Holy market of junk! Man it takes a lot of research to find a good one. I almost did the kitchen aid or Kenmore models but I couldn't get the Hamilton Beach out of my head. At $151 free 2 day shipping it's a no brainier for me.
I've got a sun beam. Later I picked up a bread machine for $3 and now the mixer gets little use, except for fruitcake.
I bought my wife a kitchen aid last year for Christmas and she loves it no matter what brand theyre a great tool to have in the kitchen.
That's funny we had a bread maker and used it so much we wore it out and killed it lol... I want something more durable now. We used it to mix everything way beyond what it was meant for. Our first stand mixer was a $35 Hamilton Beach base model that could be used as a stand or hand held. I loved it but the wife was packing goodwill stuff and one of us placed the beaters in the box on accident. So it's been useless for the last 2 years as we can't buy beaters for it anymore.
I used to cook and bake a lot, loved my stand mixer. I guess I made too many batches of ravioli dough over the years, smells like the bearings are going now. Its a kitchenaid, has not seen any action lately though.
Problem for me is we bake allllll the time but I would have no use for attachments. The Kenmore Elite and Kitchenaid use the same attachments and are really nice but it's to much dazzle for me lol..
We have the large professional kitchenAid. Also have the attachments. It stands so high I had to lift up the cabinet so I could store it under it. This mixer is tough, very durable. That being said, I think the mixer you have chosen should give you years of service. Keep your documentation. Seems if it is to give you problems, you'll know it soon since you do a lot of mixing. My favorite use is bread making. My arthritic hands hurt when I try doing all the kneading. I've used several bread making machine but I prefer the texture of the bread done in the mixer.
Larry, have you tried the no-knead bread? I can send a link...... Pete, we have an inexpensive stand mixer that is also a handheld, and it's ok, but I only use it for cake mixes. All my bread is now done by hand or no-knead. Burned up my last bread maker.
savemoney Very open crumb, and when first out of the oven the crust is crispy. It softens after a bit. Very good with soup. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/11/08/dining/081mrex.html?_r=0
The new mixer unboxing. That sucker is heavy! Its literally all metal even the speed knob is metal... The box is even really well made lol. It came boxed in a box within another insulated box.
