I want to buy an Electric Mixer
 

Hi all.

I really need your expertise on this matter.

I have one of those hand held mixers. They work fine. Cost me all of $10.00

But there are some things which I prepare that these become STUCK IN.

For instance, my brownies that I add peanut butter to.

I was invited somewhere and they love my brownies. I don't eat them because I'm diabetic but sometimes I make them with splenda and egg whites and then add a bit of peanut butter and maybe I'll have one piece and it doesn't impact my sugar but the problem is I CAN'T USE THE HAND HELD MIXER when I am mixing the ingredients. The mixer gets stuck in the bowl. The ingredients are TOO THICK.

And I can't use a wooden spoon because my hands are arthritic and it's just TOO HARD.

So today I said to myself "Get one of those electric mixer things".

I went on ebay, took a look (I think I need the dough hook things) to do what I want to do, but maybe I'm wrong? Not sure.

So I came across this item

http://cgi.ebay.com/KitchenAid-KSMC5...item2ea9b3273d


So is this (or something similar (because this comes with the dough hooks), will this do the brownie (and other thick mixes)???

I would also use it to mix the muffin batter because my hands are not what they used to be, and I'll take all the help I can get.

So which mixer should I be buying (to make thick stuff), Would the dough hooks do the trick (I gather any mixer I purchase should have the dough hooks)????

Thanks much

Melody

I love my kitchen aid Mel! It has a paddle attachment which you would
use for your brownies. Your other mixer just doesnt have the power to
cut thru thick batters.

The dough hook is for pizza, bread, or sweetbread doughs.:)

Good luck. Happy Baking.

Oh!!! I need a paddle attachment???? Never ever heard of this.

Will wonders next cease!!!

See why I love all of you.

I have just learned about PADDLE ATTACHMENTS!!

Life is indeed good.

lol

Melody

The paddle should come with the kitchen aid mixer. Mine came with the paddle, whisk, and dough attachments.:)

Well, since I don't have $400 or so bucks to spend on a Kitchen Aid, I shall continue to look. If anyone sees anything cheaper .....for example, $50.

YEAH!!! LIKE THAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN.

I'll just mosey along and have Alan use his strong arms to do the mixing.

Thank you VERY much for putting me in the right direction.

Melody-Bells

Jingle Jingle!!!

You said Sweetbread dough!!

I googled Sweetbread

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sweetbread

???????????????????????????????????????lol lol lol

Don't think you mean this, right?

Mel

No, not those kind of sweetbreads Mel. I am not Hannibel Lector silly:).

I will never understand how people eat these things. One day (over Easter time), my husband and I were passing the local butcher (we had just moved into this neighborhood), and I saw this GOAT hanging from a rack (RIGHT IN THE STORE WINDOW).

Now, having never seen this in all my life, I had no idea what the heck this meant. Then I saw the sign and the sign read "Baby goats for sale, get your order in early".

I looked at Alan and said "Oh my god, they are selling baby goats?" And Alan said "yeah, and they are killing them too". We had no idea.

I went into the store ranting and raving about the goat hanging in the window and the guy behind the counter was hysterical. He said "Lady, this is an Italian neighborhood, don't you know that?" I said "Of course, I happen to be Italian"

He then said: "But don't you know that people eat goats and lamb for Easter?"

I said: "But it's hanging in the window". (See, my mother never bought them this way, we all just sat down and ATE, I had NEVER seen the BEFORE of the meal).

I just looked at the man and he immediately understood. He said "you should see what's downstairs".

I ran out of the store, then I had to explain to my Jewish husband that many people around here were buying fresh killed baby goats and lambs.

You should have seen his face.

I don't know why but we don't have any butchers around here any more.

And I'm vegetarian. I WONDER WHY!!!!

lol

Melody

When I was a little girl my dad would buy our family a live Turkey... This was not in the country, but in western Detroit!

We went to a place not far from our post WWII home, that had floors with sawdust, and awful smells and gobling turkeys in cages... He'd pick one, and they take it to the back room and after many more bad smells and noise, they brought out a freshly plucked bird. Some pin feathers still trembling in the skin. My Grandmother used to say, the freshest was the best. But it totally traumatized ME.

I have a stand mixer - my dream toy ever since I worked in a bakery. But I opted for the Sunbeam instead of Kitchen aid. It's almost the same, only two beaters vs KA's one.

