I need to make soup, and to mix cake mixture and want to buy a good machine/mixer/blender - is kitchenaid the best?

[pillowcase]

Hi all,
I'm frustrated hauling out my crappy hand held mixer and getting splattered with cream, and I HATE my blender thingy that you plunge into saucepan and it splatters all over me, so I'm going to invest in something to make me a kitchen queen!

Any help would be gratefully received. Is there such a thing that does both these jobs or do I need a blender AND a mixer? I love the look of the kitchenaid stand mixer and would spend about 400 euro, but what to get? Pleeeeeese, your thoughts...

Oh I was going to suggest a hand-held mixer and wand blender thingy as cheaper option ...

I see you have these oops.

Kitchenaid looks lovely and Nigella recommends it. I can't afford it really hence having hand-held bits (which I think are OK actually).

I broke my food processor 6 months ago (dropped it on floor!) but honestly I don't miss it apart from its fab breadcrumb abilities.

oh thanks for quick response.

I meant to say that I had a food processor once which was fine except it lived in a cupboard and was a pain to take out for small tasks so I didn't bother.
I hated the form of the bit up the middle when trying to make a sponge cake and fold in the flour, how do you do that with the bit in the middle? Then the whisk attachment broke, so not too keen on one of those again.

Clary, how do you not get splashed by plunge blender? (I'm not actually a kitchen godess if you haven't guessed...)

well I use it in a big pan I guess; I find if you put it deep into the soup it's OK, whereas if you have it sort of on the top it does splash (does that make sense?)

this is so nic eisn't it?

Not sure it will blend soup tho - for that I fear you need a Magimix as well?

My food processor lived in a cupboard; it was when taking it out by the spike in the middle that I dropped it

I've got a Kitchenaid and a Waring blender which is fine for smaller quantities of soup, etc. They both look good enough to leave out whereas I also got a Magimix but it's stuck in the cupboard most of the time and is a pain to clean. I tried to find something that would do everything but failed - was very tempted by the Kenwood Chef but liked the look of the Kitchenaid better. Kenwood have since bought out the retro looking K-Mix but still doesn't do the blending bit. Not sure there is one solution. Depends on what you would use the most I suppose.

thanks for your replies

yes kitchenaid in red is soo nice, wondering do I really need one or just "want" it [wink ]

dh reminded me that I do have a food processor that I never use so i'm going to take it out again, and remember all the reasons I don't use it....

looking at waring blender, nice...

I love the look of the Kitchenaid but went for a black and silver Kenwood chef (which matches my cooker as I am shallow !) which was half the price.

We've got a slicing/grating attachment which I use a fair bit, grates a large block of cheese in seconds. I never use the blender as it's a faff and I prefer my stick blender. Have got the ice cream attachment and DH has been making delicious icecream recently with it. Great for pastry and cakes.

My Mum has a Kenwood something or other. It's the same style as the KitchenAid but it has a blender jug that attaches to the top. It's absolutely ancient (well, at least 25 years old) but maybe there is a modern version?

cgi.ebay.co.uk/Kenwood-Major-chef-Titanium-mixer-blender-KM020-New_W0QQitemZ180287132588QQcmdZViewIt em?hash=item180287132588&trkparms=72%3A12%7C39%3A1%7C66%3A2%7C65%3A12%7C240%3A1318&trksid=p3286.c0 .m14

This one is expensive but does everything!!

oh thanks for that mogs0,
my mother always had a kenwood too but i didn't know you could attach a blender, will look into this. dreaming of all the soups and cakes already!!

this ones a bit cheaper