KitchenAid vs. Bosch {Which Mixer Do You Really Need?}
It’s KitchenAid vs. Bosch! In this ultimate showdown between two of the most popular stand mixers on the market, learn the ins and outs of each mixer, and find out which stand mixer is right for you!
Disclaimer: this is an unsponsored post (i.e. I haven’t been paid to talk about these mixers); this post contains a few affiliate links which means that, at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission if you make a purchase. Thanks so much for your support in this way!. As always, feel free to shop around for the best price!
I’m really excited about today’s post!
And judging by the hundreds of comments and emails and questions I’ve received over the years about this issue, I’m guessing some of you might be excited, too.
In my extremely scientific (read: not scientific at all) research analysis, I’ve found that out of all my readers that own a stand mixer, most of you have either a KitchenAid or a Bosch mixer.
There are other brands on the market, but today, I want to focus on these two mixers.
It’s a battle of KitchenAid vs. Bosch!
They are vastly different mixers. You can see this immediately in terms of shape, color, size, and design.
And because of that, each have good points…and some not so good points.
I’ve been a loyal Bosch Universal fan for years. I received one in the first years of my marriage and have been using it since (not the original mixer – I gave that one to a friend when I upgraded to the new model design a couple of years ago, but the 14-year old Bosch is going strong for my pal, Katie).
My aunts all use a Bosch mixer and it was drilled into my head from an early age that it was the only kind of mixer to own.
I have loved every minute of using my Bosch (except for the few minor annoyances that I’ll detail below).
I’ve even joked with Brian that in the case of a fire, he should go for the children while I rescue the Bosch (and my beloved wheat grinder).
As for using a KitchenAid, last year, Costco was running a huge rebate on KitchenAid mixers, and I took the plunge and snagged one during the sale.
I never thought I would be a KitchenAid owner (or fan), but after hearing several friends rave about their KitchenAid’s strengths, I decided I wanted to try one out for myself.
She’s definitely a beauty, no doubt about that.
In all honesty, I was tempted to return the KitchenAid mixer within the first few weeks I had it (mostly because it felt, and still feels sometimes, excessive to have two stand mixers), but I stuck out the learning curve of a new mixer, and I’m glad I did, because it’s given me time to figure out which mixer really is the best.
For today’s post, I’m talking specifically about the two stand mixers I own.
The KitchenAid I bought at Costco is unique to Costco stores and is a bit different than KitchenAid mixers you can buy online or at other stores, but it is very similar to this KitchenAid mixer.
This is the Bosch Universal mixer I have.
The Bosch stand mixer is also offered in a compact version (400 watts, 4-quart bowl capacity, about $189). And the KitchenAid mixers come in many different variations of motor power and bowl capacity (such as this 5-quart, 325 watt mixer, about $299).
For the purpose of today’s KitchenAid vs. Bosch post, I want to compare similar models between brands (so that it wouldn’t be an unfair contest, like comparing a Ferrari to a Nissan Sentra).
Below, you can see some of the basic specs for each of the mixers.
Fairly similar in price and bowl capacity, the Bosch shines in it’s higher powered motor at 800 watts (and let’s be serious, the KitchenAid can’t be beat when it comes to color options).
This makes a big difference when it comes to making things like bread. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that someone’s KitchenAid mixer burned up making bread…well, you know where I’m going with that.
It seems to be a common issue with KitchenAid mixers, although less so with higher powered KitchenAid’s (500 watts and above).
However, I have never heard anyone say their Bosch mixer motor burned out, especially not while making bread, which brings me to my first comparison point.
Bread, Glorious Bread
The Bosch Universal is hands down the best mixer for making bread.
Because of the bowl design (the mixing shaft comes up from the bottom rather than the top, like the KitchenAid), and because of the higher power, the Bosch can easily hold upwards of 22 cups of ingredients in the bowl and will mix bread like a boss.
I always make large batches of bread in my Bosch, including my go-to whole wheat bread recipe that makes 5-6 loaves.
I think the Bosch handles small batches of dough just fine, also, although I will say that this is a common complaint with the Bosch: small batches of anything don’t fare well.
The secret I’ve learned is to add the flour very gradually for small batches of bread in the Bosch, otherwise, you’re left with dry patches as the dough just spins aimlessly in the mixer unable to incorporate all the ingredients.
Now let’s talk about the KitchenAid and bread.
I have turned to my KitchenAid a time or two to make smaller batches of bread (like these divine breadsticks).
It works fine, but I find it’s much easier to overflour the dough in the KitchenAid in order to get all the ingredients mixed based on how the dough hook moves around the bowl.
Making large batches of bread dough is out when it comes to the KitchenAid, in my opinion, but small batches seem to work ok. I’ve found I often have to scrape the sides of the bowl down to help incorporate flour – a difference between KitchenAid and Bosch as I never have to scrape down the sides of the Bosch bowl when making bread.
I’m going to detail a few more side-by-side comparisons below, but if you want to jump right to an overview, here’s a little chart for an at-a-glance picture at how these mixers measure up against each other.
Making Cookies
Both the Bosch and the KitchenAid are awesome for cookie making.
I made the exact same chocolate chip cookie recipe side-by-side in each mixer.
You can see that initially, the Bosch does a slightly better job at incorporating the butter and sugar together. The butter doesn’t get as hung up on the cookie paddles in the Bosch like it does in the KitchenAid.
As a sidenote, the cookie paddles are not included with the Bosch mixer, but are totally worth the extra $20 purchase; I use the dough hook or cookie paddles for everything I make in the Bosch.
After a little pause for scraping the butter off the paddle, the KitchenAid works great.
Interestingly both mixers struggled a bit to incorporate the eggs into the cookie dough without some excessive scraping action, as well.
Which brings me to a pretty major point that BOTH mixers have issues with ingredients getting stuck to the bottom of the bowl, especially with wet batters or doughs, and based on design (and even after manipulating the screw on the KitchenAid to bring the paddle closer to the bottom of the bowl), it requires some scraping to get everything incorporated.
This is NOT an issue when doubling a standard cookie dough recipe in the Bosch, FYI (beautiful double batch of cookie dough pictured just below).
The larger quantities of everything seem to help the paddles pick up all necessary bits, but doing the same and doubling a cookie dough recipe in the KitchenAid, I still had to dig in there to scrape lingering bits of butter and sugar off the bottom (but not necessarily the sides).
After the egg/vanilla point in cookie making, both mixers handle the cookie dough like the professionals they are.
Since I already touched on it above, let’s talk about the issues of making smaller batches of recipes in each mixer.
Small Batches/Thinner Batters
No offense to my Bosch, but it stinks when making small batches of anything. Even though the description will say it can whip even one egg white to stiff peaks (and it may, I’ve never tried it), when it comes to small, or more particularly, thinner/wetter recipes, I have to do a lot of scraping, especially on the bottom of the bowl, to help incorporate the ingredients.
There IS a bowl scraper available, but I don’t have it and can’t attest to whether it helps this issue out or not, and it certainly wouldn’t help with all the goodness that gets stuck on the center shaft of the mixer and the bottom of the bowl.
The solution in the Bosch is usually to double the recipe (not always possible, I know). A batch of frosting that might need a lot of scraping usually does great when doubled.
Even though the KitchenAid does require some initial scraping to get ingredients off the bottom of the bowl, it really shines when mixing wet batters, like cake recipes or frosting, or for whipping cream or egg whites.
There is also a scraper attachment for KitchenAid mixers. Again, I don’t have this, but it may be a help, although my issue with the KitchenAid is the ingredients that hang out on the bottom of the bowl even after adjusting the height of the mixer.
Despite having to still pull up ingredients from the bottom of the bowl, the KitchenAid is hands down the best mixer for standard-size recipes of thinner/wetter ingredients.
And I love having it for this perfect yellow cake recipe (although keep in mind when I made that dang recipe 17 times to get it perfect, I didn’t have a stand mixer, so my handheld mixer – more details below – did the job).
Ease of Use
I’m not going to lie, I’ve wanted to kind of scream in my pillow sometimes at trying to add ingredients to the KitchenAid while it is mixing.
My measuring cups hit the side of the mixer when adding flour and other dry ingredients; it’s hard to get all the flour added without banging the measuring cup against the side of the bowl like a madwoman to expel the last specks of flour.
If you have the flexibility to stop the mixer and lower the bowl, it’s much easier, but in small batch bread dough recipes or any recipe where you need to add ingredients gradually, it’s a pain.
However, adding liquid/wet ingredients, like eggs or milk, seems to be much easier.
I don’t know if it’s the measuring cups I’m using or not, but clearly, adding ingredients to the KitchenAid is kind of a love/hate thing for me.
The Bosch, on the other hand, is easier for adding ingredients while the mixer is running thanks to the open top design.
However, after adding dry ingredients, some light sweeping is usually necessary to get the excess flour (or whatever) off the metal driver.
And take care to avoid the plumes of whispy flour (or powdered sugar) that puff out of the mixer and may cause minor coughing fits (which is mainly caused by one sticking their face too close to the mixer during the dry ingredient adding procedure – not that I would ever do that).
Cookie maker beware.
So where does this leave us?
You can probably already see (if you made it this far, and if so, you deserve a cookie), that instead of proclaiming a true winner, it’s clear that each mixer has it’s strengths and weaknesses.
And much of the decision about which mixer to buy really depends on what you predominantly plan to make with it.
For serious bread makers and avid bakers of many types, the Bosch is a strong contender.
For those that see themselves making average-sized batches of cookies and cakes more than bread, the KitchenAid might be the best option.
And just to muddy the waters a bit, I have to say that in addition to my two stand mixers, I rely heavily on my everyday hand mixer, too.
For the longest time (over a decade), it was just me, my Bosch, and my trusty hand mixer that I used to make smaller batches of frosting, thin cake batters, etc.
Maybe it’s just because I’m a creature of habit, but I like having it around.
And since I’m clearly having a good time putting together charts, here’s a recap of which mixer I use..and for what.
It’s probably really obvious from this post that I’m a huge fan of the almighty Bosch. I can’t help it. She’s been by my side for over a decade.
If I had to choose between mixers, I’d definitely go with a Bosch Universal.
For me, a Bosch + hand mixer (for those thinner batters) is everything I would need for day-to-day cooking and baking operations in my kitchen.
However, the lovely KitchenAid cannot be discounted in terms of all-purpose use, especially if there isn’t going to be much bread or large-batch baking.
And, I will definitely say that if you are into looks, the KitchenAid has much more of an ooh-la-la factor. They are shiny and purty, no doubt about that.
The Bosch, on the other hand, isn’t fancy and doesn’t come in a million colors – it is definitely more on the humble, hard-working side of things.
And guess what? I also believe you can live your life fully and with lots of joy without even owning a stand mixer!
(Case in point: If you read through comments on my blog often, you’ll notice, Liz, who is a frequent and very helpful commenter…she’s also amazing in many other ways…and guess what? She makes everything by hand. I declare, or rather, Liz probably declares: it can be done!)
So, now it’s YOUR turn! If you are a stand mixer owner, which one do you have? And why do you love it?
Thanks for sticking with me for this detailed post (assuming you did, ha!). Feel free to ask any additional follow-up questions or clarification in the comments. Later, skaters!
569 Comments on “KitchenAid vs. Bosch {Which Mixer Do You Really Need?}”
I just finished coaxing another 5 loaf batch out of my 6qt, 590 watt Kitchenaid. I have to use the pour shield to keep stuff from flying out, and I worry because the motor housing gets too hot to touch. My friend directed me to your comparison here, but I see that the Bosch is only 6.5 quarts – just 2 cups bigger than my Kitchenaid. Is that going to make enough of a difference? BTW, one reason I like the Kitchenaid is that I have lots of attachments like a meat grinder and pasta roller.
I have both. I use my Bosch for bread and Kitchenaid for everything else. I don’t even own a hand mixer at all. Love both but like you I agree that Bosch I’d definitely better for bread and I like adding ingredients better with the Bosch than the Kitchenaid. My Kitchenaid sits on my counter and I never thought about it before but I do like the look of it. I have had it for 30+ years and it is still going strong.
So which one do you think would work better for making tamales?
A Bosch if using the dough hook or a KitchenAid with the paddle attachment.
Like the author, I own both a Bosch Universal, and a Kitchenaid 6 qt. Pro. I have the bowl scraper attachment and cookie paddles for my Bosch. Like the author I think the Bosch is hands down the better mixer for large batches and bread. Unless you’re making 4-6 loaves of bread at a time the Kitchenaid is a fine mixer, until it isn’t. I have friends who bring their Kitchenaid mixers to me from time to time to repair them, and each time it’s the same issues. Either the electric drive control board has fried, or the motor has fried, or the gears have stripped. Each time it’s between $150-$300 in parts to repair, and each time I recommend that they purchase a Bosch Universal.
Every Christmas when I make divinity in my Bosch it ruins the beaters- when I pour in the hot candy it either melts the plastic shaft and the wire beaters fall out or the plastic falls apart or the metal pin comes out. Not made for the heat. Do you think the Kitchen Aid would handle it?
Yes, I bet it could!
I got my Bosch 42 years ago. I’m still using it, but I’m worried that it will die. The reason being is not only is it old and well-used, but while I was making pumpkin pie last year, the bowl shattered and I had to dig bowl remnants out of the filling. They were large enough to see, but I didn’t serve the pie to anyone but my husband with the warning to chew slowly and thoroughly before swallowing. Luckily, we didn’t find any more pieces. I had recently inherited my mother’s Bosch including attachments and replaced the broken bowl with hers (hers is older than mine). My worry is that since my mom’s Bosch was stored in a storage unit where temps and humidity are uncontrolled, the bowl might have become brittle and I will experience the same fate as with my own bowl.
So, my question for you is, if I purchase a new Bosch, can I use the same attachments? All of my attachments seem to be in very good condition.
I would appreciate any feedback you may have.
Yes, I believe the attachments still work on newer models! But it might be best to contact the company just to make sure. 🙂
I’m team Bosch all the way. My daughters like the beauty and colors of KitchenAid and sleek look. The Bosch makes bread and huge batches with ease!!
Do you have an opinion on which is easier to clean? Thanks!
Probably the KitchenAid. 🙂
The Bosch bowl scrapers come with 2- one to scrape the outside of the bowl and one to scrape the center! It gets every last bit and is very helpful!
I didn’t read the 555 comments- but if no one said to get the scraper paddle for your Kitchenaid, do it. It is well worth the $20! It made my love for the Kitchenaid multiply by 3. I use it for almost everything.
Thank you for taking the time to compare these two products. I own a Bosch Universal and have for over 25 years and so do my 6 sisters and mother. We love it. I beake a lot of bread, buns and large batches of everything Lately I’ve been considering a second mixer (KitchenAid)) for different things. I have the bowl scrapers for my Bosch and like all gadgets I used them when I first bought them but now not so much and they do work. I’ve been pouring over comparisons and yours was the first to compare the machines I am interested in. I was thinking a top mount mixer head would solve problems of ingredients not mixing without continual scraping sides and bottom of the bowl and for smaller batches. My trusty and frequently used hand mixer is a ‘can’t be without’ kitchen tool. I’m thinking you just saved me a sizeable investment as there are not enough benefits to warrant the purchase of a KitchenAid stand mixer.
Great comparison blog Mel, just as I was getting ready to purchase my 2nd stand mixer. I had pretty much decided that although my ancient, but still working ( 46 yrs.) Artisan tilt head needed a friend and immediately thought of the KA pro 7 series. I have been making more larger batch bread, tried my Artisan once and the poor girl just about wheezed and rock and rolled off the counter. My daughter suggested the Bosch 800 watt. I watched a couple of YouTube segments of 2 separate bread bakers who absolutely swore by their Bosch machines. I then found your sight and the comparison made my decision for me. Bosch it is!! Thanks so much
Thanks so much for your review. I’m sold on purchasing the Bosch Universal Plus but am having difficulty deciding on whether to go with the traditional white model with the plastic bowl or the newer black with stainless steel bowl. Can anyone offer any advice – pros and cons?? Thanks!!
Hi Robert, I have both the stainless and the white. I think they are both fantastic and really, one doesn’t outweigh the other by leaps and bounds. I think it really boils down to preference. For those that have used kitchen aids for years and are used to a stainless bowl, that might be the best option for the bosch. I usually pull the white bowl/mixer out more often than not.
I was a kitchenaid fan since the 90s. Overloaded that mixer more than once. I wanted the larger mixer so bought the new 6qt on a sale. Motor burned out making bread. Followed kneading instructions to the letter. Their products are not what they used to be and how I wish I never sold the old one.
You would have found adding ingredients to the KitchenAid bowl while it is still running would have been easier for you if you had used the pouring shield. KitchenAid has plastic gears in all of their mixers until you get to the Pro Line model, which is the one I ended up at. They don’t burn up like the lower models. It’s $500 to $600. For me, the KitchenAid’s versatility wins. I can make 4 loaves of Bosch Foolproof Whole Wheat Bread at one time, which is plenty for us and the freezer. There are a “zillion” attachments for various things that can be added to the KitchenAid — pasta roller and cutters and grain grinder are my favorite, but I have other attachments I really like. If I’m going to take up counter space, and I don’t have a lot of it, the KitchenAid wins hands down.
I consider myself a novice breadmaker, but my friends consider me a master. I’ve been been baking bread at least once a week for years.
I don’t like Kitchenaids for breadmaking. It seems like they’re way too prone to sloshing the flour out. But I think that may also be because my GF’s, now wife’s Kitchenaid has a broken speed thing so it doesn’t do low speeds and it jumps it to a higher speed.
Still, what I really like is breadmakers. They have a mixing mechanism that’s a little more like the Bosch and they’re less prone to sloshing up the flour.
But they’re also good because they will just finish rising the dough for you. Just push the dough button and maybe monitor it a bit to make sure nothing is being stuck on the side, then close the lid and come back later to dough that’s ready to make into whatever you want.
Only problem is that I want to make bread from about 12-16 cups of flour per batch, so I’ve been having to do two batches in my breadmaker. I think I’m going to try doing half in my breadmaker and half in the Kitchenaid for a little more efficiency. That way my breadmaker can be on the counter, and my Kitchenaid can be on the counter and they can both be used for bread, but the Kitchenaid can also be used to make other stuff.
Like cotton cakes. Have you tried cotton cakes? They are amazing.
I recently purchased a Bosch. I’ve only used KA forever and hand mixer. My question is…speed control. There are only 4 speeds on the B and 10 on the KA. How do I know what speeds to use so I’m not over mixing everything in the B ?
It’s really just a matter of using the Bosch to see how the speeds work with the recipe you are making. I rarely use over speed 1 or 2 on the Bosch.
I really enjoyed your HONEST review of the 2 mixers!! I have a Kitchen aid that I truly love. At the young age of 66 baking has become my post Retirement Bobby of choice. Since I am just now getting into bread baking, I would love to win a Bosch! Until that happens or I can talk 1 of my girls into getting me a Bosch, I will continue to use my beloved Kitchen aid. Am so happy to have found your site & think we are heading toward a beautiful relationship! Thank you again! Sheri
This was truly a great article. You didn’t miss anything in your review. I would love to own a Bosch. Might have to start saving for one.
I too have had 2 kitchen aid mixers for (one h/d pro 20 yes) and an artisan tilt head 30+ yrs. not too much talk about always having to scrape both down, what a major pain! I do have a plastic shield that fits on top of the bowl that helps, but can’t really reach in to scrape while it’s running, the beater will rip the spatula right out of your hand.
I’m going to buy the Bosch Universal Plus to make bread. Even my KA starts to whine when making thick batters/bread. Thanks Mel for doing great research, really helped me decide!! LOVE your recipes and your site…..
I grew up with a Bosch…had a kitchen aid for a short time, but when it was time to get a new mixer, I opted for the Bosch again. I wanted to comment on the scraper attachment. It is worth the $20 for it! It scrapes both the outside of the bowl AND the post in the middle and keeps everything incorporated. I will say there is a design flaw with the scraper and after about 2 years of use it breaks….so I buy a new one which is a pain, but totally worth it for the scraping that it does.
I’ve been wondering if my universal mixer is worth some of the trouble it causes me. However, after reading this post I understand some of the issues. I will keep my universal, AND my trusty stand mixer, as well as my hand mixer. I do not own either of these name brands, but your post was still quite helpful.
Thank you for the charts and the detailed, well-explained information.
Do you find that your newest model Bosch is louder than your previous models? And, is it louder than the kitchen aid?
I think the Bosch and KitchenAid are both comparably loud. I’m not sure if my newer model is louder. They aren’t quiet machines, but I don’t find them obnoxiously loud.
So does anyone else have issues with the Bosch cookie paddles’ gears breaking so that they just skid around the bowl and not turn? It happens to me ALL the time and is very frustrating! I’ve called Bosch and they always send me a new set and say to switch to the dough hook after creaming with the cookie paddles. Just yesterday I made sugar cookies and took extra care at using soft butter and not clumped sugar and the paddles still broke! Just wondering if anyone else has a remedy for the situation?
Same here!!! I’ve had 4 or 5 pairs that have broken. I just stopped using them and just use the wire whisks for everything. ♀️
Bosch Magic Mixer all the way. I have had mine since late ’70s. It is at least 42 years old, maybe 43. I used to make all my bread. I would go to the whole grain store and have them grind different flours. The blender attachment is still going strong too. The blades are sharp and the pitcher is still surviving.
Thank you for this comparison. I have had my 75th anniversary KitchenAid stand mixer for 26 years now. My oldest daughter bought the 100 the anniversary edition last year, beautiful mixer. I have thoroughly enjoyed the KitchenAid all these years. My mother bought the Bosch for me about 7-8 years ago. I use it mostly for making bread, does a superb job. The KitchenAid really could not handle bread unless just 1 loaf at a time. I feel very blessed to have both mixers as I really enjoy them. Your comparison chart is right on target.
I have the universal Bosch and lots of the attachments. I bake lots of bread and cookies..make fondant and with my attachments pasta..ground meat for sausage and applesauce with the canning attachment. I love it. I have a small bowl that fits on the mixer for cakes and whipping cream. I also have the small mixer and a hand mixer. I keep the small mixer on the counter where it is handy and takes up little room. My big Bosch comes out for bread and large quantities..easily because it is not as heavy as the kitchen aid and does a beautiful job and is easy to clean. I bought a kitchen aid for our cottage because I didn’t want to wait for shipping…and they are pretty..I couldn’t pass up that shiny red machine…it is noisier than my Bosch…harder to clean and heavy…and did not do as good a job on my bread dough….so I gave it to my grandaughter…who really wanted it. She has since purchased the small Bosch because she says it’s so handy and easy to work with…Keeping the kitchen aid in her pantry….I am sold on Bosch and think it is not advertised like Kitchen Aide..and other than being plain and not shiny and pretty is my choice.
Thank you for the great comparison of the two mixers. I use to own a KitchenAid 325watt and killed it during a Nutella Babka recipe and now I’m doing my research on which mixer is the best option. I’m contemplating between the Bosch or the KitchenAid Proline 7QT 1.3Hp. Both cost the same ($730) but I am still not sure which will be the best option. It’s a big purchase and I wanna make sure I make the right decision. Heard so many good things about the Bosch however every comparison made has been with the 575watt KitchenAid. Wish I could try both and then decide. Lol
I’ve had my KitchenAid Artisan for 5 years and it’s coming apart. The pin holding the head in place works it’s way out when I make bread, the motor sounds like it’s grinding and my bowl keeps coming unlocked when I make bread or a stiff dough. Every KitchenAid sounds different and seems to run into problems within a few years. I am not impressed. I’d say, like Mel says, consider what you mostly make and go with that. If I never made bread I’d probably be happy with the KitchenAid I have.
I’ve had my Kitchenaid professional for 10+ years. Have made bread regularly (many patches of making all my own, whole grain bread), pizza dough, rolls, etc etc and I’ve never had an issue with it. My regular batch is 3 bigger loaves or 4 smaller loaves. In my opinion, it can’t be beat for versatility because I don’t like the Bosch for cakes or other things and it feels like such a pain to wash! (I have used my mother’s Bosch.)
If you turn your mixer upside down and look up the neck to where the head pivots you’ll see a set screw, odds are it’s loose. Mine was . As for the other problems I can’t help, but I do know the parts to fix most of them are easy to replace with some simple hand tools.
This is helpful, thank you! I’ve owned the same Bosch mixer since I was in college (almost 25 years old!) and it is a workhorse. It’s the best for bread/pizza, but like you, I find it hard to make small batches of things so I’ve considered getting a kitchenAid for cookies (plus I’m jealous of how pretty they are compared to my old mixer). It’s helpful to know the same issues I have with the Bosch I will also have with the KitchenAid. I think I’ll stick with old reliable.
Which one is lead free?
