To Mix, or Not to Mix
That is the question.Cookie Season is fast approaching and I find myself in a bit of a pickle. Every year the list of cookie recipients grows and every year I have to start earlier to get all of my cookies delivered by Pearl Harbor Day. I have the essential tools: air bake cookie sheets, premium spices, Mexican vanilla, and a Kitchenaid mixer.
The mixer was a gift from my father several years ago. And, it has worked very well over the years. I remember when my father ordered it for me, he urged me to get the biggest one they had. Unfortunately, I didn't heed his advice.
Instead, I opted for the standard-size model and figured it would be more than I'd ever need.
I couldn't have been more wrong. Last year I baked somewhere in the neighborhood of 30 batches of cookies and expect to increase that again this year. That old mixer isn't going to get it done, I'm afraid.
I need more power. I need more capacity. I need a bigger mixer!
Fortunately, my father wants to buy me a bigger one. Hurray for me!
The problem is, now I'm concerned that I won't choose a big enough model to give me room to grow.
As it is, I'm already going to have issues with a new mixer. For one thing, it isn't going to fit under my cabinets, dropped as they were to accomodate my lack of height. I'm going to have to adapt, as well, to the bowl-lift feature instead of the tilt-head that I'm used to. But those are minor issues.
I'm more concerned with whether I should go for the 12-cup flour power rated Professional 5 Plus Series or the 14-cup flour power rated Professional 600 series. There is a one-quart difference in bowl size, but a seemingly big difference in power. The 5 Plus series runs on a 450-watt motor while the 600 Series runs a 575-watt motor.
What do you think?
