Thank You

Last night I put up a post telling everyone that my old Viking mixer died, and requested contributions to the tip jar to help defray the cost of a new one. I woke up this morning to find the jar overflowing. By 8:00 a.m. Eastern Time a new mixer was half paid for, and now at 11:00 I have enough to replace my old Viking or buy a comparable model. I don’t know what to say, my friends, it’s overwhelming. I’m the luckiest blogger in the world.

43 thoughts on “Thank You”

  1. I know they’re consumer models, not professional, but my Kitchenaid gets it done for me.

    1. I’m thinking along those lines, Youngster. They’re terrific machines!

      Cheers,

      – Joe

      1. You Americans are fortunate – in Australia, Kitchenaid mixers cost $750! I was lucky enough to win one in a competition, and I will never go back to a cheap one, despite the cost.

        1. Hey Youngster!

          Yes I’ve heard that. People tend to take KitchenAids for granted to some extent here, since they’re so common. However they are very, very well designed and durable machines. I think I may just get one.

          Cheers,

          – Joe

  2. Oh, Joe, how I feel for ya. The same thing happened to me. I was using my trusty KitchenAid that I had for close to 15 years. I needed to make brioche for part of my final project in my Advanced class in Culinary School. I brought my own “stuff” with me to make sure I would have what I needed when I needed it. I’ve thought about brioche dough with much wariness and weariness ever since. The KitchenAid was replaced with a Viking 7 qt. for Christmas.

    1. Sigh. Such a disappointment when the old workhorse has to be put out to pasture, isn’t it? I may go from Viking back to KitchenAid. I definitely have appreciated the sheer power of the Viking, though I confess I’ve missed some of a KitchenAid’s finesse. I’ll have to see what I find!

      – Joe

  3. I’ve been happy with my Breville these last few years. Once I was making ice cream using dry ice (put the cold base in the bowl, run the mixer on low, gradually add crushed dry ice) when I added too much and the base froze solid, stuck to the bowl. The machine made a horrible sound and stopped suddenly, but once defrosted seemed no worse for the wear!

    I’ve also used a 6qt bowl lift Kitchenaid, solid machine but I found it a bit hard to load when the bowl is lifted.

    1. Hey Evan!

      Yes I’m not a big fan of the bowl-lift mechanism on the Professional KitchenAids, the tilt head is so much more convenient. I’ll have to think on it some. Breville also makes some very fine mixers I have to say. Thanks for weighing in on this!

      – Joe

  4. Very sorry to hear about your mixer. As that was a Pro machine, is it possible to have it repaired? What do professional kitchens/bakeries do in that sort of situation?

    How were you able to finish the recipe? What would you have done if the mixer had died near the beginning of the recipe?

    Do you have cooking/baking “train wrecks”? If so, would you be willing to share the most hair-raising stories (photos?) of said sad events so we can be virtual rubber-neckers? : )

    Commiserations on the loss of your mixer, and best wishes for a successful new purchase.
    Squrille

    1. Hey Squrille!

      Thanks for the condolences! To answer your question, professional outfits generally have service contracts, at least on larger pieces of gear. When something goes wrong the call goes out and — hopefully — the repairman shows up quick! However for something as small as as 5- or 6-quart mass market mixer you typically can’t get it serviced. There are some small truly “pro” models made by Hobart that are in that small size range, but they cost about $2,000 to begin with. The label “professional” on mixers you see in the store is mostly just a marketing ploy!

      Regarding the dough, I did my best to salvage what I had in the bowl, I think it’ll survive until I can continue the project with another mixer!

      And you know I have been showing more of my mistakes and disasters lately since I’ve had a lot of requests for exactly that sort of thing. Being inherently vain the temptation is always to try to make myself look brilliant and infallible. It’s not easy posting something that looks awful but it’s true that readers learn as much or more from seeing my disasters as well as my triumphs.

