Is a mixer worth the money for doughs?

I guess it probably depends on how often and how much you're going to do.

I don't own a stand mixer and have been making bread and pizza dough and other pastry doughs by hand. We usually have pizza weekly and I'm feeding at least 6 each time, so I make a lot of it. It turns out pretty good.


Although, I've asked myself the same question since I got started too....

I don't have a stand mixer either but, I have used the bread maker to mix up and proof pizza doughs.

My mixer stands about 5' 5" and does a great job. If only she would stop complaining.

How often and how much do you do would be factors.
Also any carpel tunnel issues or if counter is wrong height how's your back?

my kitchenaid is one of those loved luxuries. i don't know that it makes it any better, but walking away for twenty minutes to make the sauce or drink some coffee is nice.

It does for me because i'm not great a kneading it by hand :razz:. But similar to boogiesnap it is a very "nice to have" and not really a necessity as I don't make dough all the time. I use it also to mix rubs.

I just see myself using a mixer for rubs.

I have a KitchenAid, and I have tried all sorts of techniques. For pizza dough, in my experience, it make a decent dough. I much prefer hand made dough. For many breads, it is fine, but, I find that unless I work the dough by hand, I get variable results. I think that there is a flaw in how mixers knead bread doughs. None of the real top notch bakers I know use a machine exclusively.

Since going to an indirect, low temperature rise and higher hydration levels, my doughs have improved in texture and flavor quite a bit, and actual kneading has gone down.

I have a KA Pro 500 I got it 4 yrs ago it was a luxury purchase that has Spoiled me to the point I wont be with out one ever again. I bake all my breads and do Sour Dough pizza weekly. It is worth the expense IMO.

Get one...

I'd heartily recommend a good stand up mixer.

It is GREAT for kneading large bits of dough, just be careful not to over mix for certains types of breads.

If you want to do light sausage making, the attachments are good for that (assuming a kitchen aid). They make their attachments out of plastic, so, if you're doing heavy duty meats that are very tough, etc..you can overdo it..and if on a smaller unit, you can strip the gears out on it.

I bought a 3/4 LEM meat grinder for doing sausages...and retired the component of the Kitchen Aid mixer. The grater is fantastic...I use that for making lots of cole slaw quickly...the grinder attachment is also good for making raw cranberry relishes, etc.

If you can, get the highest level with the strongest motor and capacity you can afford.

I have an older smaller one...and it is going strong still after about 30+ years use...only fixed once when I stripped the gears as mentioned earlier.

It is a kitchen tool I get a lot of use out of...highly recommended.

I guess I should clarify, I would never give up my KitchenAid Professional, it serves well for cookies, cakes, various other uses, just, for me, not bread dough.

We don't make pizza dough, but a KitchenAid standup is a great addition to any kitchen. My wife bakes a lot and we have been married 22 years soon. Went through 3 cheap mixers the first 5-6 years. Bought the KitchenAid about 16 years ago and it is still going strong. I highly recommend one. It is worth the money.

I do most of the cooking for my family of 7, both indoors and outside. I love my KA mixer. It would be on my short list of must-have kitchen appliances. I probably use it at least 3-4 times per week. Uses include:

1. The family usually makes pancakes or waffles on the weekend. The KA mixes the batter.
2. My wife likes to make quiche, so the KA beats the eggs.
3. Before we went gluten-free, we used the dough hook to make pizza dough at least every other week. (We have a breadmaker that we use for bread doughs). We haven't used it yet for gluten-free pizza dough. :-(
4. We use the shredder attachment for cheese and some veges. Not having to shredd cheese by hand is a HUGE benefit for this cheese-loving family.

It is a rare day when the dishwasher doesn't see the mixing bowl included in a load of dirty dishes.

My folks gave us a KA k5ss as a wedding gift nearly 20yrs ago and I can't imagine being with out it. My shredder broke after 13 or so hard used yrs now I just use the food processor for cheese. The grinder works great for small batches.
So Yes buy one!!!

I use my Kitchen Aid all the time. Made pasta dough and used the pasta sheeter attachment to make ravioli tonight in fact. Other days it grinds meat for burgers etc. It's always out on my counter, ready to go. Makes great pizza dough too. Can't go wrong with a KA or it's various attachments!

The kitchen aid is the best dang piece of equipment in my kitchen short of my stove. It sure isn't cheap to purchase but I will never go without one again.

The grinder attachment works OK. It is great for peices of meat that do not have much connective tissue. Like chicken or well trimmed red meat, veggies for whatever (soups, risotto, meatballs, etc). But if you are looking to grind up boned out pork butts to make sausage.... you are better off with hand crank than this. Which I use and change plates to a smaller one and run it through again. For a 8lb batch it is faster, really. Large batches of venison get the big dog meat grinder.

The pasta roller attachment is outstanding. Makes the process of homemade pasta so fast and easy, you'll be filling sweet potato and ricotta ravioli in no time flat. Browned sage butter as your sauce to go with that, fyi. Try it.

The pasta extruder is total crap, don't waste your money on it. It is a hook up for the grinder attachment. I have tried just about every style of pasta dough I can come up with and NOTHING works well in it. They do make several sheet cutters to get spagetti or fetuccini. Now those are also OUTSTANDING. Looks just like the pasta roller but it has different cutting rollers obviously

As far as a dough mixer it is also great, all pending on your dough recipe. If you use a tough stiff dough I would do it by hand. I like a chewy stretching dough so the mixer hook works perfect for that looser dough. Almost a Strudel dough, just with some yeast.

I highly recommend it if you do a lot of cooking at home. I never needed it for mixing rubs but it would work equally as well. I know that neither the whisk or paddle attachment works very well for making brown sugar. It is just easier to do that by hand. (white sugar and molasses).

Hope this helps.

I worked at Joe Boccardi's for years and mixed 50 pounds of flour into pizza crust five times a week. It's not needed for dough, but I'd love a KA just for the meat grinder.

We have a Kenwood Chef/sim to the kitchen aid it appears, but use our bread maker for most dough's