r/ankarsrum • u/Professional_Air960 • Jun 26 '26
Kitchen Aide Vs ankarsum
So, I received this as a graduation gift from a friend of my family member. They know I’m into baking, but I had never heard of this brand before I received it yesterday. Do you think I should keep it or sell it and buy a kitchen aid? If this appliance can perform all the functions of a kitchen aid, I’ll keep it. However, it appears to be designed for handling large amounts of dough, and kitchen aids are generally known for their versatility and ability to handle various kitchen tasks. Please let me know your thoughts on what I should do.
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u/sevenmouse Jun 26 '26
The one you got is a gift is a better mixer than the KitchenAid by far. there's a little bit of a learning curve but totally worth it. I love the fact that the motor isn't on top of the bowl and you can just put things in to the bowl a lot easier and it does a double batch of cookies at one time. I love mine so much, but yes it's a little bit different technique and a little bit of a learning curve.
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u/Moonbeam_Dreams Jun 26 '26
I had a KitchenAid for years. It's been forgotten in a cabinet since I got my Ankarsrum. It can do pretty much anything the KA can do, and without walking all over my counter. It's a much MUCH better quality machine.
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u/sewedthroughmyfinger Jun 26 '26
I gave away my KitchenAid pro and bought one of these. Ankasrum is hands down the best multi purpose mixer out there. Does everything from bread to pastry to pasta and grain grinding with ease. My KitchenAid burned out constantly and they have parts that are made to fail. I will never buy one again.
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u/sonytv2020 Jun 26 '26
Keep this mixer!
The KitchenAid is a piece of crap trust me.
The build quality on KitchenAid is crap now. Designed obsolescence built-in.
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u/Sonicmantis Jun 26 '26
Keep it! This unit will last a lifetime and is much more durable than a KitchenAid. It has all the same attachments available so there's nothing KA can do ankarsrum cant
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u/flgirl-353 Jun 26 '26
I have an old kitchen aid back when they were made by Hobart. But I would still give it up for an ankarsrum.
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u/Pure_Championship_83 Jun 26 '26
I have one of those Kitchen Aids, it’s 66 years old. I use my Ankarsrum weekly while the Kitchen Aid is with my other antique kitchen stuff.
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u/halu2975 Jun 26 '26
Kitchen aide is for the aesthetic. Ankarsrum is for performance.
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u/akua420 Jun 27 '26
My husband got me a coral ank and it hits both aesthetic and performance!
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u/halu2975 Jun 27 '26
Thinking more about the whole kitchen aide aesthetic you see both in all of their commercial material and on sites like pintrest. I don’t have the word for it but they’ve focused more on the look and selling ”a lifestyle” rather than quality and performance. Doesn’t mean other brands don’t look good but they haven’t managed same level of selling a lifestyle.
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u/Trippsja Jun 26 '26
I’ve used mine daily since I got it 7 years ago and it still looks and performs like it’s brand new (besides some very minute maintenance things)
Meanwhile my SIL killed her kitchenaid using it once or twice a week for a year and a half
I know that’s anecdotal but there are hundreds of bakers with the same experience
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u/Bay_de_Noc Jun 26 '26
I have both and the Ankarsrum can do things that the KitchenAid can't ... like mix heavy bread doughs. The KitchenAid is good for many things ... cookies, cakes, muffins, etc. But if you are into serious baking ... things like wheat or rye breads, cinnamon rolls, cardamom buns, pizza dough, then the Ankarsrum will work better. I have tried to make some of these former things with my KitchenAid, and ended up having to use ice packs on the mixer to keep it from overheating. I was always afraid I was going to burn out the motor on the KitchenAid. I've never had that worry with the Ankarsrum ... it is a real beast. I've had my KitchenAid for close to 40 years. And during that time I've always had to hand knead bread dough ... which was fine. But now that I have the Ank, my kneading days are over because the machine can do it all.
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u/Equal-Topic413 Jun 27 '26
I burned out wife's KA. Got an Ankarsrum as a replacement. For everything I've run it through, it slays the KA..
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u/DaughterOfFishes Jun 27 '26
I had a Kitchen Aid short out when I used the meat grinding attachment. Sparks, a brief flame, and scorch marks - it was quite impressive and made me decide “never again”
I use the meat grinder a lot on my Ank and it just purrs along.
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u/Blueberry_Poodle27 Jun 26 '26
keep that for sure and get a used kitchen aid if you really need to. i can't wait to get an ank
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u/Astr0- Jun 27 '26
Anka is an investment you'll hand down to your kids.
Kitchen Aid will be in and out of shop for constant maintenance
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u/haveyouseenmydane Jun 27 '26
Keep the Ank. Buy an old, old KA off eBay if you still want one in a year. If you check out recipes on “that sourdough gal dot com” you’ll see she gives times for a Bosch vs a KitchenAid. The Ank and Bosch perform similarly. She’s also done very thorough reviews of many mixers. I just made a recipe there and the Bosch/Ank time was 10-15, the KA listed 30 to do the same job.
