6 qt. Kitchenaid or 7 qt. Cuisinart?

Silver Member Joined: Apr 07 2009 Posts: 791

My 5.5 qt. Cuisinart stand mixer just broke, and BH Bed Bath and Beyond took it right back (gotta love them)! We now have store credit, and we decided that we would be willing to spend the extra money to move up a class in mixers. The 6 qt. Kitchenaid and the 7 qt. Cuisinart cost the same, so I ask the collective wisdom: which would you choose?

(Note: I bake a lot, including challah, and I usually make a 5 lb. bag every time in order to do hafrasha)

Thanks!

Gold Member Joined: Dec 25 2008 Posts: 2034

I hated the cuisinart and returned it for a 5 qt kitchen aid. kitchen aid is a power horse. oh and I am a caterer. I use it daily for doughs, cakes etc. total work horse. I need a bigger one, but REALLY bigger!

Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2006 Posts: 2595

I doubt you'll be able to do 5 lbs of flour with either. I know you can't with the KA and AIUI the 7qt Cuisinart is about the same in terms of power. The stated max on the KA is 14 cups or a little over 4 lbs, and that's very optimistic, I never go that high. I really doubt the Cuisinart is even 20% more powerful.

If your goal is 5 lbs of challah every week, I'd recommend the Bosch. If your baking is primarily cakes and cookies and you're willing to split the dough for kneading, the 6qt KA.

Cuisinart cuisinart cuisinart!!!!
I have a 7 qt cuisinart and make a 5 lbs bag of flour for challah everyweek and it fits perfectly! It quick, easy clean up, I like the "sheild" and I have no problems with it! I feel the kitchen aid is just for the name and they don't always make em like they used to. But you got my vote for cuisinart! Smile

Silver Member Joined: Jan 05 2010 Posts: 526

The KA definitely can't handle 5 lbs of flour. I have no experience with the cuisinart, but with a 7 qt bowl & 1000 watts, it should be able to handle it.

Gold Member Joined: Dec 25 2008 Posts: 2034

cuisinart 7 could not handle a double recipe of my challah recipe which is 9 cups.

I used to only make challah by hand. Now I have the Bosch Universal and I have to say it is amazing. The dough comes out fabulous. That being said I have been using a KA for all of my baking (which I do tons of) for all of my married life (18 yrs kneina hora). I cant give it up. I do know people who bake with the Bosch and are very happy, just hard for me to change.

Silver Member Joined: Feb 24 2011 Posts: 676

I Loooove the Kitchen Aid! However! I bought it specifically to make 5lbs of challah, and it certaintly DOES NOT! Yet, I still love it. It is also extremely heavy, I mean like extremely...taking it out of the cabinet is a project in of itself.
I also have the smaller cuisinart, adn don't use it as much, I dont know I find the cleaning much harder with the CA.
But, back to teh challah, I usually make teh mixture by hand, and let teh machine knead it, sometimes it lets and sometimes it doesnt!

Executive Member Joined: Apr 04 2010 Posts: 275

so how do you make 5 lbs challah if you have the kitchen aid?

Silver Member Joined: Apr 07 2009 Posts: 791

Thanks for the answers so far!

To clarify: I have a credit at BBB - so I can't get the Bosch, because that's not sold there. These are the two options I have.

With my 5.5 qt. CA, I would mix until the challah started climbing the hook, and then take it out and mix the rest by hand.

chanamiriam - why did you hate the CA?

Senior Member Joined: Dec 29 2009 Posts: 239

I make 5 lbs of flour in my kitchen aid all the time, no prob. I find you just have to put the flour in first, add the liquids after, and use the plastic splash guard. You may also have to do some kneading by hand. But I love my machine- it also works well for baking.

I have an extra KA 6 qt (long story) but when I wanted to sell it to one of the places that buy used models they told me they dont buy it bc the KA motor cant hold up to the bigger bowl and breaks easily. So unless they've changed things in the last couple of years, you might want to look into that issue.

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18289

I broke my 6 qt KA when making 5 lbs of flour for a challah recipe years ago. (I wasn't in the room to shut it off, that might have prevented it.) I looked into getting the CA instead, and might have had I actually chosen to spend the money.
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Diamond Member Joined: Nov 30 2006 Posts: 2595

Silver Member Joined: Apr 07 2009 Posts: 791

Thanks, all! I ordered the 7 qt. CA. I don't plan to use it 'till after Pesach, but I'll update if I have useful info about it!

Gold Member Joined: Dec 25 2008 Posts: 2034

Diamond Member Joined: Jun 29 2011 Posts: 3026

KA seems to be winning this thread.

Moderator Joined: Mar 29 2005 Posts: 18289

Dolly, have you been reading? KA seems to be losing this thread. Almost everyone says it is not up to the task of making challah in large batches.