Hi, Mel! Like you, I also have TWO stand mixers … but my 2 stand mixers are The Oster Kitchen Center with a 450 watt motor, from 1984 (that’s before your time), and the more recent Kitchen Aid Pro 5 Plus 5 Quart Wide Lift Bowl Stand Mixer from 2008. Back in 1984, I also bought an electric stainless steel GRAIN MIL (the Magic Mill Three Plus), and began milling my own organic whole wheat and other flours at home, and I BAKED about 6 loaves of organic whole wheat bread for us every week, for some 18 years, until fresh and fluffy organic whole grain breads became widely available in mainstream grocery stores. I also have a 7-speed electric hand mixer by Cuisinart, like the one you have, which I use most often to mix cake batters, and to whip cream, and to make frosting. I have wanted to buy a BOSCH Universal Plus Stand Mixer for YEARS, but as I already had TWO stand mixers, I didn’t feel I could justify buying a third stand mixer (like you) – this time a BOSCH. Besides, I don’t bake bread very often anymore …. I did want to bake some Stollen at Christmas time using hard bread flour and some Vital Wheat Gluten, and lots of dried fruit, raisins, candied peels, etc., for which I thought a BOSCH would do an excellent job. I don’t think the Kitchen Aid Pro 5 Plus would be able to handle the heavy Stollen dough. However, I DO think that my old Oster Kitchen Center stand mixer with the 450 Watt motor and the “double dough hooks” would be able to handle the heavy Stollen dough. But I’ve decided NOT to make Stollen this Christmas. I just wanted to let you know that I share your sentiments and opinions about the two stand mixers … I also think the BOSCH is DEFINITELY FOR SERIOUS BREAD BAKERS, while the Kitchen Aid Pro 5 Plus is for casual home bakers who don’t bake much bread. Also, the latest BOSCH Universal Plus has been improved to “seal” the transmission so it doesn’t “leak”, and they have made other important improvements such as “suction” feet so the Bosch doesn’t dance all over the counter while kneading heavy bread dough, or cookie dough. I really enjoyed reading your “comparison” of the TWO stand mixers.
Thank you for this detailed post! Like many, I began baking my own bread during the pandemic when I often couldn’t find my preferred bread on the grocery store shelves. Unfortunately, I killed my KitchenAid while trying out a new recipe (one I didn’t even like as much!!), and now I’m trying to decide where we go from here. This was so helpful!
Thank you for this comparison. I have a Siemens MK4.0072. It belonged to my mother, and I inherited it. I don’t know how old it is, but it is very much like the Bosch compact in size (4qt) and appearance. I believe that Bosch bought Siemens at some point. I love it. Recently, it started making a loud squeaking sound. My husband took it apart; cleaned it up and oiled it. It runs beautifully again. I’d love to know just how old this thing is.
I meant to add. It came with three attachments too. Meat grinder, blender, and food processor/slicer.
Do you know if the compact Bosch works just as good as the universal?
I haven’t had experience using the compact mixer, but I’ve heard it has great reviews for smaller batches!
I have had a Compact for probably 8 years and I love it! I mainly use it for single batch cookies and bread. For bread I make 2 loaves at a time and it works great! When I make wheat bread (usually about 50/50 wheat to white flour) the Compact kneads it for 10 minutes and the motor doesn’t get hot.
Yes it’s a great little machine. I give them as wedding gifts. They can still do bread..only 3-4 loaves and are small and don’t take up alot of counter space..plus a.you can buy attachments which make it very versatile. So you have a blender and grater that you can use replacing a similar machine with as good or better horsepower.
I’m so glad I heard about the Bosch as with COVID I’ve been making bread with all my spare time.
I love kneeding by hand but after rotor cuff surgery at 70 both arms I’m excited about the Bosch.
I did have a kitchenaide and you are right my husband was making New Years prezel( the motor went and I couldn’t get it repaired.
I too use a hand mixer so the Bosch and it will be great.
Hi Mel, though this post was written over 3 years, it is new to me. I love baking bread and always want to have a stand mixer to help. Then I bought a Kitchenaid Artisan last year. I regret just after 6 to 7 months when I have started to make bread often. The first time, it worked just fine. Unfortunately, from the 2nd batch (only 280g of flour indeed@.@), it starts to make weird sound and exudes the smell of grease……
As a bread lover, I guess I have made a wrong decision last year. I am thinking of getting a Bosch (my hubby will complain for sure~~), what do you think about getting a Bosch if making bread is the first priority? Thanks a lot.
I definitely think a Bosch mixer is the top choice if bread making is the priority! It is unsurpassed in my opinion!
Would you recommend the Bosch Compact for a user who will make smaller batches of bread and needs the attachments” for other tasked for cooking
I haven’t used the Bosch compact myself, but I’ve heard it is a great mixer, especially for smaller batches.
Not only am I KitchenAid user, the machine sits in prominence in my kitchen. The best part about her is her age. She is an original A5 … or is it 5A. She has serve decades, making every possible thing. I have added the wheat grinder and the meat/poultry grinder. I dread the day she turns her last paddle and I must replace her. Thank you for your comparisons.
My family has been a Bosch family for generations! I wanted to point out that the most wonderful part of making cookies with a Bosch is that for most recipes you do not have to blend the sugar and butter, add the eggs, etc. The Bosch was designed to be a dump pour mixer. I literally dump all the ingredients in and mix at once. Cookies, bread, etc all turn out perfectly this way! (As long as it’s not overmixed)
I am an appliance junky much like yourself judging from your article. I started out with a Kitchen Aid back in the 80s and I was the only person I knew that had one and it was white of course which was the only color they sold. I gave that wonderful machine to my daughter (still running and working hard) when I had trouble with dough climbing up the hook and I bought an Ankarsrum which needs bread dough beautifully. The Ankarsrum allows me to still be interactive with the dough even when it is mixing. Unlike the KA which is scary when running. “Keep hands, head and feet clear of the Kitchen Aid when plugged into outlet. Plus the Ankarsrum is quieter and has a soothing quality to it that is difficult to explain but I have heard other bakers mention it. It mixes the dough with very little drama or trauma and doesn’t heat it up like the KA. So even sourdough doesn’t get hot and break down. It is very gentle and yet effective- like your hands except cooler. I bake a lot of bread and I really love that Ankarsrum in a baby blue. However when it comes to cookies, frosting and cakes I hated it and pretty much used my hand mixer which can get old. Finally I bought another Kitchen Aid but last time I tried to make chocolate chip cookies (double batch ) it struggled even though I had the big 6 qt bowl. I loved my old Kitchen Aid so much more. Even the bowl was sturdier and it could slam out a double recipe of chocolate chip cookies. So I bit the bullet and bought the Bosch for large recipes. I am going to give my Kitchen Aid (a minty Aqua blue) and possibly buy the Kitchen Aid Mini- in white so I will have come full circle. I like the Mini because I can keep it out on the counter as it is so small and I don’t allow anything on my counters. Between the 3 machines, hand mixer, 80s Cuisinart food processor and the Vitamix I feel like I can do just about anything. I finally have my big dream kitchen alas so why not?
I loved your article. I would love to know what you think of the Bosch versus Kitchen Aid when it comes to whipping ice cold butter into submission? I loved my KA for that. I know you said the Bosch is better for frosting so I wondered if you meant with cold butter or softened butter? The Ankarsrum’s plastic donut bowl is so weak. It is practically worthless. I feel like my hand mixer does a better job. I can’t thank you enough for the comparison between Bosch and the KA.
Have you tried out or considered buying the stainless steel bowl for the Bosch Universal mixer? I’m considering buying a Bosch and wasn’t sure if it would make a large amount of difference if I bought the stainless steel vs. plastic versions. I have read some discussions about stainless steel bowls dispelling heat better (when mixing for a long time), but wanted to know what your experience has been. I live in Hawaii and wasn’t sure if the warmer climate means I NEED the heat dispelling properties of stainless steel bowl. I appreciate your input!
I have both a stainless bowl and a plastic bowl, and I don’t notice a huge difference between the two of them. I’m not sure of the heat dispelling properties…I think it probably will boil down to personal preference. If you like using a stainless bowl (like on a KitchenAid) rather than a plastic bowl, I’d go with that Bosch model. 🙂
I am looking for a new bread recipe: I have owned my Bosch for 30 plus years an got a Kitchen Aid for Christmas Lime Green! I totally agree with your article. As there is only my husband and I now the Bausch is almost too big for everyday things! I love the KitchenAid for cookies, cakes etc. It’s also easier to clean. I also agree about adding flour. After the Bosch it is more difficult. I think I might try your smaller recipe in my Bosch as I have a part for smaller bread batches. I will see how it works. If I decide l want to make your bigger batch would I just double it?
Thanks for help and amazing article!
Yes, you can double that recipe!
After general conference a few weeks ago there was an ad for a Bosch sale and I jumped on it! It was delivered yesterday and I’m so excited to try it! I got a kitchen aid for our wedding 11 years ago and it’s worked well but I’ve never loved it like many do. Maybe because my mom has an old school Braun stand mixer that I grew up using and I think it’s the best. I think and hope the Bosch will come close to that. Braun doesn’t make mixers anymore and hasn’t for YEARS. Only place to get one is on EBay. Anyway! Off I go to make bread! But which one?!?
Thanks much for your comparison review! I’ve yet to purchase my first stand mixer but have ruled out KA, leaving Bosh & Ankarsrum to choose from. KA is hokey for making motors that overheat after 20 minutes, how ridiculous! I think I’m going with the Ank, as they’re beautiful, well made & with lots of torque, & have been going strong since 1940. The Bosh seems noisy & is unattractive with that unneeded & unappealing looking blender attached to it. Plus it’s made of plastic… The Ank is only a couple hundred more but has a 7 yr warranty, plus it gets rave reviews for best developed gluten. Beauty, quality, strength, endurance & quiet operation = Ankarsrum.
Today, I bought a KitchenAid 600 professional to replace my Bosch Universal after almost 20 years. I have some very specific complaints about the Bosch, but I’m not sure the KitchenAid won’t have other equally significant problems. First, the mixer bowl couldn’t really handle bread dough with even 12 cups of flour. It would warp and twist as the dough hooks tried to work through thick dough. You say “overfloured,” but it wasn’t. My mother even broke her bowl on heavy dough–not just my problem. Second, the think was way too noisy–compared to my grandmother’s old KitchenAid of the 600’s size. Third, the Bosch doesn’t clean bowl sides well. Fourth, I only had the Family Grain Mill wheat grinder attachment, and flipping the mixer up on the side (and creating your own cutom-made wood block support) was ludicrous. And finally, ABSOLUTELY don’t try to add liquid to a heavy dough in the BOSCH. It merely greases the lump so that it spins at high frequency and walks the mixer off the cupboard! That having been said, I hope the KitchenAid doesn’t present its own set of issues.
Proud Bosch owner here! My grandma has had her Bosch Universal Mixer for probably 30 years. She tried a Kitchen Aid, but hated it and resold it. She makes stuff with her Bosch daily, whether that be cookies, smoothies, cakes, bread dough, etc. She bought me the older UM3 model with attachments for around $40 at an auction and it was an incredibly powerful machine. Unfortunately, I kept it in a storage closet in a box. My dad thought it wasn’t being used and not worth anything and threw it out! I literally used it weekly! Honestly, one of the saddest days ever when I couldn’t find it and found out what he did with it. Very traumatic tbh. It makes me sick to my stomach just thinking about it. Then I bought the next model up (MUM6) at an auction with not only the regular mixing attachments and bowl but also the stainless steel bowl and food processor. And it was only $100 or $150. Anyway, I love it to death. I make a double batch of cookies in it regularly and the dough comes out amazing. I don’t have the cookie paddles, only the dough hook and whisks, so I just use the whisks for the dough and it seems to handle it just fine as long as you use a higher speed. I think I might invest in the scaper attachment. Overall I swear by them like my gram. Ya, it’s tempting to get a Kitchen Aid because they look beautiful with all their colors, but at the end of the day I need a functional, powerful workhorse to get the job done (mostly cookie dough), and for that, I’ll take a Bosch over a KA any day.
Thanks for comparing the two– very usable information. I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer and a very powerful hand mixer. Since I do not have a lot of counter space, I tend to use the hand mixer more often. It handles cookie dough and comes with dough hooks though I haven’t tried it on heavy bread dough. During Christmas cookie production, the stand mixer is a stand out. I wind up making bread by hand if it includes whole grain flours that don’t take well to over handling. I understand the Bosch Universal is somewhat gentler with the bread dough– doesn’t generate as much heat as other stand mixers when kneading bread dough. I’m considering adding a Bosch Universal to my kitchen tools. I’ve been baking more bread lately, especially sourdough. I prefer wheat that remain close to its original gene pool such as Einkorn flours though they can be more temperamental to handle. Perhaps the Bosch Universal will help with that.
Great blog post! I have the KA 5-quart Artisan tilt-head and the Bosch Universal Plus. I love them both and use them both regularly.
I absolutely love the Bosch for bread dough and larger batches of cookie dough (especially thicker doughs). Love the Bosch’s open bowl, which allows you to add ingredients really easily as well as its cover, which prevents flour from flying all over the place.
I use my KitchenAid for smaller batches of muffins and cookies, single loaves of bread and small cakes, and I think it’s wonderful for that.
Two things bother me about the Bosch design: first, I had high hopes for using it to make sponge and angel food cakes because of its larger bowl capacity (compared to the the KA Artisan) powerful motor and ability to aerate batter and whip egg whites. The Bosch definitely passes those tests with flying colors, but scraping batter out of the bowl with its center post (and no handle) is a pain in the neck. I really find it cumbersome – like it’s extra work to get all the batter out. And, for angel food cake, I can’t fold flour into the beaten egg white in a bowl with a center post. I end up scraping the egg white into a conventional mixing bowl to fold in the flour (when a large KA bowl would have made it a one-bowl process).
All in all, I feel like to have both mixers so I can use whatever is optimal for what I happen to be making. For people who bake lots of bread, I’d go with the Bosch.
I know bosch’s are pretty awesome–but I love my kitchen aid because of its versatility! There are so many attachments you can add. I have a pasta roller attachment and it’s so relaxing to make fast, fresh homemade pasta! I have a pasta press, too, and that’s not so fast but still so fun to make your own bucatini or fusilli. I also have the ice cream bowl addition and we love it in the summer time. We are also thinking about getting the meat grinder attachment. Lots of options for one little machine!
I have had a Bosch for over 25 years. And yes, it is great for bread and large batches of cookies. I have a scraper for small batches but it only works with the dough hook.
The big drawback is in mixing candy – divinity or nugget – where you add the hot syrup while mixing. The Bosch throws the syrup to the side where it hardens so does not mix in. One of my daughters has a Kitchen Aid and she makes nugget for the family (when the weather is right, if she is in the mood). I too, have a hand mixer for frostings, but I use the Bosch when mixing cakes.
I got a USED Bosch the first year of my marriage, 35 years ago, and have been using that dear old Bosch for all these years. I do make bread, cookies, whip the cream for pie, and….well…. anything that needs to be mixed goes in the Bosch. I did finally wear my bowl out and had to go on eBay to find another as the company doesn’t even make them any more. I have been unfaithful and looked and the pretty colors of the Kitchenaid in Costco. But you, my dear, have brought me back to my senses. My dear ol’ Bosch and I, I dare say, will expire together!
Thanks so much for this very even and reasoned comparison. I am on my third Kitchen Aide and have loved them all. They have been my trainer wheels through hundreds of loaves of bread. My current KA stand mixer will be lucky to survive Christmas 2019. I hear that old familiar grinding sound from my mixer. It may sound silly to most readers but my biggest complaint with the KA stand mixer is the size. I have to do an awkward tilt to get it to fit on my kitchen counter but under my cabinets. At almost six pounds, I really don’t like this tilt and store method. I’d rather have a tool that fits comfortably on my counter. Especially one that I use more than once a week. Your information has helped me decide to spend a little more on the Bosch because it really seems more suited to my bread making.. Thanks!
The bigger question for some will be; Which is lead free? With news having come out about some attachments being lead heavy for the Kitchen Aid…
Kenwood is my favorite stand mixer. It is more powerful, larger, and very well made. It is pricer than both Kitchenaid and Bosch, but it has been worth it to me. I make pizza dough weekly, cookies, and cakes in my mixer. I don’t make a lot of breads though.
Also, my Kitchenaid mixing attachment kept flaking off (the white ceramic/paint). This was very frustrating to me and I had to replace it a couple of times a year (no, I didn’t put it in the dishwasher). The Kenwood is all stainless steel and all parts are dishwasher safe.
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Which Kenwood do you have? We recently moved to the UK and I keep seeing these but am not sure which to get. I make a lot of food from scratch and really want something that is going to last.
I have two Kitchen Aid mixers and love them both. I tend to be a pastry maker rather than a savory baker, so they work very well for me. Your comment about bread dough is topical though. I usually only make rolls on holidays and I have to be careful because the mixer will overheat. However, Kitchen Aid gives victory !. Thanks for your sharing
I do own the Kitchen artisan series 5 quart and i do love it. I have it in the color Cranberry. I often look at buying a bosch but its just something about the trusty kitchen with its beautiful aesthetics that keeps me there. Who’s to say I won’t get a Bosch ? Right now I’m so happy with my kitchenaid.
Ive had a Bosch for years and I just purchased a Kitchen Aid and I was disappointed. The Bosch wins hands down.
1) The Kitchen Aid is very heavy and difficult to maneuver
2) Adding ingredients to the Kitchen Aid while mixing is very awkward and ingredients spill all over the counter
3) While mixing the beaters on the Kitchen Aid did not reach the bottom of the bowl
4) The Bosch is very sleek and tightly sealed. After use, all it needs is a quick wipe down and it is sparkly clean. The Kitchen Aid has much more nooks and crannies where flour etc get lodged. Clean up was much more involved and took much more time. Even after all the time, there may be bits stuck here and there that were missed.
This is very useful information. I have had two KitchenAid Pro 6 machines. The gears finally went out on the first one. The last few times I make bread I could hear the gears whining on the Pro 6 I use now. I used to make divinity and marshmallows and the whip attachment on the KitchenAid was essential. I haven’t made those in a long time and bread making is now my primary focus. Your analysis has really helped me plan for my next stand mixer. I’m not sure the KitchenAid will make it through the holiday season. One other thing that is a big factor in my decision is that I really don’t like the overall size of the KitchenAid. Too heavy and tall. It doesn’t fit well on my counter because there isn’t enough clearance under the cabinets above the counter. Anyway, thanks a million for your help.
Have owned a Bosch for over 30 years. Still using original machine. Bought the scrapper attachment and found it helpful. Also have a Kitchen Aide. Feel the same way you do. Good for smaller batches. (Not bread) and it is a pretty dark blue. Thought of upgrading to newer Bosch but couldn’ t justify it.
Bosch all the way! I started using my mom’s Bosch when I was about 10. She taught me how to make whole wheat bread and I sold it to my neighbors all summer long – I made hundreds of loaves of bread and hundreds of dollars – not bad for a 10 year old in the 70’s. Then my mom gave me a Bosch as a wedding present. I’d be lost without it! I’m definitely in the lots of bread and big batches of cookies camp, so that’s my bias. Thanks for the analysis, Mel!
Hello!!!! And what great article. I had a Classic KA Mixer that is still working well, but I bought a new KA Pro 5 Plus hoping to make larger batches of bread. I unfortunately gave away my original KA Classic. It was a workhorse. My new KA Pro 5 Plus could never handle more than 6 cups of flour, and was extremely noisy. One month after the 1 year warranty expired, it started making grinding noises, and smoked a bit and smelled like burning plastic. It also had tendency to occasionally leave little drops grease in the bread dough. Well I had heard that once Whirlpool bought out KA, they started outsourcing plastic parts from China. I thought I was buying an American made product, but if you read the shipping box correctly, it states, “Assembled In The USA”, not made or manufactured there. Disappointing. There are lots of complaints regarding the new KA’s with the same problems I had. For an almost $600.00 machine (CDN) I was not going to buy another KA.
I contacted KA with no help or solution. I gave the Pro 5 to my sister in law, and it still grinds away but she uses it for light duty use only. Now what was I going to do? I bake breads at least two times a week making 3-8 loaf batches.
I researched Bosch, bit the bullet and bought the Universal Plus! I’ve had it over a year now and it is a workhorse!!! I’ve made tons of bread, cookies, cakes, and with the dough extender, have made smaller batches of bread doughs. It is amazing. I have not yet broken the cookie paddles, but after creaming sugar and butter, I switch to the dough hook. I’ve also had no problems whisking small batches of egg whites.
A few months ago I bought the Bosch Compact mixer for the portability, and for small mixing jobs. It does everything well, and is strong enough to handle 6 cups of flour for 3 loaves of bread. The little thing is a monster!!!!! No more KA for me which is a shame, because they are beautiful!!!!
I’m found this article because my bosch seems to have broken again. I’m frustrated and wondering if I need a kitchen aid instead. The handle on the bosch has broken twice in the last decade. (The first time the bosch died, it was my fault. I didn’t seal the blender blade well enough and smoothie seaped down into the motor.) But on two different bosches I’ve owned in the last decade, the handle has not with stood normal use. I bake bread weekly and sometimes use it for cookies or other recipes. I use the food processor from time to time.
From your article, it seems like the kitchen aid would not really help me with my bread baking. I also make 5-6 loaves at a time. I emailed bosch but no response. I hear about people having bosches for forever, but that has not been my experience. Wondering what to do…?
Hey Sara – what do you mean when you refer to the handle? Do you mean the raised part for the blender?
If you haven’t purchased the side scrapers for the Bosch they are a total game changer! It scrapes the outside as well as the inside shaft. I don’t make anything liquidy without it!!
I actually came here today because I just burned out my second KitchenAid making pizza dough (which I make every Friday with 8 cups of high gluten flour). I think it’s time I invest in a Bosch! (I finished the dough by hand today, but this dough really needs to be done by machine because of the specialty flour.) Thank you for your through breakdown comparison. It was perfect.
I just recently got a Bosch after my 17-year-old 6 qt KitchenAid starting dropping black grease and fine metal shavings into my dough one day. My husband bundled it off to the repair shop while I did an admirable job of remaining calm. Later that day I found him secretly looking at mixers on Amazon. He didn’t have high hopes that the mixer could be repaired and he wanted to have a plan already in place when the repair shop called with the bad news. He was looking at the Bosch, which I would have just passed over because frankly it doesn’t look like any kind of mixer I am familiar with. Thankfully he was more open minded. We started watching videos together, and when we got to the one with the green dye test, I was completely sold, secretly crossing my fingers that the KitchenAid was dead. Alas, the resurrection of the KitchenAid was not only possible, it was fast and cheap.
Turns out, I got the Bosch anyway. I have only had it for 10 days, but have made two separate batches of garlic knots, focaccia, ciabatta, whole wheat bread, beignets, lemon brownies, and a double batch of chocolate chip cookies. My freezer is pretty full. I am still in the new convert phase, but I think I will remain happy with it.
With the dough hook extender, I was able to make a batch of bread dough that only uses 2 cups of flour and it kneaded very well. It took a little longer than the dough recipes that are larger, but it still made a great dough. All of my friends and family keep getting pictures of everything I make: “look at this amazing dough”, “isn’t this dough gorgeous?” Thank god they love me.
I was able to make a high hydration dough (my ciabatta is 94% hydration) by holding back some of the water and letting it knead, then adding the remaining water in slowly. It worked just fine, but I may just haul the KitchenAid out with its paddle to do those doughs. But the KitchenAid weighs 32 pounds and the Bosch weighs 12 pounds, so then again I may not.
The only two things I don’t love are washing the bowl and trying to get batter out of the bowl. I just put my KitchenAid bowl in the dishwasher. It takes up about ¼ of the bottom rack, but I can deal with it. The Bosch bowl is much wider. It would take up almost the entire top rack of the dishwasher, so I wash it by hand. Its awkwardly big for my sink, but I have figured out how to make it work. When I did the whole wheat bread, dough got into the center shaft and I thought I was going to go nuts getting it out. But then I discovered the cap on the center post comes off. A couple of good, firm taps with the handle of a wooden spoon from the bottom and that piece pops right out. That at least makes cleaning easier.
I think most of us have been scraping regular bowls for many years. By now the motion is muscle memory and we do it without thinking. But that center shaft in the bowl really changes things. And the lack of a handle. I end up wrapping my entire arm around the bowl trying to hold it up so I can scrape it out and that makes it hard to see into the bowl to see what I am doing. Has anyone found a good hand scraper for the bowl or developed a good method for cleaning it out?
For everyone who hates trying to add ingredients to their mixer, do yourself a favor and get a set of silicone bowls. It was pretty life changing for me. You can squeeze the bowls to be as narrow as you need when pouring and easily get everything into the mixer bowl without banging, spilling, or screaming into the freezer.
Super interesting! I had no idea that KitchenAids were known to blow their engines… I’ve had the most basic model ever for our whole marriage (almost 8 years) and am a fairly regular bread maker. Never had any issues yet! Now watch… next time I make pizza dough… BAM
I also feel so annoyed whenever I have to add dry ingredients while the KA is running… defo a major design flaw!
TLDR… Last year I decided to replace my mixer. I have always had a kitchen aid. I know lots of people with Boschs and they all seem to swear by them so I wanted to give them a try. A year later, I have a kitchen aid on the way and a sale post online selling my Bosch. It does hold a larger capacity which I like but for some reason I have a tendency to add my ingredients to the bowl without all the attachments so it’s more portable always forgetting that once there’s ingredients in there, the beaters won’t go on. So I make a huge mess dumping things out and putting the attachments on adding all my ingredients back in. Then when I attach the bowl to the base, it pops the beaters/hook back off. I’m a creature of habit and after years of being about to add my ingredients to a portable bowl, I forget I can’t do that every time. I also have broken the plastic Bosch frosting beater and plastic driver from the powerful motor. And have had larger and more frequent flour explosions from the high powered motor. Many times when I’m using the Bosch it just scoots the blob of dough/thick batters around in a circle over and over again without mixing it. So I’m frustrated with mine especially after the price tag. I imagine if someone had always used a Bosch and that’s what they were used to, they wouldn’t have any problems and would love it but I don’t usually have that hard of a time adjusting to new products but this time I was really surprised at how unimpressed I was. I wondered if I was crazy because I don’t know anyone else with one that doesn’t love it. Thanks for such a thorough post Mel, I love your site!