      I’ll try to do more along those lines! Cheers,

      – Joe

  5. Can you perhaps open her up and see what can be done inside?
    Granted I am the type of person to open things up before tossing them out, if they are out of warranty just to see inside.
    I just realized that if I see what is broken, I may as well try and fix it as well.
    Good luck with your decision though! I love my Kenwood Chef I got for 1/3 the price due to it being a outgoing model.

    1. Hey Kitty!

      I took the cowling off and it’s definitely a blown motor. I might able to order a replacement but the real problem is that I don’t have the specialized tools it takes to get the sucker out. It’s like a modern America car…unless you have the star-shaped screwdriver or the oddly-shaped allen wrench you can’t even change a headlamp yourself anymore. (Cue craggy middle-aged guy rant).

      But it’s a good idea! Thanks for the comment!

      – Joe

      1. Urrrgh. I get you. They make stuff tamper proof. Would have been good for my family when I was a kid, but now it’s just annoying.
        (I was a demon with a screwdriver apparently, taking things apart and nobody could fix em)

        With that said, where there is a will there is a way. It really depends on the cost of the replacement parts and the stoopid special tools needed to do the actual work.

        1. Right. I think by the time I added it all up it would be about the same as getting something new. But it’s worth investigating for sure.

          Thanks for the great suggestion!

          – Joe

  6. Kitchenaid has an Outlet store that sells refurb/old models of their product. (http://www.kitchenaid.com/shop/more-ways-to-shop-1/outlet-3/102020231) The refurbs are in really good shape. Mine got kicked out only because there was tiny spot, the size of a pinprick, that the paint didn’t cover.

    (Too bad this isn’t July in Ohio! The outlet store has a massive blowout during the town’s Annie Oakley days. I got a mixer and a food processor for $250, and they threw in a spare bowl and ice cream maker attachment!)

  7. I have had an Electrolux Assistent for well about 15 years for the heavy duty breads, but 2 years ago wanted to replace an aged Kenwood that could handle lighter breads and cakes and pasties. I found the one at the link below quite by accident, and it turns out that even though it is branded as Hamilton Beach, it is really a Kenwood.

    I’ve done up to 10 lbs of bread dough easily and all my old Kenwood attachments fit. You might find your Viking attachments fit the HB, too. Cannot promise.

    Ignore the web link price – you can find good deals online.

    http://www.hamiltonbeach.com/commercial-products-7-quart-commercial-stand-mixer-cpm700.html

    1. Hey GH!

      Kenwoods are excellent machines. I’ll have a look around because I like this tilt-head design a lot more than the bowl-lift design of the larger KitchenAids. Plus that big motor is quite appealing.

      Thanks very much!

      – Joe

  8. I’ve had 3 Kitchenaids. The 30 year old one tilt head is fantastic and my daughter is still using it. The first new lift head model burned up during warranty. I still have it’s replacement but I don’t have the trust in it that I had in the old one. It gets quite warm during long use. I use a bread machine to knead my doughs and just use the mixer for mixing. It’s like everything else, that parts are just not as good.

  9. Have you tried contacting Viking? Since you are who you are, they might just be willing to give you one if you show it occasionally. Hey, why not use each other for mutual benefit?

    1. Hey Susan!

      I’ve thought of something like that, but approaching companies and asking for sponsorships is difficult and time consuming. Plus I’d rather not be beholden. The odd bits of blog-ola I’ve received over the years have been a poor investment for the companies who’ve sent it to me. I mention it once or twice, then that’s it, unless the whatever-it-is pops up in photos from time to time. The exception was the home proof box which I pitched pretty hard for a short while. I dunno, I guess because I do marketing for a living I want to be free from that sort of thinking when I blog. I don’t “monetize the site” very well in the end (as the parlance goes), but that’s fine by me. I get many, many other important things out of it.

