Mixer recommendation needed

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

Looking for something that can handle cookie dough. Specifically, dog biscuit dough made with whole wheat, no eggs, no butter, no sugar. I made and sold 6 dozen as a fundraiser for my rescue group in the past week and am taking orders for more. I have to improve my process so I'm looking for a stand mixer and cookie cutters that cut out more than one at a time.

I'll be checking out thrift shops, tag sales, Craigslist etc. Are there brands/models of mixers I should avoid ?

[housewolf]

1. Stand mixer recommendations

You want to be sure that it's a "true" stand mixer (not just a hand mixer on on stand) with a "planetary" motion single beater - meaning that there is a single tool (beater, whisk or dough hook) attached to the mixer that rotates around a stationary bowl (as opposed to one where the bowl rotates around stationary beaters). Wattage is important as it correlates to the dough amount, heaviness and stiffness that the mixer can effectively mix. For large batches, obviously, the larger-sized bowl the better... you'll be able to mix more in a 7qt bowl than in a 5 qt bowl.

For large batches, 2 mixers in particular that I have had experience with are the Bosch and the Magic Mill DLX. They are both unique in the way they mix the ingredients, are high capacity, high power mixers that really, imho, can't be beat. Of course, they tend to be more expensive than more common home mixers. You might find a used on on Ebay. If you intend to turn this into a business, either one of these could be a good starting point as a non-commercial home unit.

Cooks Illustrated recently reviewed home stand mixers and gave recommendations for these models:
Cuisinart 5.5 or 7 qt
KitchenAid - manufactures a variety of models, some much better than others. Look for one with at least 325 watts and 400 or higher is better
DeLonghi DSM5 Stand Mixer
Bosch Universal

I've never used a Kenwood, but I know some owners who love their Kenwood machines.

I own a Kitchenaid Pro, a Cuisinart 7qt, a Bosch & a Magic Mill DLX and love each for certain things. The DLX makes the smoothest doughs you've ever seen and I love it for cheesecake, cake and cookie doughs. The Bosch kneads up large quanties of bread dough the quickest and easiset of all my mixers. For everyday use, the Cuisinart is teriffic - I much prefer it to the KitchanAid.

There is a yahoo group called Mixer-owners that you might want to check out and see what experieces some of those folks might have had with their various brands and models of mixers for various tasks.

Good luck to you!

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

2. Thank you ! This is very helpful n/t

[Warpy]

3. You're going to want a KitchenAid

They're scaled down Hobart commercial mixers with big, beefy motors. You are likely to be unhappy with anything smaller than the big Professional model, 5 or 6 quart bowl.

Drool at http://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KV25GOXMC-Professional-5-Quart-Metallic/dp/B0001HLTTS/ref=sr_1_15?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1259989203&sr=1-15 then see if you can get a better price at Macy's or Ebay.

I have the absolute cheapest tilt head model that I bought at Wally's 14 years ago. I've put it through pure hell with bread doughs and it's never complained. It sounds like you're going to want a bigger bowl and stronger motor for turning out large quantities of doggie treats, though, so I'd strongly suggest the big Pro model.

While other mixers are probably OK for most light home use, I've found them to be a lot lighter and less sturdy than the Kitchen Aid.

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

6. That looks really good.

I'll keep an eye out for one at estate sales, etc. We have a couple if great thrift shops in town too and I checked them today. No mixers, but I got some other neat stuff - including a plush dog for $2 for my dogs that is bigger than them. They had a blast with it

[katkat]

4. curious, what's in it besides wheat? n/t

[REACTIVATED IN CT]

5. Depends on the recipe

One has peanut butter, oatmeal and a little oil. That one is not too hard to mix and roll. The other one (which is the most popular) has wheat germ, oatmeal, a little oil, BBQ sauce and water. It is a very hard to mix dough - hard to roll, too. But it sells very well.

I've discovered cookie cutters that cut more than one at a time. That will speed up the process a little

[Stinky The Clown]

7. Good luck on finding a serious bargain on one.

They turn up from time to time, but not very often.

While I really defer to Housewolf on matters of baketility, I think a Kitchenaid is your best bet if for no other reason that the ease with which you can find the accessories I **know** you will soon enough covet.