Interesting. So your normal procedure is to put all ingredients in the workbowl and THEN put it on the base and slide on which ever attachment? With either style mixer, it seems normal (to me) to put the bowl on the machine, put on which ever mixing attachment you’re going to use, then start adding ingredients. Hmmm…
Anyway, I used to own a KitchenAid 5qt lift bowl mixer until I had to repair it a second time for a bad transmission (Brioche dough is too hard on the thing). My Bosch has handled almost everything I’ve thrown at it, including triple batches of brioche dough and a 8lb sourdough miche. This past Christmas cookie season, I finally ran into a recipe that the Bosch couldn’t handle: chocolate peanutbutter crinkles. A quadruple batch actually made the connection between the base and bowl slip. The motor didn’t stall, but the base/bowl connection couldn’t handle the extraordinarily stiff dough.
Finally, I too have had the little plastic nibs on the cookie paddles (that click onto the arms of the metal or plastic drive thingy) break off, but the paddles still are seated firmly and don’t wobble. So they still work even if not perfect.
Sorry you found the Bosch so frustrating, and the KitchenAid-to-Bosch learning curve is not trivial. But the Bosch has handled tasks with aplomb that would have turned the KitchenAid to toast. (Maybe the new KitchenAids with metal gears — like of old — will do better on reliability. Comments?)
I almost always add my ingredients to my kitchenaid bowl before putting it on the machine? Especially when using a scale… so easy!
A little late to the party. I have seen no one address the fact the Bosch has a great big motor but then uses plastic gears which break off. I had to replace paddles once and would never mix anything bumpy again with them. And what a mess to pull the paddles off. I regretted giving my KA to my daughter when I bought the Bosch. I have just purchased a new KA. Not sure what I will do with Bosch.
Yes!!! So glad it’s not just me!!! I’ve gone through two sets of cookies paddles in the Bosch!! That’s $60 extra cost! All it takes is a brown sugar lump!!!
I’m struggling with this as well. The Bosch I grew up with had a metal driver, but the one I received for a wedding present 8 years ago came with a plastic driver, which surprised me. It’s gears wore out making oatmeal choc chip cookies recently. Also, I know that the website says that the wire whisks shouldn’t be used for heavy cookie doughs, but growing up we only ever had the whisks and the dough hook, so we always used the whisks for cookies with no issue.
I’m glad you wrote this comparison though Mel, because after my driver issue last year, and last month having the blender crack while making smoothies (A frozen strawberry hit the side a bit too hard I guess) I’ve been really frustrated with my Bosch and considering switching. However seeing this all written out reminds me of all the reasons I do like the Bosch more. So I’ll put the money into getting the metal driver and maybe the cookie paddles and cross my fingers. Not sure yet if I’ll buy the blender again though… I’m still annoyed about it all.
I have owned a KA for about twenty years. The switch doesn’t stay in the lower speeds unless I hold it. I have been happy for the most part with the exception of bread dough mixing. It chokes on pizza dough and my cinnamon roll dough. These aren’t large batches and the dough creeps up the hook and can fly out of the bowl. The mixer also “walks” on the counter when kneading dough. Super exciting!
I do not store my KA on my counter. This was not an issue until last Friday when I was sliding the cabinet closed and the shelf broke. All 26lbs of KA fell out crushing my foot and breaking my toe. Ouch! Thankfully my toddler and pup were not in their usual place under my foot in the kitchen. Oh…and the KA is still working!
Between the broken toe and flying flour and dough if I forget to unplug my KA, perhaps it is time to jump ships and try another brand of stand mixer. Your post has given me some great points. I also like that I can get rid of some additional appliances like my blender and food processor. Christmas is coming so maybe Santa will put a Bosch under my tree.
Oh my gosh, Dina – I’m so sorry about your toe. Ouch!!
Hi Mel! So… it’s 2018 and I’m just now reading this post! I have a big decision and google lead me to you! So I bought my Kitchen Aid Pro 6 qt maybe 4 or 5 years ago. I loved it.. well I’m not a hard core baker..occasional pumpkin , banana or zucchini bread. But what I usually did with my Kitchen Aid is shred meat and make my mashed potatoes. Which of course was just fine. Until I wanted to learn to make bread . It handles white bread just fine. Only making a loaf at a time. Then…I found a recipe on a bosh website for honey whole wheat “easy” . Well in the directions the lady said to knead the dough (she’s using a Bosch) for 10-15 minutes. I’m thinking it’s only a loaf…I’ll try it. Well I killed and burned up the motor . So I found a refurbished kitchen aid in the color I always wanted.. or a new compact Bosch -for $159!! And the refurbished kitchen aid is $179! This is so hard!!! I loved reading all these reviews..feels like when your talking with your girlfriends . Thanks!!
Good luck with your decision, Cindy! I’ll be interested to hear what you decide!
Well after reading all of those comments..I made the jump!! To Bosch !! I got me the compact mixer, I also watched a few videos on how well it handles dough!! Now..a relative has since said she uses her kitchenaid all the time to make bread and no problems. But I didn’t want a repeat with another kitchenaid if I attempt bread. And honestly I don’t need to make five dozen cookies or nine loaves of bread. If it can whip things beat my potatoes, and shred my chicken and let me make some bread…then I will be ecstatic!!
I’m so excited for you, Cindy!
I have had my Bosch mixer for 38 years, I have replaced the beaters several times. I love my Bosch mixer I bake a lot of cookies and I double some of the recipes. I love that it handles big quantities. I recently used my sisters Kitchen Aid for my Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe that has 10 cups of dry ingredients including 3cups of chocolate chips and it couldn’t handle it. My old Bosch does a awesome job but sometimes it sounds like it is pushing too hard to work. I have had more than my money’s worth. I am going to buy a new Bosch they are a lot more compact then my old one with a blender attached. I to use my hand held Cooks brand mixer I really love for cakes and other small stuff.
I have had a 5 qt Kitchenaid tilt-head mixer for decades but have been thinking a lot about the Bosch. I want to make bread more and my lovely dependable KA just freaks out with all but the softest of bread doughs. And I may not cry into my pillow about dumping stuff into the KA while it’s mixing but I have screamed into the freezer more than a few times. I was thinking about moving the KA on, mostly because two mixers (plus a hand mixer) feels like an extravagance especially in a tiny kitchen but now I’m so torn because the KA really does work great for me for all but bread (and the aforementioned freezer screaming) and it’s an old friend and I think maybe I should just continue to give it a nice place to live until it dies of old age. I’ve been having this argument with myself for months now! Sigh.
Can I start a side discussion? How about the Bosch Compact vs the KitchenAid tilt head? I have a Bosch Universal but when doing smaller stuff I still pull out my KA. I’m thinking of getting a Compact unit. Any good or bad review on that?
Thanks bunches!
Great question, Sue! Maybe others will chime in. I haven’t ever used a Bosch compact mixer so I have no experience (I usually just pull out my powerful little hand mixer for super small batches).
I’m probably responding too late to do you any good, but here goes. I’ve had a Bosch Compact for 4 or 5 years, and I love it! I don’t use it terribly often, but I do bake gluten-free bread for communion at my church, and my granddaughter and I have a cookie baking marathon every year before Christmas. Anyway, it lives in my pantry but is super light and easy to move around. The dough hook is great for mixing bread (at least GF; I don’t make any other kind). It has suction cups on the bottom that keep it from moving around. Instead of having the mixer coming up from the bottom, it drops down on a movable arm. It’s fairly easy to add ingredients to and comes with a splatter lid you’re supposed to use and I rarely do. It does a good job of mixing all the ingredients and scraping the bowl, although I sometimes do have to stop it and scrape it down really well.
I’ve been very pleased with it and I’m glad I bought it rather than the KitchenAid. I did quite a bit of research before I decided on it. Hope this helps some!
I’m by no means a baker etc, I’ve made two box cakes and one cake from scratch in my entire life. I’ve made scones and puff pastry in the past by hand but I really wanted a mixer so I can start mixing dumpling dough and breads. This post was extremely helpful. I’ve always wanted a kitchen aid but now I’m thinking the Bosch maybe more compatible with my needs. Every Christmas I make pastelles in huge batches (14 dozens) and I’m really glad I came across your indepth analysis of both machines.
– Thanks
I have the large Kitchenaid mixer and the Bosch with Blender. My Bosch was bought in 1992. In 2013 we had to replace the gear/transmission, ordered online and my husband had no problem replacing it. The Kitchenaid was bought in 2002. I use it to make cookies and marshmallows. I use my Cusinart 220 watt hand mixer for mixing cake batter and whipping cream. The Kitchenaid is too much work to clean-up for those two things. If I only could keep one it would be the hand mixer. I baked bread for 30 years hand kneading so I could do it again. Also used a Corona grain hand-grinder for my wheat but bought a K-Tec at the same time I bought the Bosch. Also, have a Country Living Grain Mill in case the lights go out. Happens sometimes. Last time for 11 days. Recently I read on the internet where whipping cream with a hand whisk was the best way. I did it. I’ll stick with the hand mixer.
Sometimes hand kneading bread dough can be downright therapeutic but for getting the job done quickly and efficiently I’ll take my Bosch mixer any day. I make 5-6 loaves of 100% whole wheat bread at a time and it NEVER hesitates. I didn’t see a shield with pour slot on your kitchenaid. Mine has one and I don’t have a problem adding ingredients. I am new to your site and I really like it. Your recipes are for real people. I don’t feel like you are trying to impress me with rare, unpronounceable ingredients. I live in the country and our small Kroger is very limited. I haven’t been in a Wal-Mart in over 5 years so don’t know what they have. I need 5 dozen cookies next week for my quilt guild so I am about to choose one of your recipes. Maybe I will try my Bosch on cookies. It probably won’t know what to do.
The entire time I was reading this I was thinking “you are me!” I started with a Bosch and a hand mixer when I got married. I picked up a Kitchenaid a couple years ago and love it as much as my Bosch, just i gbn a different way. I 100% agree with your assessment of the mixers. I use my Bosch for bread dough and large batches because of the larger bowl and I use my Kitchenaid or hand mixer for everything else. I say, if you can make the investment, buy both!
I have the scraper attachment for the Kitchenaid and it cuts down on how much you have to scrape. It does pretty well scraping down into the bottom of the bowl. Oh and don’t forget the attachments for the Kitchenaid. The ice cream maker is bomb. I really want to try the pasta attachments. Filled ravioli anyone?
I’ve had the Bosch for +3 yr now and it’s starting to give me issues. Even though it’s direct drive (not belt), it sounds like there’s a grinding noise (like not enough lube and it’s metal on metal). Out of warranty naturally so take that into account (I didn’t get the 1 yr extra extended warranty but that wouldn’t help now either).
Issues:
The inside of the (plastic) bowl provides NO grip for bread dough. My batch usually consists of 1 kg of flour and 600 gm water (plus yeast and salt). Once the dough forms, it just spins and spins with no kneading/mixing action.
I have to dump it out and finish kneading by hand. That’s the over riding reason I got this. And kinda wish I hadn’t.
So, 2 strikes. Not quite sure what I’m going to do as I still have several attachments
for it 🙁
You need the dough hook extender. It will solve this problem❤️
When you wash the bowl, do you let it sit on the counter upright overnight to let all the water drain out of the centre column? If you dont, water may be getting into the drive and could be what is causing your grinding noise. There should always appear to be oil in the hole where the bowl drive locks into the base as these units are self lubricating, if there isnt, you should add some to make sure that you keep the machine lubricated and to prevent further wear of the parts. When I make a small batch of fancy bread dough, I use the dough hook extender and it works perfectly for doing just or 2 loaves, otherwise I do a full load of 14 lbs of dough and get my 6 x 2-lb loaves for the week plus a pan of dinner rolls and enough dough left to make a pizza with. This machine was designed to do big heavy loads and work hard! But, it will do small batches as well with the right tools. Once you get to know your bosch you will never want to part with it!
I’m surprised you didn’t mention my most (only?) hated thing about the Bosch. That horrid post going up the center of the bowl. Ugh. I have had my Bosch since 1982 and I really love it for many things, but I have always hated trying to clean around that center post. It gets in the way and makes the bowl difficult to scrape. I also have a KitchenAid which I got after my Bosch bowl got a crack. Currently I use my KitchenAid or my hand mixer for almost everything except bread, and I use the KitchenAid for bread if it’s a smaller recipe.
Funny, my Bosch and hand mixer have been with me since the beginning of time, just like yours, but my loyalty didn’t run quite so deep, it seems. Somehow the Bosch just seems like a bigger chore to use.
Thanks for the commentary. We’ve had a KitchanAid (the big one) for 11 years. For the most part, we have loved it. Both my mother and mother-in-law use the Bosch. They both swear that Bosch is the one to have. My wife grew up using a Bosch and thinks that we should switch over. We both get frustrated sometimes when trying to add ingredients to the KitchenAid. As you mentioned, adding dry ingredients can be a real process We did buy a scrapper paddle, which does work quite well. If you get a chance, you should invest in one. I’ve been trying to justify switching because of the cost. I’m thinking now that having both, as you do, may be a good solution. Your commentary was great for addressing the pro/cons of both.
I have a KitchenAid mixer and I have mixed feelings about it ! As you described there are faults with it !!! I do have the bowl scraper and it works great ! But like you say it’s hard to add ingredients, the head of the mixer gets in the way !!!! Wish I had the room because I would definitely get a Bosch mixer for my breads !!!! Thanks for all your tips and recipes !!! For now I’ll stick to my KitchenAid !
I have the Bosch Universal Plus and an ancient Hobart Kitchenaid 4.5 quart mixer. I use both. The bosch is excellent for large batch mixing. I use it for 6x batch pizza dough, 4x batch cc cookie dough etc. I have broken cookie paddles (I use the machine for mixing all the way through adding cc). As has been said, cleanup is not worth it for small batch stuff. Also, I do not much like the center riser in the bowl. Makes spatula work, removal of mix and cleanup a pain. I did purchase the stainless bowl and like it much better than the plastic. It seems to “grip” dough better for kneading. Haven’t used it for batter or whipping, nor have I used any of the attachments (I have the blender). I might look into the food processor attachment.
Of course the kitchenaid works great for everything else. Anything in a single batch. Quick and easy setup and cleanup.
I have both, the Bosch Universal Plus and a Kitchenaid Pro 600 and have had for several years. When I retired in 2011 I got into baking breads and was not happy with the Kitchenaid when doing more than two loaves. So, after reading reviews on the Bosch, I bought one. I’ve backed off from much of my bread baking since it’s just me and my wife, so the Bosch spends most of it’s time taking up counter space. I have never had any luck trying to do small batches (two loaves) in it. I even bought the small plastic bowl, food processor to try doing small batches and still was not happy. I’ve ended up with every attachment made for the Bosch trying to get more use out of it from the stainless bowl down, but sadly, the Kitchenaid is still my go to mixer for 95% of the things a mixer is used for. When you just want to do some small mixing job, you can be done in no time it takes to clean the Bosch. The Bosch takes 10 times the work to clean the thing over the KA. I actually use the food processor with the Bosch more than the mixer. It’s nice having the Bosch because when I make my Panettone and Pandoro’s, I do them in large batches and it beats the socks off the KA then. However, I personally would hate to know I had to use the Bosch as my only mixer. I think I would be using a hand mixer a lot more, which is something I rarely do, other than when making seven minute frosting.
I’m late to the conversation! I have a Bosch mixer I bought when I was making a lot of whole wheat bread. Now my family is gluten free 🙁 and we don’t make bread anymore. I love my Bosch for bread and how it handles anything. But I hate cleaning it, I hate scooping things out of it with the thing in the center, it is hard to hold up and scoop out, it doesn’t handle small batches well, and isn’t worth cleaning for small jobs. I really think I would like a KA so I can make a batch and put it in the fridge (I think the Bosch bowl is too big and never do that), the KA bowl is so much easier to clean and scoop out of, I think I would use it a lot more for little batches and everyday things if I had it on my counter ready to use and easy to clean. So I can’t decide if I should get the cheaper Artisan and keep my Bosch for large jobs. Or spend a little more for the Pro 600 and have it for all jobs. I like the slow start feature and would also get the 3 qt bowl for little jobs since I read it doesn’t do well with little jobs either. I like the tilt head of the Artisan and like all the cute bowls that can come with it. So what is the best choice for me? I do make some really large batches of cookies in my Bosch like dish pan cookies that I would need something to handle that in. But for the most part it will be smaller everyday things. It seems like when the pro is full with a thick cookie batter it may be really hard to get the bowl to lower and get the beater off, is that an issue? thanks for the help if anyone sees this.
I’m so stuck on what to order. My family makes Marzipan every year for Christmas. Which is made from almond paste, which is thick and tough. I burned up my Kitchenaid. I’m not sure what model I had. We did small batches. Anyone familiar with Almond Paste and have a suggestion of which mixer would be better? I just purchased a Kitchenaid 600 professional series from Costco. 590 watt. Haven’t used yet. Considering the Bosch.
We use the Bosch to make the almond paste for marzipan. It’s worked great
I completely agree with your assessments! Excellent. I own a Bosch mixer and my daughter and many of my friends own a Kitchen Aid. This is completely accurate and it’s hard to understand the difference in a stronger motor makes until you don’t have one.
I also use Bosch attached blender all of the time so I only have one unit on my counter. I bought a Bosch hand mixer 25 years ago and use it for eggs, cake mixes, frosting – small batches. The hand mixer comes with dough hooks and the little beast is so strong!
Thanks for your thorough review.
I have a Bosch compact and a Bosch universal. The compact is a dream for wet and smaller mixing. I’ve owned it for 28 years!
i just purchased a Wonder Mix and i don’t like it because it is very loud, Is the bosch universal loud? also is the compact loud?
Yes, I think the Bosch universal is pretty loud (never used the compact).
I have a Kitchenaide I bought at Target with gift cards from my wedding 18 years ago. It still runs like new. I do lots of double batch cookies, single batch cookies, heavy doughs, bread. No trouble with the motor. I’d like a little more capacity sometimes when I’m doubling cookies. I’m confused how the Kitchenaide and the Bosch can have the same capacity bowl but one can hold more? Now my mixer is white before all the colors came out. I’m surprised at all the people who say they have motor trouble- have they changed the design?
They used to be made by Hobart and now they are made by whirlpool. There was also a period when there were more plastic parts.
I’ve used my Kitchenaid stand mixer for 15+ years and I’ve decided to upgrade this year. I make lots of bread and dough based pastries so my Kitchenaid has become fairly temperamental lately. I wanted to “expand my horizons” and see what options are out there. Ive always known the Bosch brand so I started reading about the stand mixers. I’ve been reading reviews from every source I can find. I feel like I’ve been “two-timin’ my Kitchenaid lol After reading your review I’ve made up my mind; I’m going Bosch!!!!
Now I have another question for you…. what kind of grain mill do you use & why, and have you always used the same brand?
I hope you love your Bosch, Gayla! Here’s a post I did a while back all about my wheat grinder: http://melkitchencafe.com/wheat-grinding-101-all-about-wheat-grinders-plus-over-60-reviews-of-popular-grinders/
Mel,
Thanks for this very thorough review. I have personally burned out 2 Kitchenaids making bread. We are finally in a spot where we can purchase a Bosch, which is what I grew up with. My question is… Do you have a recommended place to buy a Bosch from? Can I trust the ones from Amazon, or should I go to a specialty kitchen store? What do you think? Thanks for all your help, and your time. Your blog is my “go to” for anything kitchen related.
That’s a great question. I’ve never bought a Bosch (or other mixer) from a specialty kitchen store. You’ll probably save a little money going the Amazon route (that’s where I bought my Bosch mixer), but if you like to shop local, I’d definitely check out any local kitchen store and see if they are running any sales or coupons. There are a few dedicated Bosch stores around (I think one in St. George, Utah and probably many other locations in Utah) but I’ve never lived close to one so I’m not familiar with the particulars. Good luck and have fun shopping!
I noticed that Mel replied with locations in Utah…
Kitchen Kneads in Ogden is where we bought our first Bosch about 15+ years ago and its still going strong!
Mel, have you seen the extender for the Bosch dough hook? Apparently my sister says it’s awesome. I’m hoping to get one soon. You may want to check it out.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00MRH45T6/
Thanks for your website! Love all you do.
I got my Bosch in 1982. That means it is 35 years old. There were a few years when I made up to 70 loaves of whole wheat bread one day each week. (The kids sold it in the neighborhood.) I just used it to juice 8 gallons of grapefruit juice this morning. I grate the zucchini right in the bowl with the attachment and mix the rest of the ingredients on top for zucchini bread. (Kitchenaid can’t do either of those things.) I use it all the time. It hasn’t skipped a beat.
I’ve been shopping for mixers for a few months now (ever since this wonderful post!). I grew tired of my professional KA. It was heavy, hard to use, and started leaking grease all over the place. I didn’t feel it was worth repairing since I hated to use it, so I gave it away. After reading this post and doing a bit of research I thought the Bosch would be great. But, the difficulty cleaning it and frankly its space ship look has me a bit wary. I’ve come across a Swedish mixer that seems to be have the great qualities of the Bosch and KA. Its the Ankarsrum Original Mixer. It has a similar sized bowl and power of the Bosch with the open bowl design. Comes with a stainless bowl and a plastic bowl for cakes and light cookie batter. It’s beautiful and comes in many colors. My hesitancy is the price ($700) and relatively little reviews I can find on the internet. Anyone have any experience with the Ankarsrum mixer?
I don’t know anything about that mixer, Joce – good luck with your decision!
I got a Bosch for Mother’s Day and have been smiling ever since! This was probably my most favorite post ever, but I really LOVE all your posts and I make so many of your recipes that your name gets brought up often at family dinners.
Thank you, Kim! Have fun with that Bosch!
Due to this review and all the comments, I decided it was time for a Bosch. Luckily my birthday happened to be right when I was reading this. I mentioned to my husband how I was considering getting a Bosch and left it at that. He must have known how much of a difference the Bosch would make in my world of baking breads. It no longer feels like I’m about ready to bust out of the seams in the Kitchen Aid. I love baking bread and have had waaaaayy better results with the same recipes that I had tried earlier. Thanks for being the persuading factor to buy in to a little bit of heaven.
Yay!
If you are ever going to make more than 2 loaves of bread dough, I think the Bosch is the only way to go.
My older Kitchen Aid had a J shaped dough hook, and even small amounts of dough crawled up in and flicked out of the bowl. I see pictures online that the dough hook is now more of a spiral. Maybe that is better.
I like that the Kitchenaid cleans the sides of the bowls on its own. I previously would have to stop my Bosch once or twice and use a rubber scraper to clean the sides of the bowl. However, then my husband bought me the Bosch attachment that scrapes both the sides of the bowl and the middle pillar while mixing. WOOT for that attachment.
My cousin kept her Kitchanaid after buying a Bosch for large volumes of bread. This is because her plastic cookie paddles for the Bosch broke twice with HUGE batches of cookie dough. If my cookie dough is doubled or tripled and hear that subtle change in how hard the machine is working, I pull out my paddles and use the dough hook for incorporating the last amount of flour.
I have destroyed both my Bosch whips and then chewed up the inside of my plastic bowl by trying to use the regular whips on something too thick. I have learned the hard way over the years how to treat my Bosch.
If you never wanted to knead bread dough, then buy a Kitchenaid.
I have also enjoyed my attachments for my Bosch. The blender is strong enough to grind ice for a Julius or smoothie. It does not pulverize like a Blendtec or Vitamix, but good for general mixed drinks. I got my first Bosch in 1989 and it also came with a food processor attachment. I only use it for huge amounts of grated raw potatoes or carrots, but I love it for that. If I soak the almonds, it is great for making YUMM sauce in!!
I have never owned the older two-speed Bosch. Mine was a 1989 model with three speeds. I was able to buy a newer model of Craig’s list. The previous owner thought it had died, but it really just needed a power cord. She sold it to me for “parts” and I got a working Bosch with blender for $40!
The only complaints I had with the older model was that it took up so much counter space and it “crawled” or walked off my counter a few times when I walked away during the kneading process. The newer model has some suction cups on the bottom.
My oldest daughter is using my mom’s Bosch from about 1987, and it works perfectly.
My middle daughter is using a very old 2 speed that I found at an estate sale. I had to hunt around to find all the parts because they didn’t know what they were selling.
I only know of two people who outlived their Bosch. One used hers almost daily for 40 years, and the other used a used one for 30 years.
If your machine ever dies, all of the accessories and bowls sell well on the secondary market.
I killed the highest end KitchenAid they make with making bread, and I kept the batches to not more than 5 cups of whole wheat flour at any one time. It lasted me a good 3 years or so, but then it smoked and died.
When it died I went with a Bosch, and now happily make 4 loaves whole wheat bread using 12 cups of flour. It could handle more, but I only have 4 loaf pans ;). I have been very happy with my Bosch and an inexpensive hand mixer, and haven’t missed my KitchenAid at all. The KitchenAid may be prettier, but it took up a lot of counter space and was too tall to store in a cupboard and very heavy to lug from my pantry everytime I needed it. The Bosch is light weight in comparison, and easily stores in my cupboard.
Robin, do you find the lighter weight makes it more prone to move around on the counter when in use? Does it have grippers on the bottom? Being able to store it in my cabinet would be a big plus over my really heavy KA Pro.
Stand mixers always seem soooo expensive. New ones, anyway.
30 ago I bought a Dormeyer Silver Chef 4300 stand mixer for $20. You’ve noted that mixer brands stay within families. My mother had a Dormeyer. It looked GREAT and served me well, even for small batches of bread, for 20 years. It even had a meat grinder attachment. When it died, it had simply worked itself to death. It was easily 50 years old.