My first one was $5 at an auction - real life, not online or ebay. Then I got one for about $100 on sale. Had beaters and dough hooks, two bowls.

Sunbeam does not have where you can add all the attachments like a KA, but I didn't expect to need that - and for half the money?

:wink:

The thing is like a train. Right through cookies, bread dough, you name it. Love love love! With my arms, could not do baking without it.

I gave away the old auction one after the bowl broke (the old one came with glass, new one with metal bowls) and I got my new one. The person who took it ordered replacement bowls and beaters cheap, online, new.


The motor is still running like new last I heard. :cool:

So either model, I'd say you'd be totally happy with - even used. They are built like tanks. If you get it off ebay, just find a seller w good feedback.

Have fun!

Oh, and dough hooks are just that - for dough. Use the beaters for cookies, brownies, muffins etc. I mean, you could use the dough hooks I guess, but it doesn't seem like they'd mix as well.

Trust me, this machine is NOT going to bog or get stuck in a little peanut butter. And the machines should all come with hooks.

Maybe there's a youtube of somebody using one?

Hi.

there's a guy around the corner from me WHO SELLS EVERYTHING. And I mean EVERYTHING. Kind of like the old fashioned junk man who sells anything you can think of in his shop.

My most recent purchase (a few months ago), was this GIGORMOUS SOUP POT (WITH COVER). Once a month or so, I make a big pot of tomato barley vegetable soup. I have all these freezer containers and I freeze everything and when Alan or I want a hot bowl of soup, I just pop a container out, let it thaw (I don't microwave in plastic anything), and I transfer to a pot and heat it up. I made 19 servings last time. That is to show you how BIG the pot is.

What did I pay for this beauty? $5.00.

The best thing I got from him so far. But I've gotten 10 Mason Jars, with lids and caps, 3 vcrs (none of which worked and I returned them to thim), A big brownie baking pan. and various other stuff. He sells electric appliances also but I've never made it my business to go and check on that.

Tomorrow I just might do that. He sells EVERYTHING. And if it doesn't work, he takes it back. But if I get a mixer, I'll make him plug it in and see if it works. I can always download the manual online.

He sells clothes too. And tapes, and electric components, RCA CABLES,

THIS GUYS SELLS EVERYTHING. He's like a little GEM store. If you need it, HE PROBABLY HAS IT.

Tomorrow I shall go treasure hunting.

will let you know if I find anything delicious.

Melody

Standing mixers are my choice, always wanted a Kitchen Aid, lost use of one hand, bake no more but miss it. Kitchen Aids do run like tanks. We have a Cuisart food processor and after years still goes strongly. I'm a firm believer in looking for best price but you get what you pay for, a little (or a lot) means it should last longer. I have a Cuisinart hand mixer, seems to do fine. (@ $50 ?)
I don't buy a lot of clothes, found one well made thing of good materials fit and looked and wore better than 4-5 cheap things. Feel important to me. I miss cooking and dressing self (DH finds woman's clothes so complicated)

My favorite dress was a sheath, well-made and lined and beautiful, a dress I never could have bought in the high end store it started in but I bought it 2nd hand (it was in perfect shape) for $5.00. Once in awhile extreme buys come by. Of course it was size two, back then I was little and firm, etc. Don't think it would slide over hips and belly like it used to. Think I got it because it fit original owner no more. Now my turn to give it up.

I grew up learning how to cook with my mom's old Dormeyer Silver Queen stand mixer. The thing is a beast. It goes through everything! It has two heavy duty stainless steel bowls, hefty metal beaters, and a bunch of attachments.

One of our dogs ran away with the large bowl that went with it long ago. After Ebay came into being, I found another mixer with all the attachments and the bowls for less than $20.00. I bought it and I use it for parts, keeping the old mixer going.

I could have just used the new one, but it wouldn't have been the same!

RW!
I grew up with my Mom's old stand mixer. She died 30+ years ago. Wish I'd kept it but I was young and thought new was better then.

Mel, I have two of those ginormous speckled soup pots!

:cool:

I can't really cook all that well, but everybody loves my soup. I make beef barley, garden cabbage or chilli and freeze it - lol I put it on the stove to heat, too.

Sometimes I make a big hobo stew and put it on the grill for parties.

I'd love to live around that guy, but I have SO much stuff now! I should be selling stuff out of my kitchen.
:p



Kicker - I'm all about frugal. The best appliances I can afford, and take care of them. But cheap shirts, because I'm going to ruin them. Kids, cleaning, pets? No label or way of making them is gonna save them from my lifestyle!

