Today I want to share with you why I switched to a Bosch Mixer (from Kitchenaid) and how I've never regretted that decision. So here we go... Bosch Mixer vs Kitchenaid.
Originally published July 2018, updated September 2023.
Note: this post is not sponsored. I simply woke up one day and decided that after 4 years of using (and loving) my Bosch, I needed to share my secret with you. Now it's been 9 years and I still feel the same.
I originally shied away from sharing because so many bakers and cake decorators are infatuated with Kitchenaid and I didn't want to offend anyone.
Jump to:
Bosch vs Kitchenaid Mixer
But I'm over it. Bosch Mixers are incredible and if you want to step up your game, you need this mixer. When it comes down to Kitchenaid vs Bosch Mixer... Bosch wins in my book every time!
Having said that, I am a Bosch affiliate and if you click through one of my links and make a purchase, I will earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.
Let me start by saying I'm not a full-on Kitchenaid hater. I have a 20+ year-old Kitchenaid Mixer that I completely adore. It was a gift from my hubby's grandfather back in 2003. He said he thought I had the potential to have a cake business so he sent it to me out of the blue as a surprise.
I think he was right 🙂
Is there anything better than the Kitchenaid mixer?
At the time, I thought there was no better mixer on the planet. 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 occasionally. 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 when I owned my last new one several years ago.
One other note - my counters and cabinets in this new house are hideous. I know this. But since I like to be real with y'all, 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 new, and growing by leaps and bounds, 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. 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, making bread, 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 were stripped out the third time within 2 years, Kitchenaid refused to replace it again.
Apparently, the Professional series 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 I swallowed my fear and bought a Bosch Universal Mixer with a 6.5 quart bowl. That was 2 years and 4 months after buying my first newer/bigger Kitchenaid. And three 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 11x14 marble slab from Williams Sonoma ... you can see how much smaller it is than that.
My favorite, favorite thing when it came down to Bosch Stand Mixer vs Kitchenaid was the lid on the Bosch Mixer. I can put the lid on the Bosch mixer, 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!
Video
I recently did a batch of buttercream in mine on video so you could see what I mean :
Having had my Bosch for many, many years now, 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
Why is a bosch better than a Kitchenaid? Here are my top "brags" on my Bosch Stand Mixer.
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. I've also made big and small batches of whipped cream. This mixer boasts being able to hold 20 cups of flour or 14 pounds of bread dough or pizza dough! This means you can make up to 3 loaves of bread dough at once for average loaves. Need less? Use the dough hook extender for smaller batches of 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. These include whisks, dough hooks, batter whisks, cookie paddles, cake paddles, wire whips, bowl scrapers, and more! You can also get a food processor attachment, ice cream maker, spiralizer, meat grinders, blender attachment, sifter and more! See them all here.
- The bowl, beaters, attachments, and everything that comes "loose" from the base are 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 its functionality, but the Bosch only comes in black (with a stainless steel bowl) or 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 when bosch cookie paddles keep breaking. This also happened a couple of times with the 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.
- Scraping batter or dough out of the Bosch bowl is a little more difficult than a Kitchen aid mixer bowl. I remember it took me a while to get used to that center post. But I figured it out pretty quickly and it's not a big deal to me anymore.
- The bowl is big and it sometimes feels too big for small jobs. Don't get me wrong - it works great for small batches and large batches, but if you're mostly doing smaller batches, this is something to think about. Or maybe even consider the Bosch Compact Mixer.
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 a Bosch - check out the current sales and bundles here!
FAQ
After some research, it seems that Bosch appliances (in general) are made in a variety of locations, including Germany, the United States, and China. In recent years, the company has been shifting more of its production to China in order to keep costs down. I'm thinking this mostly applies to larger appliances (such as dishwashers).