At a local antique store, I found a Hobart Kitchen Aid K5A, with a slew of metal attachments, for $100. Of course, I thought I was breaking the bank at $100, but time marches on and what can you do about that? Your assessment of the design of the Kitchen Aid is spot on. It is NOT easy to add ingredients while it is running. But, the design of the bowl containing the ingredients to be added is equally at fault, when you think about it. I’m sure a bowl with a prominent and out-sized spout could be designed that would pour the ingredients without bumping into the mixer. A business opportunity!
eBay has lots of Hobart KitchenAids in the $150 range. Often, the description begins, “This belonged to my husband’s mother…..” Same with Kirby vacuums. The well crafted cast metal attachments are available there, too. You really can have a great stand mixer for very little money.
Great blog. Thank you!
I’ve used both plenty, and like both – though my preference is Bosch for bread making and KitchenAid for mixing and whipping. My Bosch is 12 or 13 years old and going strong. The KitchenAid I use most is probably 25 years.
Great post. I have to say that my KA Pro 500 bowl lift died a tragic death a little over a year ago. I had replaced the worm gears in it & the plastic gear housing cover (with the metal one) a couple of yearas before it died. The planetary shaft seemed to have bent on mine, and I couldn’t find a part so had to replace it. I had been quite happy with it until that time. I did have the scraper blade (purchased separately), and would tell anyone to get one. I sent mine to a friend in Oregon & she loves it.
I make bread quite often, usually only 2 or 3 loaves at a time tho, so I definitely wanted a mixer that could handle it. I had been hearing that the quality of Kitchen Aid had really gone down. With a limited budget since I have retired I didn’t want to shell out $500 or more to replace my stand mixer.
I looked at a lot of options for mixers including the Cuisinart stand mixer. I ended up purchasing a Sunbeam Mixmaster Planetary Stand Mixer. With the price being under $200 here in Canada I figured it was worth trying. It is 600 watts, 6 speed with a tilt head. I remembered the old Sunbeam Mixmasters that ran for years so hope they have continued the workmanship & quality with the new planetary stand line.
There was a definite learning curve with the new mixer. I do have to scrape the bowl quite a bit, and really wish someone would come up with one of the scraper blades for it. After getting through a season of Christmas baking & all my regular uses I can say I do like it. It seems to have enough power to handle everything I have done with it. Small batches are a bit of an issue with it, but that is common to almost all stand mixers. I haven’t had it get terribly hot while running for a long time. I whip butter to keep it spreadable from the fridge. It is actually quite a long process to do a pound of butter & whip 1 3/4 c – 2 c of oil into it. To get the oil all incorporated would take about 15 minutes with my KA mixer & I can get it done in about 10 with the Sunbeam. The mixer is barely warm at the end of it, no hot smell at all.
You can purchase all the usual attachments for it. I haven’t as I have a KA blender, a separate ice cream maker & a meat grinder, so I don’t have a need for them. My biggest complaint is the bowl design. It has holes in the bottom of the bowl that trap water when you wash it. Over all I am quite happy with my new mixer.
I’m going to have to go back and read through these comments. There’s just too many of them to read in one sitting. I just wanted to share my experiences with you.
…. I’m 66 years old and I’m sure you’ll never believe this, but I have NEVER in all my life EVER owned a stand mixer…. NEVER. They just never appealed to me. Since I learned to bake and cook, in Home Economics class as a teen-ager… and my mom giving some lessons too, I’ve used only an electric hand mixer or good old elbow grease to mix cookie dough, cake batter, frostings, merinque and whipped cream, but I’ve been getting into making breads lately, because I’m tired of spending $3 – 4 dollars for a loaf of bread. I’m on a fixed income now and I can’t and won’t dole out good money for a loaf of bread when I can make it myself.
…. The KitchenAid did appeal to me initially, but somehow the appeal never stuck. It’s a gorgeous mixer, yes, and seems like it quickly “became an American status symbol” very quickly. All serious bakers and cooks just had to have one! Well, for some reason that just cooled my own adore for one. I have NEVER been one to make a purchase out of “want” and that’s what it was… a want, not a need. I was doing just fine with my Japanese brand hand mixer I’d had since my husband and I married. It was a wedding gift ( at that time, about 35 years I’d had it ) and I used it regularly, until it finally gave up the ghost about 10 years ago, so I bought a new one, which I’ve loved and it too has served me well. So, to get a stand mixer, there’s no desperate need… well, I didn’t think there was, until I started making breads. My hands get so sore from the kneading. I’ve started to develop arthritis and that makes a big difference when you can’t knead effectively because your hands are killing you.
…. But the KitchenAid still doesn’t appeal to me for that, even with all the fancy colors and styles. That’s another thing…. I’ve never been at all attracted to kitchen equipment because of it’s beauty, but more for it’s durability and function. That’s why the Bosch appeals to me. I suppose it would be great if it came in different colors, but that makes little to no difference to me whatsoever. As long as it can give me a long life of service that’s all I care for.
…. As to the breakability of the plastic cookie and cake paddles, I’d rather spend $20 a pop on that than a more serious issue that often plagues the KitchenAid mixer head. The Bosch’s appeal for me is that 800 watt motor …with a transmission. If anyone knows how a car’s transmission works, you know you never force it into high gear without easing it up. And you never throw it quickly into stop either… you ease it down to stop. And I’ve watched the bread kneading videos. They tell you to never use the highest speed for bread dough. I’m sure the same is true for heavy cookie doughs. There’s obviously a reason for that, so heed the warnings. The transmission automatically gears the motor down to protect the motor and make the mixing more efficient and effective. You have to understand how a transmission works and why it does what it does. The KitchenAid doesn’t have that ability. That’s a plus to me.
…. I’ve already purchased all my Bosch attachments ahead, so I’ll have them once I buy my Bosch. And since I’m on a fixed income I’ll be purchasing mine through PayPal Credit where I can pay in installments. I’m confident I’m making the right choice in choosing the Bosch. For me anyway.
I grew up with a Kitchenaid, and couldn’t bring myself to go with a Bosch, so when I got married, a Kitchenaid it was (yes, the silver matte is really the best way to go).
And while I like what you did and am looking more favorably on the Bosch, I have to say, I’m still unconvinced that either of them is the best. I’ve wondered about King Arthur Flour’s mixer, but didn’t want to spring for one. If you’re ever out there, apparently they let you play with it – so if you ever get to do that, do let us know your thoughts. 🙂
I don’t see a mixer other than the KA on the King Arthur Flour website – is there another one they offer for sale?
I burned out my KA 600 series and am replacing it with a Bosch. I have seen the reviews indicating broken cookie paddles, and I wonder if those that broke them left them in when the flour was added? The Bosch video indicates to use the paddles to cream the ingredients, then swap out for the dough hook when adding the flour. I was a little concerned about ordering the Boschl but your coment about a hand mixer doing those smaller more liquidy batters was a great point. I already have that, so the Bosch will handle my bread and the hand mixer for the stuff Bosch is not so great at. Thanks for your review!!
There’s a really good chance the broken cookie paddles are because of that, Patty. I confess to leaving them in when mixing cookie dough (from start to finish), but I’m rethinking that now!
My second Kitchenaid just died, so now I am down to my hand mixer. Kitchenaid is a great appliance but I mostly make bread (two loaves or more at a time) and the standard Kitchenaid just doesn’t stand up to that. Too many bad reviews on the Professional model. Have been researching the Bosch Universal Plus and think that is the one for me. Will finish reading all the very informative reviews on your site before final decision is made. Thank you, Mel, for starting this discussion. The people who give the best reviews are the ones who actually use the products on a regular basis. By the way, your Blackberry Crisp recipe is out of this world . . . I know, off topic . . . but seriously, thanks!!!
There are definitely mixed reviews on that professional model, although people in this comment thread seem to love it! I love reading what everyone thinks about this fascinating topic. 🙂 And…I’m SO happy you loved that blackberry crisp. Thanks!
My second kitchen aid just died too – and when i say died I mean the head became unadjustable so I had to scrape down the bowl incessantly on one and unadjustable to where the beaters were hitting the bowl on the first. KA customer service was awful and it would cost me $50 just to get the machine looked at. I now use my trusty Bosch for big things and my hand mixer for little things. Never had a problem with my Bosch – mine is the one with the blender attachment…that was not a great blender and I ended up with a Vitamix. Another great thing about the Bosch is it’s light and easy to lift so I keep it in a cabinet and it doesn’t take up counterspace. With my Bosch I don’t have to think about the motor when I triple a chocolate chip cookie recipe or make a few loaves of bread. I would never buy a kitchen aid again based on their reliability and customer service.
Three generations of Kitchen Aide users. I received mine as a wedding gift 24 years ago plus I have a KA hand mixer that is a couple years older than the stand. I love both and use them all the time. Have had no trouble with anything I’ve tried to mix including bread. Granted I never try to make more than 2 loaves at a time but this has been a work horse for me. I went to a farm auction several years after purchasing my KA and was able to buy 5 of the attachments for next to nothing and they are also going strong. I don’t actually know anyone who owns a Bosch so other than sites like this I don’t know a thing about them. Next time at the store I’ll go take a look. Interesting comments, I’ve learned a lot.
Glad you love your KitchenAid, Margi!
About six years ago I bought a KitchenAid mixer from Costco. It was beautiful and I loved it. Until I became an avid breadmaker. Once I started making all of my bread it died after nine months. I took it back to Costco and luckily they gave me a refund. My friend has a Bosch so I started researching that mixer instead. I went into a local mom-and-pop shop called kitchen kneads and asked if I could buy a Bosch. I was surprised when they said they didn’t carry them and they introduced me to the blend tech mix and blend. The woman told me it was just as strong as a Bosch and a lot cheaper. I have now had my blendtec mix and blend for over five years and I absolutely love it! It does everything that the Bosch and the KitchenAid mixer’s can do combined. It came with all of the attachments for way less than the Bosch. It can mix up a huge batch of wheat bread just like the Bosch but doesn’t have the problems with cookie dough and frosting that the Bosch does. It has 1000 W of power And comes with a blender attached. I will never buy anything else. I use it for absolutely everything from making bread to shredding up my chicken. When I bought it it was around $400 and came with everything that you needed. I have looked now and they are about $480 and still worth every penny because you don’t have to buy any extra attachments. I love love love my blendtec.
That’s awesome, Carlie! I’ve never heard of that mixer until this post. Sounds interesting!
I have to disagree about the Blendtec. After burning out an Osterizer making strawberry daiquiris for our camping club (ice!), we decided we wanted to get a blender with a STRONG motor. We went back and forth between the Blendtec (“Will it blend?!”) and the Vitamix and finally decided on the Blendtec. Took it to the next camping rally and did a total of three – count ’em! – THREE pitchers of strawberry daiquiris before it BURNED OUT. Like DEAD. A brand new $400 blender. And since we were beyond the 90-day purchase date, they would only replace it with a refurbished one, not a new one. I’d think blending pitchers of ice wouldn’t be as hard on the motor as kneading dough!
I totally agree with you. I have a 5 quart KitchenAid that I use for small things like a single cake, a single batch of cookies, whipped cream, etc. I have an old Bosch that I found at a garage sale for $20 with all the fun accessories (I KNOW!!!) and it’s my go to for bread, quadruple batches of chocolate chip cookies, anything I want to mix in bulk. I also have a BlendTec. If I were starting from scratch, I would do a Bosch and a hand mixer, but I received the KitchenAid as a wedding present from my husband’s grandmother and it’s red and so pretty on my counter. 🙂
$20?? That’s insane!
I’m sorry I didn’t go through all of the comments, so this might be a repeat question. I have a bosch that was given to me by my grandma that is 25+ years…love it and it’s still going strong. What kind of tips do you have for dough creeping up the middle and into all the grooves? Loved this comparison, I’ve been debating getting a new bosch or KA…think I’m gonna stick with the bosch now. ;O)
Hi Lindsie – you aren’t the only one that wonders about this (and I dare say, it’s one of the more aggravating aspects of bread making with the Bosch to a lot of people). I don’t really have any tips, I’m afraid. Some people have suggested the dough hook extender (I don’t have it) helps with this. It hooks on to the Bosch dough hook. I do have the updated model of the Bosch (came out a few years ago) where there’s a quick turn/release option on the bottom of the bowl to remove the inner “stem,” so to speak and quickly wash out any dough that’s gotten in there.
Never saw this till now. Got behind with getting the kitchen ready for cabinets. What a good idea for a post. I have a new Bosch and a Kitchen Aid Artisan. Plus a Compact Bosch which I’ve had for quite a few years. Got a Kitchen Aid Pro from Costco sometime ago and always felt it was too big and too noisy. So this winter got the Artisan tilt-head and am glad I did. Don’t make any bread in it though, all bread dough is made in the Bosch. Probably appreciate my Bosch more than any other mixer. It gets the job done and probably has many more years of work left in it.
Used a KA 4.5 qt lift bowl 325 watt for years, and always thought it was under powered. Then read about the new pro-style KA rated in horsepower. Got one! It is quiet and has a 7 qt bowl – probably a better match for your Bosch. It can whip one egg white. That said, your description of the Bosch has probably won me over for bread. In the next, larger kitchen, will also have a Komo mill. Thanks for the very good review.
I love my KoMo mill so much!
We’re busy getting ready for new cabinets so I missed this. Will read your comments in depth when I get done painting, etc.
But did want to comment. I have the Compact Bosch, the new full size Bosch, and a Kitchen Aid Artisan (not the pro). I did have the pro from Costco, but think it’s noisy and too big. So this year bought the smaller Kitchen Aid. I never mix bread dough in the Kitchen Aid, always mix bread in the Bosch. But use the Kitchen Aid for everything but bread. I hardly ever use the Compact Bosch, so it sits in the pantry. Nice little machine but no need now. We have Bosch stores where I live in the SLC area and I’ve taken many Bosch classes, especially for bread making. I just don’t think you can beat the Bosch for making bread, especially in quantity. And I do appreciate the smaller Kitchen Aid with the tilt head. It does a good job with everything I’ve given it. Not sure it’s true but have heard it has plastic gears, so won’t subject it to bread kneading. To be honest, I would have a hard time picking just one. I make more bread than I do sweets, so probably my Bosch and a hand held mixer to go with it.
Thanks for your comments, Maureen…and good luck with the new cabinets!!
Awesome article with useful information, detailed reviews…thank you for sharing.
I will continue a reader your blog
Thanks, Monica!
I have a smaller kitchen aid with the tilt head. I’ve had it for 14+ years. I love it for everything except bread. The last few months I’ve been making all of our bread and it’s not so good for large batches. I would really love a Bosch.
Sounds like many people like the tilt head feature on the KA’s that have it, Juliana!
I have a Bosch Universal and a Kitchenaid Artisan. I love both and use them for different things. If you make bread, I agree that Bosch is the way to go. I nearly burned out the motor on my Kitchenaid once in the early years of using it. However, the Kitchenaid is MUCH easier to clean. That is my biggest gripe with the Bosch, I hate to clean it. I have the shield for the Kitchenaid and I find it annoying. I don’t use it any longer. I also struggle with adding items while mixing. The open top of the Bosch is much more convenient. If I’m whipping cream, making cookies, cakes, small batches of rolls, breadsticks, or a loaf of French bread, I use my Kitchenaid. If I’m making large batches, I use my Bosch. I also use a hand mixer, mostly for whipped potatoes and sometimes cream. I love them all. Although if I could only choose one, I would pick the Bosch. I love to make breads.
Hi Brianne – I kind of hate the shield for the KA, too. Thanks for adding your comments!
Thanks for the wonderful post, Mel. I grew up with a KitchenAid, so it was a natural thing for me to continue the tradition when I got married. A fresh, shiny KA for the bride! And I must say: my new KA does not compare to my Mother’s 40+ year old KA, and I suspect that it has to do with the fact that the original KA’s had Hobart motors. Because of the overall flimsiness and meager power of my current KA, I have decided to move on (which breaks my heart— Childhood memories will no longer be conjured up when I go to bake…). The Bosch was my “new hopeful” and your review clinched it. Thank you again.
I think that’s what I love most about these comments, Meg – so many of us have the same type of mixers our families had growing up; I agree that is kind of sad to have to break from traditions. I’m sorry! But I do hope you love your Bosch if/when you get it.
I love my Bosch for bread, and I use a hand mixer for most other things. One of these days I may get the cookie paddles for the bosch, but without them it doesn’t do very well. I had the blender attachment but stripped the gear pretty quickly; I wouldn’t recommend that. But I love my Blendtec 🙂
I use a Blendtec and not the Bosch blender, too, Barbara.
How fun!!! I was raised with a bread making Bosch loving Mom. When I asked what do you do if you don’t have Bosch when you get married, my mom quickly responded, “you don’t not have one!!!!” I purchased mine from a man who build it from the inside out. It looks like my mom’s vintage one with a groovy green turn—it is 17 years old and going strong!! Made hundred of loaves of bread, thousands of cookies and everything in between!!! I do have this say–when. I got married, we went to my in-laws and my husband wanted to make our favorite piazza breadsticks….we KILLeD her kitchen aid…
Love this post!!
Haha, I love your mom’s response to your question! Thanks for your comments, Jeni (although double oops to killing your in-laws KA!).
I started with a KitchenAid when I was newly married in the 70’s. When the family grew and I was making many loaves of bread, I discovered the Bosch and I love it so much. It is a work horse! It takes much abuse and still keeps going. I even took it to West Africa where we lived for 5 years. It ran with a current transformer and it did great. It was so loved by everyone that when it was time for us to return to the USA, I left it there for others to use. I got another one in the USA. We are now living in New Zealand and I miss my Bosch. I didn’t bring it this time because I didn’t want to put it through the strain of a transformer, and I knew there was a stand mixer here with the right wiring for the New Zealand electrical current. But, I really, really miss my Bosch!
Debbie – how sweet of you to leave your Bosch to your friends in West Africa! That is awesome. Good luck surviving without your Bosch in New Zealand – it will be a great welcome home gift to be reunited with it eventually. 🙂
I own both a Bosch like yours and an old (35+ years) Kitchen Aid 4 quart mixer I inherited from my mother in law that is still going strong–even after making countless batches of homemade marshmallows for my son’s wedding reception. I am a bit frustrated with how many plastic parts are involved in very high pressure places on the Bosch. They increased the power of the motor in this model and then replaced parts that were metal on previous models with plastic parts. I paid well over $400 for mine when this model was first released and really expected greater longevity from that price tag and the Bosch name. I have replaced broken cookie paddles twice–the little grooves break off where they run around the bowl. I currently have semi broken cookie paddles where only one of the two rotates as they spin around the bowl, but cannot decide if I should spend another $20 on cookie paddles that are of such a poor design. I love the size of the bowl of the Bosch, but am disappointed that it is made of such soft plastic. It has worn away a bit around the top where the paddles or whisks spin. Also, it never seems to be free of oil, no matter how much I soap it or wipe with vinegar or lemon juice. Because of this it is very difficult to make a good meringue in this mixer. I always get out the old Kitchen Aid to make anything with a meringue base. The Bosch does a great job with bread, but I have to use the little plastic shield between the metal dough hooks and the bowl that the manufacturer sent me or the metal scrapes into the plastic bowl. Are you not having any of these issues? Also, do you find that your Kitchen Aid from Costco over heats after making something that requires several minutes of beating (e.g., swiss meringue buttercream frosting)? I borrowed my daughter’s Costco model Kitchen Aid for that purpose and it started to smell hot after just a few minutes of beating on high. I had considered buying that model of Kitchen Aid, but perhaps they aren’t as solid as the older versions?? Sigh. I would love a Kitchen Aid with a larger bowl, but . . . I guess there is nothing absolutely perfect in the world of mixers. 🙂
Hi Nan! I haven’t had any of the issues you’ve described with your Bosch, but some in the comments have mentioned they’ve also broken cookie paddles. I haven’t had any of the plastic wear off on the bowl. I do think that is one downfall for some with the Bosch – the plastic. Interesting what you said about your daughter’s Costco KA – I’ve experienced the SAME thing when making a large batch of whipped cream and a couple other things that needed longer whipping times. To be honest, I’d never buy a KA from Costco again – mostly because some of the scraper and other bowl attachments aren’t compatible. Makes me wonder why it had to be made differently.
My husband bought me a kitchen aid mixer when we were first married. After 25 years of use – it broke! My husband bought some parts to fix it, but I thought it might not work as well as a new one. So we gave my old mixer to our daughter. Which she still uses after 10 years!
I decided to buy a Bosch. I had heard wonderful things about it and wanted to try it. I have a side business of baking cakes. Therefore, I use my mixer a lot! And that is a definite understatement!
After replacing the mixing bowl three times and countless paddles and beaters, I decided to go back to a kitchen aid mixer!
In my opinion, the Bosch is not designed to make lots of frosting on a weekly basis. It was frustrating to spend extra money on replacing parts.
I love my professional kitchen aid!
Thanks for your insight, Michelle!
I am going to weigh in on this debate. I love my professional 5 quart lift up KitchenAid mixer I got as a graduation gift from my parents in 1994. I use it for everything. I have a hand mixer only for whipping cream when the amount called for is less than 2 cups. I also have a 6 quart lift up professional series KA I bought in 2000 to make larger batches of cake batter and buttercream for wedding cakes. Now my caveat is that I prefer the lift up the bowl KA mixers much more than the tilt head kind. I can add dry ingredients without a cloud of dust coming out because I can slowly lift up the bowl while mixing on lowest speed. I don’t have to unlock and lift up the tilt head to scrape down the sides of the bowl either. I also have the scraper beater blades for both mixers and really don’t need to scrape the bowl at all. I highly recommend it. Personally, I would never buy a KA bigger than 5 quarts if you only make standard baking recipes and don’t double them. The 6 quart and larger sizes just won’t mix up regular sized recipes very well cause they just don’t fill the bowl well enough. KA professional series mixers are the best for bread making cause they have more horsepower.
I have no experience with the Bosch mixer, but if you mix up large batches of bread doughs, I could see it would be worth it.
Thanks so much for your comments, Melissa!
I had a Kitchen Aid my husband bought me in 1970, sold it to a friend in 2000 and bought a Bosch. Bosch was love at first sight, Bread batches were sufficient that I could make a full batch of whole wheat bread (6 loaves) or a double batch of any other type. 22 cup capacity is a lot. Dough was perfect every time, unlike the Kitchen-Aid that would bog down and I would have to do it by hand the last 10 minutes. We now have two homes and two Bosch mixers and my husband decided to surprise me with a new high end Kitchen Aid because his sister recommended it. I have used it two times, still prefer the Bosch. Sadly he bought a ton of the bells and whistles for the Kitchen-Aid and I still grab my hand mixer to whip up a cake or something small and ignore it. I think he would feel bad about it, but he stays out of the kitchen most of the time.
I am with you, in a fire I would grab my Bosch and my genealogy and mom’s jewelry. The rest is just stuff
So helpful, Ronda! Thank you so much.
I’m the opposite of you Mel. I have a Kitchen Aid, the 5 qt tilt head one. It’s been going strong since 2008. I have a pouring shield as mentioned in other comments, so I’ve not had issues adding ingredients. Except for when I couldn’t find the shield after a babysitter put away dishes, but I digress.
When Grandma dies, I inherited her Bosch. It’s the Compact one you linked to above. Maybe it’s the difference in sizes, but overall I still prefer the KitchenAid. I don’t like the shield on the compact Bosch, and find it a pain to move every time I’m adding ingredients. I did find it okay for bread, but it’s hard to scrap with that dang shield, and it’s not easily moveable like on my KA.
I am also in the camp of making bread weekly, and don’t have issues with it in my KA, even your breads! LOL. Thanks for the good review, it’s nice to see an honest opinion.
I have the ice cream maker and pasta thing for my KA. I love the ice cream maker!!
Loved reading this, Courtney – and I love that there is room in this world (and most definitely on my blog) for loyalty to all stand mixers! 🙂
Thanks for the great review and helpful charts! I make bread by hand and use a hand mixer for everything else. I’ve been deciding for years which mixer to splurge on and your review definitely helps me come closer to a decision! Thanks, Mel!
Thanks, Marcie!
Hello! I got my first Kitchen Aid mixer at my wedding shower. Then 2 years later we burned out the motor using the meat grinder attachment for venison. Oops. I got a bigger wattage model and it has been going strong for 13 years (bright orange if you’re wondering!). I will say one of the best things about the Kitchen Aid are the attachments. I have them all except the pasta maker. If you garden or preserve they can’t be best! The fruit strainer makes quick work of applesauce. The shredder helps get all the zucchini ready for the freezer. Plus once you invest in those they will fit all Kitchen Aid mixers. Until reading your post I had never even seen a Bosch mixer!
So glad your KA is going strong, Judy! That’s awesome! The attachments for the KA sound amazing…after reading all these comments I’m going to have to check into some of them (like that fruit strainer??).
Holy Toledo, you are so famous! I had to scroll down for 10 minutes to get to the comments…I love you and your site and refer everyone from my friends to my YW to my daughters who see you as the ONLY source of cooking knowledge online. I loved this post, concur 100%, and thought I’d just put a couple of thoughts down, in case your million and a half comments already on here didn’t cover these:
1) I havea Bosch and have the scrapers and LOVE THEM for making cookies! They actually clean the shaft well and the sides. For the bottom…I just end up licking the bowl of whatever doesn’t mix in. Life is rough.
2) One of my cookie paddles broke right away because it was the older plastic model, and I should have replaced it but never got around to it. My Bosch is so amazing that it makes incredible cookies, mashed potatoes, you-name-it with just one good and one gimp paddle. Kind of amazing!
