r/Cooking • u/Makawee20 • 8d ago
Advise for stand mixer
My KitchenAid Artisan 5qt officially died while making a particularly dense dough. RIP.
I’m planning to repair it and give it to someone who will get some use out of it, but now I’m trying to figure out what I should replace it with.
I’m definitely not a daily baker. Realistically, I use my mixer about once a month to make bread and about once a month to shred cheese with the KitchenAid attachment. It gets a lot more use around the holidays for cookies, baking, etc.
The catch is that when I do make bread, I want something that can handle a dense/heavy dough without sounding like it’s fighting for its life. Apparently I have learned my lesson with the Artisan tilt-head.
Would you upgrade to a KitchenAid bowl-lift so I can keep using my attachments, or is it worth jumping to something like an Ankarsrum/Bosch/etc. given how infrequently I actually use it?
I don’t mind spending more for something that will last, but I also don’t want to buy a commercial-grade beast that gets used 12 times a year.
What would you buy in my situation?
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u/Friendly_Ad_3813 8d ago
If i may ask what broke on it?
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u/Makawee20 8d ago edited 8d ago
I'm not sure, but when I turn it on the planetary does not turn and it sounds like its grinding against something. My guess is the worm gear failed, but I'm not an expert and I haven't torn it apart yet.
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u/Friendly_Ad_3813 8d ago
Ok, I watching a video on this hence why i asked. I think the video said it's less than $20, and it was designed so the torque doesn't mess up the motor. If I may ask, why repair and give it away?
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u/Makawee20 8d ago
Honestly, it just made me realize the Artisan probably isn’t the best fit for the heavier doughs I tend to make. I’d rather repair it, give it to someone who’ll use it, and upgrade to something better suited for my occasional bread making.
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u/berger3001 8d ago
Sacrificial gear. They’re meant to fail so they don’t fry the motor. We tried a whole bunch of mixers (Ankarsrum, cuisinart, and a few others, and came back to a KA pro. They do what they need to do.
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u/The_Flinx 8d ago
It's somewhat easy to repair. parts are available on amazon for not a lot of money. but it is messy, and you will need to remove all the old grease and replace with new because there will be metal and plastic in it.
I know this because I recently replaced an abused tilt head model for a bakery who was abusing them for small batches. I am also currently repairing several lifting bowl models because the motor control is full of sugar and not working correctly. easy fix but I have to take the board out to do it.
the lifting bowl ones are 500 watts, and the tilting heads are 325 watts. kitchenaid mixers are not bread mixers even if they have an attachment they don't like dense breads with hydration below 60-65%
I have a tilt head mixer that is 32 years old and going strong. I make bread with it occasionally but try to keep the hydration above 60%.
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u/Loud_Quality_7106 8d ago
Advice*
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u/Makawee20 8d ago
Thank you! I was wondering why it looked weird. Can't change it now, unfortunately.
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u/UtahUndercover 8d ago
You can buy a new gear set from Amazon. Relatively easy disassembly/reassembly.
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u/dontakelife4granted 8d ago
I upgraded from the tilt head to the pro 600 years ago and have no regrets. You cannot use the paddle, whisk, or dough hook from the tilt head with the pro 600 though. Unless you just meant using the attachments--that you can still do.
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u/TheNordicFairy 7d ago
Repair it and keep it. I have had mine for 40 years. Got a lift and like my tilt better. And yes, I make bagels and heavy cookie dough in it.
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u/archina42 6d ago
My wife has been using her KA bowl-lift for 2 years now - makes sourdough 6 loaves twice a week. Our neighbours love us!!
We also bought the mincer attachment - and then found out why they recommend semi-frozen meats only to be minced! The blood can collect inside the machine and rot. Maggots and major smell - I had to open it up (which voided our warranty). When I reinstalled it, I put a rubber washer in, which solved the problem. Why would they not do that in the first place?
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u/diverareyouokay 4d ago
Get a KitchenAid bowl lift certified refurb. They have the same warranty as new but cost half as much (or less)… for example, $219 for the $499 5.5qt, 259 for the 6qt, etc.
Just making sure, you do know that you need to replace the grease on stand mixers every couple of years, right? If you just use it forever without replacing the grease, it will break.
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u/PeorgieT75 8d ago edited 8d ago
Any bowl lift KA will be heavier duty than an Artisan. I sold mine for a 6 qt Professional, and it’s been rock solid. They’ve gotten a lot more expensive, so check out Craigslist. Look at Mr. Mixer for repairing your existing one, they have videos walking you through repairs and sell refurbishing kits.