Today I want to share with you why I switched to a Bosch Mixer (from Kitchenaid) and how I’ve never regretted that decision.
Note: If you’re at all interested in buying a Bosch, be sure to use code ROSEBAKES-BM to save $106 off the Bosch Summer Essentials package – code good through August 31, 2018.
Let me start by saying I’m not a full-on Kitchenaid hater. I have a 15 year old Kitchenaid Mixer that I completely adore. It was as gift from my hubby’s grandfather back in 2003. He said he thought I had potential to have a cake business so he sent it to me out of the blue as a surprise.
I think he was right 🙂
It was my first Kitchenaid and it means the world to me. It has never given me a minute’s trouble and I still use it for certain recipes, including every time I make my royal icing or homemade ice cream.
And honestly, the current Kitchenaid mixers are probably fine for the typical home baker who will use it occassionally. They’re certainly pretty and versatile and come with a lot of different options.
More than anything – they’re so pretty. But in my experience, they are not built for daily, repeated use and “pretty” won’t fix that. Or at least they weren’t in 2014 when I owned my last new one.
One other note – my counters and cabinets in this new house are hideous. I know this. But since I like to be real with ya’ll, I’m sharing.
I took these mixer pics in my current ugly Kitchen so you’d have an idea of how it fits on my counter. Also, the bowl is full of buttercream from the video below, so it’s not as clean and shiny as it could be 🙂
Why I switched to a Bosch…
So here’s my story. Back when my cake business was growing back in 2012, I was baking all the time and I was using my mixer several times a week. That’s when I decided I needed a newer/bigger mixer.
After looking at all the models available at the time, I upgraded and got at Kitchenaid Professional 600 in March 2012. The bowl was significantly bigger than my small 4.5 quart bowl and it was a beautiful mixer. I can’t remember the exact time-frame, but sadly, within months, the gears were stripped and it had quit working. I had to file a warranty claim (it was under a year old).
Kitchenaid sent me a new one without question. But shortly after that (maybe another few months), the same thing happened again. Let me say here – I was only making buttercream and cake batter in it. I wasn’t doing anything “hard” on the gears – like cookie dough or fondant making.
The plastic gears on the inside were just not holding up. I filed a second claim but I guess at some point in the conversation, I mentioned my cakes and a note was made in my file. So, when the gears stripped out the third time within 2 years, Kitchenaid refused to replace it again.
Apparently the “Professional” model is not actually meant to be used by a professional and my use of it in a “business environment” voided the warranty. I was mad to say the least.
And disappointed. My old Kitchenaid (the one I still have from Grandpapa) continued to work beautifully making batter and buttercream all the time. It wasn’t big enough for my doubled batches, but it was certainly better built.
That is when I went searching for an alternative to a Kitchenaid that had a bigger capacity. I didn’t have the space or need for anything as big as a commercial mixer, but I wanted something more reliable.
Why the Bosch Mixer won!
That’s when I stumbled onto Bosch mixers. I researched and studied and finally bit the bullet and decided to give up on my beloved Kitchenaid and try a Bosch.
Bosch was not a brand I’d ever heard of before I started looking, but the information I found about Bosch mixers convinced me.
I was nervous about the change, but in August 2014, I bought a Bosch Universal Mixer with a 6.5 quart bowl. That was 2 years and 4 months after my first newer/bigger Kitchenaid and 3 of them had broken in that time.
Ya’ll. I have never made a better decision. It took some getting used to initially after using a Kitchenaid for so long, but now I wouldn’t trade my Bosch for all the Kitchenaid’s in the world (except for maybe my old one… still love that mixer!).
It’s short enough to slide under my top cabinets (my Kitchenaid is NOT) and the footprint is not all that big. In the pic above, it’s sitting on my 11×14 marble slab from Williams Sonoma … you can see how much smaller it is than that.
My most favorite, favorite thing of all is being able to close the bowl and seal it completely while mixing. No more powdered sugar clouds in my kitchen when I’m making buttercream.