3) You didn’t mention the one and only thing I hate…cleaning the bread dough out of the Bosch when you’re done. #firstworldproblems
Thanks for all the tasty goodness you’ve put out into the world, and all the smiles you’ve put on my face! Not only are you a good cook, but you’re a gifted writer into the bargain. 🙂
Love your points, Jessica! And I think it’s awesome-slash-hilarious that the Bosch mixes like a boss with just one cookie paddle. If that’s not a testament of amazingness, I don’t know what it.
I have a 40 year old Kenwood with multiple attachments. It’s made in England and was a gift from my Dad. It has mixed hundreds of loaves of yeast and quick breads AND ground the wheat for the flour, juiced cases of citrus, shredded and sliced who knows how many vegetables, ground meat, mixed cakes and cookies galore, and whipped cream, potatoes, and egg whites to perfection. I love it and would gladly replace it with another Kenwood if it ever dies. It does have two downsides: good luck finding anyone to service or repair it in the US and it only makes three 9×5 bread loaves at a time but not because of the power of the motor. Mine has a 7 quart bowl but the flour will fly out if you make too big of a batch. I think the newer versions might have a guard to prevent that problem.
Ann, thank you for this information. Things have changed this week with a project that was in the works and as I’ve been reading all these comments. Kenwood was on my list – almost bought one at Christmas. Your plus other comments … anyway, it is in my cart at kenwoodworld.com .
The site shows 3 service areas near (ish) to me. And yes, the current models come with a guard. I have also been “seduced” by the chopper and juice attachments with others to hopefully be added.
Stop laughing, Mel!!
I’m not laughing, I promise! 🙂 But I have a big grin plastered on my face.
Liz, you’re almost as famous as Mel and Aunt Marilyn on this site! I love love love the Kenwood and all of the attachments I have for it. Get the biggest bowl and the most powerful motor and you will be a happy chef. I also use a hand mixer for small (one or two egg whites, etc) needs.
Thank you, Ann – I very much appreciate the Kenwood info!
I finally came back to read this post even though I was pretty sure the outcome. Bosh all the way. My mom owned one all growing up and I would feel so unfaithful making bread in anything else. I did own the scrapers, for about a month before they broke, so don’t bother FYI. And I was going to say that there are two awesome Bosh repair places in Utah, probably elsewhere, that you can take yours into for a ‘tune up’. They fixed my clicking issue and some weird thing where water got in the center part. I’ve been tempted by the KitchenAid too, for decorative purposes. 😉 Thanks Mel!
Interesting about the scrapers – I read a lot of reviews that said they broke, too. Bummer.
Hi Mel~
I always enjoy reading and learning from you! I have had my KitchenAid for 33 years and it’s still going very strong. I use it for everything from making bread (though not 6 loaves), to pizza dough, pasta, cake, cookies, bars, icing and whipping potatoes. I love my stand mixer. I do use the paddle for mixing up the various breads and switch to the dough hook for the kneading process. As you pointed out, I like the top of the Bosch for adding ingredients. I did buy a guard when the boys were little and helping in the kitchen so their little fingers would not get into the bowl that fits nicely. It also has an extended piece to make it easy to add any ingredient. I just love my Kitchen Aid.
I’m glad you love your KitchenAid, Debbie! Thanks for the comment!
I got a Bosch from my mom for my wedding almost 15 years ago. Absolutely love it and make bread all the time. And yes I did take it with me when we evacuated our house for a fire!
Oh gosh, I’ve always joked about that – sorry you’ve actually had to live that nightmare!
What an awesome post, I have read many Bosch vs. Kitchen Aid comparisons over the years. This is the one I will refer others to and I agree with you completely. One thing you didn’t mention is that if you are making your own mixes, like pancake or cake mixes, the Bosch also wins. You can load it with all the dry ingredients (and veggie oil in the case of pancake mix), put the cover on, and mix without making a huge mess. A huge time saver if you like homemade.
Yeah, that’s a great point that I missed!
Thanks for your post, Mel! I’m a Bosch girl through and through!
Love all these Bosch girls commenting with their loyalty. 🙂
We were gifted a Kitchen Aid at our wedding 6 years ago, but when we were moving to Georgia, we sold it with the intention of replacing it once we moved, and then never did. I have a $20 Kelsey Nixon (former BYU friend turned kitchen chef and extraordinaire, I’m sure you know her) hand mixer, and make most things with either that, or by hand. I have really fallen in love with the art of bread making the last couple years having to do it all by hand. The last time we were in Idaho though, I used my mother in law’s Bosch to make rolls for the entire family for dinner (30 people and 60+ rolls) and they turned out amazing, and I found myself becoming a Bosch convert. (Although using my Kitchenaid it ALWAYS struggled on bread dough). I used my friend’s Bosch a few weeks ago when I had to make 200+ cookies for a church function, and was blown away by the bosch again. So, now my husband and I are looking at buying a Bosch this summer. Also love that it comes with a blender, because we don’t own one of those either.
Paige
http://thehappyflammily.com
I hope you are able to find/get a Bosch, Paige! Thanks for your comment (and I love Kelsey…I mean, I don’t know her, but have followed her for a long time; fun that you are friends in real life!). 🙂
Such a great post Mel! I grew up with a Bosch and my Mom wasn’t much of a baker but we used it for cookies. When I got married 12 years ago I got the standard size KA and have loved, loved, loved it! I don’t make bread like you, (I wish I did!), but don’t. So when I make an occasional pizza dough or your divine bread sticks, it does just fine for me. I make a lot of cookies, and muffins, and frosting and like others have said it helps to add the ingredients in a certain order. I do have to scrape the bottom, but I do that with any way that I make things, even with my hand mixer. I just love the fact that I can put things in and walk away (read:help a crying child) and come back to a fully whipped cream! I have been wanting to upgrade to the KA you have, but also keep both! Small batches I think work better in the smaller KA, but there are those times when I triple a frosting and just cannot mix it in mine. I bought a little scoop like an ice scoop at Gygi’s and that’s what I use to add the dry ingredients and ever since I’ve done that I never have an issue with adding the dry. My sister has both like you, and she has said that she only used the bosch for her bread days, and the KA for everything else. Fun informative post!!
Helpful feedback – thank you, Jen! What is this order everyone speaks of for the KitchenAid?
We have both a KitchenAide and a Bosch (granted, it’s very old). My husband, who is the small-batch cookie makeer in my family, uses the KitchenAide exclusively. I use it for frostings and cakes if it is already out (because that sucker is HEAVY and too big to fit under my cabinets); if it’s not readily available, I use my handheld mixer. My Bosch I use exclusively for bread because it is about 40 years old (bought it in the classfieds) and it only came with the dough hook. I might use it for more things when a new one (PLEASE, SANTA!), but I kind of like the division of labor.
Yes, division of labor is nice!
I have a Bosch Universal. I love it! I use it to make almost all my bread doughs for things like pizza, doughnuts, bread, rolls, sweet rolls etc.
I make cookies, cakes, muffins and most frosting by hand. I really enjoy mixing it myself and getting a great sense of how it looks/feels.
Thanks, Bridget! There is something rewarding about making things by hand, I agree.
Bosch, Love it! My mom had one all growing up! I then bought one for myself at Costco a couple of years ago. I have used both Kitchen-Aids and Bosch but I prefer Bosch. I think it is easier to use. With the Kitchen Aid I spill everything and make such a bigger mess. I think I hate having the head of the kitchen aid in the way of pouring in my ingredients. I love how my bread works in the Bosch. If you didn’t know Bosch has an attachment that you now add under your dough hooks so that the dough always stays down in the bowl. It is the best invention.
I think I’m hung up on the main part of the KitchenAid right in the way of pouring ingredients, too. I need to look into that dough hook attachment – lots of people have recommended it!
I have a KitchenAid and I hate it! Always have to scrap the bottom of the bowl to mix in ingredients. Doesn’t matter whether the height is adjusted or not. I also have trouble adding in dry ingredients, such as flour. My measuring cup always touches the mixer head and it is hard to add while the mixer is going. My friend has a Bosch and I really like it. My next mixer will definitely be a Bosche!
Thanks for chiming in, Ann!
I’ve got the workhorse version of the kitchenaid. It’s what my mom used and it’s what she bought me for a wedding gift 11 years ago. Back when they came in white and that was it. I love it. But I don’t make a lot of bread. I’m kind of a stinker about homemade bread in that I just don’t like it for sandwiches so I only make bread when I’m making dinner rolls or whatever and that’s just a small batch. I use my hand mixer when my kitchenaid bowl is dirty or being used for another part of a recipe. But I’m seriously considering asking for bosch so I can attempt bread and see if I can find that recipe that really works for sandwiches – soft and not too thick or dense. I hate dense bread for sandwiches and all homemade bread I’ve tried is too dense for me.
Now you need to do a post about blenders! I want so badly to make smoothies regularly but I just can’t win with blenders. The glass breaks or the motor dies easily or it doesn’t chop well. Argh! And I just can’t spend hundreds of dollars on a blender that might have the same problems. Bad enough spending almost $100 to have it break down!
Jennifer – I make smoothies daily and love my Ninja for it. Mine came with 2 cups that are roughly 16 ounces and I make an individual smoothie in it every morning. I had a magic bullet before and found that it often wouldn’t chop frozen fruit very well and I’d still have big chunks of fruit in my smoothie. That has never been a problem with my Ninja. I also add oats to my smoothie and find that I can grind a big batch of rolled oats in a dry single serve cup of my ninja. Then I have oat flour to add to my smoothies to bulk them out. The only caveat is that the oats should not go in the bottom of the smoothie cup because they sometimes have a hard time incorporating so I just put them in the top and it’s been great.
Thanks Jessica!
I got a blendtec, new, on ebay for under $200 and I love it. I stripped the gear on my Bosch blender, and burned out 2 Cuisinart mini blenders as well as Magic Bullet. so I decided it was time to buy a workhorse that wouldn’t die an easy death. I love it!
I have a Kitchen Aid, just the normal 200$ model. When I worked in a bakery we used the cheapie model and I was always told it’s all about the order you add ingredients in. I don’t ever use a hand mixer, so I got rid of mine. I end up making a lot of batters in my blendtec if I don’t feel like hauling the KA out. I did have a bosch for a while, but I hated it. I just didn’t feel like it was intuitive to use. And I must be a wierdo, but I hate making bread in a mixer to begin with. I always make it on the countertop from start to finish. Maybe it’s because of the bakery experience. We had a giant Hobart mixer to start bread in, but we always had to knead the batches by hand. I just say it’s justification for eating a whole loaf fresh from the oven. I burned off so many calories kneading it 😉
Haha, I love that, Crystal!
I have a Kitchen Aid and got that for a wedding gift. I too, didn’t like how it handled larger batches of bread. Recently, I purchased an Ankarsrum. I love it! It can handle the larger batches of bread and it doesn’t have a middle shaft for the metal bowl so it is easier to clean when making the bread. There is a smaller, plastic bowl you use for making cookies and that has a middle shaft. It is more pricey (so I saved up for it) but I am so pleased with it and don’t have to “babysit it” when I knead bread like I did the Kitchen Aid.
I have a Kitchen Aid. I HATE the dough hook. I almost always use the paddle instead. I have an attachment similar to the paddle, but it has scrapers that I LOVE for making frostings, it makes quick work of creaming and incorporating the ingredients. It was really fun to see what you thought!
Thanks, Cathy!
I have both as well. My Kitchenaid is my Grandma’s old one from the 70s and I use it for cookies, frosting, whipped cream, cakes, etc. I love it for all of those things! I’ve tried bread in it with no success whatsoever, so my Bosch is used almost exclusively for bread. It is amazing! My husband surprised me with it a few years ago for Christmas. I used to make all my bread by hand, but now I use my trusty Bosch! I don’t have the cookie paddles, but when I’ve made cookies with my mom’s Bosch I felt like it was too powerful and was afraid of overmixing the dough. Has that been a problem for you?
Glad you love both mixers, Diane! I agree that the power of the Bosch can definitely overmix cookie dough. I use the pulse function to incorporate the dry ingredients and only let it mix until just combined.
Thanks for your comparison. Makes me have pangs of regret for giving my mother’s Bosch to my daughter…but I still have two KA. For bread making in the KA, I do NOT use the bread hook but rather the paddle (Y shaped attachment) as it seems to incorporate all the ingredients quicker and more thoroughly. Love your blog! Thanks
Interesting about using the paddle for bread, Wendy!
Great post! I loved your comparisons! I have an Electrolux stand mixer I use for making bread dough (now called Ankarsrum). I broke the whisk attachment the first time I used it, but I never replaced it because I really only use that mixer for bread dough and just use the scraper and dough roller. I’ve never tried the dough hook it comes with–the roller and scraper do a great job kneading and simulate hand kneading. The mixer holds a lot–I can make 6-loaves at a time without a problem. I also have a Kitchen Aid mixer that I love. I bake a lot (including wedding cakes and tons of cupcakes with frosting), and I currently have an 8-quart COMMERCIAL KA model that I love for these tasks. Some of the home models have attachments that must be hand-washed, but the commercial model’s attachments are dishwasher safe. I love the scraper paddle that I have with it, too. I ordered an extra bowl (which is wonderful!) plus my old 6 quart bowl works well with the paddle that came with that mixer (I saved the paddle & bowl when I replaced that mixer with my 8-quart model–which is hands down better than the 6 quart version I had). I agree that both types of mixers have their strengths. Experimenting in the kitchen is a passion of mine, so I can totally justify having two heavy-duty stand mixers on my counter!
Hey Mel. I just have to say that this is an excellent article and I can’t thank you enough! I went shopping online on Canadian websites for the mighty Bosch. Right now there is a Mothers Day special going on and the offer is that you get a free attachment when you order the Bosch. There are five choices of attachment packs, 3 of which I am considering. One is the ‘Bakers Pack with Cookie Paddles, Cake Paddles and Bowl Scraper’; second one is ‘Over the Bowl Large Slicer/Shredder’; and the third is ‘Meat Grinder Attachment’. When I make a batch of cookies I always double the batch and freeze some so I am considering the Bakers Pack. Can you advise if you have this and find it useful? I am also considering the Large Slicer/Shredder but I do have a smaller separate appliance for this purpose. Thirdly of course is the Meat Grinder which I think I would rarely use as it is just my husband and I. Keep in mind though that I am one of those Mom’s who shares what she makes and often am sending home dishes or desserts with the kids when they come for a visit. Do you have any advice with respect to the above attachments and if you use any of them? This sale is only on for a brief period so if you can’t get back to me, not to worry…with a household your size, believe me, it’s definitely understandable LOL! Thanks so much Mel
Just to chime in, if you want to use it to mix cookie dough you should probably get that Bakers Pack. In Mel’s photos of the Bosch where she’s mixing cookie dough, she’s got the cookie paddles attached. I don’t think you can use the attachments the Bosch comes with (at least what mine came with) to mix cookie dough.
Hey Nancy! I would definitely go with the Baker’s Pack – but that’s largely based on the fact that those attachments would be most used in my household (I wouldn’t have a need for the meat grinder and I already have a food processor to do slicing and shredding). I don’t think you’d regret getting the cookie paddles and bowl scraper for sure!
What a fun post and discussion! I was raised with KA, and I’ve never used a Bosch (disclaimer out of the way right off the bat). I certainly would try one – especially if I had reason to make large batches of bread, and since my current KA is boring white (I SO want a periwinkle one, but, in my experience, these KAs never die – I’ve NEVER met or talked to anyone who burned one up!) I can’t rave about the color bringing joy to my heart. My FIRST KA was my grandmothers avocado green one…ick, and it has now been passed on to two more generations of KA users.
What I see as a MAJOR difference is that there are a bazillion attachments for the KA! It works to churn my old White Mountain wooden ice cream churn AND you can purchase a modern ice cream freezer with the freezable bowl and churn.
I also have pasta attachments – the old fashioned roller, cutting blades, AND an extruder. And a meat grinder/sausage stuffer. And a grain mill. And a peeler/corer/slicer zoodle-maker.
I see no mention that Bosch has ANY of these fun toys, which I believe for the most part work on all models of KA mixer. Hands down, the accessories would make it hard to part with my beloved Kitchen Aid mixer. Unless someone wanted to trade me for one in a fun color – I’m open to negotiations!
You are right, the KA has SO many attachments. It’s crazy (and awesome!). Bosch actually has a few of the same ones (pasta roller, meat grinder, blender, and a few others), but KA definitely wins the attachment battle.
I have enjoyed reading all of theses comments! I have the 6 qt bowl Kitchen Aid mixer, and have had it for years so I’m not quite sure when I got it, but I am surprised no one has mentioned the attachment (plastic ring/splash guard that goes around the top of the bowl with a pouring spout). I could never add ingredients without that! Anyway, I love my mixer!!!
I actually burnt mine up making bread. The gears are stripped and the stem that comes down from the head (where you attach your beaters to), is loose and wobbly. Bummer…. KA definitely is not meant to make bread for the long haul. Unfortunately
I grew up using both and love both for different applications. When I got married though my mom got me a cuisinart because at the time they were performing better than KA. It was great till it burned out on gingersnaps! I went with an industrial KA and it was great for 2 years till my kids got bigger appetites. Now I wish I could make bigger batches of bread. I never thought about using a hand mixer for the things the Bosch can’t do well. Maybe I can sell mine and get a Bosch. Not that I don’t love my KA, just have different ‘kneads’ right now!
So true how different phases of life might mean a different mixer!
Sunbeam Mixmaster! Probably almost 30 years old, and still works great. It’s the kind that the top comes off to be a hand-held mixer, so it’s the best of both worlds. Of course, I’ve only done normal bread dough by hand. But I do make gluten-free breads in it just fine!
I’m hearing lots of good things about those old Sunbeam mixers!
I have an older KA with a 6 qt bowl and never had an issue with it and love that I can just toss everything in the dishwasher. I make bread in a Zojirushi bread machine so that comparison is not an issue for me. I love my Zo more than any other kitchen appliance I have and it is in constant use. I do agree that a hand mixer is just best sometimes.
I have a couple friends that love their Zojirushi bread maker more than life.
Ok, I’m the weirdo that read every word of the post. I just had this discussion with my sisters. We were trying to figure out which machine to go in on for a newlywed. I own both machines, although my kitchen aid has a smaller bowl and has less watts. I voted the KA! I had the KA first, so that might make a difference. But, I use my KA for everything that you do with a handmixer plus general smaller batches (cake, brownies, two dozen cookies, breadsticks…anything under five cups flour). My KA gets used daily, but my bosch only gets pulled out for big batches of bread and cookie dough. So logically, I had to vote for the KA. It was cheaper and would get used more frequently (especially for a family of 2). My bosch came as a gift and was perfect timing…when my family needed more than two loaves of bread at a time. So, I think family size and what you cook most, should definitely be included before people make a decision! And, I know this has been said a lot, but ease of cleaning is huge for me! That’s another reason I’ll grab my KA. I stick my smaller bowl in the dishwasher, but always hand wash my bosch. I love my Bosch too… if only everyone could have both. And if you DO have a Bosch, their shredder attachment for zucchini is A.MAZ.ING! The end.
Thanks for your input, Anneka! (and for reading every last word) 🙂
I love this post! I have a Kitchen Aid that was my great-grandmothers that I treasure…but… I couldn’t make bread well in it for fear of burning it up. After reading your previous posts about your Bosch I received it as my Christmas present this year and have LOVED it! I agree with everything in the post about all 3 mixers! At this point it would be hard to live without any of them but if forced to choose I would go with the Bosch and hand mixer.
I agree with you! I have a Bosch and love it!! also have a hand mixer foe the smallwr jobs. We have a family of 7 so our batches are bigger- the Bosch does a fine job every time. I tested a KA, and watched my friends use theirs, every time the paddle came around , the ingredients, either wet or dry would splash out the top of the bowl and make a mess! Not for me! Just a few of my life’s experiences! 🙂
Thanks for your input, Becki!
It makes me so happy you have a Bosch, Jessica!
Wow, I can’t believe how many comments you have only a day after posting! I guess we really like talking mixers. I actually also own both a KitchenAid and a Bosch, but it’s the Bosch that’s the newbie in my kitchen. My parents gave it to me as a gift just a couple months ago because they thought I would enjoy learning to bake bread. And that’s really all I intend to use the Bosch for–bread mixing. I’m definitely used to my KitchenAid and enjoy working with it, and think it does a great job with the cookies and cake batters I typically make in it. I’ve been really impressed with how much bread dough the Bosch can handle though.
Funny, I just used my KitchenAid on Sunday to mix chocolate chip cookies. Because my recipe calls for melted butter, I never thought a mixer was necessary and just made the dough by hand. Turns out the faster mixer speed (compared to my arm lol) led to a much fluffier dough. I was so happy with the results and glad for the excuse to pull out the mixer in the future.
Interesting about the cookies made in the mixer, Emily! Thanks for sharing your feedback. 🙂
Great post. I’ve only had my hand mixer all these years & recently have been ready to purchase a large mixer. My girlfriend, who is a pastry chef, uses both machines & loves them. She told me the same thing about smaller batches of wetter ingredients & cookies, the kitchenaid may be the best option. The funny thing is, opposite to most, I don’t like the esthetics of the kitchenaid! Lol! I really prefer my countertops to be cleared off & clean of appliances when I am not using them. Which is the reason I leaned towards the Bosch, because of its more compact put-away-in-the-cupboard design..lol. I’m so boring with kitchen esthetics.
Well, you are probably outnumbered on the looks comment, Becca, but I love it! Way to be you. My dream would be to have kitchen counters with nothing on them. I do have a deep drawer that stores my Bosch, and I like that I can tuck it away.
I LOVE my Bosch Universal- it has traveled from Maine to the UK back to Maine and now in the UK again with my trusty transformer. I use it for cookies and bread. I use my Bosch food processor for pie dough. While in Maine I did buy a Kitchenaid with some bonus money just a few years ago- shiny red Artisan. Broke 2 eggs in the bowl to give it a small road test, set it up to whip- machine stopped and that was it. It was back on its way to Amazon the very next morning with a scathing review. No Kitchenaid for me- I know it was bad luck- but not meant to be. However, I did buy a Kenwood Chef here in the UK as I am making far more cakes (grandkids) and they all want to learn to bake!
Ugh! That IS bad luck!
Great post, Mel. I must say I have my grandmother’s Kitchen Aid – from 1978! This behemoth is the autumn gold color so popular back then. This is the best mixer ever – it is one of the original, metal parts through and through. It stands up to the heaviest of doughs. That said, once, it freaked out on me. The motor started overheating and burning. My husband, bless his confidence and skills, took it apart and ‘fixed’ it. It has been running strong for over 5 more years. I thought I would need to purchase a new one 🙁 . While researching them, I found out the company was sold way back. The new ones have plastic and cheaper parts. :O They are not equipped to handle bread dough. Every time I take out ‘my grandmother’s mixer’ I thank her (and my hubby) for it. Never tried any other – for as you can see – this one is top notch, sturdy, dependable and heavy duty. I love my grandmother’s mixer (my husband asks when it will be ‘my mixer’) haha!
I have a Kitchenaid with metal parts as well. It’s a hand me down, and it is amazing. The new ones aren’t great, but if you can find an older one it works so much better!!
I have an old Kitchen Aid too! So much better than the new ones. I don’t know what I’m going to do when mine dies. I hate trying to clean the Bosch.
Thanks for your input, Chris! Others comments are definitely in line with what you are saying (older KAs are stellar in terms of quality). I’m so glad your Autumn gold mixer is going strong still!
I also have an old 70s yellow Kitchen aid that was also my grandmother’s!
My KA is not working well and seems like it really can’t handle bread. I’d been thinking of buying a new mixer (possibly Bosch)–but I think I may just “trade” with my dad who still has my mom’s workhorse KA from the 70s that he never uses. That thing is beast and based on what she put it through, I was expecting the same with my newer model, but the quality just is no longer there.
Absolutely go with the older KA! Mine is such an amazing workhorse. I used it daily (sometimes up to 20x per day) when we had a small breakfast/lunch restaurant. This thing is incredible! It LOVES making bread as much as I do 😉
I have my grandma’s old KitchenAid as well, probably the same color as yours! I love it and make everything in it, including bread. I had no idea about the metal parts, but it makes sense. It has always served me well, maybe someday I’ll have a Bosch but not yet 🙂
I loved this post. I had never heard of a Bosch mixer until I started reading your blog a few years ago. Although I had heard of Bosch tools, same company? I’ll have to look into that. It definitely sounds like a workhorse. I currently do not have a stand mixer, just my handy hand mixer. I am newly starting to make breads but haven’t gotten the look and feel of the dough yet, so I still like kneading it by hand. If I do consider buying one I will be referencing this blog post for sure. Thanks for all the charts, I love seeing side by side comparisons like this is chart form.
I think learning to make bread dough by hand is so important to get the texture right – so way to go, you! That’s awesome.
Lucky lady!
I have mostly owned KitchenAid and have used my daughter-in-laws Bosch a few times. My KitchenAid is a professional model I bought at Sam’s Club 3 years ago. I think this mixer is amazing. I have made hundreds of cookies over the last three years and I love this machine. I am impatient and hate waiting for butter to soften. My KitchenAid softens it quickly and I get perfect cookies every time. I always forget that my daughter-in-law’s Bosch cannot handle this. I really dislike the metal/plastic parts I have broken hers more than once and have had to buy her new ones. I love the durability of the KitchenAid’ parts and motor. My daughter did burn up one of my KitchenAid mixers when she put a package of chocolate chips that had been melted an then frozen into it. It jammed the machine and burned up the motor. She was twelve. I will always buy a KitchenAid over a Bosch.
