Recently there have been several threads on this newsgroup which
discuss the relative price of "professional style" ranges versus home
ranges. The threads discuss whether the price differential is
primarily due to relative cost of materials or whether there are other
factors. This prompts me to post a question about the cost of Hobart
mixers.

A 20 quart Hobart mixer costs several thousand dollars. This is
substantially more than the cost of 5 to 8 quart home mixers such as
Kitchen Aid or Electrolux Magic Mill. The application I'm interested
in is kneading a large batch of whole wheat bread dough (8-12 loaves).
Is the price differential primarily due to relative cost of materials
or are there other factors?

I've read on this newsgroup that Hobart mixers use a different type of
motor (induction) than home mixers (brush). Hobart mixers have a
transmission. And Hobart mixers are designed to function reliably
under continuous use. Do factors like these account for the enormous
price differential? (I imagine the market for Hobart mixers is much
smaller than the market for home mixers.)

(Allen Weiner) wrote:


A 20 quart Hobart mixer costs several thousand dollars. This is
substantially more than the cost of 5 to 8 quart home mixers such as
Kitchen Aid or Electrolux Magic Mill.

This might help with some answers...

http://ww1.williams-sonoma.com/cat/p...ixer&cmsrc=sch

paste the link...it is a long one!!

Far as I can tell, someone wrote:
Do factors like these account for the enormous price differential?

They absolutely do.

Hobart 20 quart and larger are truly professional mixers and can be run
for hours a day for years on end. They just don't break.

You can find them on EBay for $500 and up. In the lower price range they
are old and ugly but still going strong, sometimes they'll have no bowl,
or only a dough hook. Parts are always available for machines as much as
50 years old. Usually one of the newer ones in good condition will go
for $1200 - 1500 plus shipping. They weigh (IIRC) about 300# so don't
plan on putting one on your counter, altho there are countertop and
floor models 210 quart machines.

You could look in the phone book for a used restaurant supply dealer in
your area and go check them out.

One near me in Pensacola usually has three or four in stock.

I have an 80 quart job in my bagel shop. Strong little sucker.

(Allen Weiner) wrote in
om:

Recently there have been several threads on this newsgroup which
discuss the relative price of "professional style" ranges versus home
ranges. The threads discuss whether the price differential is
primarily due to relative cost of materials or whether there are other
factors. This prompts me to post a question about the cost of Hobart
mixers.

A 20 quart Hobart mixer costs several thousand dollars. This is
substantially more than the cost of 5 to 8 quart home mixers such as
Kitchen Aid or Electrolux Magic Mill. The application I'm interested
in is kneading a large batch of whole wheat bread dough (8-12 loaves).
Is the price differential primarily due to relative cost of materials
or are there other factors?

I've read on this newsgroup that Hobart mixers use a different type of
motor (induction) than home mixers (brush). Hobart mixers have a
transmission. And Hobart mixers are designed to function reliably
under continuous use. Do factors like these account for the enormous
price differential? (I imagine the market for Hobart mixers is much
smaller than the market for home mixers.)

I think you've answered your own questions. Apart from geenrally larger
capacity, materials and engineering design make all the difference. In
other words, you _do_ get what you pay for.

That said, my 1972 KitchenAid (Hobart made) is still going strong,
although I don't submit it to commercial use.

--
Wayne in Phoenix

If there's a nit to pick, some nitwit will pick it.

"Allen Weiner" wrote in message

A 20 quart Hobart mixer costs several thousand dollars. This is
substantially more than the cost of 5 to 8 quart home mixers such as
Kitchen Aid or Electrolux Magic Mill. The application I'm interested
in is kneading a large batch of whole wheat bread dough (8-12 loaves).
Is the price differential primarily due to relative cost of materials
or are there other factors?
Do factors like these account for the enormous
price differential? (I imagine the market for Hobart mixers is much
smaller than the market for home mixers.)

Huge differences in materials and tolerances. Cheap motors will run for a
few years off and on as they get maybe an hours work in a week in many home
kitchens. Industrial motors can run for longer times. Thinking about some
of our industrial equipment at work, we turn of some motors Monday morning
and they run until Saturday morning (120 hours) and repeat this for years.

Better, larger bearings. Thicker castings, closer machining tolerances.
More costly material, heat treating, etc. You get the idea. Most
appliances today are bargains compared to what our parents would pay for the
same functions, but commercial grade is still much better.
Ed

http://pages.cthome.net/edhome