Product Review for the Bosch Universal Mixer

In America, the most well-known higher-end kitchen appliance is a Kitchen Aid Mixer. In Europe, it's the Bosch Universal Mixer. After having tried both, I'm here to tell you that Europe wins. The Bosch Universal Mixer is the safest, most user-friendly, most powerful kitchen machine that you can buy. It will out-mix and outlast the Kitchen Aid every time. Unfortunately, most Americans have never heard of it, so here's an introduction.
The Bosch Universal Mixer is made in Germany and is powered by a 700 watt motor. This motor gives it enough power to mix up to 12 lbs of bread dough and blend up to 6 cups of ice without a strain. Along with that power comes capacity. The mixing bowl that comes with the Bosch can hold 20 cups of dry ingredients, plus an additional 8 cups of liquid ingredients. The mixer is unique, in that it is powered from the bottom instead of from the top, like most mixers. This gives complete access to the bowl while it is mixing, making it easy to add ingredients without spilling. The mixing bowl even features a shield that goes over the top of the bowl, so that when you turn on the mixer you don't get sprayed with flour. In elite kitchen circles the Bosch Universal Mixer is known as a workhorse. It is loved by those who bake bread because its dough hooks actually knead bread dough instead of just mixing it. This helps the gluten to develop, and makes for lighter, fluffier bread. Even if you don't bake bread, the Universal Mixer features cookie paddles strong enough to mix up a triple batch of oatmeal cookies without breaking a sweat.
When you buy a Bosch Universal Mixer, you typically get the universal mixing stand, the 5 quart mixing bowl, the dough hook, the French whips (for whipping eggs or cream), and the 6 cup blender. You also gain access to an entire line of accessories that are every bit as efficient and well-constructed as the Universal Mixer itself. Do you enjoy the task of chopping vegetables? The Bosch food processor will do it for you! Would you like to drink fresh-squeezed orange juice every morning? The Bosch citrus juicer makes it easy! Do you need an even bigger mixing bowl? The Bosch stainless steel bowl has a 14lb dough capacity, allowing it to efficiently mix even more bread. In addition to these common attachments, there are also some more specialized accessories, chiefly a meat grinder that can be converted into a berry press, a sausage stuffer, or a pasta maker.
Knowing all of this, what would stop someone from investing in a Bosch Universal Mixer? The only possible setback that I can see is price. Quality and durability don't come cheap. A Bosch Universal Mixer with the blender attachment will set you back about $350. Attachments like the food processor and shredder are in the $90-$120 range. But think about it this way- the Bosch Universal Mixer comes with a 3 year warranty on the motor and a 1 year warranty on parts. However, chances are you won't need the warranty. According to several websites, the transmission on the Bosch Universal Mixer is built so well that fewer than 1% have failed in 20 years. If you think of all of the inexpensive mixers and food processors that you've gone through in 20 years, the combined cost is probably much more than $350. Although I'm not sure why, these mixers aren't sold in most stores. Your best bet for finding one is either a high-end cooking store, or the internet. Bosch Universal Mixers rarely come up on the resale market simply because people don't break them or get rid of them. My aunt gave me her 20 year old Bosch mixer as a gift and bought herself a new one. Our 20 year old model runs just as well as the one that's only a year old, and I can tell you we don't plan on replacing ours any time soon.