Thanks for your input, Vanalee! I haven’t had anything break on my Bosch mixer, but I agree that metal is definitely more durable than plastic. 🙂
I have the Bosch Univeral and feel the same way you do about it, and my hand mixer. I’ve never considered the Kitchen Aid because I’m all about the bread and the large batches of everything! And then I use my hand mixer for cakes and whipping cream. I honestly never make a single batch of cookies, like ever. I figure if I’m going to go to the effort of making cookies I might as well make a bunch, plenty for me and plenty to share! Maybe that’s my problem actually! My only complaint about my Bosch is that my cookie paddles break! And now I’m baffled seeing your pics with a double batch of cookies with your cookie paddles! I think I’m on my 4th set of cookie paddles and they are already broken, I’m just still using them because they will stay on once everything is in place and I don’t want to buy another set! They have always broken when I’m making a double batch of cookie dough so I try and be more careful now and switch to the dough hook before I add all the flour, but if I’ve gotten lazy and not switched, they’ve broken again. Have you ever had them break?? Maybe I just have bad luck.
And I just have to tell you that today my 5 year old asked me if I could be anyone who would I be? I told him I would still want to be his mom and he said I would still be his mom, but if I could be anyone who would it be? I said, “like Batman?” He said it can be anyone, real or pretend. I finally told him if I could still be his mom and be someone I would be Mel, Mel’s Kitchen Cafe Mel (we have a friend named Mel, so I have to call you Mel’s KC Mel) so that I could make yummy dinners every night! He liked that idea! So gets you go, if I could be someone else, I’d be you!
Oh my gosh, Josie, your comment was hilarious and so sweet. I can assure you that if you knew me in real life, you wouldn’t want to be me, but it still made my day. Ha! You are cute.
And no, I haven’t had the cookie paddles break! That’s SO frustrating! Where do you buy them from? Have you ever contacted the company? I have heard the cookie paddles kind of creak, for lack of a better word, when I’m probably pushing the limits of quantity, but no breakage yet. But I’ll be watching more closely from now on!
I wish I did know you in real life Mel! And I already know that you are even better in person than online, Bro. Massey said so, so I know it’s true! 🙂
I should try contacting Bosch and see if they’ll send me new ones, we used to have a Bosch store here in St. George, but another company took over and now they don’t carry Bosch anymore. Weird! So I’ve ordered them from Amazon. It made me wonder if they were “legit” Bosch, when my 2nd set broke so fast. But same thing as Rebe said…the ribbing breaks and I hear a crack and then have to find little splintered off pieces in my cookie dough. The first time they broke, I had heard a noise but I didn’t know what happened, then someone I gave cookies to found a hard plastic chuncky splinter in a cookie! I was mortified! Then I inspected them and realized those plastic ridge thingies had broken. It’s been annoying because I love the mixer so much, and my life pretty much needs cookies!
I have had 2 sets of the cookie paddles break as well. It has been on the ribbing along the top of the paddle for me. This makes it so the cookie paddle just is free in the bowl and doesn’t turn. Usually it happens when my butter isn’t softened enough. The first time, I sent them back and got a new set, but I haven’t bothered with it again and just make cookies by hand.
I love my 900w Sunbeam mixmaster. I bought it as a Mother’s Day present a few years ago and it has not steered me wrong. The tilt head makes life easier and the paddle attachment is great for biscuit/cookie recipes; I don’t mind a bit of scraping. I find the easiest way to add dry ingredients is to sift on to baking paper and tip into the bowl. No mess that way. My parents have had their Sunbeam since they were married 43 years ago and it is still going strong.
Sounds like those Sunbeam mixers are a favorite of many! Thanks, Simone!
I have always had a KitchenAid, but it did once burn out making bread dough and we had to replace some part inside it. Because it was right before the holidays when that happened, my friend lent me her Bosch because she doesn’t bake very often. I fell in love. Because as mentioned it was before the holidays, I was making big batches of everything! The capacity and mixing power is amazing! I also wish I could make my own bread for our family but the KitchenAid only made small batches and the loaves were eaten so quickly that it wasn’t worth it. So now it’s going on my wish list–I seriously would be thrilled to get that as a birthday present!
However, as I do a lot of cake baking and decorating, I still love my KitchenAid. It’s not the 6-quart one which I do bemoan, but it mixes well and whips amazingly and gets the job done.
So yeah. One day I’ll have both!
One day! 🙂 Thanks for your comment, Yael!
I honestly have never heard of a Bosch mixer except on your blog. I may have to rethink my dreams of obtaining a Kitchenaid some day. Maybe I just need a Bosch. (I currently have a Breville I won, it gets the job done but has some issues. Anyway the only reason I really felt compelled to comment was because I noticed what I believe is a Norwex kitchen cloth wiping your Kitchenaid, and I got a little giddy about it. LOL! I use the same cloth for my silver mixer (and counters, and stove, and everything, lol). I’m a Norwex fan
Haha! I love my Norwex dish cloths. And I love seeing your comment(s), Veronica. 🙂
Have you seen this pouring shield?? It helps with pouring ingredients (like flour) into the KitchenAid while it’s mixing. I have one but don’t use it all the time. When I remember it, it works pretty well. Might help solve your problem 🙂
https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KN1PS-Pouring-Shield-1-Piece/dp/B0007QN054
Yes, I have that…but honestly, I have such trouble. I’m sure it’s operator error. 🙂
I had a Bosch for 40 years and wore it out. During that time I had the older style kitchenaid mixer with a glass bowl, which I also wore out. By that time, my kids were grown so I decided not to get another Bosch, but I miss it and the blender it had with it. My ‘new’ kitchenaid is about 8 years old. I can make 2 loaves of bread in it, cookie dough, whip cream, etc. But I don’t like that the top doesn’t lift. Other than that it’s okay, but do miss my old style kitchenaid!!!!
Thanks for the comment and review, Janet!
While I must admit the kitchen aids are beautiful and shiny…My Bosch…is my best friend in the kitchen…I have used my daughter and daughters in law kitchen aids…I have never been impressed with them…I love the hooks for the Bosch….keeps the center and edges of the bowl scrapped….BUT I do admit I have a hand mixer…for those little things! Thanks Mel…This was very interesting!
Thanks, Jill! Seems like there are a lot of Bosch fans who also keep a handy dandy hand mixer around, too. Smart!
Saw this on instagram & couldn’t wait to read your thoughts. To be honest I’ve never owned a kitchen aid. However, I’ve used giant ones at BYUI in college and smaller ones in a bakery that worked at as well. I’ve commented before on another post that I have a Bosch that was my great Grandma’s & that is well over 35 years old and it’s still going. I got an upgrade a couple years ago because they had Bosch mixers at Costco around Christmas. It came with food processing attachment, cookie paddles, whips, a dough hook and scraper. The scraper is awesome for any yeast dough that has 3-4 cups of flour. Anyway, I think a good old hand mixer and Bosch will serve me well for years to come. I’m more of a cookie and bread baker rather than cakes. By the way, my sister has a cherry red Bosch base she got a few years ago and her bowl is gray. Pretty!! Thanks mel! Hope to see you in Costco or the soccer field soon. Wink wink 🙂
I’m going to have to check out that scraper for smaller batches! I can’t believe that Bosch is going on 35+ years. That is amazing! And are you kidding about the red Bosch? Was that a limited edition thing?
Have both love both for different things but I hate to clean the Bosch. The kitchenaid is so much easier to clean.
Thanks for your comment! Sounds like a lot of people don’t like to clean the Bosch…I guess because it’s the only mixer I knew for so long, it hasn’t seemed to be a problem, but I can understand why people may not like it.
I have two of the smaller Bosch, one at home and the other people n Arizona. LOVE them! Two things that you didn’t mention that favor the Bosh are how easy it is to lift and move, and how steady they are when kneading. I used to have to stay close to the KA when using it for bread, because it “walked” right to the edge of my countertops. I just put the ingredients in the Bosch, and never have to worry. Also have a vintage Kenwood that I picked up at a s second hand store for twenty bucks, and it came with the stone grinding disks!
Thanks, Sharon! You know what’s interesting? My Bosch “walked” off my kitchen counter a few years back (my own fault…my dough was WAY too stiff and causing the Bosch to move around). Amazingly, the mixer wasn’t damaged at all by the fall, thank goodness.
I have an old bosch that was given to me by a friend who upgraded. I was so impressed by its power! Love it for making bread, especially bigger batches. I am commenting here because mine has leapt off the counter, too! The impressive thing is is that it still keeps on going! It’s very ugly, with a chip off the base from it’s flying adventure, but it still works! I also have a kitchenaid which we all use frequently for just about everything else besides bread. I do love it for whipping! I thought by now, I would have burned up the motor, but it has lasted over 12 years. My dough hooks have chipped their paint however. I appreciate your Reviews!
I quite agree with most of your comments between the two machines. While I dislike cleaning my Bosch which is around twenty odd years old, I do find it best for making bread dough. I make large batches of whole grain bread with flour that I grind myself. The KitchenAid is easily cleaned and I do prefer it for making cakes and cookies which is why I purchased one two years ago. Like you I use my hand mixer as much as possible simply for the easy clean up. I do enjoy your blogs and recipes !
Thanks, Pauline!
I grew up using my mom’s old tilt head kitchen aid, and got one of my own when I got married. It did everything I needed it to do, though it sometimes struggled with huge batches. After 14 years of heavy use, I was given a 5qt kitchen aid with a more powerful motor. I love it, except for small batches. Bonus… it’s a bright cherry red :). I would love the chance to try out a Bosch, but it’s neat to see a comparison. Thanks for doing this post!
Thanks, Kristi! I’m loving all these comments, especially to see how people agree and disagree. It’s so interesting!
Loved reading this post. Up until a couple years ago all I had was a hand mixer. Then someone gave my mother-in-law a kitchen aid mixer with all sorts of attachments that belonged to their brother who passed away. She gave it to me because she already had one. I love it for cookie dough, cakes and frosting. I have never tried it for bread because I make bread by hand. Since I never had a mixer I always made bread dough by hand and I just really enjoy kneading the dough by hand. But I don’t make the amount of bread you do.
I totally agree with you about adding in the dry ingredients. I always have to stop it and lower the bowl. One day I had cocoa powder all over the mixer and counter. I was not happy. It was a good thing the cookies I was making turned out good so it was at least worth it.
Haha, good thing those cookies were worth it! 🙂
I have both and love both. I use my kitchen aid for bread, because I make huge batches (6, 1.5 pound loaves) at least once a week. I have the 7 quart industrial motor and it has been 5 years with no issues (it even kneaded itself off the counter once… oops). My bosch is 20 years old and large batches of bread always crept up the center and got into the inside of the column. It was a giant pain to clean that out every week. My kitchen aid has a collar with a pour slot that makes adding dry ingredients easier. I’m glad I don’t have to choose just one mixer. If my kitchen aid ever dies I will probably replace it with a hobart or similar industrial machine. I don’t think my bosch will ever die (which is awesome).
Haha, I just commented above how my Bosch did that same thing – kneaded itself off the counter. There have been several people comment that the 7-quart industrial KitchenAid seems to be pretty durable. I haven’t had the issue with bread being hard to clean out of my Bosch, but I know others have.
Bosch all the way. I’ve had one for 19 years and love it. My mom has had hers for close to 50 years. The only thing she’s had to replace was the bowl.
50 years? Thats insane (in a good way!).
I love, love, love my Bosch!! It has to work hard for me every summer! I bake for 4 farmers markets every week. I love that my Bosch can handle so many cups of flour. I use the dough hook for almost everything: bread, cookies, frosting, etc.
That’s awesome, Kristina!
Love your detailed review.
I’m one of the few who just uses a handmixer. Now, I don’t make bread very often (maybe 2X per year) so I might not fit in with this crowd, but I just do the whole thing by hand. Everything else I use the handmixer for and agree with your post that it’s doable! (My main reason is small kitchen, full cupboards and not much counter space.)
Love your comment, Sarah! Thanks for taking the time to share what works of you!
What a fun post, I love the research (aka real life experience).
Ha! Yes, that’s my kind of “research!” 🙂
I burned out three Kitchenaid motors before I bought a Bosch, and wonder now why it took me so long to change!!! Coupled with a hand mixer I can do everything needed in the baking department. The powerful motor is the winner!
Ugh, three KitchenAids? That’s no fun! Glad you are happy with your Bosch!
I’ve always used my hands or an ancient hand mixer from the 70s passed down from my mom. The only reason I have a stand mixer now is because my dad got my mom one for Christmas over 10 years ago, and she gave it to me because she didn’t use it much. I have a smaller cheaper version, a 4.5 quart that has the head that goes up and down instead of the bowl. I always hated the stuff getting left on the bottom of the bowl, but only found out last week that there is a screw to adjust! Will have to try that. I don’t make much bread, but want to start. I do have a bread machine, but it’s very small. May get a bosch for bread, but it’s kind of pricey for me.
Thanks for your comment, Laurie!
I have had the Bosch for many years. I love how powerful it is and have used it a lot successfully. I do not love the 2-piece plastic lid that falls apart too easily, or the fact that I find the bowl/post hard to clean. I also now have a beautiful black Kitchen Aid, Professional 600, given to me by my sister-in-law to try out. I’m sure it has lots of merit, but I wish the head would raise like the smaller mixers do. After lowering the bowl, there still isn’t enough space to easily remove the bowl without first having to remove the beater…and there doesn’t really seem to be enough room to remove the beater easily either. Also, the bowl does not lock into the “button” at the back without considerable effort. Am I doing something wrong, or is it just a matter of getting used to it? I don’t see this complaint from anyone else.
Hi Rebecca, I agree with the KitchenAid comment – it’s hard to get in and out of the bowl without removing the beater; I wish the head tilted up, as well. I was worried when I started locking the bowl in place – I also have to push it really hard (I don’t let my kids do it because I’m afraid they’ll pinch their fingers). I don’t think you are alone in this.
I have a Kitchen Aid mixer that my MIL picked up at a garage sale for me several years ago. It has got to be from the 70s or 80s because it is a mustard yellow color. It is a work horse and I think it has been so reliable because it was made so many years ago! It has been great for me. I grew up with my mom having a Bosch mixer and she loves it! I don’t make the bread we eat everyday so the kitchen aid has worked great for me to make all my other yeast doughs and that is mainly what I use it for. Having used both, I think they both definitely have pro’s and cons as you have pointed out. Having worked in a few bakeries in college I haven’t ever seen a mixer like a Bosch in a bakery before, they are all those giant Hobart mixers that are in essence, designed like a kitchen aid. Just a random thing to point out. ☺
So true! Pros and cons for both, and it does appear from many comments that those older KitchenAids are where it’s at! They are more durable than today’s models, it seems like. I think the design of the KitchenAid/Hobart-type mixers definitely have merit. But I’m not sure most KitchenAids are as well designed (plastic vs. metal parts). I would love to be able to afford a Hobart. Can you imagine? 🙂
I have both a Kitchenaid and a Bosch (well, and a Blendtec…thanks Mel :). I only use the Bosch for bread making and large batches of cookies. I use my Kitchenaid for everything else: cakes, whipping, pizza dough, etc. I pretty much agree with all of your comparisons. I agree with other reviewers though: I HATE cleaning my Bosch. I know the dishwasher will do it, but I don’t like all of that dough/food waste washing away into my septic. They are spendy to replace, if you know what I mean, living out in the country. So I always wash it by hand so that I can strain out the food and dough particles to throw away. The Kitchenaid is so much easier to clean, in my opinion, which is why I grab it for anything but bread/large batches of anything. I do love them both and think they are both great! I wouldn’t want to part with either one!
I’m also on septic and wash my Bosch by hand, too. It can be a pain, but because I’ve done it for so many years, I guess I don’t think twice. You aren’t alone, though – lots of comments here about how people hate cleaning it.
Whenever I see your pictures of bread making, your machine always looks “cleaner” than mine. My dough rides up a lot and gets stuck in all of those little grooves at the top of the center piece, and it also rides up and gets stuck inside of the place where the hooks attach. That is what I hate cleaning, because I have to sit and scrape out each tiny groove. I have a hard time getting it out sometimes, so I wait until it dries and I “chip” the dried dough out with a toothpick. I bought mine off of Ebay, so it’s not the newest model, so I’m not sure if that makes a difference. Otherwise, have you experienced your dough riding up the center ever like I do? Any tips on how to avoid this? Clean up would be SO much easier!! Thanks! I loved this post!
I started with a bottom of the line Kitchenaid, then moved up to a professional one with more capacity and power, and my hub has replaced worn gears several times. Last one turned out to be a problem with the cast case, so I bought the Costco deal on the Bosch and kept both Kitchenaids so I can still use my pasta machine and other attachments What a work horse…youre right about it not handling small batches as well, but I’ll never worry about wearing out gears again… I love my Bosch!!
Thanks for your comment, Sharon!
I have had a Bosch compact mixer for 25 years, I love it. I would love to get the model that you have eventually. My daughter was a baby when I got it, and I could pass the compact to her. It’s one of my favorite things for sure!
I love that the Bosch compact has lasted for so many years!
I have had my current Kitchen Aid for 37 years!!!! I LOVE it and have never wanted for anything else. I have several attachments for it with grain mill or shredder being my most used. Although, I have recently acquired a spiralizer and loving it with plans to plant extra zucchini just for that purpose. At this point, I don’t know who will die first…me or my mixer. 🙂 Together we have made over 5000 loaves of bread, over 1000 cakes and at least 100,000 cookies!!!! 🙂
That’s amazing! 37 years!
We received a kitchen aid as a wedding gift 31 years ago. About 10-15 years ago, I bought the Bosch. I LOVED it. Unfortunately, it’s been sitting in my basement for many years, out of use. The bowl was jammed on. We spent two hours prying with a screwdriver to get it off. I miss it so much. I make big batches of bread and cookies and the kitchen aid just doesn’t work as well.
Oh, that is such a bummer about your Bosch! 🙁
I actually use my KitchenAid for bread all the time and love it. It has a learning curve, but if you add the ingredients right it works just great and I can add upwards of 10-12 cups of flour, so I get three or four loaves depending on the recipe I use. The cover for it is really helpful for pouring ingredients in while it’s running and it helps with the puff factor as well.
So happy you love the KA for bread making, Jolena! Thanks for your comment!
I started our marriage 14 yrs ago with a BOSCH and I’ve never had a complaint. My mom uses the same BOSCH she bought 30 yrs ago. So maybe my opinion is a lil biased. I have a hand mixer I use for smaller jobs. I also have the BOSCH blender and have to say it’s outlasted the other blender we received for a wedding gift at the same time.
Thanks, Tanya!
I had the 575w kitchen aid with 6 qt bowl after my 20 years old Kenwood Chef stopped working and nobody serviced Kenwood anymore. I bake 6 loafs of bread everyweek in 2 batches the kitchen aid burned with 7 cups of flour 3 times through the warranty ( they changed it each time) the last one last a little longer. Died after 16 months fixed it myself, lasted 3 more months. I gave up, bite the bullet and bought the Bosch. What a great mixer. Now I make my 6 loafs in one batch. If I had to choose between Kitchen Aid and Kenwood, the Kenwood is much better than the Kitchen Aid. When it come to mixers the Europeans are way better.
So glad to hear your experience with both mixers!
I’ve had my KitchenAid for 20+ years. It’s been complaining rather loudly to me lately when I double my cookie recipes. I have a feeling I’ll need to be making a stand mixer purchase in the near future so I really appreciate the timing of this post. Could you please compare how both mixers are to clean? Are they easy to take apart? Any nooks and crannies for dough to get trapped in? Any cleaning issues at all? Also any issues with storage? Do you cover your mixers? Thanks for your help!
Great questions, Julie. The older style of Bosch was really hard to clean because you couldn’t remove the bottom from the center shaft. But with the newer models of the Bosch Universal, the bottom will twist off of the center shaft and I feel like it is really easy to clean. However, several people have commented on this thread that they detest cleaning the Bosch (not sure if they have the older or newer model). The KitchenAid is as simple as cleaning a large bowl and whatever beater/attachment you use. I don’t have a problem whatsoever cleaning the Bosch, but I may just be a creature of habit. I keep my Bosch in a deep drawer in my island and my KitchenAid stays on my counter – I wipe it off every day or so if I haven’t used it just to get rid of the dust.
Since my kids are grown and on their own, I don’t make bread very often. My KitchenAid works fine for the things I do make, but now I’m curious about Bosch mixers.
Maybe I’ll start making bread again as an excuse to get a Bosch!
🙂
I have a small baking business and I have both. I use my Bosch for everything except Royal Icing. I have the scraper attachments for the Bosch and they do work well. Especially the one for dough but I do prefer the easy cleanup of a kitchen aid. If I was only allowed to have one I’d pick the Bosch no question. I actually store my KitchenAid upstairs and only pull it out when I have a batch of cookies I have to decorate with said royal icing. Thanks for the review! I appreciated hearing someone else’s views on them both!
Such a great review, especially since you are using the mixers professionally. Thanks, Kathryn!
I am so glad you did this post. I have a red Kitchenaid that makes me happy just to look at it but not so happy when I use it. I’m loving all the colors they have now, could have one of each! I just don’t think it’s as good as it’s thought to be. It is sturdy but does bounce around when I knead pizza dough (I don’t even try bread). I’m not to happy having to scrape all the time & the thing that really irritates me is when it throws flour out of the bowl. Every time I add it I have to pulse slowly & wrap a towel around the top. (I’m not crazy about the plastic lip attachment). I will have to try the scraping attachment you mentioned. I have 2 friends who have the Bosch & they love it. One of them just dumps everything at once in the bowl & mixes. I’ve been wanting to read a comparison so thanks for the post!
I know, the colors are SO PRETTY.
Sorry, but I did not like my Bosch at all! Maybe I got a dud but it did not mix dough well and I do make large batches of bread! I also did not enjoy the cleanup so I sold my fairly new Bosch and am still wondering what to replace it with. I have the older version of the Braun mixer and feel it is the best machine ever. Sadly they no longer make them. Had it for 30 years and although it’s a little louder than it used to be, and only 400 watts, it’s still going strong.
I know this is supposed to be Bosch vs KA and later I comment that I would buy a Bosch if I bought anything …. but that was mostly conforming to spirit of the discussion. In my research for ciabatta making (I have no stand mixer), I saw the Kenwood mixer. It is $$$ more than either Bosch or KA but I liked what I saw in videos and their site. Made in UK I think. I am kind of wondering if it is the best of both worlds.
I had a Kenwood for over 20 years, and used it daily for everything. Bread, cookies, cakes you name it. The beater broke and I haven’t been able to find a replacement. So I bought a LA. Really don t love it even though they look so much alike. The Kenwood never left stuff on the bottom, and was better at kneading. None of the disadvantages of the KA and all of the strengths . I’ve heard the Cuisinart is very similar to the Kenwood.
Interesting, Liz! I need to look into the Kenmore mixer, too. Not that I need another mixer (ha! definitely not) but I like to at least know what’s on the market. I’ll probably try to find someone locally that has one and try to see it in action.
I’m from the UK and was given a Kenwood Chefette stand mixer, a junior model and not one of the large Kenwood Chefs, it was great. Years later I upgraded to the Kitchen Aid – I love it except for the clouds of flour or icing sugar that erupt even when using the plastic collar and more importantly the bowl can lock on to the stand which evidently is a common fault. My husband came home to find me wrestling with it on the floor banging the bowl handle with a rubber mallet and using language from Saxon times while trying to watch a YouTube video on the iPad beside me.
I’m quite intrigued by the Bosch and have never seen it in the UK but it certainly looks interesting so i shall have to do some trawling the net to find out more.
If it’s any help a friend who cooks professionally and makes bread every day for her family splashed out on the huge Kenwood Chef and loves it – she says it purrs like the engine of a Rolls Royce and is just a wonderful workhorse.
That’s ok, Sara! I don’t think the Bosch is for everyone.
I am considering a Kitchen Aid, definitely the larger one. The tilt heads don’t have enough watts to tempt me. I do have a Bravetti hand held 300 watt mixer I bought from one of the shopping networks years ago that handles most things. I definitely want more watts than that in a stand mixer. I know I have read recommendations that the tilt head isn’t really powerful enough to use when baking bread. My real delay in getting a stand mixer is giving up the counter space for it, but I’m getting closer to having one.
Thanks for the time and effort you put into this comparison.
I hear you on the counter space.
I really love the kitchenaid mixer I have. It was a gift from Mom and a complete surprise. I loved her thoughtful act. I could never have bought one for myself. I received it about 20 years ago and it still works just fine without having any repairs done. There are only 3 in my family. The kitchenaid is perfect for us.
That is so sweet, Carm. I loved hearing that your mom gave you a KA as a gift. No wonder it is special.
My mom bought her first Bosch 35+ years ago while we lived in Europe. She bought a new one about 10 years ago but still uses the other one when they go to their 2nd home. I don’t know if they ever die. I’ve had mine for about 12 years and I LOVE it! I use it daily ….sometimes multiple times.
I married into a kitchenAid family but over the years many of them have converted. : )
Totally agree about saving the Bosch & wheat grinder in case of a fire. Thanks for ALL the great recipes and other info!
Thanks, Jen! There could be a whole study done about how people were raised in homes with different mixers. It’s loyalty that runs deep (and can sometimes get emotional!). 🙂
I’ve always had a Kitchenaid and I REALLY LOVE IT for everything…except for bread. My MIL gave me her 30 year old Bosch a few years ago and it’s the only thing I use for bread. It’s a workhorse even 30 years later. But I still prefer my Kitchenaid for everything else.