No more splattering or spilling. I put all the ingredients in – close the lid – and mix away! It’s a beautiful thing. Also, a lot of people seem to think it’s so much bigger than a Kitchenaid – but it’s really not!
I recently did a batch of buttercream in mine on video so you could see what I mean :
Having had my Bosch since 2014, I’ve used it thousands of times and I thought I’d give you a list of my favorite (and least favorite) features of this mixer.
Bosch vs. Kitchenaid
Pros:
- As already mentioned, I love the fact that I can completely seal the bowl closed while mixing. I remember I used to drape a damp towel over and around my Kitchenaid every time I made frosting to try and prevent the huge powdered sugar cloud. I haven’t had to do that in 4 years… YAY!!
- It’s a 6.5 quart bowl so I can make a triple batch of this vanilla cake (or chocolate cake) at once or this huge batch of buttercream. It’ll also hold a double-batch of this white almond sour cream cake batter or my from-scratch cake for petit fours. This mixer boasts being able to hold 20 cups of flour or 14 pounds of bread dough!
- It’s powerful. Like seriously powerful. The Bosch is 800 watts and I think the most powerful Kitchenaid I could find on Amazon is only 575 watts. That means it doesn’t get bogged down on big jobs!
- It’s light and easy to move on and off of my counter when I need to. I honestly leave it on my counter most of the time, but if I have to move it, it’s super easy.
- I love that it will fit under the cabinets on the counter. The Bosch might have a slightly bigger footprint than a Kitchenaid, but it’s shorter and doesn’t bump into my cabinets. Also, it fits inside my bottom cabinets on a shelf – I could never do that with a Kitchenaid.
- When it’s on my counter, it also has suction cups on the bottom to keep it in place. So as I’m adding ingredients and moving things around, it’s not easy to move it.
- There are lots of great accessories/attachments for the Bosch… whisks, dough hooks, batter whisks, cookie paddles, cake paddles, whire whips, bowl scrapers and more! You can also get a food processor attachment, meat grinders, blender attachment and more (although I don’t have any of those)! See them all here.
- The bowl, attachments, and everything that comes “loose” from the base is dishwasher safe. That feature alone is priceless… you never have to hand-wash anything unless you want to. (and who wants to??)
- You can store the attachments IN the bowl when you’re not using it. Another big bonus… not having pieces of it everywhere!
- Lastly – I’ve had it for 4 years and it’s never missed a beat. That’s the very best thing! After going through 3 Kitchenaids in 2 years, I am thrilled with this!
Cons:
- It’s plain looking. Of course this has nothing to do with it’s functionality, but the Bosch only comes in white. No pretty, shiny colors like the rainbow of colors you’ll find with a Kitchenaid.
- A few times in the last four years I’ve had to replace my cookie paddles and whisks because the gears (cogs?) on them were worn down. It costs around $20 for a new set when this happens. I have no idea if this is because I use it so much and they just wear out or if I’m using the wrong attachments for what I’m doing. It’s not fun having to replace those but I’d much rather spend $20 every now and then for new paddles vs the a whole new mixer. I really should ask Bosch about this.
- I’ve noticed that when I’m making smaller batches (of anything), the Bosch doesn’t work as well for getting things mixed up and I have to scrape it down more often. This is not usually a problem for me because we’re a family of 8. And I do cakes for a business so most everything I do is BIG. But if you’re generally doing smaller batches, this is something to think on. Or maybe even consider the Bosch Compact Mixer.
- Scraping batter or dough out of the Bosch bowl is a little more difficult than a Kitchenaid bowl. I remember it took me awhile to get used to that center post. But I figured it out pretty quickly and it’s not a big deal to me anymore.
To wrap things up – Bosch Mixers are awesome!! That’s really all I’m trying to say here. If you need a new mixer, think outside the Kitchenaid box and give Bosch a shot!
**If you’re looking to buy one – use coupon code ROSEBAKES-BM to get this amazing set for only $404! All the details about the bundle are here.
