[Scribbler]

As I make all our bread, it struck me that a kitchen aid mixer might be useful. Although hideously expensive, you can get them a lot cheaper second-hand. Although of course with Bake Off on at the moment, it's not a good time to try and find them!!

Anybody use one for breadmaking? Should I stick to mixing bowls and manual kneading?

[JudithD]

I do not know anything about the Kitchen Aid. But I have an English Kenwood Major Titanium, bought in 2008, via Amazon. It can really do the job but of course it depends on the number of breads you intend to make each day. One a day will work just fine. I don't know if the recent versions of this machine have the same inner parts as mine has?
The dough hook is fine but there is a better one for sale on Ebay, (for all Kenwoods) which kneads more than the Kenwood standard dough hook. Less time kneading due to a better hook = less wear and tear.

They say you can taste the love in the bread if you knead it manually. I say, I can still use my arms due to help of the above machine, I'll pass the love in another way

[mumofstig]

I just use my bread-maker to do the kneading, then I take over for the proving and baking of rolls, loaves or buns 

[8doubles]

I do not know anything about the Kitchen Aid. But I have an English Kenwood Major Titanium, bought in 2008, via Amazon. It can really do the job but of course it depends on the number of breads you intend to make each day. One a day will work just fine. I don't know if the recent versions of this machine have the same inner parts as mine has?
The dough hook is fine but there is a better one for sale on Ebay, (for all Kenwoods) which kneads more than the Kenwood standard dough hook. Less time kneading due to a better hook = less wear and tear.

They say you can taste the love in the bread if you knead it manually. I say, I can still use my arms due to help of the above machine, I'll pass the love in another way

Like !

Not sure how much dough a kitchin aid will make in one go but it must be more than the 1x 2lb loaf that you get from a breadmaker set to knead.
Would like one of the big do it all mixers but do not have the worktop space kneaded .

[DanielCoffey]

I have used several counter-top mixers over the past few years exclusively for dough mixing so can offer some advice...

You will find that if you make a standard 2lb loaf in either a Kenwood Chef or the KitchenAid Artisan, you will wear through the gearboxes pretty quickly. The majority of the components in them are plastic and they don't last when asked to do the heavy stuff every day. They are intended for the whisking, whipping and *occasional* dough mixing.

After wearing out the second Kenwood Chef gearbox (the grease started leaking out the front too), I tried an Assistent dough mixer from the Continent but I found it tried to walk across the counter top. That was when I started looking at KitchenAid... but the commercial ones. They are intended for a tough, always in use commercial duty cycle and all internal parts (apart from the one nylon safety gear) are metal.

My first model was the commercial Kitchenaid 5KPM5 in white which had a one-year commercial warranty. It is fully serviceable and after three years I decided to treat it to a new gasket and grease. There are folks on the web selling the appropriate parts. It was about two hours work the first time since I had to follow a guide. I saw the nylon worm gear was showing signs of light wear so after another two years I ordered more grease and a new gear. This time it was only one hour to deal with since I knew what to expect.

I still have my 5KPM5 as a "spare" mixer but have since upgraded to one of the new KitchenAid Heavy Duty mixers with the digital motor and sealed gearbox (not easily serviceable). It was much quieter than the 5KPM5 and had a larger bowl.

I should add that I had a warranty issue with the motor (a piece of swarf or something was in it and it squeaked when starting and stopping) but KitchenAid were wonderful and simply swapped it out for a new one of the same model even though I was 11 months and 2 weeks through the warranty.

John Lewis sometimes stock the KitchenAid Heavy Duty models so I would say go for it. Their warranty is excellent.

[AnneB]

I went for the cheaper (compared with Kitchen Aid) Kenwood Kmix on the basis of Which? tests and I have been very pleased with it.

Like others, I use the dough hook attachment and use it to do the kneading part of the work. 

[Scribbler]

Thanks for all the input.

Whenever I get a one pound coin in my change, I squirrel it away in a large plastic milk bottle. This thread was initially prompted by the fact that I counted the money the other day and found I had about £370. Although this has taken me about three years.

If I need the heavy duty model, perhaps I'd better carry on saving!!

[GrannieAnnie]

I just use my bread-maker to do the kneading, then I take over for the proving and baking of rolls, loaves or buns 

Me too.  I did try mixing the dough in my Kenwood Chef once, but it seemed to stick to the dough hook and just went round and round without kneading properly!

[DanielCoffey]

Check the amount of water in the recipe... it may need a touch more. Old flour gets drier over time.

The Kenwood Chef will be fine for a while but if you use it for, say, two or three loaves a week, expect to get a year at most from the gearbox.

[chrissie B]

I got my mixer from lidl 89.00 been using for about 2 years now its ok  ot the prettiest  thing but it works even one day while mixing douhg i went into the next room for a bowl and it lurched across the bench and leaped off , still mixing landed on the floor scary moment but its still going.
Chrissie b