I know I've always said I didn't want one,

[hippywife]

I really don't need one and I hate the color but I couldn't pass up this price.

[Dover]

1. Yeah, craigslist, ebay, yard sales, auctions of all kinds, and discount stores...

always seem to have exactly what I don't need at half the price! What a deal!


Well...maybe it will inspire you.

[hippywife]

3. I haven't a lack of inspiration...

just time and money. I still wasn't going to buy but husband said, "Hell, yes...buy it at that price!" He reaps most of the rewards from my baking, anyway. LOL

[Warpy]

2. It's one of those things you didn't know you needed

until you got one.

Then you found out what it could do.

[Stinky The Clown]

4. If you don't care for that blue color ..... trick it out .......

http://flameka.com/default.aspx

[hippywife]

8. LOL.

I think the blue doesn't look so bad now. :rofl:

[Tab]

5. Holy shit

$80?

I think I paid at least $179 for mine, and that was over 10 years ago. My wife wanted it in our divorce, but I got it (heh, heh, hey). She didn't cook anyway ;)

$80 is a frickin' good price if it works. Screw the color. Actually mine's blue too, and I like it.

[hippywife]

10. I have nothing agains the color, per se.

Altho blue is my second least favorite color, right behind orange in first place. But I have a pink and black and gray kitchen. Ah, well. I can keep it in the base cabinet.

[mtnester]

25. Yes, you could use stickers to totally trick it out

or 3d stickers..head for the scrapbook store and redesign the thing!

[sazemisery]

6. Your addiction has begun....

You will know you are hooked when you have more than two attachments for it.


:hide:

[hippywife]

9. Sage advice.

I will try to hold it to a minimum. The only thing I think I would want for it would be the grain mill.

[wildeyed]

16. Get the ice cream maker.

It rocks.

[hippywife]

17. I already have an ice cream maker.

It rocks all by itself. Seriously, I'm kind of looking at the grain mill.

ETA: After reading the Amazon reviews, I think I'll probably not. It's kind of up in the air as to whether it causes a problem with the mixer or not (probably depends on the model) but I can see how it would be taxing on the machine, regardless of which model.

[sazemisery]

19. I have the smallest model of Kitchenaid and I have had no problems

with the grain mill and there is no telling how many pounds of corn, wheat and barley that have gone through the thing. I always do mine in small batches as the instructions warn you not to overheat the motor. I think you can use it with no problems if you do small batches.

I don't think the ice cream attachment is for our model. I think you can only get it for the drop down bowl model.

[hippywife]

20. Mine is a tilt head

4.5 qt. Ultra Power and according to the website it's available. Just about every accessory is available for it from the looks of it.

[housewolf]

7. You're gonna love it...

You're gonna wondet how you ever lived without it and why you ever thought you didn't want one

I promise!

You're gonna love it! When you see how easy it is to whip up cream and egg whites, how easy your cookie dough comes together, the gluten development of your bread doughs, the fluffy mashed potatoes, the smooth cake batters and all the other things it does with such ease and elegance... you're gonna love it...

[hippywife]

11. You're probably right, sweetie.

I'll give it a shot and if I don't care for it, I can always pass it on to my MIL.

[NMDemDist2]

12. i have to ask, what are you using now??

I never dreamed you didn't have a bowl monster on the counter with the treats that come out of your kitchen every week

:pals:

[hippywife]

13. My hands and arms along with

a small hand mixer. That's why I was hesitant on this. It kinda goes against my nature to want to keep things very simple and basic; to weigh want against need, ya know? But I can see a day when I'll be too arthritic to be able to do what I do now.

How is ya, sista? :pals:

[NMDemDist2]

14. surviving and adapting

:rofl:

we're actually getting some decent meals again

how are you? did your garden recover?

:hi:

[hippywife]

15. It recovered somewhat.

I won't have tomatoes until probably late September and maybe no potatoes at all. They never did flower except a very little bit.

And there are new babies in the garden. We got ten and split them with some friends.



Glad you're recovering and eating good again. :hug:

[eleny]

18. I got the grinder and like it

Nice knowing what ground meats we're eating. I'm not sure you two eat lots of meats but the grinder is good for other stuff, too.

Btw, I see that the color doesn't match your kitchen. But let me suggest making a cute cover for it that does match your decor. Otherwise, you might not fancy struggling to lift the monster out of a cupboard. If you have the room for it in a corner it'll only mean uncovering it and you're in business. I don't even make my banana breads without it these days. :D

And I almost forgot - a great big huge congrats on that price! Wowza, girl.

[Tab]

21. That's a good point

I think you can buy little "mixer cozies" in pink or whatever - I know I've seen them.

Eleny's right about keeping it in the cabinet. They are a bitch to lift. Of course, if you've been mixing by hand - which I'm amazed at - it's a noble pursuit, but wow - anyway, if you've been mixing by hand, hefting a KitchenAid mixer should be no problem at all. They are heavy, though. I think mine is in the basement, because this kitchen here sucks for space, so I don't know the specific model (it does tilt, but I think they all do). I don't think they make any cheap quality mixers - they all seem to be pretty heavy duty. For what I paid for mine that long ago I think it would probably be more like $259 now. At $80, if it's really in the condition they said it's in, that's one hell of a steal. With the other attachments you're probably looking at at least $300 off the shelf, if not more.

[Tab]

22. Yeah, search on: kitchenaid mixer cover

there's all sorts of cozys and covers out there.

You'll have flabby arms before you know it. :)

[eleny]

23. Heh...heh!

And sewing one should be a snap for a resourceful woman like our hippywife. Lots of cool retro fabric out there for a pink and gray kitchen. Come to think of it I could dust off the sewing machine and get one done for my KA.

[hippywife]

24. Well, aren't you sweet?

I appreciate the confidence, lady. But I gotta tell you, while I excelled at cooking in home ec class, I sucked really bad when we switched rooms the second quarter for sewing instruction. Never had the affinity for it that I have for cooking.

But, but...I did buy a really nice simple old sewing machine in a cabinet, off craigslist, of course, for only $45 because I do want to re-learn. With everything hopping with the garden and chickens right now, I'm saving that for a winter pursuit. Wish me luck! LOL

That is a really good idea to make a cozy to match my decor, tho. I just might make that my first project. Thanx! :pals:

[eleny]

26. Some free patterns

There's a link to a pattern and instructions here in this forum thread for sewing.
The thread: http://forums.marthapullen.com/read.php?f=17&i=1325&t=1325
The pattern: http://sewing.about.com/library/weekly/n011801b.htm

And someone at that thread gave these easy instructions that I'm going to use to make sure it fits.
"A quick pattern for stand mixer, is to take a rectangle piece of fabric and drape over mixer wrong side up then take another piece of fabric one for each end of mixer and pin to fit . Then take to machine and stitch, finish off bottom with hem."

That simple no-pattern instruction - I can handle!

Good luck!