And my Kitchenaid is so much easier to clean.
Thanks for your comments, Danielle!
With the KitchenAid scraper, it is awesome at getting stuff off the sides, but makes a huge mess when you add more then 1/2 a cup of either flour/powdered sugar or wet ingredients. And it doesn’t get stuff off the bottom, so I’m a natural paddle girl myself! Thanks for the advice! I’ve had my mixer for about 10 years and even though it runs great, I’m already researching what to replace it with! Your opinion is quite important though, because I love your cooking style so much… So yeah, I’m pretty excited that you posted this!
Thanks, Ashlee! I’m super bummed I bought my KA at Costco (heads up about this) because the scraper attachments don’t fit the Costco models. It makes me irritated enough, I’ll probably write a letter to someone (who will probably never read it). 🙂
I paid the extra few dollars for the Kitchen Aid brand scraper blade as I was told there have been issues with other brands…could this be your problem? I am completely shocked that Kitchen Aid would create a blade that doesn’t fit every model!:(
Ordered Kitchenaid stand mixer last night. It is highly recommended by my friend. I haven’t received it yet. But I am looking forward to seeing how it works Thanks for the sharing!
How fun, Kit!
Thanks for doing this! Not trying to be negative, and I didn’t quite read every word of your post, but I didn’t notice any mention of the ease of cleanup. A huge factor for me, so I just thought I’d chime in that I kind of avoid using my Bosch because it is a pain to clean. I pretty much only pull it out if I am doing a big batch of bread dough. I don’t have a Kitchenaid, so I suppose I’m not sure that it is easier to clean, but anyway, that’s my two cents. I usually just go with my handheld mixer…
Others have mentioned the same thing. I didn’t talk about it in the post because honestly, cleaning the Bosch isn’t a big deal to me. Maybe it’s because I’ve dealt with it for a lot of years, but I don’t think it’s any harder to clean up than a bowl, however, others will say hands down the KA is easier to clean. Sorry for not touching on that in the post!
I started my married life with an old Sunbeam stand mixer (I still have the old one from my mom– it’s probably 50 years old.. it will make a small batch of cookies or whip frosting.. but I also have a cheap walmart hand mixer that I use much more often for that sort of things) I have never owned a kitchen aid, but about the Bosch, 13 years ago I bought a Bosch and I have never looked back and I have the “food processor type” bowl and attachments and the blender.. I honestly use my Bosch every single day, and most of the time multiple times a day!! I would have never become someone who makes bread, rolls and cookies weekly… sometimes daily.. if it were not for the Bosch. It has been worth every cent and has payed for itself over and over again. The only gift… besides the wedding… that I gave my daughter when she got married a couple of years ago is a Bosch I knew it was the one item she couldn’t live without… and so did she. This was a fun post to read, and it confirmed what I already believed, I, Like you, just need a Bosch and a hand mixer and I’m good to go for all my baking needs!!!!
Sunbeam was my starter also, Helen! My mom gave me hers. This was nearly 43 years ago and the mixer was 20 years old. The mixer is long gone but I still have the white mixing bowls: a large bowl and a smaller one with a pour spout. So, they have been through 63 years of use 🙂 Fun memory, thank you!
Thanks Liz! My mom passed away recently and as I have gone thru things in her kitchen I feel really attached to that Sunbeam, and especially the great bowls that came with it!! I have been known to use them with my little hand mixer… just because that are great bowls … Wonderful memories tied up in that old Sunbeam mixer, that’s how I learned to make cookies. Thanks for enjoying the memory with me 🙂
Now I am nearly in happy tears … my paternal grandmother was Helen.
The Sunbeam is a great memory for me Bowls and all!! That’s where my cookie making days started … thanks for sharing the memory with me.. it’s a great one!!
Ah, loved reading the back and forth, Liz. Two of my favorite “virtual” friends. Glad you connected over your Sunbeam memories. 🙂
I grew up in a KitchenAid family and was so excited to get a beautiful red one as a wedding present from my mom. I never understood why anyone would want a Bosch, so reading this was enlightening! It sounds like almost everything I use my mixer for is what the KitchenAid does best, so I’m glad I landed in the right camp by accident! 🙂 Although last week for Easter I made a double batch of your French bread rolls (so easy and delicious!!!) and was afraid for the first time that the motor was going to die…after reading people’s comments about motors breaking I’ll stick with single batches in the future!
Isn’t it interesting how it really is individual to each person – and what they cook/bake the most? Glad you are happy with the KA! And super happy you didn’t burn up the motor with the rolls!
I bought my first Bosch over 35 years ago. When I upgraded to a newer model about five years ago, I gave the old one to my daughter. It’s still a workhorse. I have always wondered about the Kitchenaid, and I’m glad to know that I have the right stand mixer for me. Thank you for your informative comparison.
I love hearing so many people say their Bosch mixers are going on 30+ years!
I started my marriage with a kitchen-aid mixer. I used it for the first 10 or so years of marriage, making bread sometimes regularly, until I killed the motor on a 4 loaf batch of bread. When that happened, I was considering getting a Bosch to replace it, but in the end Costco won me over with a deal they were running on the KitchenAid (I believe it’s the same one you are reviewing here!) and it was a week before thanksgiving, so I pretty much gave in, and got a new kitchen-aid. Well, I killed that one too, but much quicker this time! I have hung on to it, because I have heard that they are easy to fix, but in the mean time, I got a Bosch. You’ll probably remember me pestering you when I first got my Bosch, because my trusty 2 loaf recipe tripled did not translate well in the Bosch. After some help and experimentation, I now love my Bosch! I make 6 loaves almost weekly, and I can’t imagine life without it! But I miss my KitchenAid for frostings, whipped cream, and all those smaller, wet batches of things. I have borrowed a neighbors hand mixer on occasion for such things, or even tried to make my immersion blender work, but I think I will be repairing my kitchen-aid mixer soon, just so I can use it for all those things you mentioned above. I had the scraper attachment for the kitchen-aid, and that does help quite a bit, even minimizing the unmixed parts in the very bottom (from what I remember, it has been a while…)
Love your thorough comment, Mollie! I hope you can get your KA repaired soon!
I completely agree! All I need in the kitchen are my Bosch and hand mixer (love my Vitamin too)!
Thanks, Sarah!
Amen…Amen to everything! I have had a stand model KitchenAid mixer for 15 years, and it’s still going strong. I love it for so many things! But, the Bosch is so amazing for bread and bigger cookie recipes. I love both! 🙂 (My Bosch and my grain mill came from Pleasant Hill Grain as well…they’re great!) Great post!
I love Pleasant Hill Grain!
Up until Christmas,(when my beloved finally got me a KA from Costco) my only mixer was a Hamilton Beach hand mixer, 10 years strong! I got it because it had that handy dandy caddy that attaches to the bottom to store all the attachments with it. The one that if you wind the cord up nice and neat and shove it in on top of the attachments, it might stay… lol truth be told- it all gets shoved in a drawer or a cabinet.
That said- I still find myself using it for things I could do in my KA. But it’s just easier to clean up, sometimes. I think a good hand mixer is a welcome addition to any kitchen.
I love my KA. I’ve named her Bowlivia Newton John, jokingly because if I was going to do more recipes I was going to have adapt to “Let’s Get Physical” mentality. Then my husband reminded me that THAT song is NOT about going to the gym. Then I was like- why is she always in spandex? Then I listened to the song… oh my… ROFL… Anyhow.
I remembered you always spoke highly of the Bosch and I looked at them and just felt it was not a good fit for my low to average usage. But it was definitely good to have something to compare to all the KAs out there and truth be told- if the KA didn’t work out- I would have a brand to upgrade to. Luckily Costco eliminated the massive color choices and after verifying with KA there were in fact compatible whisks and accessories and mostly easy found bowls (apparently at one point they had a glass bowl version that was too exclusive and had quality control issues with the bowl).But I have no regrets, so far.
This made me laugh out loud! Bowlivia Newton John. You are hilarious. Seriously, I nearly snorted water out of my nose. Thanks for the laugh.
I have all three- Bosch, Kitchen Aid, and a hand mixer. I grew up with a Ktichen Aid and never thought I’d use a Bosch, but my husband surprised me with a Bosch a few years ago for making bread. I use all three regularly and love them all. I agree with all your pros and cons, but I do have another couple more cons to add! I hate, hate, hate trying to get dough/batter out of the Bosch. Maybe I just have weak wrists, but it is so cumbersome and heavy when filled with bread dough. The Bundt-style design of the bowl also makes it challenging when I make massive quantities of cake batter that I need to measure out as I am filling cake pans (cake decorating is a hobby of mine). I also hate washing it almost as much as I hate washing my food processor! The Kitchen Aid gets splattered on a lot as it mixes, and that’s annoying. But I still wouldn’t trade away any of them and don’t care that they all take up precious real estate in my tiny kitchen!
So helpful, thanks, Angenette! I can understand all of your additional cons (I swear, I think I’m the only living human who doesn’t mind washing the Bosch after reading through these comments). 🙂
Just wanted to chime in about the cleaning of the Bosch. I have never even thought about the “work” of cleaning the Bosch, until this post… over the years it has become a “habit” and I use it so often that I wash it without even thinking about it… I always fill it with soapy water and let it sit in the sink as soon as I clean the dough out of it…..plus I think I remember a post you did awhile back about doing dishes by hand, where “we” concluded that having our hands in warm soapy water was one of those luxuries… like a warm bubble bath… ok it’s a stretch, but I get some relaxation out of loosing myself in doing dishes by hands. So …. maybe you are not as alone in this as you thought … 🙂
I have owned a KitchenAid for 30 years. I’m a retired executive chef and pastry chef and I’ve lugged that thing around all over the country when I was catering movie sets. I love my machine but would definately love to try the Bosch!
Do it! Do it! I’ve had my Bosch for my whole married life (30 years in July) and I don’t know how I’d function without it!
I hope you can at least try one someday, Lindsey (even just borrowing a friends!).
Bosch, forever and always. Mine is 20+ years old and still going strong! Only thing I don’t like about it is the blender attachment.
I agree! I’ve never been too impressed with the blender!
Yeah, me either.
I love when posts like this one. I have had a Kitchenaid for almost 20 years and have loved it but……I have tried many of the bread recipes from this blog (and others) and it always rides up on the paddle and is close to disaster most of the time. I want a Bosch and I want one right now! Mother’s day is coming……:)
Haha, I want you to have one right now, too! 🙂
Mel,
Thanks for this discussion. I started out our marriage with a Bosch. Loved it for making bread. Later bought a Kitchen-aid and love it for baking sweets (cookies, frosting plus whipping cream and egg whites etc.) I don’t make bread much now that kids are grown.
Our extended family LOVES your “Famous Gloria’s Cinnamon Rolls”. But when I make them in my large Kitchen Aid, it ends up being a little too much dough. (Dough creeps up into where dough hook is secured to mixer.)
Do you use your Bosch when you make them? If so, what size is the Bosch you use? (Not sure how many sizes they make now-a-days.) if a Bosch works well, I may have to get one for Cinnamon Roll!! Thanks for all your great recipes!!
Yes, I use my Bosch for Gloria’s Cinnamon Roll. I just have the Bosch Universal which has a 6.5-quart bowl. I think the Bosch compact would be too small for that recipe.
Thanks!
I agree with you 100% Mel!! I’ve owned a Bosch and Cuisinart hand mixer for years. I think it’s the way to go. Thanks for the post.
Thanks, Michele!
I have had my 5 qt Heavy Duty Green KA for over 25 years. It is lift head rather than
the tilt head variety. It seems to be sturdier. I love it. Use it a lot. I got one of the scraper blades and it works beautifully. When moving across country, the movers put the mixer on the side. Naturally oil was all over the place. The repair person said my mixer was one
of the good ones, the new 7 qt were causing all kinds of difficulty. So. Sometimes I do things twice. Really helps with severe arthritis.
Glad you have one of the old durable KAs, Carole!
I LOVE my bosch! It is the best! Also, I hardly have to scrape when making cookie dough with the scraper attachment. They are worth it to me 🙂 Love your stuff Mel!
That’s good to know, Rebekah! Gotta get me a scraper attachment.
I own both. Hands down … I’d choose to keep my Bosch. Just wish it looked as pretty as the kitchenAid sitting on my counter. I have the bigges KitchenAid and it can’t handle large batches of anything that has to mix over 6 min.
Thanks, Jan! It’s interesting to read people’s comments – someone on the FB thread of this post said they have a “professional KA” that can handle six loaves of bread, but I hear a lot of other people say “no way.”
I had a 5.5 qt KitchenAid for years (although I didn’t use it a ton), and then decided I needed a bigger one when I started making bread more frequently. I debated for a long time but found a KitchenAid at a great price, so I went with that. And after about 2 weeks regretted my decision :(. Then I found a used Bosch at an incredible price so I sold the KitchenAid and bought the Bosch and I’m kicking myself for not just going that route to begin with! I LOVE the Bosch!!! So much better for everything I use it for.
Fun to read a side by side comparison from someone I trust :). Should have just taken all your raves about the Bosch more seriously when I first made the change ;).
So happy you eventually ended up with the right mixer for you, Joni!
Bosch! Bosch!
Bosch! And a hand mixer… 😉
Oh! And YAY NORWEX! 😀
🙂
I have a smaller KitchenAid and I like it because it was a gift from my parents for my first Christmas after I was married. I can work with it, but it has a small bowl, so cant handle bread dough recipes with more than 6 cups of flour. I would love to have a Bosch for bigger recipes since I have 6 kids and all my recipes are doubled or tripled to feed my crew. Maybe one day!
Maybe eventually…but good for you for being happy with the mixer you DO have. Thanks, Karen!
I got my Bosch as a wedding present 18 years ago and after countless uses, it is has never let me down! I’ve often joked with my husband that we could mow the lawn with the motor in it. I’ve learned to adapt to the small batch problem with a simple 99 cent scraper so I don’t even really count that as a negative. I use a hand mixer for whipped cream or frosting so I really don’t see the need for a Kitchen Aid expect for the pretty factor. Great and accurate comparison on your part:)
Haha, that’s funny about the lawn!
I grew up with the old sunbeam and later on ma got a kitchenaid. Thats what i got and i make bread, rolls, cookies, bars, cakes, frosting, etc. It has never given me any problems and i have the smaller one! Although it is frustrating having to bang the measuring cup against the mixer to get all of it out! In the end, I’ll stand by my trusty kitchenaid! (I also have the kitchen aid hand mixer that I love)
Thanks for your comment!
I bought a used Kitchen-Aid off a friend over 8 years ago and it still works just fine. I only pull it out for large batches of cookie dough, royal icing, or some bread recipes, and use my hand mixer for the rest. I learned to cook with only a hand mixer so I feel most comfortable with that still. I laughed when you mentioned trying to add ingredients to the Kitchen-Aid while it’s running. I couldn’t stand the plastic shield it comes with and it was one more thing to clean, so I usually have a round circle of flour surrounding the Kitchen-Aid when I’m done. The open top of the Bosch does look nice. Maybe someday…
I can’t stand the plastic shield either. Thanks for not making me feel awful about that. 🙂
How have I never ever heard of a Bosch mixer?! I even have all Bosch appliances in my kitchen. Feeling totally clueless!
You aren’t alone, Sonia! They are really popular in the West (Utah/Idaho) but when we lived in the Midwest, not many people knew about them either.
Mel, I am a long time reader of your blog. I actually went from my Kitchen Aid to a Bosch after reading your blog on your favorite appliances. I do have the side scrapper and LOVE it. I’m with you I have the same hand mixer as you and my Bosch and that is all I need to keep my family happy and fed. Thank you for all your yummy recipes. Many of them have become go to recipes when I need ideas for something different,
That makes me happy, Pam! I’m glad you love your Bosch!
I enjoyed reading your post. I agree with it everything you said. I have owned/used both KitchenAid and Bosch mixers. Back when our kids were home and, before I started working full-time, I used my Bosch at least 2-3 times a week for bread and/or cookies; but, now that the kids are gone and I’m not making homemade bread every week, I have a KitchenAid. My ONLY complaint with the Bosch is that I had to replace the cookie paddles (plastic) several times because they cracked. And, as you said, the KitchenAid doesn’t scrape everything off the bottom of the bowl. As you said, they both have their strong (and weak) points. Thanks for such an interesting post.
Thanks, Jo!
My in laws bought us a Bosch the second year we were married. I have absolutely loved it!! BUT, we also had the blender attachment which I would never recommend anyone use. The blender cracked, leaked into the motor (which is under where the blender goes) and now my Bosch motor is going. It sounds like a freight train whenever I use it. I have to take it into the bathroom and close the door whenever I mix anything to preserve the family’s hearing. To repair the motor is almost as much as buying a new Bosch so I’ll just use it until it dies. I was really hoping you would have more positive things to say about the kitchenaid so that I could get one of those next. But sounds like I would be disappointed after having a Bosch.
I had a pretty bad experience with the blender, too. I don’t have it anymore and only use the Bosch for mixing. I’m sad the motor is going out! 🙁
The howl scraper on the bosch is LIFE CHANGING. I never have to scape the sides of the bowl. Best accessory ever. My mom gave me her bosch about 10 years back. It was her wedding present. And at the rate it is going. I plan on handing it down to my daughter for her wedding!
That would be awesome. The Bosch for ALL generations! 🙂
I love my Bosch! It’s definitely not as pretty as a kitchen aid, so I don’t leave it on display on my counter top, but it always does everything I ask it to! It did crash off the counter while kneading a large batch of bread once, but it survived and is still going strong. I have also had the plastic tops of my cookie paddles and whisks break when using cold butter (#impatient), but they weren’t too expensive to replace. I’ve found that the dough hook extender makes the Bosch able to knead smaller batches of bread. Thanks for all the good info!
Haha, mine did that, too! And amazingly, nothing broke. I need to look into that dough hook extender.
I grew up with a kitchen aid that my mom had forever and got my own tilt head small one just after I got married. I loved it for nine years until I had four kids and it wasn’t big enough. I also got the Costco special as an upgrade and, between bread and big batches of buttercream frosting, I burned up the motor in about 3 years. I had it fixed and it’s been another 3 years but I think it’s on its way out again. I am dreaming about the professional version from King Arthur if/when it dies again, but the costco price tag is a lot better so we’ll see.
Also, I have this paddle attachment and it’s life changing, almost never anything unmixed at the bottom and never need to scrape.
Thanks, Sheri!
I’ll just drop my two cents in here and say I have both mixers as well. I wholeheartedly agree with your assessments—I use both mixers (and handheld!) for the same projects. I do find, however, that if I use the Bosch for cookies they generally get overmixed and tough. No bueno.
My fix on the trouble of getting dry ingredients in the KitchenAid is to use the plastic guard (awesome to help powdery things from puffing out everywhere!) with the pour spout and drop it through that. I’m sure that’s the manufacturer’s purpose—and it works! I only put the guard on to dump dry ingredients in and get it past the “puff phase” then take it off. I’ve also sifted on a piece of parchment and used that as a funnel.
All mixers have their own party to be invited to. As long as they don’t have feelings we’re all good.
Thanks, Laura! So helpful to hear from people who have both.
Definitely the Bosch! But… We are blood relatives and the Bosch has been ingrained in us since birth as you stated in your post. I owned a KitchenAid for a few years but sold the dang thing because it was frustrating me so bad (for the reasons you mentioned). Now I just used my Bosch and handmixer for everything I make. I make macarons all the time and the Bosch actually mixes up three or four egg whites just fine. I was surprised… But it can be done.
Amen to the the family thing. That’s awesome about the egg whites…thanks for mentioning that.
I’d wanted a Kitchenaid for quite a while (didn’t know about Bosch) and got one when my trusty old Sunbeam mixer began to slow down. I’ve been so disappointed in it and finally lugged it to the pantry. It was so much easier to add ingredients to the Sunbeam with the mixer running and to scrape the sides and bottom. I might just bring out the Sunbeam and see if it has any life left in it or buy a good hand mixer. I see that yours is Cuisinart. Is that what you would recommend?
Yes! I love that Cuisinart hand mixer. It’s the HM-70 model.
I grew up in a Bosch exclusive household but I asked for a KitchenAid when I got married (because that’s what Martha Stewart used, haha). 1 year later I sold my KitchenAid and bought my beloved Bosch. No regrets! Except now after reading this post I wish I had kept the KitchenAid for standby! Great post! I read every word 🙂
I knew you would, Marci! Love you for that. 🙂
My dad got me a Kitchen-Aid mixer for Christmas one year. I had grown up using a Bosch and loved it. I think he saw the sale sign on the Kitchen-Aid that you just don’t see very often on the Bosch, and that convinced him. I think he was quite proud of his purchase, because he told me all about the sale and the big rebate and such. I just couldn’t bring myself to keep it, though, so I secretly took it back to the store and bought myself a Bosch instead. It’s probably been 10 years or so, and I’m pretty sure he is still clueless about the switch!
That’s a great story, Angela!
Mel – The comparison of Bosch and Kitchenaid was wonderful, informative, balanced and I love it when I learn something new, so thank you, thank you. As a “newbie” to Bosch I am reading all I can about the machine. I can now stop searching and reading as your blog post covers everything I need to know.
So happens I made Darcy’s wholewheat bread today in my Bosch. I cut the recipe in half and it is the best bread I have ever made, prior to my Bosch I used a bread machine to make the dough and then would bake it in the oven.
Everything I have made from your blog ends up going to the top of our “family fave ” list.
A fan from Canada – Midge
Thank you so much, Midge! I’m glad this was helpful AND that you are loving your Bosch. Thank you!
I purchased a KitchenAid in 2010 after my sister had had one for years and literally carried it around with her to all family gatherings. I absolutely LOVED it.
Fast forward about 2 years and I decided to start making more bread and my beloved KitchenAid just wasn’t cutting it. So I SOLD it so I could put the money towards my Bosch. Well the Bosch was awesome for my bread making, but I didn’t care for it for much else. And one of the things I missed the most about my KitchenAid…shredding chicken in it! So, after about another year I finally saved all my birthday and Christmas money and bought myself another KitchenAid. I have both and love both for all the different reasons you have specified above. I think they both have their strengths and weaknesses and are both worth having if you can afford to have them.
So true about each of them having their high and low points! Glad you don’t have to choose now. 🙂
I will be honest, I didn’t know bosch made a nice big mixer! I was given a kitchen aid 14 yrs ago and upgraded (7 people is a bit much for the 4qt) I use my kitchenaid for everything except the small things and then the hand mixer gets pulled out , which I use a lot.
So happy you love your KA!
Thanks for the informative post! I grew up using a KitchenAid. I got one after I married. After going through 4 of them in 5 years because they burned up making bread, I gave up. My professional heavy duty one even burned up. I finally decided to buy a Bosch 3 years ago and haven’t regretted it once. It does so much better for bread dough and all the other things I did in my KA work just as well in my Bosch. I did buy the cookie paddles and the bowl scraper you can attach that scrapes your bowl while it mixes things like cookies. I won’t ever go back to a KA. Thanks for all your great recipes! This is my go-to site for cooking!
Such a helpful review, Bethany – thank you!
So I am the Liz without a stand mixer … by choice :). As I’ve said to Mel, I do NOT need an easy way to cream butter and sugar!
I do make all of my bread, rolls, crackers, buns by hand but I am not making huge quantities and have no physical issues that prevent me from working by hand. There may come a day…
Bread – I have been making exclusively wild yeast (sourdough) and maintaining starter by hand for a little over a year and prior was making commercial yeast traditional kneaded as well as high moisture (no knead). All doable by hand and I happen to enjoy the by hand process. Again – am probably working with 1/4-1/3 the quantity that Mel regularly works with.
I do have a hand mixer of fairly recent vintage after making marshmallows with my 10 year old hand mixer… The new hand mixer came with dough hooks which I pressed into use to make ciabatta. Ciabatta is a 100% hydration dough so extremely slack. Every recipe starts with “in your stand mixer”. But, making a smaller quantity and using the hand mixer with dough hooks and a traditional long drawn out rise, stretch and fold, rise (the Tartine method for sourdoughs), I get excellent results.
All is doable, but if I was making larger quantities and/or having difficulty in hands/wrists, I would be at Pleasant Hill grains pulling the trigger on a Bosch!
Thanks for starting the discussion, Mel. Interesting to read and also other’s experiences.
I had a feeling these comments would interest you as much as they do me, Liz! I saw your comment above, too…about the Kenmore. Lots to think about!
Maybe Kenwood would give you one for a comparison 🙂 …would love that, but I did find this KA vs Kenwood comparison from a UK food blogger/author: http://www.charlotteskitchendiary.com/2012/04/16/granary-bread-kenwood-vs-kitchen-aid/
It is 5 years old but interesting.
http://www.kenwoodworld.com/en-us/products/kitchen-machines/chef-and-major is the Kenwood site and specifically the models I am looking at. They do make a model that has many colors kind of ala KA but I’m thinking they are only available in UK.
Hi Mel,
Really a great post. I also have a Kitchen Aid, which I have had for 20 some years. Last year I purchased the Bosch Universal. Thank God I did. Never experienced the best baking bread experience. I also bake over 500 cookies for Christmas. The Bosch is the BEST, especially when you make large batches. Thanks again for the wonderful column.
So happy you are loving the Bosch, Ann! It really is unsurpassed for bread and large batches.
If you use a shield with the KitchenAid, it makes it easier to add ingredients with less mess and hassle.
Thanks, John! I haven’t had great luck with the shield, but MANY people are commenting that it helps, so I’ll keep trying!
Hey Mel,
Thanks for the writing this comparison piece.
First of all, I do like Bosch products but the plastic bowl is a big turn off for me.
