KA Mixer, RIP

[Jenise]

Kitchen Aid Mixer, 1995-2015

Jenise's beloved Kitchen Aid Mixer passed away yesterday while doing what it loved best: kneading a batch of bread dough. A passerby smelled something odd, and found it with motor casing too hot to the touch and smoke pouring out the back end. An EMT (emergency mechanical technician named Bob) rushed to the scene but attempts to revive it failed, and the dough hook breathed its last revolution surrounded by grieving family. The mixer is survived by a Cuisinart food processor (1978), a toaster oven (2003), and a coffee grinder (2012).

The bread will be baked today.

It's soul now resides somewhere in the orbital plane. Godspeed, and may flocks of Palmiers guide thee to thy rest.

What model was it, Jenise?

Kitchen Aid Mixer, 1995-2015

Jenise's beloved Kitchen Aid Mixer passed away yesterday while doing what it loved best: kneading a batch of bread dough. A passerby smelled something odd, and found it with motor casing too hot to the touch and smoke pouring out the back end. An EMT (emergency mechanical technician named Bob) rushed to the scene but attempts to revive it failed, and the dough hook breathed its last revolution surrounded by grieving family. The mixer is survived by a Cuisinart food processor (1978), a toaster oven (2003), and a coffee grinder (2012).

The bread will be baked today.

Too bad. No doubt it was a Stuxnet virus from Syria. There's a place in the midwest that repairs Hobart-made KA mixers. Don't know if the current Whirlpool-made models with Chinese parts are worth repairing or not.

Life is short. Hug your appliances.

The whisk beats slowly
My arm tires, I pause, and know
No meringue tonight.

-- The Casual Baker, 2007

[Jenise]

Love the haiku!

I posted this obit on Facebook, btw. Much hilarity and a surfeit of puns. One of my favorites was Howie inquiring what would do 'in lieu of flours' and another respondent wondered if the final dough would be the receipient of a Wake n' Bake.

[Jenise]

New mixer on it's way. I don't have room on my appliance bar for the lifting-head type, but am going with the bigger horsepower 'pro' model which is probably not so pro, but a marketing ploy to appeal to the person who wants high-end everything. Checked prices and bought it on Amazon.

Had fun looking at all the colors, I have to tell you, and I got warmed up for that when Tom NJ posted some great sales prices a few months back. They sure have an impressive range of colors, I'm sorry in fact I couldn't see them all in person. I narrowed my favorites down to three ungirly colors called Empire Red, Espresso Brown and Silver Chrome. All were available from Amazon and qualified for Free Shipping.

Spent an hour or three stewing about which one 1) matched my industrial/raw/organic mid-Century modern aesthetic the best, which was probably the red, 2) would look best lurking behind the chain mail curtain on my appliance bar (probably the chrome), or 3) just gut-level struck me as the most beautiful--easy choice there, Espresso Brown. The Espresso color is in fact a gradiant paint job where no other color in their line is (at least, as shown on Amazon) and the color is like that of some horses--deep brownish-black around the edges but fading into warm burnt sienna (who remembers their Crayola box?) in the inner areas.

So I went back to Amazon and looked closer at the details, checking the Used Listings. Y'all may not be aware of this, but 'used' on Amazon is also a euphemism for stuff that's new, not second-hand, from Amazon's own warehouse--it's just that the manufacturer's original packaging got compromised or, sometimes, the item itself suffered a tiny ding. Amazon's condition ratings describe the former as "Like New" and the latter as "Very Good" where the ding is "1/4 inch x 1/4 inch on the top or side", say. Steep discounts apply! And in the Espresso Brown, there was indeed a Like New--not a factory refurb but a brand new, perfect appliance with an ugly box for about $150 under regular price. SOLD!

My new one will have the larger 6 quart bowl. Can anyone use a spare metal bowl from the original 5 qt size? I'll send my old one to you.

Hey hey, congrats on the new baby! I've seen that color, and it's very classy indeed. Good call on getting it used.

Do you know if it's the Pro-500, or Pro-600?

[Jenise]

Ha, I dunno! I'm going to sound like Rita Rudner answering "a white car" to the question "What kind of car do you drive?", but it has the hurkiest motor, the bigger bowl, and a non-tilting head. And it's beautiful.

Okay, the Bobster says it's the 600. $323 delivered.

Ha, I dunno! I'm going to sound like Rita Rudner here, but it has the hurkiest motor, the bigger bowl, and a non-tilting head. And it's beautiful.

Okay, the Bobster says it's the 600. $323 delivered.

Wheeeeeeeeeeeee! You're gonna love it

Our is twice as old as yours was and it is still chugging along; thankfully.

[Jenise]

Carl, most would/should. I certainly counted on never having to replace mine...but, that said, the new one's here and I can't wait to mix something!