      Cheers,

      – Joe

  10. Check out local kitchen appliance auctions. You can get some great prices on good machines. (I would see if they’ll let you run the machine 1st)

  11. Hmm. I’ve been ardently praying for my 20 year + Kitchenaid to die for some time now, because I can’t justify getting one of the new ones until it croaks. It continues to defy all hopes and expectations and is right now whomping away at the dough for a couple of multigrain sandwich loaves.

    I don’t much care for the bowl lift, or the pouring shield, but you can’t beat that old Hobart motor! (so to speak).

    Congratulations on getting your new mixer!

    1. Thanks, Cynthia! And yes, those suckers last! (For better or worse). 😉

      – Joe

    2. I’m still using the one I bought myself for my first Mothers’ Day in 1977. I was celebrating that Mothers’ Day pretty newly preggie and I thought I could spare my husband (then still my boyfriend) the embarrassment of forgetting to get me a gift by indulging in something expensive that I really, really wanted.

      Worked out great! Still got the mixer and the boyfriend and the daughter — who has now given us a grandson. ;>

      1. I like that thinking.

        And one thing leads to another, doesn’t it? 😉

        Cheerio,

        – J

  12. I don’t know what to say, my friends, it’s overwhelming. I’m the luckiest blogger in the world.

    On the contrary, dear friend Joe! It’s we who are fortunate to have you as a resource, inspiration and funny bone tickler.

    I am delighted to hear that the response was widespread and generous. You deserve no less! Besides, it’s my personal belief that anything we can do to keep you interested in blogging and pumping out the pastry is purely self-serving.

    1. Ha! Well it works out for us all then. Thanks very much, Rainey!

      Hope all’s going well with the settling in process!

      Cheers,

      – Joe

  13. No one deserves it more than you, Joe!

    I hope you find the machine you are looking for. Don’t be afraid to snap a couple of pictures of it for us before you start breaking it in! 🙂

  14. Never saw that post – you must have taken it down. All the links in this post are intriguing, and have me wondering about my old tilt-head Kitchenaid. It’s around 26 years old, and beginning to shake a bit, and warm up when used. I’ll be interested in reading what you decide to get.

    You’re the best, Joe, and deserve all the good you get and more.

    1. You sweetheart, you. Thanks, Naomi!

      I’ll put up a post about the new mixer and my reasons for buying it. Nice idea!

      – Joe

  15. Joe: First, thanks for the blog, recipes and how-tos. I’m a pretty experienced home baker (baking unravels the stress of my job), and have found your site invaluable — it encourages me to try new things — and highly entertaining. Most recently your creme brûlée recipe wowed dinner guests who had forgotten how great something simple but good can be. I’m not a big poster, but love reading your blog, and usually read it most days.

    Second, just thought I’d let you know that the Kitchen Aids are our family favorite: my mom’s, in Avocado Green (!) bought in 1973, has outlived her, and my brother, a professional baker, is still using it; my 1986 tilt up model is still going strong. The load I put on mine would not be as much as you do, but they are great mixers. I’m sure the other brands have good options too, so best of luck on your search.

    Maura

    1. Thank you and thank you, Maura! I’m so pleased to hear that the site has been useful too you. That crême brûlée recipe is one of my secret weapons as well!

      And good to know on the KitchenAid, I’m definitely leaning in that direction. Cheers and many thanks!

      – Joe

  16. Viking does have a repair service in Detroit. McNichols is the name if believe. The shipping costs may not be with it though. My Viking is 3 years old now, still powerful but a bit clunky good luck! I still have a kitchenaid 6 qt with a broken gear box sitting on a shelf in the basement!!

  17. Just saw this tonight and missed the earlier ‘tip jar’ one.

    We have an old Kitchenaid; I’m not even sure of the age. Maybe from the 1970’s? It gets used a lot! I think the new ones may be even better because they have electronic speed control instead of the carbon resistor or whatever the old ones had.

    Your blog is highly readable and always enjoyable – thank you.

    1. Glad to hear the old model is still hanging in there. And thank you for the very kind words!

      – Joe

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