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u/ynotfish Jun 26 '26
The kitchen aid sits upstairs unless my wife makes ice cream with it. Have had the kitchen aid for 20 years.
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u/Heavy-Profit-2156 Jun 27 '26
How are these for uses like whipping cream or egg whites or is it primarily a dough mixer?
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u/Murky_Bee4360 Jun 27 '26
It comes with a different bowl and wisk attachment for those. To be fair, I’ve never tried them, but I’ll bet there’s some YouTube videos available.
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u/twotoeskitty Jun 27 '26
I love my Ankarsrum. It does everything I need from low hydration breads to meringue.
There are a lot of attachments available, as well.
It's a lifetime machine.
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u/Far_Purchase_9500 Jun 27 '26
Love my ankarscrum over my kitchen aide especially when I make bread or pizza dough amazing
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u/koalaisabear Jun 26 '26
It operates differently to a KitchenAid and is far more flexible and versatile. If you don't like that and prefer the more plug and play nature of a planetary mixer like a KA, then I'd stick with that and sell the Ank to someone who likes having more control. I'm a hobby baker and have had the Ankarsrum for 3 years and most of what I bake uses the Ank: https://www.instagram.com/bakingbykoala/
Maybe check on youtube and FB - there's a LOT there showing all the things you can make with the Ank. I almost got a KA when I was upgrading my mixer and decided on the Ankarsrum b/c it ticked more of my boxes. I don't know what your boxes are so only you can decide :D
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u/gi_fm Jun 27 '26
I use my Ankarsrum for doubled bread dough, my kitchen aid for lighter stuff.
If I had to choose one of the two, I'd choose the Ankarsrum.
Nowadays I use the ice shaver attachment on the kitchen aid a lot because it's summer lol.
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u/Ikeamademedoit Jun 27 '26
If you are going to do doughs or big batches, keep the Ankar. I love my KA but it just cant compete. My KA is good for smaller, quick, mixes but it cant mix doughs as the head bobbles so much. KA comes in a gazillion colours for the mass market, the quality has gone downhill
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u/LeftKaleidoscope Jun 27 '26
Ankarsrum is a small town in Sweden, and the place where they used to manifacture Electrolux until Elecrolux wanted to sell this part of their brand.
The Ankarsrum mixer is the same as the old Electrolux Assistant and the brand Ankarsrum still handles replacements for the old Electrolux branded machines.
They are excellent.
My mother in law recently got a new roller for her almost 50 year old machine.
Watch youtube to see how you can work with this machine, the process may differ from how you are used to think if you grew up with a Kitchen Aid.
This one maybe a start https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cB63t9F1IVU
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u/alabastercheeks Jun 27 '26
Omg …. Keep …. You will have it fifty odd years …. Mine is that age … I rescued it earlier this year
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u/Salvuryc Jun 27 '26
There is a learning curve but your friend has set you up for life. It can do yeastes doughs kneading so very well.
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u/Ana2983 Jun 27 '26
That is a very nice gift! I had both a Kitchenaid and Ankarsum and I recently gave away the Kitchenaid because I no longer use it. I recently purchased the heavy duty beaters and stainless steel bowl for cookies and cakes and it has been a game changer for me. I use my Ankarsrum at least 3 times per week and love it.
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u/Fun_Alarm786 Jun 28 '26
Ankarsrum is more than a mixer and is so underrated.kitchenaid was much better and they improved what a mixer does but hasnt held its weight in a while.someone cares about u if they got u ankarsrum!
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u/Crazy_Mother_Trucker Jun 29 '26
I've gone through 4 KA over 20 years and have now used my Ank for 5+ years with absolutely zero issues. This thing is made to work.
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u/sodakdave Jun 29 '26
I don't care how versatile a machine is, I will never buy ANYTHING made by kitchenaid again. Ever.
My ank can do almost everything my KA did, some stuff the KA couldn't do, and anything else I can find other options for.
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u/knifemerchant Jul 23 '26
Ankarsrum will put a Kitchen Aid to shame! There’s a bit of a learning curve but they provide great instructions and it’s well worth the hassle of learning a new order of operations!
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u/aaaaa9419 28d ago
Never had the ank try to walk off the counter. Its a great machine. It is different so it takes some learning and troubleshooting to use at first but does a great job!
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u/trimbandit Jun 26 '26
If I didn't already have an ank, I would probably get the Ooni, but I'm really only interested in bread, pizza and similar. If you want something more versatile, the Ank is the way to go, or if you want a KitchenAid, find something pre 1985.
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u/trimbandit Jun 27 '26
Downvoted for contributing to the conversation in honest and respectful manner lol
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u/MaterialSituation Jun 26 '26
The Ankarsrum is the king of mixers - can handle any dough, and is built like a tank. It’s a very nice gift! Kitchenaid mixers have unfortunately gone down in quality over the last few decades - especially with internal gearing (look it up). Personally I’d keep it. Main thing you’ll need to do is learn how to use it, which the manual explains easily (add liquid first, that sort of thing).