;)

And dresses - don't have em, where do I go to wear 'em?

I learned leather coats save money in the long haul for me, because I can wear the daylights out of them. Leather handbags too. They have to take a real pounding.

Hi.

Went on youtube. TOO MANY VIDEOS. I'm still trying to find on that gives a complete demo. Maybe on the Kitchen Aide site, they'll have a demo video.

I mean EVERYBODY HAS A DEMO VIDEO on their product.

lol

Mel

Hi:
Just went to ebay (YET AGAIN). This is one of the things that they are selling. It's old but she says it works. Not that I'm bidding, but I want to know what you guys think of this one.

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...5&goto=newpost


Melody

Ooooooh!! Look what I just found on youtube.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gte8QwdOAcA&NR=1

This is the first time I have ever seen a Stand Up Mixer doing ANYTHING. My mother never had one. She instructs in the use of the Beater. I think she calls it that. Is this the same thing as a paddle. Will this do for my brownies and muffins mix. This is exactly what I want it for. i don't bake bread but I am learning how to bake a variety of things.

Melody
P.S. I 'm going to watch all the instructional videos. That's how I do stuff. I learn FIRST, then I buy.

lol

UPDATE::::: Just took a walk to my local Telco. They have the Hamilton Beach Stand up mixer. Beaters, wisk, and dough hook. All for $54.99. And my friend works there and gets a 25% discount on anything she buys.
So I can use the beaters for my brownies and muffins, yes??
This is going to turn out just fine for me. lol

the flat beater is the same thing as a paddle.

I think the hamilton beach would be fine for muffins and brownies.:)

There is no flat beater onthe Hamilton Beach. It just has the two beater things (just like my hand held mixer), and it has a wisk attachment and it has a dough hook.

So the two beaters (well, while not flat), can I use them to mix the brownie mix (to which I added peanut butter),? Seems to me, these two beater things are the same as my mixer (I've never tried to use my mixer to make brownies with peanut butter). I have been doing this by hand.

Maybe I should try my hand held mixer?

And if they get stuck, well, they get stuck.

But I do know this Hamilton beach thing doesn't have any paddle or flat beater.

Should I look for one that DOES have this?

I just went online and googled Hamilton Beach Stand Up mixer. All sorts of variations. This one is the one that is selling near me. It's ten bucks cheaper. But it's exactly the same thing. No flat beater either.

Take a look.

http://www.jr.com/hamilton-beach/pe/HB_64650/


I am just editing this so see if I can get that Glitter Graphic Account Inactive thing off of all my postings.

http://www.graphicsgrotto.com/nextge...smsmileys2.gif

I don't know what kind of peanut butter you are using... but my
Smart Balance with flax oil is creamy smooth. You can warm it up and it is runny! You must be using rock hard peanut butter!
Dang, it shouldn't be so stiff!

It's NOT the peanut butter that is stiff. IT'S MY HANDS.

I have had degenerative joint disease for over 20 years, and when it rains, my hands find it difficult to take that spoon and combine the ingredients. I do use my hand mixer at times for stuff. But, for example, I made peanut butter cookies. All you use is peanut butter, splenda and eggs (or egg substitutes).

I kept thinking "I wish I had one of those stand up mixer things".

I didn't use my hand mixer because I thought the peanut butter would get all stuck and everything.

by the way, ALAN DEVOURED THESE COOKIES. They really are good. And if you use organic peanut butter or low glycemic peanut better, it's even better for you.

So I really want to get a stand up mixer to make stuff but do I really need to buy the paddle thing?

Melody

CAN SOMEONE TELL ME HOW TO GET THIS INACTIVE GLITTER GRAPHIC THING OFF OF ALL OF MY POSTS. i went to Photobucket and signed in. Nothing happened. I went to glitter graphics and copied one of their codes. And the darn message is still showing up.

HELP!!!

Kitchen Aid mixers ARE the Budweiser Clydesdales of mixers!
 