However, printed on the box of the most recent Bosch Universal Plus mixer that I purchased, it clearly reads "Made in Slovenia." This is confirmed here where I found this statement, "Founded over 50 years ago, our production site in Nazarje, Slovenia, has become our main factory for small domestic appliances in Europe."Â
I've had my original one since 2014 (so currently 9ish years) and it hasn't missed a beat other than needing to replace the cookie paddles a few times. But the motor itself has been a powerful beast. Once upon a time (I can't remember where), I read that a Bosch rep said the average lifespan for the mixer itself is over 25 years! Currently, the mixer motor and parts (inside) have a 3-year warranty and the attachments have a 1-year warranty.
I'd love to hear from you! What do you love/hate about YOUR mixer? Any Bosch users out there?
Cathy
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
Rose
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!
jane
great can't wait, I have had several K.A. like you, mine 6 qt prof. kept breaking, Would love to try the Bosch
Rose
Yay! I'll have the post up Monday and send out an email 🙂
Jan-Marie Tempro Franco
I would like to order one too
Rose
Awesome!
Frances
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.
Colette Johnson
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.
Matk Doria
I want to order,
I hope that do you have 220volts. And you cand send to saudi.
Thank you and Godbless
KATHY
Ho much do the mixers weigh
Rose
My Bosch weighs around 18 pounds. My Kitchenaid is almost 30 pounds.
loretta Nicholas
I have been using Bosch for 30+ years and wouldn't use any
other mixer!!! Incredible machine for my retail wedding cake business.
Barbara Sullivan
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!
Rose
You're welcome Barbara!
Rose
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.
Kim
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!
Rose
Don't you just hate it when one knob/button quits on you? That's SO frustrating!
Terri
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.
Rose
That's awesome Terri - I'm so glad I'm not alone in my comparison!
Katie
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.
Rose
I use the cookie paddles for most everything and that's what I'm using in this post.
Tia
I have been baking since I was a child and I have been reading and researching for a good stand mixer for years and EVERYONE says the same thing about KitchenAids find an old one that was build with metal gears. Online message boards were posting model numbers to stay away from due to all the plastic parts! I watched videos online, YouTube and Facebook comparing (stand model) mixers. I new Bosch made tools and large appliances but not mixers! I saw what the Universal Plus was 1. A work horse for breads (I make Divinity and marshmallows and that batter goes from liquid to thick in the blink of an eye!).
2. The complete lid kept All ingredients inside the mixer (and any toys {Nerf darts that happen to be flying through my kitchen}) out of my mixer bowl!
I do not have a lot of cabinet space so I would be storing my mixer on the counter. I also wanted a metal bowl since I would be using it with boiling sugar mixtures so I choose the black model and I LOVE that all the baking paddles, drives, whips, scrapers and the dough hook fit inside the bowl with the lid on (and dust out without buying an additional dust cover!)
Shirley Powell
Have you made bread dough? I was wondering how it handles the kneading process.
Rose
It's AMAZING!! From what I read, Bosch mixers are actually better known for their bread abilities than they are other things!
Crystal Westphal
Yes. I bought my Bosch purely because my KitchenAid couldn't handley big batches if bread dough. The bosch handles it great. Bosch is definitely the stronger machine.
Erica
Do you know if it can handle a 5lb bag of flour for bread (challah) dough?
Rose
Yes, it seems so! Check out this recipe: https://www.koshereye.com/best-kosher-recipes/challah/1683-czernowitzer-challah-bosch-mixer.html#.XZ-9ukZKiUk
Terri
It handles it perfectly !!!!!! I no longer have to knead my bread dough, my Bosch does it for me.
Rose
Fantastic to hear Terri!
Erin
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?
Rose
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.
Erin
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!
Rose
You're very welcome 🙂
debbie kagan
The same thing happened to me with the 6 quart kitchen aid.
Rose
I'm sorry to hear this Debbie - so disappointing.
Kim
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!
Rose
I agree - the modern Kitchenaids are just not what they're hyped up to be.
Nancy Goolsby
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
Rose
OOoh, if you decide to get one, I hope you'll love it as much as I do!
Nancy Goolsby
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!
Rose
LOL... Zulily IS addictive! And if you decide on a Bosch, I hope you'll love it as much as I do!
Tabitha
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!
Lynne s
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.