I’ve been using a Kitchenaid for 25 years – Kelly green with the optional glass bowl. I make your flat bread recipe twice a week & pizza every two weeks & haven’t had any issues… knock wood. The pouring shield makes it easy to add ingredients while mixing.
However, I’ve read a lot about the quality of Kitchenaid products taking a downward spiral over the last several years – motors burning out & gears stripping. It seems that most appliances aren’t made as well as they used to be.
I think you are right, Timothy – it seems like the older KitchenAid mixers are stellar in quality and durability but the newer models aren’t the same. Thanks for your comment!
I have been wanting a new mixer for bread making. I like be my kitchen aid but it just doesn’t cut it for the 2-3 loaves I make. This post made my day and I told Katie to tell you so
Thanks, Kristin!
I have had my 5qt. Kitchen Aid for 40 years or more and it is still going strong. The only problem I have is when making bread it tends to creep forward while kneeling so I have to keep an eye on it. I have had to replace two floors when it crawled across the counter onto the floor ad cut a hole on the linoleum and cracked the tile. The Kitchen Aid however ever stopped running.
Oh goodness! That’s not good!
Thanks for the post! I had a KitchenAid for years and switched to a Bosch for bread making and love it!! I use the wire whisk attachment for my thinner cake batters and whipped cream etc. and think it works better than the KitchenAid as well. Have you used the wire whisk attachment on the Bosch?
I have used the wire whisk attachment, but I really need to use it more. I mostly use the paddle or dough hook. Thanks for reminding me!
If you use a shield with the KitchenAid, it makes it easier to add ingredients with less mess and hassle.
My 12 year old kitchenaid just burned up on some whole wheat bread (another $1 for you) so I decided to try the Bosch since I use the mixer mostly for bread and the occasional cookies/cakes/frosting. I decided to get all the attachments and they now come with a dough hook extended for smaller batches (haven’t used it yet though) and I also got the scrapers and it worked great on whipped cream but haven’t used it for anything else yet. I will say that the scraper attachment feels pretty flimsy so I’m skeptical about its longevity. Anyway, I’ve only made bread once and it’s a learning curve, but I love getting 6 loaves at a time and I’m actually disappointed we haven’t run out of bread yet so I can try again.
I’m sorry about your KitchenAid burning up, Chelsea! Good luck learning the Bosch – I think you’ll love it.
I have a Kitchen Aid mixer. Due to limited counter space, I moved it off the counter two years ago and haven’t used it since. I make bread, never more than two loafs, and pizza weekly. I do that by hand. I also make cookies or small cakes at least weekly. I usually use a hand mixer for those, though sometimes I mix them by hand. About seven years ago I went for well over a year without any mixer and continued to bake regularly.
I think we really need to look at what kind of baking we’ll be doing before we invest in either of these mixers. My feeling is that most of us don’t need either the Bosch or the Kitchen Aid.
I agree, Sally! I think people need to think long and hard about what kind of baking they’ll be doing…maybe more could be done by hand!
I started my married life with a Sunbeam Mixmaster. It served me well for 25+ years, until the day I knocked it off the kitchen counter (I still have no idea how I did that!) while making cookies. It broke into many pieces. I still have and use the stainless bowls. I used a hand mixer or made things by hand for several years. One year for Mother’s Day my daughter bought me the Kitchen Aid. I think the biggest reason I still have it is because she was so proud of herself for being able to buy it for me without assistance from her dad or sister.
It saddens me when I see a recipe that starts with “in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment.” I think there’s going to be a generation of bakers who think you can’t bake unless you have a stand mixer.
That’s actually a valid point, Sally! I definitely don’t think you need a stand mixer but my generation has definitely become accustomed to using them. Sometimes just a bowl, spoon (or handheld mixer) is all you need. 🙂 And that’s so sweet about your daughter buying you a KA!
I have a kitchen aid. I am so proud of the hubs for getting me this for christmas (his secretary gave him the idea) that i’m in for the long haul unless the motor burns up. I make everything including small batches of bread dough. It gets used regularly for your french roll recipe. I agree about the batter sticking to the paddle, the gooey stuff getting stuck in the bottom of the bowl and the annoying action of banging the measuring cup to try to get the flour in. But I love it just the same. The one annoying feature that actually I need my husband (whose name is Mel by the way) to help with is this – when I’m making bread and have to mix it or knead it for 5 minutes or so, the vibration locks the bowl so tight onto the base that I can’t get it loose. I actually broke the handle off by torquing on it and my Mel had to solder the hole closed.
I’m glad you love it, Mariann! And kudos to your husband for listening to his secretary. 🙂
I totally agree with you on all points. I grew up using the Bosch and missed it when I went away to school and started mixing and kneading by hand.
I got married and got a Kitchen Aid as a gift. Loved it. But still my 150+ batch of cookies didn’t like the Kitchen Aid. So I would end up mixing by hand or just not making those cookies which made my husband sad.
Then I got into making dough….breads and cinnamon rolls so I took the plunge and got myself a Bosch as my own Mother’s day gift (as I hadn’t gotten one from my husband in like 5 yrs, serves him right….Right?)
Love my Bosch bit I do miss my Kitchen Aid for a few things.
Haha, yes, totally serves him right! 🙂
I bought a basic Kitchen Aid model for a great sale price .It was sent back for a new replacement a few days before the free replacement , guarantee, expired!That was over a decade ago.It did not sound or work right.
I was happy enough, after the replacement, years later to upgrade to get purchase a second one.It was then that I called the company.It did not sound the same and I was worried it would also conk out.It was eye opening to talk to customer service.They stated that the machines must be run a least once a month at a highest speed for five minutes approximately or oil will leak from the motor!( which seems to be happening with the first one!)
I find that my kitchen Aid food processor for one third the price does a better job all around!For all general kitchen jobs thought I have not tried bread mixing with it.
Great feedback!
You are most welcome.
I do find bread that is “hand made” vrs. Kitchen Aid mixer tastes different.Could be a “tighter texture ” from using a machine and less air getting in?Also it may sound “yucky” but our hands use to be how salt got into ancient bread making.Wish I could remember where I read that.
I think it was a Michael Ruhlman? book where he went to the CIA to learn more about cooking?
Hi, Mel,
I have both a Bosch and a Kitchen Aid in my kitchen. I’ve been using Bosch for 40 (!) years mixing bread with a sourdough starter that’s been alive nearly that long. I have the Kitchen Aid on long-term loan because my son moved out of United States. I agree with most of what you wrote; I do small batches of pizza dough in the Kitchen Aid (recipes sometimes utilize it and recommend times and levels). I also like some of the attachments for the Kitchen Aid, including the icecream freezer which I’ve used now for 8 years. I, too, can’t do without a hand mixer and sometimes I use an old manual eggbeater and have occasionally beaten cream with a whisk. It is nice to have options but I owe some of them to the generosity of others. If I had to choose I’d stick with the Bosch because of my sourdough bread (the starter is like one of my children).
Thanks for the detailed comment, Cole!
I had both but killed the bosch. Overflowed the blender a few times which went right into the motor and it eventually died. I only had it a few years, so I’m not a huge fan. Big waste of money imo. I even had the accessories and wasn’t a huge fan of most. I have had a kitchenaid forever. I finally broke down and got the bigger one at Costco after my bosch died. I’m not a huge fan of the larger one. I want my old one back -sticky gears and everything. It did a much better job of mixing. It just wasn’t big enough.
All that said, I have to agree. I loved my bosch for bread. Best bread mixer ever. I just can’t justify a new one for only bread. I never really preferred it for anything else. It seemed like my smaller kitchenaid did better on everything from egg whites to cookie batter. However, compared to the new, bigger kitchenaid, the bosch is sounding better and better.
I’m with you! The larger kitchen aid doesn’t work as well. It’s all about the 5qt one. As far as bosch, the parts break WAY too easily in my opinion.
Also, I hear you on the starter being like family. That’s how I feel about my kefir. 🙂
I have had both in my home for over 10 years now. I worked in a small bakery in high school where we used them both and I got so used to the strengths of each one. I think that if you bake a lot that having them both is nice. Now I want to make cookies and bread. 🙂
Haha, me, too!
My grandmother gave me a kitchenaid right before she died. I do love it but probably as much for the memories as the machine itself. Thank you for sharing this.
Memories are so powerful! Thanks, Leslee.
My Mom had her first Bosch for 25 years. She made 5 loaves of bread in it twice a week (9 kids in the family) almost for that whole time, not including batches of rolls, and whatever else she made (always in ginormous batches. It was still going strong when she upgraded to the new design. And all of us girls got a Bosch for our wedding present from our parents. You can definitely guess where we stand on this argument. 🙂
I love it!
I have had both but I do love my Bosch! I got it at Costco a couple of years ago and it came with some extras like the food processor, paddles and scraper. I haven’t had any problem with it and I do love it for bread and rolls. Thanks for your reviews on both. If friends ask I always tell them to go for the Bosch. I am a huge fan of your recipes and blog. When people ask for the recipe I just have to refer them to your blog!
Thanks, Colleen!
LOVE my Kitchenaid.. have used one for 28 years!!! . i make my bagettes in my food processor
Awesome!
I have the scraper attachment for my Kitchenaid; it was awesome for about a year. Maybe I just use it too much, or something, but I wish it was a little stiffer, because it has bent a little and isn’t quite as flush to the sides of the bowl anymore (so it doesn’t work as well). It’s more spatula, and I wish it was more spoonula, if that makes sense. I’ve had my Kitchenaid for about five years, and I totally agree with everything you have said about it! I don’t make bread enough to need another mixer right now, but once my Kitchenaid kicks the bucket, maybe I’ll look into a Bosch!
Side note: I just don’t think Kitchenaids are made like they used to be! My mom has had hers for fifteen years, my aunt’s is even older, and they’re both going strong! Mine is only five years old and it struggles sometimes!
I think a lot of people would agree with you on that, Adriana – sounds like the older model KA’s would last for decades!
I have a kitchenaid and love it.
Nice!
I never knew about the Bosch style mixer until I started reading your post Mel. For space saving, and power, I might have gone with a Bosch had I known about it before. I have a purdy Costco Kitchen Aid which I do love but I feel your pain trying to add ingredients while mixing. Also, I get annoyed when the flour sits on top of the paddle (sort of like when it’s on the middle of your driver on your Bosch). Something that people may want to consider is that there are a plethora of attachments that can be added to the Kitchen Aid (pasta roller, ice cream maker, etc) If someone was inclined to make use this more than a mixer, it may help them lean toward the Kitchen Aid. I agree with you 100%, a handheld mixer is still a must have!
https://www.kitchenaid.com/countertop-appliances/stand-mixer-attachments/
Thanks, David!
Thank you, Mel, for the informative post. I have a Kitchenaid now and I love it. But years ago I had a Bosch, and it was great, too. When the boys were growing up I made lots of bread — 8 – 10 loaves a week, and the Bosch was perfect. But now times have slowed down so the Kitchenaid has been just fine for the last 10 years.
Sorry — this seems to be a repeat of what you said, but I do want to add that I’ll need a new stand mixer soon and I’m going back to the Bosch. I make cinnamon rolls for church breakfasts and I can see large batches coming back into my life. A new Bosch will help with that. And that brings us to the fun part . . . feeding those you love. Either one of these mixers will help with that happy chore.
Loved your comment, Leslie. Thank you!
I wanted a kitchen aid right after I got married because the colors are so cute. But my husband tends to value quality over cuteness so he got me a Bosch. I’m oh so glad he did! I use it all the time. (Mine came with a Bosch hand mixer too, which is super amazing. It’ll whip cream so, so fast!). I wish it came in a cute blue and the stainless bowl came standard, but it’s a work horse for sure!
It’s hard not to be tempted by those pretty colors! I didn’t even know there was a Bosch hand mixer. That’s awesome.
Thanks for the informative and in depth comparison of these two mixers. Articles like yours are very helpful to everyone needing advice on choosing something that will be a benefit to them personally. You brought up points that some people may not think of. I have a kitchen aid mixer that I have been using for about 10 years now and I have never regretted buying it. You do have a valid point for bread dough and for that I use my bread machine anyways. For all other doughs though I have been very happy with it. What also made up my mind, was that you can buy all sorts of attachments to do other things like sausage stuffing, vegetable slicing and nut grinding, meat grinding and so on. Thanks again.
I’m glad you love your KitchenAid, Heidi! I hope the post and comment thread will be helpful to many people…I’ve learned a lot reading through the comments!
I am the proud owner of a 34 year old 8 Qt. Kitchen aid mixer with as many of the attachments (sausage, pasta, meat grinder, etc) as my husband could get one at a time for a variety of birthdays, Christmases, and Mother’s days. I find that mine works GREAT for larger batches of bread, but Costco has never carried the model I have, which is a small industrial with an ugly dark grey matte finish. Don’t care; I love it. I had a small Hobart for a while, and that was good until the worm drive broke, and tried my Cousin’s Bosch, and found it hard to manage and clean, but that may have been just the unfamiliarity factor.
Thanks for your comment, Dawn! I agree that a lot of it is what you are familiar with.
I’ve had my kitchen aid for 25 years (eek!)…I am so biased with my “first-born” that I probably shouldn’t be commenting on this post!:) I only ever make typical-sized batches of baked goods and therefore haven’t had an issue with size…I will admit (grudgingly) that doubling a bread recipe in particular wouldn’t be a good idea in my kitchen aid.
I love biased comments! Heck, I’m biased, too. Thanks for your feedback!
I have and love my Kitchenaid Artisan (325 watt, 5 qt bowl in Empire Red!). We are a small family, just my husband, me and our son, so smaller quantities are fine for us. I’ve had the mixer for about 15 years and it is going strong making a variety of things from breads to cakes to meatloaf, etc. Love the color of the mixer as well as how it works for us. I actually investigated the Bosch mixer at one point, but I decided that the Kitchenaid met our needs.
That’s awesome!
I love this. 🙂 I feel like KichenAid/Bosch discussions always get emotional – so many feelings attached to these mixers, haha. I definitely prefer my KitchenAid… but I don’t make huge batches of bread dough. Both my mother-in-law and my grandma rely heavily on their Boschs (Bosches??), so I’ve had ample opportunity to test them out – and it may be a small thing, but it drives me nuts that the bowl is not bowl-shaped, but instead doughnut-shaped. Maybe in the future once we have more kids and I’m making bigger batches of things I’ll need a mixer capable of bigger recipes, but for now I’ll stick with my KitchenAid – I’ve used it nearly daily for ten years, and still going strong. 🙂
Oh gosh, so true. Who knew that talking about mixers could cause so many emotions?? Glad you love your KA!
I have used a Bosch for years. I LOVE it…but I do wish it came in pretty colors like the Kitchenaid. It is because of the colors my daughters opted for the Kitchenaid. After seeing theirs I decided that when (IF) my Bosch ever dies 😉 , I was going with the colorful KitchenAid next.
HOWEVER! When I was visiting daughter who lives out of town I was helping in the kitchen making cookies with her Kitchenaid…I HATED the KitchenAid. I hated the big motor in my face, hated the weak sounding motor, hated the limited space to add ingredients thanks to the big motor in my face!
When visiting my other daughter I was showing her how to make bread with her KitchenAid…as I grumbled about the same things already mentioned above.
Needless to say, IF my Bosch ever dies, I will buy another (boring white;) Bosch.
I LOVE my Bosch!
Great review, Sherry – thank you!
I also got my KitchenAid at Costco 5 or 6 years ago & have been happy with it, although I wish it tilted. It was on sale for $250 & I couldn’t pass it up. I’ve never considered a Bosch mixer. And though it has decent ratings on Amazon, (4.4) I know it’s on ATK’s “Not Recommended” list. Strange how they said kneading was its downfall! Glad you like yours though.
I am a HUGE fan of ATK, but I think their reviews of mixers were/are skewed. I think they view them like someone else mentioned in this thread – that professional kitchens only use models, like the Hobart, that have a similar design to KitchenAids. I can’t imagine how kneading would be a downfall in the Bosch…it’s definitely the strong point. In this case, I don’t think they were as open minded as they should have been. Anyway, clearly I have opinions about ATK’s opinions. 🙂 Thanks for letting me share.
Very informative! Thanks Mel-
I have both the kitchen aid and Bosch. I hands down love my Bosch. My kitchen aid is loud, and I hate that! I ultimately replaced my kitchen aid with my Bosch and have never looked back.
Thanks, Misty!
I have a Kitchenaid 7qt ProLine 1.3 horsepower (don’t know the watts) and it is wonderful for making multiple loaves of whole wheat bread, big batches of cookies, etc. It is a workhorse that my smaller Kitchenaid I had before just couldn’t keep up with. I love my machine, I would purchase it all over again!
I have the same one and love it too! Also, I will add that I use the pouring shield to add ingredients while the motor is running and I have no problems. Without the pouring shield, it is a lot messier!
I echo your comments. I love my 7qt mixer! It’s currently in storage as were military overseas. I did get a 5qt KitchenAid (220 volt) at our Exchange but it’s not nearly as powerful as my 7qt–I keep thinking some breads might overpower its motor.
Sounds like the 7-quart KA has the best reviews!
The Bosch bowl scraper has a scraper for the center shaft as well as the bowl. It does not help with the bottom stuff though. I usually just scrape it by hand though.
I need to look into that scraper!
I have the Bosch and I love it. I am an avid bread maker like you, and it does a stupendous job for that. We got it for our wedding almost 13 years ago and I use it multiple times a week and I’ve seriously never had a problem with it.
Glad the Bosch has served you well, Madison!
Bosch ALL THE WAY. I’m with you Mel! Great Post.
Thanks, Emily!
This was interesting but only made me jealous. I have never had a stand mixer in all my seventy years and at the quoted prices never will. You are very blessed to have two.
I’m sorry, Nana! I do feel very blessed to have two, you are right.
I have a Kitchen Aid stand mixer, in white, that is nearly 21 years old (the 4.5 qt). It pooped out a few years ago and my hubby ordered parts to fix it. While waiting for the parts, I was wooed by Kohl’s having a deal and ordered one the next size bigger because I always wished I could make a double batch of bread. I preferred the tilt head as it seems to me the bowl lifting would be annoying (especially after only ever using a tilt head one). I was tickled when it arrived and then quickly disappointed. This wasn’t the same machine that I was used to. It did a terrible job mixing up a basic cookie dough and grating cheese with my grating attachment completely stopped the motor (my trusty old one kicks into gear to meet the demand of the load when grating cheese). I thought it was just a factory flaw so I exchanged it for a new one. Unfortunately it did the same darn thing. Upon researching, I found that the new machines aren’t made like the old ones. Mine is a Made in the USA one and is all metal inside. Thankfully my hubby fixed it and it’s working like a champ. I love it dearly and hope it lasts me the rest of my life (my mom has had hers nearly 40 years). Looks like the Bosch is amazing for mixing up bread dough, but I can’t justify that with my budget at this point. Thanks for sharing about these two mixers.
It’s definitely sounding from MANY comments like the older KitchenAids were made differently than the newer models. I’m glad your KA is working again!
I had a Kitchen Aide I liked it ok, but the motor gave out fairly soon. I now have a bosch, and I wouldn’t trade it for any other machine! Makes the BEST yeast recipes, best egg whites. It is lovely to use. I wish I had the 2nd bowl, and the little attachment to shred potatoes ect. You can get quite few different attachments to use with these machines, oh and the blenders are super!
Thanks, Tina!
I have a 12 year old kitchen aid and I love it, but I’m looking to get a Bosch when this guy hits the dust. I have a scraper paddle for my cookies and it makes ALL the difference. Creaming butter and sugar is a breeze. I do get dry stuff stuck in the bottom. But my main reason for the Bosch is I have four young boys who inhale everything I bake. Bosch will be great at making big batches.
Good point. Not sure I’d get the same use out of the Bosch without my four boys. 🙂
I have TWO Kitchen Aid mixers and love them both. I tend to be more of a sweet baker versus a savory baker, so they work great for me. Your comments about bread dough are spot-on though. I usually only make rolls during the holidays and I have to be careful as the mixer will overheat. Still, Kitchen Aid for the win!
Awesome! Lots of KitchenAid fans in this thread!
I’ve never had a Bosch but I love my 25 y/o KitchenAid! I mix everything with it! No problems with bread dough. If we ever have a major earthquake, it will be the first thing I throw in a box (after my cats, photos, and antique quilts).
Haha, I get that!
I’ve had both a kitchen aid and a Bosch and, hands down, I like the Bosch better. I could not stand adding ingredients to the kitchen aid, especially dry ingredients that always ended up going everywhere as soon as I turned on the mixer. I do wish the Bosch was better for smaller batches, but I mostly make bread so it’s not often a problem. Sounds like I need to add a good hand mixer to my kitchen tools and I’ll be all set!
Thanks, Sarah – I think a hand mixer would do the trick for you!
I have a full size Bosch and a compact version. I don’t use the full size one as often, usually when I’m making bigger batches of things. I use the compact one almost every day of the week! I couldn’t do without my Bosch! Love it!
That’s awesome the compact Bosh works so well for you!
My mom has both a Kitchen Aid and a Bosch, and she uses them both basically as you describe here. I only have a Kitchen Aid because I have a small kitchen and only have room for one mixer. I don’t have make large batches of things, so the Kitchen Aid has worked well for my needs. And I use a pouring shield to help get dry ingredients in better. It isn’t fool proof, but it does make it easier.
https://www.amazon.com/KitchenAid-KN256PS-1-Piece-Pouring-Bowl-Lift/dp/B0000CFF38/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1493066515&sr=8-2&keywords=kitchen+aid+pouring+shield
Thanks, Annette!
Great post! I have both a Bosch and KitchenAid mixers and tend to use the KitchenAid more because it stays on my counter and I feel like it is easier to wash the bowl and attachments. I will pull my Bosch out for larger batches and bread because it holds more ingredients and the motor can handle tougher jobs. I’d like to use my Bosch more but don’t want to deal with washing it – more pieces to deal with, bowl is more awkward and there are more crevices for the dough to get into.
I’m surprised at how many people have both! It’s helpful to read what everyone has to say. Thanks, Erin!
I just received my first Bosch and I have to say that I am a huge fan when it comes to making my chocolate chip cookies. It is a big recipe and my darling light pink Kitchen Aid has served we well for years but not with out LOTS of scraping towards the end to get all the flour off the bottom of the bowl. My favorite thing about the Bosch is that I can completely cover it while mixing! No more flour flying all over my kitchen when I accidentally throw the mixing switch on high when I meant to throw the locking switch into the locked position. Happens every stinking time! Obviously that is a problem with the user not the product but the Bosch protects me from myself. I will never part with my pink mixer though. It is great for cakes and frosting. Thanks for the comparison!
Thanks, Jamie!
What a great post!! I concur with all you said (I have both the Bosch and a 7 qt kitchenaid stand mixer). I will forever make bread in the Bosch..that, in my opinion, is the hands down winner. I use my kitchenaid for everything else..cakes, cookies, bars, whipping cream, pancake mix, etc. The next thing on my list is that giant stainless steel bowl for the Bosch so I can double my favorite bread recipe (the quinoa whole wheat on your blog!) have you seen that? Thanks for yet another great post and PS.. Your Curry rice is cooking away in my instantpot as we speak! 🙂
Thanks, Hilary! Yes, I have (and love!) that stainless steel bowl for the Bosch. I use it when doubling the quinoa bread…and a lot of times for my other whole wheat bread recipe. It’s awesome but definitely a bit of an investment for a bowl. 🙂
It’s the plastic bowl on the Bosch I can’t get past!!! I avoid plastic whenever I can in cooking
Understandable! It hasn’t been an issue for me over the years, but I can see the appeal of the metal bowl. I have the larger metal bowl for the Bosch, but I only use it when I double bread recipes.
I have used a kitchen aid for years and the plastic shield that comes with it allows you to add things to the mixer with ease…and I seldom make more than 2 loves of bread at a time but when I do I pefer the old hand method…even no matter the mixer or bread machine I feel the tear the dough but by hand you dont have that happening…so when using it I always take it out the last 2 minuets and need it by hand…I make it short I love my Kitchen aids. and will not change…it does a perfect job or me a cook for 40 years…
I found the plastic shield got in the way of adding the dry ingredients, too, but this is why I love getting all of your comments! So glad you love your KitchenAid!
I just replaced my wedding shower Kitchenaid with another (higher powered) Kitchenaid after 11 years of use. Which doesn’t seem nearly long enough UNTIL I read your line about bread making burning up the Kitchenaids. My original Kitchenaid started smoking when mixing up babka after many, many batches of bread over the years. I knew that’s had to be what killed it! I don’t make nearly as much bread now and I have a higher watt one so I’m hopeful this one will last longer! Also, my new one is blue and the bowl has a handle…I’m pretty heart eyed over it! Thank you for the comparison!
I bet – sounds pretty! 🙂
I have never owned a Bosch or a kitchenaid. My favorite of all is the BLENDTEC MIX & BLEND II. I had the original Blendtec from like 25 years ago and loved it. I have since upgraded to the newer one. It is probably similar to the Bosch as it can handle a lot of flour and it mixed up bread wonderfully. I’ll never have anything else.
I’ve never heard of that mixer, Monica – glad you love it!
I owned that Blendtec for many years. Loved its auto stop kneading feature, but I had a hard time with the middle staff. It cracked on me twice, and that’s when I made the switch to the Bosch. All metal parts and works perfectly. Love it!
I meant to say shaft. Lol
First comment! Whooohooo! This was very informative–thank you! We don’t have the budget for a mixer right now, but when we do, I’m definitely going to re-visit this page!
Thanks, Jaci!