Kitchen Aide Pro 600 6 QT on sale...

Paddyscake on 11 Dec 2007 at 16:28
I just got an e-mail that this mixer is on sale with rebate & free shipping for $209.99 at Amazon.com and is in stock. I know there's lot's of controversy on the Kitchen Aide for bread making, I love mine. This is a great mixer if you love baking in general..in case you were looking for that special Christmas gift at a bargain price.

I am fortunate enough to have inherited my Kitchenaid from my parents, who have passed these years ago, and if they passed on the owner's manual, I don't know where my wife has stored it, and I have not ever read it. So I have no idea what proscriptions there might be concerning dough speeds. I mix at 4 and 6 for just a few minutes, never more than about 5 of 6 and it hasn't croaked yet... I wish you guys would stop saying 'no higher than 2' cause it's scaring me.

That's my story,

Lee

It is probably made by Hobart, which is a far sturdier machine than the new ones  (I think Whirlpool owns it now).  At least that is what I have heard.  I have stopped using mine for bread-I fold everything now and love how much simpler it is.  I also don't have to worry about oxidizing the flour.  However, I also bake cakes and other things, and need to get mine fixed because it is wonderful for that.  It would also be nice for super wet doughs I suppose, but I haven't been doing that a lot recently

People are saying mix on 2 because that is what the manuals say.  If your is the Hobart model, it may be OK.  You can tell when it is straining, it makes a lot of noise.

 

I have this mixer and I'm happy with it for the most part.  Just two things... I have the grain mill but from what I've read it does grind fine enough and I dont' have much sucess with fresh ground flour which makes me really sad.  The other thing is that I have the C hook and I don't think it works as well as the S hook.  The C hook tends to take the dough for a ride around the bowl and it can climb up the hook too.  I have been looking and looking for the S hook and can't seem to find anybody that will ship it to Canada.  Not even amazon.  They don't stock it on their Canadian site and they won't ship to Canada if I order off their US site.  (Strange if you ask me.)

Anyway, that is a great deal on the mixer.

Sylvia

I've had both the C and the S hook, and the S hook does work better for overall kneading.  But if you leave the dough in for too long (oops, got distracted and forgot it was going) the dough will eventually wrap around the S hook for a ride, too, but it takes much longer.  I'm very happy with the S hook and never regretted my upgrade.

I have a KA mixer that's maybe 25 years old. It's the kind that raises the bowl when you move the lever up. I saw a video of a KA with a spiral hook that seemed to work well. Is the S hook you are referring to a spiral?

Eric

I always mix my starter and water first in the KA bowl with my dough whisk, then add the flour till incorporated. I do most of it with my whisk (to eliminate flying flour), then use the spiral hook to finish, maybe for a minute.(I'm not strong enough to do it all by hand). Then I cover and let it sit for a 1/2 hour (autolyse). I mix for about 5 minutes on 2, add my salt then mix another 4-5 minutes on 2. It always windowpanes and I have experienced no overheating. I make 2 boules of Thom Leonard French Country every week.

I too have used extensively a KA that is about 20 couple years old.  I borrowed it for several years from my mom.  I decided it was time to buy my own, and I got a new one last year.  The older mixer had a C hook, the newer, a spiral.  The spiral hook seemed to tear the dough as it mixed, something I never experienced with the C hook.  In addition, I kneaded only on speed 2 with the new one and still had it overheat often, whereas I used much higher speeds on the older one and never had a problem.  (I didn't know then that I shouldn't use such a high speed for better dough quality, but that's not the point.)  Everyone has their own preferences, but if I had to buy a KA again, it would be an older one.  The quality is poor in the new ones, in my opinion.

SOL

was just to say..HEY Pro 600 6 QT on sale at a very good price, free shipping, in stock and from a reputable source. You may not like it for bread..which is just fine. If you have a cake, cookie, pastry baker on your holiday list this might be a great present for you as the purchaser and that special someone. Happy Baking & Holidays  :  )

Hi Paddyscake:

 I don't think any of us (myself included) meant to get this thread going on such a different track than the one you started.  Oy, we have so many opinions...:)

 SOL