind of like the division of labor.
Yes, division of labor is nice!
I have a Bosch Universal. I love it! I use it to make almost all my bread doughs for things like pizza, doughnuts, bread, rolls, sweet rolls etc.
I make cookies, cakes, muffins and most frosting by hand. I really enjoy mixing it myself and getting a great sense of how it looks/feels.
Thanks, Bridget! There is something rewarding about making things by hand, I agree.
Bosch, Love it! My mom had one all growing up! I then bought one for myself at Costco a couple of years ago. I have used both Kitchen-Aids and Bosch but I prefer Bosch. I think it is easier to use. With the Kitchen Aid I spill everything and make such a bigger mess. I think I hate having the head of the kitchen aid in the way of pouring in my ingredients. I love how my bread works in the Bosch. If you didn’t know Bosch has an attachment that you now add under your dough hooks so that the dough always stays down in the bowl. It is the best invention.
I think I’m hung up on the main part of the KitchenAid right in the way of pouring ingredients, too. I need to look into that dough hook attachment – lots of people have recommended it!
I have a KitchenAid and I hate it! Always have to scrap the bottom of the bowl to mix in ingredients. Doesn’t matter whether the height is adjusted or not. I also have trouble adding in dry ingredients, such as flour. My measuring cup always touches the mixer head and it is hard to add while the mixer is going. My friend has a Bosch and I really like it. My next mixer will definitely be a Bosche!
Thanks for chiming in, Ann!
I’ve got the workhorse version of the kitchenaid. It’s what my mom used and it’s what she bought me for a wedding gift 11 years ago. Back when they came in white and that was it. I love it. But I don’t make a lot of bread. I’m kind of a stinker about homemade bread in that I just don’t like it for sandwiches so I only make bread when I’m making dinner rolls or whatever and that’s just a small batch. I use my hand mixer when my kitchenaid bowl is dirty or being used for another part of a recipe. But I’m seriously considering asking for bosch so I can attempt bread and see if I can find that recipe that really works for sandwiches – soft and not too thick or dense. I hate dense bread for sandwiches and all homemade bread I’ve tried is too dense for me.
Now you need to do a post about blenders! I want so badly to make smoothies regularly but I just can’t win with blenders. The glass breaks or the motor dies easily or it doesn’t chop well. Argh! And I just can’t spend hundreds of dollars on a blender that might have the same problems. Bad enough spending almost $100 to have it break down!
Jennifer – I make smoothies daily and love my Ninja for it. Mine came with 2 cups that are roughly 16 ounces and I make an individual smoothie in it every morning. I had a magic bullet before and found that it often wouldn’t chop frozen fruit very well and I’d still have big chunks of fruit in my smoothie. That has never been a problem with my Ninja. I also add oats to my smoothie and find that I can grind a big batch of rolled oats in a dry single serve cup of my ninja. Then I have oat flour to add to my smoothies to bulk them out. The only caveat is that the oats should not go in the bottom of the smoothie cup because they sometimes have a hard time incorporating so I just put them in the top and it’s been great.
Thanks Jessica!
I got a blendtec, new, on ebay for under $200 and I love it. I stripped the gear on my Bosch blender, and burned out 2 Cuisinart mini blenders as well as Magic Bullet. so I decided it was time to buy a workhorse that wouldn’t die an easy death. I love it!
I have a Kitchen Aid, just the normal 200$ model. When I worked in a bakery we used the cheapie model and I was always told it’s all about the order you add ingredients in. I don’t ever use a hand mixer, so I got rid of mine. I end up making a lot of batters in my blendtec if I don’t feel like hauling the KA out. I did have a bosch for a while, but I hated it. I just didn’t feel like it was intuitive to use. And I must be a wierdo, but I hate making bread in a mixer to begin with. I always make it on the countertop from start to finish. Maybe it’s because of the bakery experience. We had a giant Hobart mixer to start bread in, but we always had to knead the batches by hand. I just say it’s justification for eating a whole loaf fresh from the oven. I burned off so many calories kneading it 😉
Haha, I love that, Crystal!
I have a Kitchen Aid and got that for a wedding gift. I too, didn’t like how it handled larger batches of bread. Recently, I purchased an Ankarsrum. I love it! It can handle the larger batches of bread and it doesn’t have a middle shaft for the metal bowl so it is easier to clean when making the bread. There is a smaller, plastic bowl you use for making cookies and that has a middle shaft. It is more pricey (so I saved up for it) but I am so pleased with it and don’t have to “babysit it” when I knead bread like I did the Kitchen Aid.
I have a Kitchen Aid. I HATE the dough hook. I almost always use the paddle instead. I have an attachment similar to the paddle, but it has scrapers that I LOVE for making frostings, it makes quick work of creaming and incorporating the ingredients. It was really fun to see what you thought!
Thanks, Cathy!