> "Modern appliances are rarely built to last. They could learn something from the KitchenAid stand mixer...My dad bought the white-enameled machine 35 years ago"
There were good appliances 35years ago (except maybe GE). Our garage fridge is 20yo. We found a Maytag washer dryer set from 88 (but still using the 90s Whirlpool washer).
We bought a new (entry model) KA mixer about 15 years ago. It had too many issues and went away. We eventually found one from about 35 years old and it's been great. Son #3 replaced something on it recently(& cheaply, & easily), a bearing I think.
Newer KitchenAid stand mixers are very much inferior to the old ones. The sad thing is that they are still better than most of the other ones currently on the market.
When I moved to the US I was so surprised to learn that the KitchenAid stand mixer only has 325W! As a German who makes thick bread doughs and is used to ~2200W~ 1200W Kenwood machines I was shocked.
How does anyone ever use this for anything?
*I understand that the lower Voltage means less power but a) there would be much more room for higher powered devices with 1000W+ and b) there are very few stand mixers who support the double voltage outlets which some kitchens offer and those are industrial understandably.
Very underwhelming. I miss the Kenwoods sold in Europe.
You can get a 1700W Kenwood Titanium Chef XL in the US. The KitchenAid does not share a target market with it.
They're essentially the respective kitchen power tool brand equivalents of Ryobi and Festool. The KitchenAid looks better, is designed for simplicity and approachability, covers the typical uses of a home kitchen, and sacrifices high-end power for flexibility as a multi-tool.
The Kenwood is larger, heavier, and more difficult to clean and maintain. Its size gives it a larger capacity that most households won't use. It costs 2-4x more than the KitchenAid and AFAICT comes in only the stainless steel finish. Most of the power available to the Kenwood is useless to home cooking and baking.
The Kenwood machines are not more difficult to use. It literally has one knob and a pulsing setting. You flip the machine back to remove the bowl. Easy to clean. It is exactly the same handling.
The Kenwood is build very sturdyly, build like a tank and gives has the additional power. It looks more ugly but is the better product. It is just that brand awareness of the KitchenAid trumps all.
Also the machine you mentioned is not sold in the US anymore. Afaik the only machine is the 800W Chef Titanium (which is what I have).
Owning neither of these I don't see why the KitchenAid would be better as a multi-tool. Based on photos it looks like the Kenwood has the exact same shaft hookup for a meat grinder or pasta maker.
Coming only stainless being a drawback and the KitchenAid looking better are completely subjective.
I can totally buy it being heavier, but why would it be less approachable? It's a wheel versus a selector knob.
I wonder how the 1.7kW would handle mixing pasta dough.
The multi-tool is a focus of the KitchenAid but just a feature on the Kenwood. If you have the money and space for a Kenwood Titanium, you probably have better tools for the more specialized jobs that the attachment ports on it offer.
Being heavier and taking up more counter space _is_ what makes it harder to use, less affordable, and less approachable. The Kenwood would not fit on the counter where I keep my KitchenAid without removing utensils I use while cooking or sacrificing what little prep space I have. If I wanted to store it in the cabinet under the counter when not in use, the extra 4-5 pounds vs. my KitchenAid would make it literally, physically harder to use.
And yes, the appearance is subjective. KitchenAid trades on that; they have more colors and finishes than features. That's important to people who don't care if the mixer can't knead a dense dough or mix a triple-batch of a recipe in one go.
Oh maybe it was just 1200 my b! Good for calling me out. I must've confused them with hair dryer powers haha.
But even more curious, 1200W should work in the US. At 120V and 20 Amps, this gives 2400W max and I think continuous load is allowed at 80% of that, which would be 1920W. But even the Kenwoods in the US only have sub 1000W last time I checked.
Adjusted for inflation a KitchenAid "K" stand mixer (the one everyone thinks about when they think about the "good old kitchenaid"), when bought new in the 1930s and 1940s, cost $1,000.
Today you can buy an Ankarsrum Original Kitchen Machine for $750 and have $250 to buy its high-quality attachments. Hand-assembled in Sweden, all metal including the bits on the inside hidden from view.
Many modern appliances are still built like old ones. They are also priced like old ones.
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[ 4.9 ms ] story [ 50.1 ms ] threadThere were good appliances 35years ago (except maybe GE). Our garage fridge is 20yo. We found a Maytag washer dryer set from 88 (but still using the 90s Whirlpool washer).
We bought a new (entry model) KA mixer about 15 years ago. It had too many issues and went away. We eventually found one from about 35 years old and it's been great. Son #3 replaced something on it recently(& cheaply, & easily), a bearing I think.
*I understand that the lower Voltage means less power but a) there would be much more room for higher powered devices with 1000W+ and b) there are very few stand mixers who support the double voltage outlets which some kitchens offer and those are industrial understandably.
Very underwhelming. I miss the Kenwoods sold in Europe.
They're essentially the respective kitchen power tool brand equivalents of Ryobi and Festool. The KitchenAid looks better, is designed for simplicity and approachability, covers the typical uses of a home kitchen, and sacrifices high-end power for flexibility as a multi-tool.
The Kenwood is larger, heavier, and more difficult to clean and maintain. Its size gives it a larger capacity that most households won't use. It costs 2-4x more than the KitchenAid and AFAICT comes in only the stainless steel finish. Most of the power available to the Kenwood is useless to home cooking and baking.
Also the machine you mentioned is not sold in the US anymore. Afaik the only machine is the 800W Chef Titanium (which is what I have).
That's bizarre, because it was on sale in the US last year when I was picking between it, a KitchenAid, and a Breville.
Coming only stainless being a drawback and the KitchenAid looking better are completely subjective.
I can totally buy it being heavier, but why would it be less approachable? It's a wheel versus a selector knob.
I wonder how the 1.7kW would handle mixing pasta dough.
Being heavier and taking up more counter space _is_ what makes it harder to use, less affordable, and less approachable. The Kenwood would not fit on the counter where I keep my KitchenAid without removing utensils I use while cooking or sacrificing what little prep space I have. If I wanted to store it in the cabinet under the counter when not in use, the extra 4-5 pounds vs. my KitchenAid would make it literally, physically harder to use.
And yes, the appearance is subjective. KitchenAid trades on that; they have more colors and finishes than features. That's important to people who don't care if the mixer can't knead a dense dough or mix a triple-batch of a recipe in one go.
But even more curious, 1200W should work in the US. At 120V and 20 Amps, this gives 2400W max and I think continuous load is allowed at 80% of that, which would be 1920W. But even the Kenwoods in the US only have sub 1000W last time I checked.
Today you can buy an Ankarsrum Original Kitchen Machine for $750 and have $250 to buy its high-quality attachments. Hand-assembled in Sweden, all metal including the bits on the inside hidden from view.
Many modern appliances are still built like old ones. They are also priced like old ones.
I mean washing machines / dishwashers / dryers / fridges etc
When buying a mixer, look for Metal Gearing. Avoid plastic gearing and belt drives.
For an example of a good quality metal geared mixer that is well constructed, check out Breville.