Kitchen Aid or Kenwood Chef

[Helenagrace]

I love baking and have been managing with a hand held mixer and a food processor for pastry. It's now time to get serious!

Can anyone tell me any pros or cons for these two - or indeed suggest anything else!

DH has offered to buy me either one!!

Thanks in anticipation

I've got a kitchen aid (bright red, called Jeffrey, I don't know why) and I've just made my Christmas cake in it. The recipe has 10oz butter and 10 oz sugar and then 4 lbs of dried fruit/nuts etc and it mixes it just fine. That recipe does completely fill the bowl as well.

I've never felt that it struggled for power, obviously I can't comment on longevity but we're 5/6 years down the line of weekly usage with no problems so far.

Not sure if that helps or not!

Really interested in everyone's comments as I do a lot of baking and have been thinking of getting a mixer before my arm drops off from beating mixtures with a wooden spoon!

I find a lot of recipes assume a mixer is being used when the instructions are given, so maybe I'm in a minority doing it all by hand still.

I'm leaning towards the Kenwood Chef but trying to decide which model.

loubielou31 - anything would be prettier than the yellow/brown Kenwood I have. But it really is great and has worked with no problem for decades so why knock a good thing really.

Amazon are currently offering 33% off Kenwood Chefs.