[Sca-cooks] kitchen mixers

[Sayyida Halima al-Shafi'i of Raven's Cove]

I am a long-term Kitchenaid user..My mom bought one when I was little 
(6) and started a cake-decorating business.  Mom gave me hers when I 
remarried.  I used it for my own cake-decorating business.  It finally 
died after 26 years of use when my step-daughter dropped it head-down 
and cracked the casing.  Until then, it was making pasta and bread dough 
regulary, and grinding meat and such.  I bought a 5 quart (I think the 
little ones with the flip-up heads are not nearly worth the money) and 
used it both in my kitchen (and I make *everything* from scratch) as 
well as in my business (soap and body care).  I finally killed it making 
8 pound batches of bath salts...when I tried to crank the bowl up, I 
stripped the mechanism.  The motor, however, still works fine.  I now 
use it exclusively for business and just manually prop the bowl up while 
stuff mixes.  So, I bought a 6-quart kitchenaid for the kitchen *only* 
<g>.  I think that the grinder/shredder attachements are well worth the 
money, as well as the pasta plate attachments (they attach to the meat 
grinder and extrude pasta dough in shapes).  The wheat grinder is not 
worth the money, IMO.  Too small, overheats too fast.  I spent a little 
more and got a K-tec grain mill off e-Bay instead.  The 
grinder/shredders are nicer compared to the ones on a food-processor 
because you can put a canning kettle underneath the output and 
grind/shred a lot, as opposed to having to stop and empty the Cuisinart 
bowl after tiny batches.  I use it extensively when cooking feasts.  I 
don't own a hand mixer.  I do use a stick blender occasionally.  Bed, 
Bath & Beyond carries the 6 quart mixer, and periodically mails out 20% 
off coupons good for anything in the store.  I haven't found it cheaper 
anywhere.  I just wish it came in lavender like the 5 quart does now 
<LOL!>.  Hope this helps...

Halima