KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer | ExpatWoman.com
 

KitchenAid or Kenwood Mixer

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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 10:18

I'm not sure if I'll be buying the extra attachments the Kenwood machine offers. I like to make breads, cakes and frostings and want to know which mixer is best. Do any of you have these mixers? Do you like it?

I love the look of KitchenAid and the cute colors they come in, but Kenwood has triple the power then KA. Where will I find the best prices on either of them?

TIA

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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 30 April 2012 - 16:08
For those with KitchenAid, when making bread does your mixer look like it's working hard. Any odor, wobbles etc? No not at all. I don't make a lot of bread but when I have used the dough attachment it's been fab. Mine is Candy Apple Red .... Cos obviously red ones go faster ;)
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EW GURU
Latest post on 30 April 2012 - 09:58
Not that Im advocating for the Kenwood machine (tongue in cheek) but if you are going to be making heavy things such as bread doughs, its very important to get a machine that has a powerful motor - making dough really does take it out on the motor and if it isnt up to scratch then youre going to find yourself regularly getting the motor rewound/replaced... I think I'm sold lol. I make quite a lot of different breads so I do want something that will keep up with that and last a long time. I'm going to get the Kenwood Chef Titanium.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 16:13
I love my Kenwood Chef. I bought it 8 years ago on ebay, it was second hand (barely used), so far (touchwood) no issues, I shipped it out from the UK with all our belongings, I use it that much. They last for years. I know of people still using their grannies Kenwoods from the 1960s!
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 15:28
I bought a Kenwood stand mixer 2 years back for AED 800 (or 899, I'm not sure) versus the much more expensive KA, because I didn't know how often I'd bake. However, turns out I bake too often for my BMI's liking and love the Kenwood :) Of course I'd love a KA in my kitchen (who wouldn't?) but for now, the Kenwood is meeting all my expectations. Cake mixes are fab if done at the right speed, frostings turn out well too and I make chapatti dough about 3 times a week which is actually the lifesaver :D Which model do you have? I saw a Kenwood Chef Titanium for 3,300aed on dubizzle. Does anyone know the cost of this model in stores? <em>edited by LuLee on 29/04/2012</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 15:26
I bought a Kenwood stand mixer 2 years back for AED 800 (or 899, I'm not sure) versus the much more expensive KA, because I didn't know how often I'd bake. However, turns out I bake too often for my BMI's liking and love the Kenwood :) Of course I'd love a KA in my kitchen (who wouldn't?) but for now, the Kenwood is meeting all my expectations. Cake mixes are fab if done at the right speed, frostings turn out well too and I make chapatti dough about 3 times a week which is actually the lifesaver :D
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 14:24
I splurged on a KA two years ago and got the Professional Series 6 qt and it's worth every penny. My mom has had the same one since I was a young girl and it's still going strong. I bought mine in the US and just use a transformer each time. I also keep mine on my counter since it's too heavy to keep lifting in and out of the cabinet. I have a cover for it that I bought on Etsy that matches my kitchen linens and it completely covers the machine and has a pocket on the outside to keep the little cookbook. I've made several breads with it and pretzels and the first time I had it on the wrong speed and noticed a smell but the following times I had it on the correct speed and didn't notice anything.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 13:56
For those with KitchenAid, when making bread does your mixer look like it's working hard. Any odor, wobbles etc?
668
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 13:55
Not that Im advocating for the Kenwood machine (tongue in cheek) but if you are going to be making heavy things such as bread doughs, its very important to get a machine that has a powerful motor - making dough really does take it out on the motor and if it isnt up to scratch then youre going to find yourself regularly getting the motor rewound/replaced... Thanks for your advice. Will probably be making more breads so yes it does make sense to get a powerful motor.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 13:47
I just received a Kitchenaid for my *whispers* 40th birthday. Love it, love it, love it!
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 13:44
Not that Im advocating for the Kenwood machine (tongue in cheek) but if you are going to be making heavy things such as bread doughs, its very important to get a machine that has a powerful motor - making dough really does take it out on the motor and if it isnt up to scratch then youre going to find yourself regularly getting the motor rewound/replaced...
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 13:43
- Hot tip of the day...don't buy one locally with a South African plug on it!! The first one my husband brought home gave me a good kick the first time I plugged it in. It MUST have a separate earth (ie three pin plug) !!!!!!! edited by Green-ish on 28/04/2012 I'm confused about this. Does this mean I can't bring my KitchenAid with a Danish/EU plug and simply use an adaptor with it?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 13:15