I’d love to hear from you! What do you love/hate about YOUR mixer? Any Bosch users out there?
UPDATED: A reader asked on Facebook so I’m adding a short video showing how the attachments come apart from the bowl. You can also remove the center post from the bottom of the bowl to clean all the parts really well and they ALL go in the dishwasher!
I’ve been considering purchasing a BOSCH mixer so it was nice to read your pros and cons. All my appliances are BOSCH. I’ve had my kitchen aide for several years and it’s worked great. What I don’t like about it is the way the bowl shaped. Being so narrow at the bottom the ingredients don’t get mixed well. Also as I get older it gets heavier so now I have to leave it on the countertop. I did buy the Kithenaide pro 600 and i had to have help to attach the bowl so it was returned. Now I’m looking for best price on the BOSCH
Cathy – I’m going to be sharing an AMAZING sale price / coupon on the Bosch for next week (July 17-22)! Be sure to keep a watch on your email!
great can’t wait, I have had several K.A. like you, mine 6 qt prof. kept breaking, Would love to try the Bosch
Yay! I’ll have the post up Monday and send out an email 🙂
I would like to order one too
Awesome!
Thank you Rose, I have two kitchen aide mixers. I have a problem as well with ingredients not being mixed at the bottom of the bowl. I am looking forward to the Bosch mixer.
Have you looked into adjusting the mixer? There is an adjustment on the KA that helps ensure the beater is nested in the bottom of the bowl. I don’t bake professionally, and never make more than a double batch. Based on your info, my Artisan is a better deal for me.
Ho much do the mixers weigh
My Bosch weighs around 18 pounds. My Kitchenaid is almost 30 pounds.
I have been using Bosch for 30+ years and wouldn’t use any
other mixer!!! Incredible machine for my retail wedding cake business.
I have the standard Kitchenaid, not the pro. Love the color. Hate that it often leaves unmixed flour in the bottom of the bowl. Have to move it forward on the counter to clear the overhead cabinets and it weighs a ton! Too heavy to put away after use. Thanks for the info on Bosch!
You’re welcome Barbara!
One other thing Barbara – have you tried the side-swipe blades for your Kitchenaid? I talk about it in this post from several years ago – it helped with the problem of things not being mixed up. You can search on Amazon if this is not the right size for your Kitchenaid.
I have an Oster mixer that my boyfriend bought me in 2013. Pretty sure is 4 qt but not 100% sure. I’m not doing as big of batches as often as you, Rose, but it has held up well! It will even mix my fondant recipe with little trouble! The only thing that’s gone wrong is the button to unlock the tilt gets stuck and you have to press it a bunch of times (not a consistent number of presses of course #eyeroll it varies day to day).
While I’m not in the market for a new one until this one dies, this was very useful info to have! Thank you!
Don’t you just hate it when one knob/button quits on you? That’s SO frustrating!
Rose, Everything you said is sooooo true. I switched to a Bosch about two years ago when my 4.5qt Kitchenaid could not keep up when I started making all our bread from scratch.
I did replace the first Kitchenaid with a 6qt version but soon realized that the larger motor still wasn’t powerful enough to get the job done.
After some research I realized that the Bosch was the way to go.
I’m so glad I did and to date have not had a single issue with the Bosch mixer.
That’s awesome Terri – I’m so glad I’m not alone in my comparison!
Thanks so much for sharing. I have been looking for a larger mixer and I am always trying to find good reviews. This has been so helpful. Can I ask, what is the attachment that you are using in the video? I didn’t see it when I looked up the mixer.
I use the cookie paddles for most everything and that’s what I’m using in this post.
Have you made bread dough? I was wondering how it handles the kneading process.
It’s AMAZING!! From what I read, Bosch mixers are actually better known for their bread abilities than they are other things!
It handles it perfectly !!!!!! I no longer have to knead my bread dough, my Bosch does it for me.
Fantastic to hear Terri!
