Bosch Universal Mixer

When Pleasant Hill Grain sent me the Kuhn Rikon Pressure Cooker they asked me if I'd like to try out the Bosch Universal Mixer as well. OH YEAH! I had never used one before, but I know a couple people who have one and I know my dad has several Bosch power tools. That is one serious mixer and I've heard nothing but positive things about it's performance.

photo credit here

I've used it a few times for different projects in the kitchen. Like when I made the 5 Grain Pancake Mix with Flax, I used it with the whisk beater attachment to mix up all the different flours and ingredients in the mix so they would be really evenly distributed.

Last week one of my very best friends was in town visiting while she was on spring break (she is a history teacher in Arizona). I had raved about the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies to her earlier, so we knew that would be a recipe we'd have to make together. We decided to do a double batch so we'd have plenty for us and some to share with neighbors and friends. The Bosch Universal Mixer was the mixer for this job!

Please note that these are my personal opinions from my experience using the Bosch Universal Mixer. A con for me might be a pro for you, and vice versa.

Pros:

• The large bowl is great for double or triple batches of cookie dough/bread/pizza dough. I made a double batch of the NY Times Chocolate Chip Cookies with it. We made all the cookie balls after and froze most of them so we could have fresh cookies when we wanted without making another batch.
• 800 watt motor! When it's mixing, it is amazingly powerful. Adding more of the flour mixture to the cookie batter didn't even phase it. Those beaters spun like the energizer bunny doing the hula hoop.
• Plus there are no dry bits of flour on the bottom due to the bowl's unique shape. This ensures that everything gets mixed evenly.
  
• The bottom of the mixer has several suction cup feet to hold the machine in place so the whole mixer isn't bouncing around on high speed.
• The cord fits inside itself.
  
• The beaters fit inside the bowl for storage when not in use.
  
• Easy to remove/replace the bowl.
• Parts are dishwasher safe.
• Extra attachments are available for blending, food processing, food grinding, etc.
• 3 year warranty.

to see larger versions of these images click here.

Cons:

• The mixer is large for someone who doesn't have a lot of kitchen space.
  
• Probably not good fit for smaller projects, you'd likely need a hand mixer in addition to the Bosch. By a good fit, I don't mean the performance factor, but rather since I don't have my Bosch out on my counter I am unlikely to get it out and dirty if I just need to beat something really quick. There are more and larger pieces to wash than a hand mixer.
  
• The design leaves a bit to be desired for me when compared with my other stand mixer. It's not something I'd really want to leave out on the counter for kitchen decor.
• The price, but that will be the case with many other stand mixers too. Bosch builds their products to last, so see it as an investment piece for your kitchen that will last for many years.
  
• If a recipe required switching from the whisk like beaters to the stirring mechanism, that can be a bit messy to take apart when covered in dough.

The Bottom Line: Overall I LOVED the Bosch Universal Mixer. I'm lucky enough to have space for it and it's definitely something I'll use and need when I take on larger projects. It will be nice to be able to make larger batches of recipes so I can freeze and save some for later, or even have enough for my family plus some to share with others. Given the amount of time I spend in the kitchen for work and leisure, it's an investment I would have been willing to make, though probably not this year since I just bought a camera!

For more details about the Bosch Universal Plus Mixer's features, price, and accessories, visit Pleasant Hill Grain. If you have any questions, don't hesitate to contact them via email or the 1-800 number listed at the bottom of their home page. They are extremely friendly and helpful!

Pleasant Hill Grain was generous enough to provide me with my very own Bosch Universal Mixer to keep, and I thank them for that. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own and I have not been paid to publish positive comments.