Well… are you ready for my 2 cents?

The KA doesn’t have a food processor attachment, I’m pretty sure. But you can add slicers and shredders to it, just no bowl. The Bosch does have a fp attachment, but I’ve heard that it either goes fast, faster or super fast (meaning, it is hard to control). That doesn’t mean it is awful, just that most people recommend a Cuisinart fp over the Bosch attachment.

As far as mixing, if you’re not going to do whole grain bread doughs, I think you’d be fine with a KA. If you want to do large batches of bread dough, or whole grain bread, you definitely want the Bosch. I know this from the experience of a KA (the biggest one) mixer breaking over time because it couldn’t handle whole wheat bread dough (and even normal size batches).

The downside to the Bosch is that its really good at doing normal to large batches of everything (cookies, muffins, brownies, bread) but it doesn’t do small batches very well. I think probably the big KA has the same issue.

Have fun with the choosing! Love,Wardeh

P.S. I noticed my link over there in your sidebar is to my old blog. I’m now at http://suchtreasures.com/.

Of course, being that even “I” don’t even have a stand mixer…I was gonna suggest a Kitchen Aid! Those things look like they’d do so much.
I can’t wait to hear about what you decide on!

Thanks Wardeh! So I guess I need a Bosch AND a small KA, PLUS a food processor! LOL I do plan to make my own whole wheat bread and want to do that batches of 5 loaves (which I know the Bosch can do); but of course, also make cookies and such in smaller batches. I’ve wanted a Bosch for several years; but had a hard time justifying the cost. But with the bread I buy being nearly $2 per loaf; well…. I’m thinkin’ the Bosch is the way to go.

Linda: they have some very nice Kitchen Aid’s at Walmart, and I may go that route just for small batches of stuff like cookies, cakes, etc…

Thanks for your input ladies. Anyone else care to share their recommendations?

I highly recommend a KA.

It doesn’t have a food processor attachment, but it has just about every other attachment.

Bosch’s are great too.

Thanks Tanya. So could a KA make/knead several loaves of bread at once like a Bosch can? It would be awesome if I can find one thing to make both large and small batches of things; just change the size of the bowl or something. I’m fine with having a separate food processor, and in thinking about it, I can see times when I would need both a mixer AND a food processor going at once, and if they were all in the same appliance, that would be a problem. LOL

Hi Traci,

I love my Bosch. I have the food processor attachment and also the meat grinder. I still use a hand blender for things like cakes, though, because of the clean up. That is my one complaint about the Bosch - the clean up isn’t easy. After mixing/kneading bread, I have to take the whole thing apart to get it clean. They have a little circle of plastic that is supposed to help keep bread out of the rod channel, but it didn’t work for me. I don’t think I would even consider another mixer, though. The Bosch works excellently.

I’ve spent some time today pricing KA; and they aren’t cheap either, especially to get some attachments. I need to do some price shopping on Bosch mixers and see what all comes with those and/or is available.

I’ve been leaning towards a Bosch as years ago, when we attended the home church (just before Y2K) several in that group were buying and storing up grain, they all made their own bread, etc…. I’ve attempted to make my own bread before, sans any mixer, and I did not grind my own wheat. So one of the ladies let me come to her house for the day and watch her make bread in her Bosch from start to finish, including grinding the wheat berries. Honestly, it really isn’t that complicated a process, but more so than going and buying a loaf of bread! LOL

So for me, just like the farming and getting chickens and goats: buying a Bosch mixer and making my own bread, and other goodies, is, in part, an independence and freedom from buying everything we need in order to survive. The more I can do myself, the less I need to be concerned with how high milk, bread and eggs become at the store. Can I do it now, without any fancy gadgets: sure? But since I do not really “enjoy” cooking, I would rather have the kitchen helpers, if I can get them. I think being able to make 5 loaves of bread at one time is a much wiser use of my time, then me making one loaf at a time and spending as much (or more) time doing it.

Traci, from what you’re describing you have in mind, I think the Bosch is your only true option. The KA cannot do 5 to 6 loaves of bread at a time. It isn’t a matter of space, either. It would strip the gears if it would. In fact, the manual stresses that you can’t knead more than 5 minutes or you risk stripping the gears. Well, ww bread needs 8-10 minutes of machine kneading. It will be a better use of your time.

And regarding the Bosch-small batch issue, I think it comes up in reviews when people are wanting to whip a couple eggs whites or something that is a little, uncommon job. For the most part, with a family, everything you’re going to do is in normal to large size batches.

Love, Wardeh

Well who would whip out the Bosch to whip a couple eggs anyway?! That’s just nuts - use a whisk or a fork. LOL I don’t make small batches of anything - unless mixing a cake or cookies is a small batch. If the Bosch is too much for that, I can use my hand mixer.

Exactly! A cake or cookies is not a small batch. That’s a normal batch, in my experience.

Love, Wardeh