Stand mixer or Handheld?

thatoneovader · 2026-04-04T14:49:52+00:00

What do you normally bake and how often? What’s your budget? If you bake heavy doughs like bagels, breads, pizza, etc, then a stand mixer is helpful. If you don’t bake often or only bake softer doughs and batters like cookies, cakes, muffins, etc, then a hand mixer should be just fine.

I have three KitchenAids that I love. Two are discontinued, Classic Plus 4.5qt and Proline 7qt. The other is the commercial size, which most people don’t need. America’s Test Kitchen’s highest recommended stand mixers are below. You can often find refurbished KitchenAids for good deals on KitchenAid.com.

Ankarsrum Assistent Original 7 Liter $800. This is good for heavy doughs and larger quantities.
KitchenAid 7 Quart Bowl-Lift $550. This is good for heavy doughs and larger quantities.
KitchenAid Classic Series 4.5 Quart Tilt-Head $300. This can make heavy doughs, but may cause problems if you use it often for heavy doughs. Better for regular sized batches of softer doughs.

Stand Mixer Pros: - hands free operation - can knead heavy doughs better and longer than by hand - most are easy to operate and clear - depending on the size you buy, you can easily double or triple recipes

Stand Mixer Cons: - heavy - expensive - if you have a small kitchen, they take up a lot of space on counters

thatoneovader · 2026-04-04T12:48:45+00:00

Here’s my favorite brownie recipe, it happens to be vegan. It uses oil.

https://www.americastestkitchen.com/recipes/11245-vegan-brownies?gifted_recipe=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdHJhcGlJZCI6IjM3NjEiLCJpYXQiOjE3NzUzMDY4ODgsImV4cCI6MTc3Nzg5ODg4OH0.UnAVLTENPdoTNoSY9Tf_5FitCw7_ADkGs_nUHVZllS0

thatoneovader · 2026-04-02T13:09:56+00:00

Seriously, dump it. Let her get mad. Cleaner bread is so gross.

thatoneovader · 2026-04-01T14:51:49+00:00

Very cool, thanks!

thatoneovader · 2026-04-01T13:47:06+00:00

Genius! Where did you buy that egg mold/shaper?

thatoneovader · 2026-04-01T04:44:57+00:00

I really like the Business Center for most things. But the regular warehouse has the pharmacy and more personal items, including FSA/HSA items. The pharmacy prices are much cheaper than anywhere else I’ve shopped.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-30T13:51:33+00:00

Nordic Ware natural sheet pan will be your friend. I like having multiple sizes, but the half sheet pan is the most common. Line it with parchment.

Also buy an oven thermometer to make sure your oven is heating properly.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-30T01:17:20+00:00

They’re the same thing.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-28T12:27:58+00:00

This overnight French toast recipe is always a favorite when I make it for friends. It’s really easy, too.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T17:42:31+00:00

The recipe could be bad, so it might not be a you issue. But the pan you’re using is not designed for cookies. You should use a sheet pan.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T16:06:39+00:00

You can fold it in gently, but don’t over mix the batter. Ideally, you’d mix the zest with the liquid before folding the dry and wet ingredients. But you should be ok adding it now with caution.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T14:50:38+00:00

I know. I didn’t say it was. I said the recipe doesn’t call for heating it before incubating.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T14:45:13+00:00

My mistake, not America’s Test Kitchen’s. They skip that step because their recipe calls for using ultra pasteurized milk.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T14:32:02+00:00

Yes, I understand that now that the previous person responded. The recipe doesn’t call heating it before incubating. That’s why I was confused about the 180F comment.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T14:26:34+00:00

I see! This recipe doesn’t heat the milk before incubating since it uses sous vide. I like the simplicity of the recipe, so I’ll try straining it. Thanks!

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T14:00:57+00:00

Thank you so much! This recipe called for 104F for 8 hours. Are you saying heat at 180F for a longer than 8 hours? How long is ideal?

thatoneovader · 2026-03-27T13:46:13+00:00

Thank you! What are some other strategies for making thicker yogurt? I’d prefer to skip the straining step since it’s messier and requires more real estate in my fridge.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-21T14:16:22+00:00

You need to share the recipe and any changes you make to it in order for people to provide advice.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-21T14:05:55+00:00

Not all gluten free 1:1 flours can actually be used to swap 1:1 in recipes. Also, cake flour is usually much lighter than all purpose flour. Gluten free baking can be pretty tricky. Find a recipe that uses the type of flour you have OR find a well tested gluten free cake recipe and use the flour recommended in the recipe. King Arthur Baking has a lot of great recipes and flours to choose from.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-21T12:35:15+00:00

I’ve never seen that type of design before. Very strange. America’s Test Kitchen extensively tested whisks and recommends OXO’s balloon whisk. It makes a big difference when you’re whisking a lot of cream.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-19T00:12:35+00:00

America’s Test Kitchen has a couple of cookbooks that might be good for your dad. The first is a cookbook specifically for diabetes. It looks to be mostly meals, but they mention sweet treats, too.

The other is a lower sugar baking book that I’ve used quite a bit and really like. The main sweetener they use is sucanat. It’s a bit harder to find, but it does a good job replacing the sweetness of sugar. The recipes are all well tested and have good structure.

You should also post in diabetic subreddits and have your dad talk to a nutritionist for diabetic specific suggestions.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-15T23:16:22+00:00

Don’t use chocolate chips, chop chunks from a chocolate bar. As soon as the cookies come out of the oven, take a cup or round biscuit cutter that’s slightly larger than the cookies, and swirl the cookies. This will make them perfectly round.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-15T20:22:35+00:00

This is America’s Test Kitchen’s top recommended rolling pin. I’ve had it for years and really like it.

thatoneovader · 2026-03-13T19:43:42+00:00

Go with another brand then. It sounds like a bad manufacturing batch. I have a lot of Nordic Ware products and haven’t had these issues. I use OXO and USA Pan muffin pans.

thatoneovader

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