"GingerRose" > wrote in message
...
> I have started to do ALOT of home baking lately and am interested in
buying
> a new stand mixer. I have looked at Kitchenaid and Viking. As you would
> expect, the recommendations are mixed. Any thoughts or recommendations?

The Viking is rather new and I haven't seen any reviews. I have a 5 qt.
Kitchenaid that is about 15 years old. It doesn't appear to be one made by
Hobart. I don't have any complaints, but people have reported problems with
more recent models. I think it hinges on what kind of things you bake. If
you are baking large batches of heavy bread (like whole wheat) then you need
a really sturdy machine. Batters, cookie dough, and smaller batches of
light body bread dough will not challenge the mixer and can probably be
mixed with about any machine. You could add the Bosch, Magic Mill, and
Kenwood/Delong mixers to that list. If you would consider an off brand, HSN
has a Wolfgang Puck brand mixer (700 watt, comes with two bowls, and is
commercially rated, what ever that means) for a good price. It is all metal
and has some interesting features. http://tinyurl.com/58r8w HSN has a 30
return policy which includes the refund of the shipping charge.