Kitchenaid Mixer

Fabulous. I have an almond KitchenAid which I have used most days for the last three years. Have fun!

I know they are the glam mixer of choice, but I swear by my Kenwood Chef which is easily 30+ years old now and as good as the day I got it. And it's British !

I replaced my trusty Kenwood with a cheap(?) stand mixer and it has broken down - at least £3 a mix I reckon. I have contacted the retailer - Ideal World - as it has a 3 year guarantee. They informed me, with less than 48hrs notice, that it would be collected but scroll down and....repair charges will be applicable. I have not yet given up this mixer and await a reply to my questioning why I should be charged for an inadequate product.
I did consider another Kenwood this time but just prefer the look of the Kitchenaid. I don't think there is much to choose between on the quality.
My Kenwood was also at least 30 years old, had been used in a cafe prior to my owning it and was excellent. I don't anticipate having to buy another mixer in my lifetime : )

I bought a ken wood with loads of attachments at least 18/22 ago, but have only just started using it as I'm trying to learn to bake. This is because DD has not got the time at the moment. Domestic goddess I am not!
They like my barn brek. Apricot shortbread today was a real winner. The gingerbread rockets were mistaken for feet? banana bread is a favourite.
They don't like my boiled fruit cake.
Has anyone any ideas for other things I could bake?
(Easy please, remember I'm a novice!)

Brownies are always easy and are good if you under bake or over bake them.You also can add in whatever you like from M&M's to any kind of nuts you like.Frost then or don't.

I have a bright pink one and love it.

Galen, bread is simple to make and is always gobbled up in my house! Once you have gained a bit of confidence you can add fruit, nuts, chocolate or use it as a pizza base. I don't even like pizza but my lot reckon my home made pizza (usually made with tom puree, garlic, cheese and a selection of veg) is better than any other they have eaten.
I love baking, find it quite relaxing and think my bread and sponges are my strong points. My scones are passable (but not pushable). Find what your forte is, bake that at least once for every time you try something different and you won't lose heart. Enjoy!

Galen have you thought about making biscuits? I can't roll out very well (don't know why) but there are loads of different recipes for them. The favourite ones in my house are oatmeal and coconut. You could also try gingerbread, dead easy in a big mixer which I treated myself to earlier in the year. How about trying all in one sponges as well? Happy Baking!

I already make my own bread, pitta, naan etc. unfortunately DGD is a Marie Antoinette look a like and wants cake!
Might make a spiced fruit loaf for Thursday though.
(Memo to self: more cinnamon needed)

Btw. I have to transport what I've baked to Gloucester.
Did make gingerbread biscuits (rockets, DGD is rocket mad!)

Might try a sponge. Fail safe recipe anyone?

I have a bright red KitchenAid and love it. I had a Kenwood mixer but when it died I decided to get the KitchenAid, so glad I did.
I have an extremely easy recipe for yoghurt cake. I shall put it on the recipe thingy if I can find it.

Please!

I'm going to try zimisterme! (Cinnamon stars from this months good food mag!)

Not a sponge but a failsafe plain cake which can be sandwiched together with jam and butter icing. Know in our family as Nan's cake, as MiL used to make one every week.

6 oz marge
6 oz sugar
6 oz Self raising flour
3 eggs

Chuck all into mixer and beat. If the eggs are small and it seems too stiff a mixture, add a little milk. Turn into two shallow tins (greased and a circle of greaseproof paper laid in them). Bake at 350F (about 160C for 25 -30 minutes, until a fingerprint pressed into the top springs out again. Turn out to cool.

For a chocolate cake add 1 or 2 tablespoons of cocoa, and put cocoa in the butter icing. If this is sandwiched with chocolate butter icing and black cherry jam, and topped with more chocolate butter icing, it is a pretty good version of black forest gateau.

Should have said 8 inch tins. It can also be baked in one layer in a rectangular baking tray as a traybake.

Ooh! was going to put a food processor on my Christmas wish list.. any advice based on your own experiences very welcome.

elegran thanks!

Ive just converted properly, Galen and apparently 350 F = 176 C My oven runs rather hot, so I have been baking it a bit lower, but you know your own oven.

I've got a kitchenaid! but to be honest, I don't get on with it that well. I've always used my trusty kenwood hand mixer, which gets into the corners of the bowl no problem. The new one wants scraping down throughout the mixing process, and seems like a lot of faff if I'm honest. It looks lovely, though!

Penstemmon, I have a small kitchen and not a lot of worktop space, so I have gone for a food processor rather than a mixer. I was disappointed by the Kenwood food processor which eventually went up in smoke and bought a Magimix instead. More expensive but more powerful. I love it. The attachments allow you to grate and slice, whip and knead as well as mix.

I had a cafe and then a guest house, fifteen years plus, and used a Magimix for all those years. It started to crack, and I needed to replace, so my son's partner and my husband persuaded me to buy a Kenwood processor, but I wish I had bought another Magimix. It was so much easier to use. Single speed because it regulated itself depending on the consistency of the ingredients. I used it for making cakes for the cafe on my day off, as well as pizza bases, soup, biscuits, tomato sauce for homebaked beans, bases for croustades, etc.
The Knewood I have cannot be put in the dishwasher, whereas the Moulinex could. It also had a smaller container to grind nuts, spices and coffee. It was quite expensive, but worth it. Not as expensive as Kitchen Aid, though.

I cannot believe I have just written a comment on a foodmixer. It seems so inadequate.
Must be the brandy I've consumed tonight. And all the alcohol I've consumed since I found out about Carol.

You enjoy your brandy