Kenwood Chef - do I/don't I?

Pitlanepiglet

These people have a good selection of attachments....

http://www.electricshopping.com/shop/kenwood/kenwood-store/mixers-food-processors/kenwood-chef-major/chef-major-accessories/index.html

The leaflet with my Chef has a supplier though who is around £3 per item cheaper than this supplier though.

If you'll use them I think it's a good price @ £70

Kadeeae

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

Kadeeae, have you had chance to have a play with the Major? I've also seen the posts about the bowl being difficult to scape with a spatula and, having used the Chef one this afternoon I'm not sure I could pour and manage a bigger bowl. I'm not very big or very strong so I might just be a bit weedy

No, I've not used one - and I don't know anyone who has one. While I'm still in decision mode, maybe I should try and find out some more information about the depth. By spatula is everyone meaning the spatula you would use to scrape out the bowl when you are finished, or an attachment that isn't mixing properly because it isn't reaching far enough down into the bowl? Sorry, said I was thick. :rotfl:

On to a Google search then!

Pitlanepiglet

I think from what others have said they are talking about a spatula to wipe mix off the sides of the bowl and they have said that the bowl is very deep and that it's problematic to get to the bottom. The attachments are (I understand) adjustable so that they should reach the bottom.

I don't know how big the Major bowl is but the Chef one is about as big as I can manage, I'm finding it a bit tricky to tuck it under my arm to mix the last bits of mixture and to then pour the mixture into cake tins etc. For bread it's not a problem as you just pick the dough up.

I'd try to find somewhere that has the Major and see how you get on with it, I used to use my Mum's Chef when I was a child but I wonder now how on earth I managed the bowl!

Kadeeae

Pitlanepiglet wrote: »

These people have a good selection of attachments....

http://www.electricshopping.com/shop/kenwood/kenwood-store/mixers-food-processors/kenwood-chef-major/chef-major-accessories/index.html

The leaflet with my Chef has a supplier though who is around £3 per item cheaper than this supplier though.

If you'll use them I think it's a good price @ £70

Just had a look at the site and they do have quite a selection, and according to their prices the 'extra' attachments would be a bargain at the £70 - if I would actually use them. And a potato peeler! Ooooo.....how's that work?! lol

annie-c

If you look in the manual it tells you how to adjust the K beater to get it to reach the bottom. It is not absolutely perfect but if you want that then the new silicone K-beater for 900 and KM series (approx £25) has a 'bowl scraper' covering so it actually scrapes as it beats

Kadeeae

OK, 2 questions. The bowls for the KM010 and KM020 are 4.6 ltr. and 6.7ltr. Can someone tell me how this works out? Say I'm making a large tray cake or bread dough enough for 2 loaves. Will the smaller 4.6ltr. one handle these well? I don't want the 6.7 if it is total overkill and would do enough dough for something like 4 or five loaves.

(I'm hoping desperately that this is making sense, lol)

Second, as far as I can tell, and this is after much searching, the only differences between the KM010 and the KM020 are 100 watts on the motor and a larger bowl size. Would someone have a look at the two links here and tell me if I've got this right? Please?? Like I said before I've saved for this for ages and really want to get it right. The links are:

KM010

KM020

Thanks everybody, I really appreciate the help!

annie-c

I have the Chef with 4.6 l bowl and it is huge. The mixture for a 4 -egg cake looks like a little puddle int he bottom of it. I'm not a bulk baker, but, given that a 2lb loaf would fit in a tin approx the size of a 1l OJ carton, I'd guess you'd get at least 4 loaves worth of doughin the 4.6l bowl...

annie-c

PS yes to your second qu - that looks like the only difference to me.

Is there any way you could go to a kitchen shop and have a look before you buy?

Pitlanepiglet

I've not really had my Chef long enough to be able to add much constructive other than my comments above about the problems I've had manoeuvring the bowl.

We made bread with 450g flour in the Chef and it was a walk in the park and the bowl wasn't at all full, I'm sure it would manage much more than that and mine is the 1000w model.

It would be good if you could find a Major that you could touch and feel - I don't think our John Lewis had a Major and neither did our local "posh" kitchen shop so it might be worth ringing around to see if you can track one down.

Kadeeae

annie-c and pitlanepiglet -

No, sorry to say I haven't found anywhere that has either of these machines in stock in the shop so that I can have a good look - they were happy to order my choice though. lol