Denise
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!
Denise
Lol, I went to their website. I don't know where the ""whent" came from.
Denise
Okay my phone is totally messing up words. Maybe I should get a new one.
Rose
Thanks Denise! That's a great customer service experience!
Joanna Adler
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!
Rose
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.
Joanna Adler
Thanks! I'm going to take the gamble when your coupon comes out.
Rose
So happy to hear it! I hope you love it as much as I do!
Gisele Simpson
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
Rose
Yay! I'll post the coupon code tomorrow!
Jan-Marie Franco
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.
Rose
Hey Jan-Marie... I have all of the sale and coupon details here: https://rosebakes.com/save-136-bosch-mixer-package-free-shipping/.
Bobbi
Is the bowl on the Bosch detachable?
Rose
Yes! If you watch the last few seconds of the video, I take it off and show it separate.
Rose
I'm also adding a short video at the end of the post showing how I take the cookie paddles apart from the bowl. 🙂
Bobbi
Ha! I just KNEW i was missing that part somewhere. Thanks!
Rose
Sure 🙂
Pamela
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.
Carey
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.
Traci Storey
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
Dawn Dibble
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!!
Rose
That's AWESOME!! I'm excited for you!!
Rebecca
First let me start by saying i love your blog and your recipes. The recipes are my favorite ones. But after reading this post I used the coupon and ordered this mixer. I'm very unhappy with this purchase. 1 It has a lot of parts and I find I have to stop and scrape because even with the scrapers it doesn't mix well. 2 You lose a lot of the product because there are so many pieces to scrape. 3 Its harder to clean. You have to use the sprayer to get in the small areas (and there are a lot). 4 The pieces are plastic. I've already had the scrapers break and this machine is pretty much useless without them. So that's $25 more dollars. So would I buy this again? No! I'm very disappointed because I will have to use this for a number of years because for me it was an investment piece. I pretty much hate this mixer!
Beverly Chickerell
This mixer sounds great, the information that I am reading is from July. Are the prices still the same?
My daughter would love to have a Bosch mixer. She is the head Baker at a university
Rose
Hey Beverly - the current deals are posted here: https://rosebakes.com/bosch-versus-kitchenaid/! I know your daughter will love this!
Jill Renault
I've had a Bosch for several years and love it. I avoid having to scrape down the walls and centre post with the scraper attachment - well worth it. Recently I had a tooth break off a cookie paddle, and when I mentioned it to my retailer here in Canada, her advice was: "make certain when you are mixing anything with the dough hook, whips, paddles etc. – to always jog or pulse the machine several times before turning it on to speed 1 and you won’t break any more!"
Lishia Lee
Rose I would love to be on your 2019 Mother’s Day list for the Bosch mixer sale you are sharing
Thank you
Your post on pros and cons for Bosch were very helpful
Lishia
Sharleta
I bought a Bosch several years ago on the recommendation of Kelly the Kitchen Kop to make bread. It was awesome! When I decided to bake cakes for sale, I invested in a KitchenAid like they use on most of the baking shows on TV. However, the first time I tried a cream cheese frosting the KA bogged down and started smoking. Transferred everything to the Bosch and got the smoothest frosting ever! I still make batter in the KA on occasion but the Bosch is my go to. Like you, I also like that it fits under the cabinet, stores the attachments in side the bowl and the cover. The cover is also great to allow icing to rest or store overnight. Thank you for so generously sharing your knowledge with us!
Rose
Yeeessss!!! I'm so glad there are others who love their Bosch as much as I love mine!!
Mandy
Hi Rose,
I notice you mention having issues with it not mixing small batches very well and having to scrape down more often. Do you have/use the bowl scraper attachment, or is this only the case without the attachment. I offer custom cakes, but I also offer dessert cakes only in 6" and 8" sizes, so I'm trying to weigh the small batch issue against the higher capacity for my frosting, etc.
Thank you!
