Heavy-Duty Stand Mixers

If there were one symbol that defined baking, it would be the KitchenAid stand mixer (see Equipment Sources). It is the mini version of the Hobart, a brand found in commercial kitchens all over the world. The 5-quart Artisan is KitchenAid’s most popular model, so I tested all the recipes in this book using it. The head tilts back to make scraping the bowl easy, and its adjustable beaters make it possible for them to reach as close to the bottom of the bowl as possible for thorough and even mixing. If you plan to make wedding cakes and bread, however, you will be better served by the larger and more powerful 6-quart model. It will enable you to do fewer batches, but, of course, you will need to have oven space to accommodate two 12-inch cake pans with air space all around them for even baking. An added feature is a water jacket attachment to heat or chill the bowl while beating.