I've had one for almost 30 years and tho they are HEAVY to move around and then use? They WORK and keep on working!
That 'paddle' is the equal to two 'beaters' on another mixer and will make cookies a sooth as silk when you cream...say butter and sugar for cookies.
The Hook is a dough hook for making bread doughs or pizza doughs etc. There are likely lots of recipies on-line for any of the attachments, basic or the extra ones you can buy....you just have to know your model # and other key info stamped on the machine to find out 'compatable' attachments. Such as the 'pasta' makers ...one a roller and one an extruder for macaroni's. Finding attachments to 'fit' your particular model can be pricey? But the machine is hefty and all pieces will work hard and long for you. They prove worth in the long run.
It is one true LIFETIME appliance. I've had other 'stand' and 'hand' mixers and none compare to the Kitchen Aid! You have a treasure, so now learn how to expand it's uses! - j

My Sunbeam does NOT have a paddle or whisk. Just beaters and hooks. But I can do anything any mixer can do with that. The beaters are fast enough to whisk if needed - and I could probably buy whisks separate if I wanted.

I do tons of cookies - even oatmeal. Brownies, bread dough, muffins, etc.

But the main thing is it's a stand mixer. That takes most of the work out of any job. I think no matter what brand you get, you are gonna love it.


Like I said, the biggest diff was really that the big Kithcen Aid, you can add a juicer, meat grinders, stuff like that to the front end. I couldn't justify the cost for those add ons, that I never thought I';d use.

What I like better about mine, the *head* tips back - most, they don't and you have to pull the beater (one beater, not two like mine which I also think is better) out somehow off to the side?

Also makes cleaning it a little easier.

And yep, all of these machines are heavy!

:o

But still easier to lug it out and let it do the mixing - or just let it live on the counter if you can. We use mine so much it didn't get put away for years at a stretch.

Hardest part about mine was getting the beaters out - pushing that button.

Mel.... go into your signature from User CP and delete the link to the graphic. You can do that here.

The next time I make anything with peanut butter (or anything thick), I'm going to try and use my hand mixer. If it works, then I can get the Hamilton Beach and use the beaters. It's the exact same thing as my hand mixer only it will be stand up and I won't have to hold it.

Imagine!!! I'm learning all these things at the age of 62.

lol

Melody

Melody, check your messages....

Here is a good site to check out....
 

http://www.shopkitchenaid.com/sub_ca...=standmixeracc
Some are new, most 'refurbished'. But, you will get the right accessories for whatever model you have. Worth a look-see.

Most appliances, no way I'd buy used but refurbished are usually as good or better than new. And I like to save a buck. A Kitchen aid, I'd buy used if in good shape. Who is gonna wear that out? lol.

Hi. I just clicked on that link again to view all the accessories, Pasta maker, Paster Filler, etc. and it brought me back in time to a friendship that lasted 46 years (we no longer speak), and I would spend every Thanksgiving at her house. She made everything from scratch (Includin something called Pizelles), and she DID NOT HAVE ANY APPLIANCES for these things.

She had a hand held pizelle maker which she heated over the stove (Imagine anyone doing that ALL DAY long. She would make these big batches and send everyone home with a batch of Pizelles.

But the thing she was noted for was her manicotti. She started in September and she would make her own shells, and then stuff them. MANUALLY.

She would then put them neatly stacked in this gigantic basement freezer. And she did all this manually. She never had a stand up mixer.

Since I'm not the baker she is, I never knew how much easier it would have been for her to get one of these Kitchen Aid stand up mixers.

But oh, I do remember those Thanksgivings and the stuffed manicottis, and the antipastos, and the stuffed peppers, and the eggplant parmagiano, and the sausage and meatballs, and the gigantic stuffed mushroom caps. and after one hour, the 25 lb turkey would come out. Who on earth could eat a turkey after all that food?No one ever ate the turkey, and she always sent everyone home with these care packages filled with manicotti, and turkey and stuffing. Alan would eat this for 3 days.

I rememember we started eating at 3 p.m. and the whole meal was finished by 9 p.m. At the end of the meal, we had this vienese table kind of thing going on. I would bring my sugar free chocolate pudding pie, and everybody bought their pies and cakes and cannolis, and trifle, and whatever. Never saw such a table filled with sugar laden things in all my life. Of course everybody at that even weighed well over 250 but hey, it was their Thanksgiving and boy did that lady cook.

that was the first time I tasted Sweet potato pie, and mashed turnips. Never had mashed turnips before. I had Thanksgiving at her home from age 24 to age 59. Oh, and did I forget the Stuffing. And the sweet potatoes with marshmellows??

Good Lord!!
lol

Now it's just me and Alan and Japanese food and sprouts.

lol lol