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Best Vintage Kitchen Stand Mixer?

Started by HobieSport, January 28, 2010, 09:53:30 PM

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HobieSport

Well, the time has come for this old man to start making his own loaves of fresh bread. With a decent loaf of bread costing $4-$6 dollars at the local grocery, and not very fresh (nor very hearty) breads at that, and fond memories of the bread my Dad used to make for use as kids, well, the time has come.

Being the lazy guy that I am, and not too exited about all the dough kneading involved, and with my vintage kitchen appliance collection almost complete (all of them working perfectly and still in use) I want to get a good vintage stand mixer with bread kneading dough hooks and other useful attachments.

Looking around on Ebay, there are a lot of them out there, in good working order and not expensive, and I'm just wondering which model/brand to look for. The twelve-speed Sunbeam MixMasters seem to stand out, but there is also Kitchen Aid and Hamilton Beach.

I like the style of some of the stand mixers from the 1950s, and my collection of kitchen appliances (as well as my trailer home) are mostly from the 1950s, but something from the 1960s may be fine too.

I would be using the mixer weekly, so function and durability are just as important as the aesthetics of the design. Naturally chome/stainless steel would be nice, but there are also a few out there in colors such as aqua, jadite, etc. that would look cool too.

Versatility is also important to me, as I wouldn't be using the mixer just to knead bread. So a mixer that takes different beaters, kneaders, juicers and other attachments is also a consideration.

Long story short; durability and functional versatility are what I'm looking for, and styling/colors are secondary.

So, does anyone on the forum have experiences with vintage stand mixers, or for that matter, favorite homemade bread recipes?

-Matt/Hobie

Here's a pic of a classic SunBeam Mixmaster from 1955:
-Matt

Greg G.

Quote from: HobieSport on January 28, 2010, 09:53:30 PM
Well, the time has come for this old man to start making his own loaves of fresh bread.
...

So, does anyone on the forum have experiences with vintage stand mixers, or for that matter, favorite homemade bread recipes?

-Matt/Hobie


Ha!  Surely you jest!  I bet I out-lazy you when it comes to cooking.  Especially when I found out the best way to keep the kitchen clean is never use it.  Works great!

There's an old Sunbeam mixer at a thrift store near me, like that one only white.  It's been there for months.
The idea that a four-year degree is the only path to worthwhile knowledge is insane.
- Mike Row
e

jsowers

I have a Sunbeam Mixmaster from the 50s (or maybe late 40s) I use as a juicer. I like old appliances and have an old Sunbeam toaster too--the rounded Art Deco T-9 model like Briny also has. His can be seen here...

http://www.classicrotaryphones.com/forum/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=1292.0;attach=5981;image

At Christmastime I make hot spiced tea that uses fresh lemon juice and orange juice and that Mixmaster makes short work of it. It's so old that it has a tinned metal strainer that attaches to the spout on the juicer. I think later models had the strainer in the bowl of the juicer. Inside the bowl is a ceramic reamer. I can juice six oranges and four lemons, sliced in two, in about three minutes, and all the way down to the rind. The strainer is coarse and lets some pulp through, but not the seeds.

I also have a modern day KitchenAid stand mixer and I use that for bread and cookies. If you can find an old KitchenAid with all its attachments, that may be what you need for bread. I found a glass bowl for an old KitchenAid in a thrift store and I use it as a spare for the new one. It locks into the bottom of the stand just fine and the metal bowl fits inside it for storage (it's not in the picture). They haven't changed those mixers much since the 1950s and to me even the new ones look fairly retro. I got mine for $99 reduced for clearance at K-Mart about 15 years ago. It was an open box return and all the pieces were there. A fantastic deal.

I just use the bread recipe that came with the KitchenAid mixer. I haven't made it in a while, but if you want me to scan a copy for you, I will. One person actually said one loaf of whole wheat bread I made would win a prize at the fair. Maybe they were just being kind?  ;)

I attached a picture of the two mixers from last January. You can also see my old sugar jar from a Hoosier cabinet (it has an "S" on the side) and my Blue Ridge sugar bowl. The candle in the window is a Noma Halo Candle. I collect old Christmas decorations too. My old phones have plenty of company with all the rest of my old stuff. I even eat off vintage dishes.