I just came across this post after spending the last few hours going over the pros and cons of a 6qt vs. 7qt KA. My 11 year old 5qt KA was making a grinding sound and then started leaking oil. I would consider a Bosch but I have so many KA attachments that I still want to use. Especially the pasta roller for fondant and spiralizer for zoodles. Feeling overwhelmed and unsure after reading so many reviews! Any advice?
Hey Erin – I still have my old Kitchenaid and I do use the ice cream maker, the pasta maker and the meat grinder attachment on it. I still use the mixer sometimes, but in the end, I was going to have to buy a new mixer anyway and I couldn’t justify another Kitchenaid knowing it wouldn’t last.
I went ahead and bought the Bosch and a new KA today (the KA was a Black Friday in July sale.)Bummed that I didn’t know about your coupon tomorrow. Oh well at least I’m getting a little back through Ebates! Thanks so much for your advice!
You’re very welcome 🙂
The same thing happened to me with the 6 quart kitchen aid.
I’m sorry to hear this Debbie – so disappointing.
I’m so glad to read this. I’m a hobby baker but my mixers get a lots of use. Since 1992 when I started, I’ve had three Kitchenaids. The first white one was a warhorse! In the end, it sounded like a motorcycle when I turned it on. I then got a black one. Another warhorse but it lasted fewer years than the white. Then I decided to treat myself to the pretty pink one. OMG what a piece of crap. It can’t handle anything without struggling. I also recently bought a new hand mixer. It’s also a Kitchenaid and it also sucks. I’m so disappointed. The Kitchenaid products of today are poorly made and a complete waste of money. I will be looking for your post on Monday about the Bosch!
I agree – the modern Kitchenaids are just not what they’re hyped up to be.
Rose, After over 32 yrs in the business, I am now tempted to buy a Bose. I too have gone through several kitchenaide mixers. Thank you for this information! Nancy
OOoh, if you decide to get one, I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!
I think I will, I will wait see the special you are going to post. I bought a cake stand that you had in a blog on Zulily, now I am hooked on that site too!
LOL… Zulily IS addictive! And if you decide on a Bosch, I hope you’ll love it as much as I do!
I’m so glad I read this! I’ve been looking into buying a larger kitchen aid mixer. My mom has had hers for years and never had a problem but it sounds like the quality isn’t as great with the newer ones. My mom bakes all the time and I love to as well. I will definitely be looking into a Bosch. Thank you!
Thanks so much for the info. Ihave akitchen aid( probably 15 years and still ticking along) and have wanted to up grade to a larger size but everything i read indicates problems. I didn’t realize there was an alternative. I am excited.
Good morning Rose!
☕ I’m more than for sure that we all have our fair shares of stories. I had received an Oster mixer and several years ago I was making whipped cream for my Thanksgiving pies. As the cream was starting to form, all of the sudden I saw this black oil starting to heavily “pepper” the cream. I stopped the mixer and noticed that it was coming out of the housing where the beaters go into place. I immediately when straight to their website and explained what had just happened. I understand that things go wrong, and I just wanted to let them know that maybe there was a flaw in that mixer’s production. I was totally shocked to have gotten a new Oster mixer in the mail. So I’m so glad that you found a wonderful mixer. One day maybe I’ll get a Bosch. Have a great rest of your weekend and an awesome week!
Lol, I went to their website. I don’t know where the “”whent” came from.
Okay my phone is totally messing up words. Maybe I should get a new one.
Thanks Denise! That’s a great customer service experience!
I do nothing but scream at my ineffective KA – they used to be made so much better. Like you, I use the small one for small jobs, but even as a hobbiest, I so rarely have small jobs worth getting out such such a heavy mixer. But something you said really caught my attention. The food processor attachment. I dislike my 16C Cuisinart and constantly replace the bowl. I make multiple batches of pie dough, for example. It says it can handle it, but two is pushing it. So frustrating. Any thoughts on the Bosch? I’d love to replace 2 for 1!
