Can You Help?
A reader asks:
I see you use a KitchenAid and love it. My hubby bought me the Artisan for Mother’s Day and I hate it! The cookies are constantly dry. I don’t know what I’m doing wrong. I’d like to love mine (including the KA Pro hand mixer, which I bought a couple weeks ago) just like you do yours. Any tips you can give me would be so appreciated.
Also, what is it about KA that you like better? I’m just about ready to go get a Sunbeam or something. I never had such failures in baking. After 40 years, I guess I have to go to cooking school just so I can use my KitchenAid. I’m beyond frustrated!
Unfortunately, I’m not much help to her as my KitchenAid is my first stand mixer ever, so I can’t compare it to anything. Does anyone have any suggestions/advice?
Comments
12 Responses to “Can You Help?”
I love my Kitchen Aid stand mixer! For me, it’s the fact that I’ve had it for over 8 years and no problems. It’s so worth the investment. You can buy attachments turning it into a pasta maker, ice cream churner, juicer–ANYTHING is possible with it.
Plus it’s very industrial looking and nowadays you can find one in any color of the rainbow. Basically it’s KitchenAid, ’nuff said. All the pros swear by it as well. Now if they could just make a lighter version b/c sheesh that thing is HEAVY!
Sounds like a case of overmixing. Only use the kitchen aid for beating butter, sugar, etc. when it comes time to add the flour mixture, remove the bowl from the mixer and fold or stir it in.
Otherwise you overdevelop the gluten in the flour which causes toughness.
I have been dreaming/researching/fondling KitchenAid mixers for a few months, trying to make a good decision.
I found there is a good message board on the K.A. website at . . . http://forum.kitchenaid.com/forums/
Check out the FAQs.
Hilary, can’t you just add attachments to your mixer instead of getting the Cuisinart?
Geri, I have the cheapo ($200) model, and it is attachment-less.
I agree with Susan – sounds like way too much mixing.
mmh…i have a cheap kitchen aid mixer too and i can add attachments. i just dont have any, lol. though i think i heard my mom offer to get me some. that could just be wishful thinking.
I have a kitchen aid mixer and use it for just about everything and love it.
It sounds like you are used to using another type of mixer – the kitchen aid goes about three times as fast and therefore you need to take some time off your usual mixing.
Have a read through your kitchen aid manual. I am sure that I can remember some words about decreasing your mixing times.
Good luck!
Kim
I have a KA stand mixer (artisan) in the US, but I’m currently in Ireland…do I miss that mixer! Some of my best cookies won’t come out right because I don’t have the mixer. I understand the reader’s plight! I would say it has something to do with overmixing as well. I liked the fact that my now-in-storage- KA would mix at very low speeds, therefore avoiding overmixing. Sometimes when I would bake cookies, I would use the whisk attachment for beating the eggs, sugar and butter then switch to the paddle and very slightly mix in the dry ingredients.
good luck!
We have and love our KA appliances. This doesn’t sound like a mechanical problem to me. Perhaps you might borrow a different brand from a friend/neighbor and see if the recipe turns out OK or the same.
Growing up I my Mom and I would use her mothers Sunbeam mixmaster. It was all metal construction, super sturdy. When I went off to college my folks bought me a similar, plastic body one. Cookies still came out the same. Then my wife-to-be bought me a kitchenaid KSM-5 (score!). My first batch of cookies came out awful. I was horrified. I adjusted the flour a little and experimented with how much I beat the butter and so on, and I figured out how to use the mixer to make great cookies.
The planetary mixing action is very different from twin beater mixers. Think of it like an oven or cookie sheets. I would totally expect cookies to come out different at first. Your technique has to adapt to the tools you are using. Don’t give up on your kitchenaid!
Are you at a high altitude? I recently moved from Florida to Albuquerque,NM. Baking is so difficult. Need to make adjustments in everything. I have an old Oster, yeah, we’re old; but with adjustments, it works (produces) excellent results.
Just thought I’d wizz that altitude thing your way. I can be so frustrating. Never but never give up on your baking.
THNX
I’m with Jeanette on this one. I don’t think that it’s necessarily the KitchenAid Artisan Mixer, but more along the lines of the environment or the recipe itself, though I sorta of doubt the latter of the two. Moisture in the air can always play a factor. Give it enough time and that KitchenAid Mixer’s gonna become you’re best friend. Good luck!