Matt, let us know what you decide to get. Too bad you can't provide bread samples!
Jonathan

Steve


I like the sunbeam mixer myself, but I'm a little biased. my folks still have the same one.
both my grandparents worked for Sunbeam from the 40's through the 60's. they had a deal where employees got everything for cost around Christmas, so I grew up with all the top line sunbeam appliances. we had that mixer, 2 percolators , the regular one and the two piece round one, easy up/down toaster , etc. they dont make stuff like that anymore. :) 
If you're a long way from home,
Can't sleep at night.
Grab your telephone,
Something just ain't right.

jsowers

Quote from: Steve on January 29, 2010, 11:11:04 AM
easy up/down toaster , etc. they dont make stuff like that anymore. :) 

My grandmother had one of those Sunbeam toasters. It automatically lowered and raised the toast as if by magic. Silently, too. You had to kind of keep watch to know when your toast was done because it was so quiet. My parents started housekeeping in 1951 with a pop-down toaster. It was tall and the toast popped down into a slot when it was done. It didn't last long and it wasn't a Sunbeam, but we do still have it somewhere. Mom also had a huge GE stand mixer with three beaters and a very large glass mixing bowl. I remember making pound cake with it several times. It even had a light that shone down on the beaters. That thing looked like the Mack Truck of mixers with all those beaters. It also came with a juicer attachment that worked when you put the mixer upside down, if I recall correctly. And it detatched from the stand, if you had the nerve to use it that way.
Jonathan

ntophones

I love that Sunbeam toaster!

Hobie--the KitchenAids will handle bread dough, I think, but you may need one of the more powerful ones. They really look about like they always have. You may find a new one on sale, but, just make sure it will handle the bread.
I'm not sure if those older ones will do bread.
But, kneading bread is really not that bad--you may like it, in fact!  :)
--nto

bingster

Add me as another fan of the Sunbeam Mixmasters.  I had a white one from the 1940s that was so nice that my mother insisted I give it to her to replace her 1980s Hamilton Beach mixer.  I still haven't replaced my old one, but I'm seriously considering the chrome one shown above.  It's got a killer look.
= DARRIN =



rp2813

I recommend KitchenAid for bread dough, but it's worth it to try and track down an older one that was still made by Hobart.  You can easily spot the Hobart logo on the metal trim band.  If you don't see it, the mixer was manufactured after Whirlpool bought KitchenAid.  After Whirlpool took over, they changed to plastic gears in the tilt-head models and some of the bowl-lift models.  I recently bought a KA "Professional HD" bowl-lift model because they've gone back to all-metal gearing on the pro line.  So if you can't find an older Hobart-made K45 (tilt head) or K5 (bowl lift), your best bet is to shell out the extra bucks for a new pro-line or higher model that boasts all-metal gears right on the box.  I tend to prefer the tilt-head system myself but the Professional came in the right color to match the stainless appliances in my kitchen and has a larger bowl.  I'm not sure about the "Artisan" line, but if they have metal gears, they won't take up as much room as a bowl-lift type and could be another option if you decide to purchase brand new, but they are pricey.  More watts don't necessarily translate into more mixing power so don't concern yourself over an older Hobart model that's only 250 watts if you can find one--it will knead dough for you just fine.

Ralph
Ralph

Dan/Panther

I make my own Pizza dough, and I've considered getting a kitchen Aide mixer for the chore, but the price is way out of line for my needs, and I'm not sure the older ones can handle the stress of heavy dough.
right now Wal-Mart has one, of there brand for $89.00, kind of a Kitchen Aide Clone, I've had my eye on it every time I go to Wally world.
D/P

The More People I meet, The More I Love, and MISS My Dog.  Dan Robinson

Wallphone

D/P, Don't forget, you get what you pay for. I can get good Pizza dough from the local baker for $1.29.
Not including your time & material, you would have to make 70 batches of pizza dough on the Wally-mixer to break even. The Wally-mixer probably couldn't make 70 batches before one of the plastic gears bites the dust. I just made dough last week for large pretzels on my KA K55SS with no problems.
And with all the attachments that I have, it comes in handy for the canning season. They are not cheap but I have already had it for 25 years, and it should be the last mixer that I will ever have to buy. I have a few antique mixers and my favorite is the GE triple beater. The GE is a very powerful machine but I don't think that they ever made a dough hook for it.
Dougpav

Steve


Where is Matt?

He hasn't been on in a while. anyone live up that way to tap on his door?

I hope he's just busy with his ducks..
If you're a long way from home,
Can't sleep at night.
Grab your telephone,
Something just ain't right.

Bill Cahill

 C'mmon, boyz! My favorite mixer is my 1950 Sunbeam Mix-Master.....
Bill Cahill

"My friends used to keep saying I had batts in my belfry. No. I'm just hearing bells....."

bingster

It's funny how a bunch of guys (certainly including me) are so passionate about their mixers. 
= DARRIN =



Bill Cahill

Yeh.. Ain't it?  ;D
Bill Cahill
You should see how I am with my Edison phonographs......  ;D

"My friends used to keep saying I had batts in my belfry. No. I'm just hearing bells....."

rp2813

Do I sense a "Men and Their Mixers" thread coming on?
Ralph