Hey Joanna – I don’t have the food processor attachment, but I read a lot of reviews and I only read good things about all of the attachments. If I were a betting person, I’d bet that it will also be a great addition to the mixer base. With the 800 watts of power, it’s a really tough piece of equipment.
Thanks! I’m going to take the gamble when your coupon comes out.
So happy to hear it! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Thank you Rose for comparing the Bosch and Kitchen Aid. I have a Kenwood Chef at the moment and for more than 20 years, this has been an absolute Godsend, however, just like your grandpapa’s Kitchen Aid present to you, I would not and could not part with my trusted Kenwood, but all good things comes to an end and your comparisons are so valuable, so Bosch, here I come for you. Gisele
Yay! I’ll post the coupon code tomorrow!
Hi Rose
When and where can i find the link to buy one? and what attachments would you recommend? We live in Trinidad & My daughter is the baker in our household. She runs a small home bakery (bluebowbakey) out of our kitchen and she has not one but 3 kitchen aid mixers. 2 small and 1 professional one which i must say was a huge disappointment. She make a lot of iced cookies and icing sugar is always everywhere, wet towel method is not so effective.
Going to buy one of these for her as soon as i see the link.
Hey Jan-Marie… I have all of the sale and coupon details here: https://rosebakes.com/save-136-bosch-mixer-package-free-shipping/.
Is the bowl on the Bosch detachable?
Yes! If you watch the last few seconds of the video, I take it off and show it separate.
I’m also adding a short video at the end of the post showing how I take the cookie paddles apart from the bowl. 🙂
Ha! I just KNEW i was missing that part somewhere. Thanks!
Sure 🙂
Well the Bosch company is suppose to be outstanding in all their products, especially dishwashers. It’s the brand I want when replacing this appliance. I know especially bloggers in various European countries use stand mixers other than KitchenAid and I wouldn’t be surprised if Bosch isn’t among them. I added a mixer to my lot versus replacing a 5 quart KitchenAid. I now have not one, not two, but THREE KitchenAids on my tiny counterspace in the kitchen. (this is what happens with a 200+ year old house and allowing your father to design the kitchen)(one day, when he won’t know, I’ll redo the room, but now he would be hurt, I’d rather be inconvenienced than hurt my dad’s feelings). I will admit, I do NOT care for the lift-up mechanism of the larger commercial mixer nearly as much as I do the tilt head but I’m not ready to give up on KitchenAid yet. The large one is my mom’s which my dad bought for her. He thought he was doing a good thing by choosing the largest one they had, getting her the biggest available (too bad it wasn’t a diamond or emerald (her birthstone) instead) but it’s too large for her for the baking she does. Therefore when she heard I was getting the large one she said here, take mine. (PLEASE) and she picked up one at an auction, like new, for $40. I use it when doing my cheesecake I’m rather known for which is a Martha Stewart recipe using SEVEN packages cream cheese. It pushes the 5-quart in a regular metal bowl to the limit. Also, if doing tiered wedding cakes needing to double or triple recipes I need the large mixer. Other times I prefer the 5-quart. And yes folks, there have been times I have ALL THREE going at once. Even I admit it gets a bit crazy even for me. I can ONLY accomplish this by using Mise En Place technique for mixing. (think TV chefs) This has become indispensable for me. I have fibromyalgia. They don’t mention on television pushing the drugs the side effect they’ve labeled “brain fog”. It’s a cute term essentially for forgetfulness and switching or altering words both written and verbally. In writing I TRY to catch mistakes and proofreading. It’s harder when baking or cooking. Mise en place technique is an answer to the prayer. Yes, it creates lots of dirty dishes (hence, the good quality dishwasher). This technique catches problems BEFORE mixing begins. Place all ingredients in a row before adding to mixer. When mixing begins it goes VERY quickly. After ingredients are measured, chopped or prepared actual baking is a snap. The same for preparing pans. ALWAYS do this first thing. Sometimes a quick respray is needed, but no big deal. I’ve also learned, the hard way, to ALWAYS use parchment in ALL pans except decorated Bundt or NordicWare decorated loaf pans. With designs its just not possible. However that doesn’t stop me from using them. They make the most BEAUTIFUL cakes. Basically both are excellent. I won’t put down Bosch because I’ve never heard a bad word about their products. However each individual is different and different products suit different folk. It’s why we have Chevrolet, Ford, Nissan and all the rest and aren’t all still driving only Henry Ford’s black Model T Fords. It’s funny when thinking about it. Just picture every single car on roads being black and identical. Wouldn’t that be a hoot! It’s hard to imagine the early days of automobiles this is how it was. It’s not surprising it didn’t last long with Americans. Just look at all the different stand mixer colors. We couldn’t be happy with all of them being a simple white. It just had to be preordained all the colors HAD to be eventually introduced. What I want more than ANYTHING is a copper one. I nearly fainted when I first saw it two years ago the day my Sur La Table or Williams-Sonoma catalog appeared. Unfortunately though, due to other financial obligations and already owing THREE, I don’t have a good reason right now to buy ANOTHER one. Give me time though, I’ll get it one day.
