Kenwood Chef - Old or New?

Thistle-down

This is such a hard question to answer.

Generally, the older chefs (A701, A901) are better made and need fewer repairs than the newer models. (KM300, KM310, etc.)

I have heard good things about the KM001, but have never used one myself. I really like the food processor attachment (which only fits on the KM001 and KM005, I think it also fits the new KMC550) but I have a bamix so can't really justify buying a brand new chef for the food processor attachment!

The only new machines my Kenwood repair man has recommended for durability and reliability are the Major PM900 here and the chef version PM430 here. All metal gearing is important, rather than partial metal gears.

I have an old A701 and use it daily, I love it and it does a good job on everything. I also am lucky enough to have a PM900 (I bought it for £30 from someone who clearly didn't know what it was!!) which is utterly fantastic - I use it for all my stiff doughs and bread, and any time I am doing a big batch that wouldn't fit in the chef bowl.

If I was going to buy a new Chef it would be the PM430 described above, it is just a smaller version of the PM900 Major. In fact I want one right now!!

I probably haven't helped at all, if you have any more questions I will try to answer them!!;)

CFC

I'm considering asking for a Kenwood Chef 310 for Christmas from t' OH. Should I? Are they worth it? Are they any good for small quantities of stuff? (there's only 2 of us) I know they last for ever.

What attachments do you use?

I currently have an electric handwhisk which gets an occasional outing, and a food processor which has given up the ghost, but to be fair I've had it 20 years so it wasn't bad for fifteen quid. I have a breadmaker which I've only used a couple of times as I dislike the shape of the loaves when they come out.

I used to do a lot of cooking and really enjoyed it but not so much in the last five years, as I've been promoted (60 hour week this week, for example!), as well as got older I guess, so not so much time and energy, plus if dinners not meat and stodge other half is not too impressed. I'm hoping it would rekindle my love of cooking to make unusual things such as sausages - I see you can buy a mincer and sausage stuffer.

What are your thoughts? Is it worth the money and how much use will I get out of it?

dawn2dusk

I have no idea. Someone will be along soon that will know.
Have to be patient this time of day.:)

apple_mint

I don't know what the price for a Kenwood Chef is new, I got mine off a car boot sale for £5. There are two of us, and we use the Chef every week.

I make a batch of butter from double cream.
I make scones (8) using up the double cream (4 go in the freezer for later in the week)
I don't make bread with it as I use it a Panasonic bread maker
I have a little Kenwood Chefette (£3 from a car boot sale ) for cakes and merangues but I'm sure the Kenwood chef would be fine for these.
I use the slicer attachment when I'm making big batches of onion marmalade.

You need to think about what you would use it for. I broke my arm as a child and find it aches when I try to beat cakes etc, so the kenwood takes the effort out of doing this. Washing up isn't a problem - just wash the bowl and K beater and wipe down the machine.

culpepper

I saw this recently and thought it was a very good price
http://www.coopelectricalshop.co.uk/products/ProductDetail.asp?ProductCode=KEN-PCR-KM310&source=PANGOR

squeaky

Hi CFC

I've added your post onto a very similar thread which has links to even MORE similar threads. By the time you've read them all you'll have quite a range of opinions to choose from.

Thistle-down

CFC wrote:

I'm considering asking for a Kenwood Chef 310 for Christmas from t' OH. Should I? Are they worth it? Are they any good for small quantities of stuff? (there's only 2 of us) I know they last for ever.

What attachments do you use?

If you are looking to spend around £100-£150 I think you would be better off buying a second-hand A901 that comes with loads of attachments, probably from ebay. The machine itself is better made than the newer ones (with some exceptions, see above posts) and buying attachments seperately can be very expensive. You can even find new in box A901's on ebay - it seems lots of people got them as wedding presents and left them in the loft!

I use mine daily, but then I do all our cooking and baking from scratch and feed at least 4-6 people. I find (aside from the basic k-beater, whisk and dough hook, which get used daily) that I use these attachments at least weekly:

• mincer / sausage maker
• liquidiser (though not as quite as much as before now I have a hand blender)
• slow speed shredder and slicer (it does most things the high-speed one does but is much easier to wash up!!)
• citrus juicer
• wheat mill

I have all the attachments but the ones above are the ones I use the most, though they all get an airing around once a month. I haven't used the pasta maker yet - I must try it soon!!:o

If you are only cooking for the two of you, you can always do a big batch of whatever and freeze the excess.

I guess it depends on how much time you have for cooking as you sound very busy - it would be a shame to buy something and not have the time to make proper use of it! Saying that, if you bought it off of ebay second-hand, you should be able to re-sell it for what you paid if you end up not using it.

Addiscomber

I have an A901E which we bought new about 20 years ago and which has been used at least a couple of times a week since for cake making (doubling or trebling a recipe) and occasionally for bread dough. I only use the 3 basic tools that came with it, apart from a bean slicer which doesn't really count as it is very much a seasonal thing, and only if I grow runner beans. The food processor attachment doesn't fit my model, otherwise I would be thinking about one of those on space saving grounds alone as my food processor has just died after 23 years of regular use.

Having read one of Thistle-down's earlier posts I have recently indulged in an older model Major from ebay (Thanks for the good advice, by the way). I have to say that although the 901 copes with bread dough made with 3lb of flour, I always had the impression that it was very near the limit, whereas the A707 handles it with ease. If the modern models have some plastic innards instead of the all metal of the older ones, I cannot see them lasting as well if they are regularly asked to do the largest quantities that they are supposed to cope with.

CFC

Now I'm wondering which models should be in the frame. I don't want a second hand one, as my OH would not like to buy me a second hand item for Christmas (aww bless, if I was buying it myself that's what I'd go for). I do want one which will use all the attachments going, particularly the mincer and sausage stuffer, icecream maker and pasta maker. I looked at the site for attachments and got quite confused about what would fit what with all the model numbers and the references to 'will fit Chef'. As all the model numbers are different, what are they meaning by 'a Chef' seeing as in another thread a load of different Chef models were listed! Ideally I would also be able to get a food processor attachment for it as well.

I don't want to ask him for one of the several hundred pound Major models, that's why I was focussing on the 310 as it's now available for £149. Can I get all the attachments I've listed above as particular desires which will work on the 310?

CFC

Anyone know the answer to this?