Gosh I'm so torn between the two. It's going to be a hard decision. I already have a spice grinder, blender and a mini food processor so I don't think I'll use the accessories that Kenwood offers with its mixer. I love making pizza dough, breads, cakes and frosting. I have a KA and love it. It gets an absolute thrashing as I use it all the time and apart from it needing a little adjustment every now and then (easy to do with a screwdriver - just for the arm to make sure the scraper doesn't hit the bottom of the bowl), it has never let me down. I have the mincer attachment and this is great - so nice to make my own mince etc. When making bread, does your KA wobble?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 11:13
I have a KA and love it. It gets an absolute thrashing as I use it all the time and apart from it needing a little adjustment every now and then (easy to do with a screwdriver - just for the arm to make sure the scraper doesn't hit the bottom of the bowl), it has never let me down. I have the mincer attachment and this is great - so nice to make my own mince etc. I also have a KA blender which I managed to damage the spin part and it was easily fixed by Al Ghandi Electronics (out in Ras Al Khor) - they are the authorised repairers/importers.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 11:10
There's a brand new Kenwood Chef for 3,300aed on dubizzle? Wow I didn't think they go over 3,000aed. How much are the KitchenAid mixers? I have two toddlers and a baby so will have to wait until the weekend to have a look in stores. <em>edited by LuLee on 29/04/2012</em>
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EW EXPLORER
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 10:46
Another vote here for Kenwood. Still the best machine around. I had (just sold!) the Chef Titanium 1400w. Makes everything from cakes to breads to anything you can think of. I will definitely buy another one when we settle in our next destination. You actually don't need any other machine like a liquidiser, coffee grinder, sausage maker, mincer, juicer, etc etc etc as the machine is powerful enough to be used for any of these jobs. The only drawback is that it is a heavy machine but I guess it is solid thats why? KithcenAid does look pretty and I was contemplating buying one. But when I looked at specs I realised that the Kenwood wins hands down... 300w vs. 1400w so there is no comparison.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 10:08
Sorry to throw a spanner in the works, but I say Kenwood hands down. I went through exactly what you're going through and found that the Kenwood has better power, comes with better attachments that you don't need to pay a fortune for, and I feel it can do more. It might not be as pretty as a KA, but it will do the work. We bought the one in the middle, the Titanium chef and have done cakes and bread with it. I will say that when I used it for bread it really did look like it was working quite hard, and was a touch wobbly, so I would imagine a KA would be bouncing all over the place if you tried to make bread with it. We bought ours from Jashanmal in MOE... they were very helpful with answering all our questions before purchasing.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 09:52
Definitely Kitchen Aid,especially if you have room for it on your counter top. I love mine and it looks brilliant. Although I do have lots of the attachments which have never come out of their box, so I probably wouldn't reccommend getting those unless you are a major cook or baker. It seems that all the top cefs useKitchenAid as it is featured on every cooking programme, never seen a Kenwood...maybe it's just super marketing.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 09:15
Hmm I think I'm going to go look at the Kenwood Mixers later on. The only difference between the Titanium Chef and Titanium Major is the capacity and the power. Will go look at the prices too. What is the after service like for both kitchenAid and kenwood? Is it expensive to get repaired if something goes wrong?
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EW GURU
Latest post on 29 April 2012 - 09:11
Looks like the kenwood kmix range is quite funky too ... Especially the stripey one, not sure if you can get in the UAE though http://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/Products/kMix-by-Kenwood/kMix-Stand-Mixer These do look pretty, but the Kmix are only 500w, compared to the Chef which can be 1000 or 1200w. True for Kmix, Titanium Major is 1500W and Titanium Chef is 1400W.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 22:14
Got a KA for Xmas from DH after much coveting. I love it for cakes, meringues, biscuits but haven't tried for bread yet. Cakes are light and mixing is thorough and quick. Might look into the mincing attachment for a birthday present! Used to love my magi mix too until bits began to wear out. Had it for 20 years tho. KA wins for looks hands down nut depends on what you need - doesn't chop!
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 21:44
That's a shame ..... Perhaps the old Trojan will get a facelift ....
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 21:39
Looks like the kenwood kmix range is quite funky too ... Especially the stripey one, not sure if you can get in the UAE though http://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/Products/kMix-by-Kenwood/kMix-Stand-Mixer These do look pretty, but the Kmix are only 500w, compared to the Chef which can be 1000 or 1200w.
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 21:36