Love the information! I have a candy business, and use my mixer constantly. I started with a regular kitchen aid, then went to the professional one, hated it and it didn’t last. I actually ended up buying a Hamilton Beach Ecletrics mixer a few years ago. It’s more powerful than kitchen aid and much quieter. Only thing I don’t like about it is you can’t find extra bowls for it whereas kitchen aid you can easily find stuff for. But honestly I will never go back to kitchen aid. If mine starts giving me trouble I may have to look into a Bosch as I’ve never heard of them until now. I paid a little over $200 for the Hamilton Beach I have now, but I’ve been extremely happy with it for what I use it for, and I use it a lot.
Hi Rose!
Thank you so much for posting this information! It’s so nice to know I’m not the only one who has struggled with KA mixers in the past. I have been in the cake business for just over 30 years. I always kept extra money set aside so that, about once a year, I could replace my 6qt. mixer when the gears would inevitably strip. I, like you, only used my mixer for cake batter and buttercream. I began to wonder if my buttercream was substantially heartier than most. I questioned if I was even making it right! I mean.. That’s what a mixer is made for, isnt it?!? Why wouldn’t a big, sturdy mixer be able to handle a bit of butter and sugar??
Well, after my fourth replacement in three years, and calling KA customer service yet again, I ended up being a KA product tester. For the next year I put a 6qt mixer, with an experimental gear box, through its paces. At the end of the year, I got to keep the, seemingly improved, mixer I had been testing. It lasted about 6 more months… Sigh… I was so over Kitchen Aid mixers!
After that, my husband (being tired of hearing me complain about my mixers, no doubt) took matters into his own hands and looked at every HGTV cooking show he could find to see what brand of mixer the pros used. Then he went out and bought me the best gift ever! For the last 5 years, I have had a (yes, “a”, one, .. Still have the same one!) 7 qt. Cuisinart and life as I now know it is a splendid thing! It shows no signs of slowing down at all. Now, as happy as I am with my Cuisinart, there are still things about the Bosch that I feel may be an improvement. Mainly, the shorter size! That’s awesome! Much easier to store. Secondly, while the Cuisinart has a guard over the bowl to keep the sugar from flying around, it doesn’t seal completely. The fact that the Bosch does.. Another check in the plus column! I will definitely be looking into the Bosch as a possible second, backup mixer.
Again, I thank you for sharing this, and all your posts, we are all that much better for it! I look forward to seeing more in the future! Happy baking! After all…. “A party without cake is just a meeting.” – Julia Child
I AM SOOOOO EXCITED!! My hubby ordered me this yesterday with your coupon code. I too am a die hard kitchen aid mixer fan and have had mine forever. The first thing that sold me on this was the fact that it had the lid, looking forward to no more powdered sugar everywhere!! Thank you so much for sharing your experience with this mixer!!
That’s AWESOME!! I’m excited for you!!