When I started making pies in Hanoi, several years back, I always wanted a kitchen mixer, something robust enough to be a semi-professional item but couldn’t afford to sling for the Profi models, even the Chinese made commercial ones. So I settled for a Bomann KM 348 CB [looks exactly like this Clatronic KM 3067 here… do like that pasta dough thingy…],
It’s put in a reasonable job though over the past 4–5 years and I’ve had to modify all the beaters with some spacing washers to improve the overall performance of the machine, oh! and it didn’t have a Blender. Guess what, not having one meant that I wanted one… 🙁 Other than that, I can’t complain too much about it for being a domestic kitchen item.
My mum still has her Kenwood Chef, like the one below, (A701A I think) with all the gadgets, well many of them…
and I remember her being jealously protective of it, so that us kids didn’t, somehow destroy it. I think it originally had green trims and was later replaced with one with blue trims. So long ago its hard to remember. It always seemed to me to be the Kitchen Crown Jewel. Kenwood still has excellent brand recognition to this day, and the price tag to go with it.
My problem, when in Hanoi, was that I couldn’t access such branded equipment. The choices were limited. After looking at the Kitchen Aid machines in use in professional hotel kitchens, I decided that perhaps the Kitchen Aid 8 Quart Stand Mixer might be the way to go (which can be had on Amazon for around $700 not including shipping and handling.)
…but I couldn’t find a way around to justifying the purchase, then after seeing this,
I was more uncertain than ever. Larger volume bowl meant bigger dough batches but I just wasn’t making enough pies to validate such a purchase especially since all the optional extras, were just, optional and cost extra.
Then, I stumbled across this! I know, I know, its similar capacity and cost to the 8 quart Kitchen Aid, but… I think, this is the one… I think I’m in love 😉
It costs around €856+ for this Ankarsrum Assistant Deluxe (current brand name for it) and comes with almost all the optional extras, much like my Mum’s old Kenwood Chef. I love the idea, also of possibly buying something that can be functionally heirloom, something I can hand down to my son (or his partner) one day.
Now, the challenge… How? As a home-based, non-working, stay-at-home Dad, do I actually buy this?
’cause my wife ain’t gonna go for it – cooking and the kitchen are not her thing…
Thinking… Thinking… What to do? … Time to start baking some pies.
I so want one of these!
Addendum 2024.12.02 – Well I eventually got one, a dark blue one, and almost 10 year on, I still love it.