Ahhh, Kenwood hands down for me! I love mine so much santa brought a friend for my one for christmas so I now have one in Muscat and one here!!! The motor on the kenwood is very powerful, and trust me when I say I've been pretty hard on mine - from making cakes, biscuit dough, bread to chopping onions, making sausages and even the odd jug of strawberry daiquiris! My Dubai mixer has been going for the last 6.5 years with not even one glitch! Jashanmal are the official suppliers for Kenwood and I think they can order for you if you go in with a specific model etc. @ Loube - did you adjust the K beater when you got it? You get a little spanner type thing with the mixer and you use this to lower the level of the K beater so it just skims the bottom of the bowl. No need to scrape the bottom with a spatula etc if it is set at the right level :)
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EW OLDHAND
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 21:25
Looks like the kenwood kmix range is quite funky too ... Especially the stripey one, not sure if you can get in the UAE though http://www.kenwoodworld.com/uk/Products/kMix-by-Kenwood/kMix-Stand-Mixer
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 15:49
I posted this recently on someone else's question so sorry to those who already read it. I bought a KitchenAid years ago in Bangkok and was shocked to find when we moved locations that their warranty is country-specific. In Hong Kong Kitchen Aid service was not easy. I now stick to brands which have good service worldwide.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 15:44
After YEARS of wishing for a Kitchenaid, my husband bought me one for Xmas a couple of years ago. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Now, that said, I read somewhere recently that they are no longer made to the same, original high standards. I don't make bread and I have also read that the Kenwood leaves the Kitchenaid for dead in the bread kneading race. There is a more powerful Kitchenaid on the market, so that one might do the job for you. The Kitchenaid is mighty pretty...when I had space, mine had pride of place on the bench and was polished almost every time I passed it. One day I'll have extra bench space for it again. :D ETA: - If you Google Kitchenaid v Kenwood, there are dozens of results! - Hot tip of the day...don't buy one locally with a South African plug on it!! The first one my husband brought home gave me a good kick the first time I plugged it in. It MUST have a separate earth (ie three pin plug) !!!!!!! edited by Green-ish on 28/04/2012 Yes have looked on google. I don't think I have came across a bad review for the Kenwood except that it's not as pretty as KitchenAid. KA is really cute lol and love the bright colors. I'm not even sure what colors they have here. I'm leaning more towards a KitchenAid but the power on KW is almost triple than the KichenAid. Hmm decisions decisions
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EW EXPERT
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 13:19
After YEARS of wishing for a Kitchenaid, my husband bought me one for Xmas a couple of years ago. I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. Now, that said, I read somewhere recently that they are no longer made to the same, original high standards. I don't make bread and I have also read that the Kenwood leaves the Kitchenaid for dead in the bread kneading race. There is a more powerful Kitchenaid on the market, so that one might do the job for you. The Kitchenaid is mighty pretty...when I had space, mine had pride of place on the bench and was polished almost every time I passed it. One day I'll have extra bench space for it again. :D ETA: - If you Google Kitchenaid v Kenwood, there are dozens of results! - Hot tip of the day...don't buy one locally with a South African plug on it!! The first one my husband brought home gave me a good kick the first time I plugged it in. It MUST have a separate earth (ie three pin plug) !!!!!!! <em>edited by Green-ish on 28/04/2012</em>
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 12:44
After years of coveting a Kitchenaid I got one, and to be honest I am disapointed. It doesnt do everything I want without all the extra bit. Previously I had a Kenwood for 25 years and it chopped, mix batter, bread, did everything. I miss it but it never looked as cool as the kitchenAid does. Thank you for your opinion. I'm not sure if I'll be using the extra attachments on the Kenwood. I'm mostly going to use it for breads, cakes and frosting. The kitchenaid does look pretty cool.
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EW GURU
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 12:42
I have a Kenwood, but when you mix small quantities of cake batter the K-attachment does not reach to the bottom of the bowl so you have to get in there and stir it manually. If I purchase again it would be a different brand... Which model do you have?
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EW NEWBIE
Latest post on 28 April 2012 - 11:54
I have Kenwood Chef back in Oz, which I love. The new one that I just bought before I left (my old one died after 27 yrs) had a silicon K beater whick is absolutely fantastic. It scrapes the sides and reaches the bottom as it mixes. Unfortunately I couldn't justify the cost of buying one here for the short time that I am in Dubai, so I opted for the Kenwood Patissiere. I am very dissappointed as it just isn't as good as the Chef, no where near as much power. So I would recommend the Kenwood Chef...but I have never used a KitchenAid.
 
 

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