Mandy
Rose
The bowl scraper attachment works great for cake batter but I broke a couple of them trying to use them with buttercream because the buttercream is so stiff and the attachment is made from plastic. As far at the 6" and 8" - for me that's a double batch of my doctored cake mix and I have zero trouble making that in my Bosch! I think any recipe with a similar volume would do great!
Mandy
Thank you so much for your quick reply! And the tip to not use the scraper for frosting! My 20+ yr old Kitchenaid recently went kaput and a friend told me about the Bosch - I didn't even know it existed. I just ordered one and can't wait to give it a try!
Rose
Be sure to enter this giveaway since you made a purchase: .http://shrsl.com/1og1n
Carol
Hi, Rose. Can you beat egg whites well with the Bosch? The Kitchen Aid does such a good job. I love your blog! You are so busy with your cake business and home schooling your children, I don’t know how you do it. You must be sleep deprived! Ha!
Rose
Yes! I am often sleep deprived but I've been trying to do better about that!
Suzanne Mathison
Hi Rose, My husband just bought me a KA 6.5 quart mixer. I am already bummed. It doesn't actually mix at the bottom. I've adjusted the depth from one extreme to the other to no avail. The scraping paddle is useless. I was trying to decide between the the two. I picked wrong but luckily we got it from Costco so I can easily return it. He is my only concern about the Bosch...the plastic. I know you can get metal attachments now but I'm having problems locating them through the sale link. What are your thoughts these days on the plastic vs metal attachment heads?
Rose
I use the metal whip drive exclusively (that comes with the Baker's Pack) and then I use the other attachments that have plastic heads. I have had to replace them from time to time (over 6 years) when the teeth on the top get stripped out. However, after having to replace my entire Kitchenaid 3 times because the internal gears were stripped, this is a much better option for me. Plus, my assistant just got her first Bosch and the FIRST thing she told me was ... it mixes ALL THE WAY TO THE BOTTOM!! She was super excited about that 🙂
Jo-Ann
I hate my Kitchenaid! Since the 80s I had an Oster kitchen centre, stand mixer, blender, processor, meat grinder, shredder. I loved it. It was a work horse. Two years ago the motor began to go. I bought a Kitchenaid Classic. I am not a professional just a Grandmother who bakes double batches of cookie and decorates cakes. The KA classic would not mix my double batches of cookies. They told me I should add liquid to the cookie dough. The flour spewed everywhere making a huge mess. My Oster never did that. I bought the guard didn't help still spewed out the space between. After several calls and a video they offered me an upgrade to the artisan for $200. It's not much better. It does mix my cookie dough but I still have the white cloud and even today making your White Sour cream cake it was slopping over the edges. I hate it so much.
STEVE SKOUSON
I first learned about the Bosch mixer, in the early '70's. My mother got a UM3 Bosch Universal. (Not the Plus.) There were 9 of us, in the family, 5 boys, 1 girl, and the parents. Mom baked fresh bread 2 or 3 times a week, as well as cookies and Cinnamon Rolls. (Notice I capitalized that?)
I have 2, one I got at a local (DI) thrift store, for the MASSIVE amount of SIX whole dollars. Came with nothing but the base unit, and the aluminum beater holder for the plastic bowl. No bowls, or any other parts. (I put some clear packing tape over that price sticker. I want to keep that!)
I have since then, gotten most of the attachments for it, as well as a spare (parts) base unit.
Ever since this corona virus has hit.my older brother has been developing his sourdough bread recipe, just about full time. He destroyed his Kitchen Aid mixer. I LOANED him the $6 Bosch, and he won't give it back. He is buying the base, the stainless steel bowl, and the bread hook from me, though.
You REALLY need to find the original UM3 Bosch Universal! You just might give up your Plus. (Oh, my older brother was the only one not to have a Bosch, until recently.)
STEVE SKOUSON
Rose, for making bread, look for the stainless steel bowl. It doesn't have the center tower, the bottom, is smooth, raised slightly in the center, so the base of the bowl is close to the base of the machine. There is a drive spur in the center, but the bottom slopes up to it. The dough hook attaches to that drive spur, just like the dough hook for the plastic bowl.
I don't know if it fits the Plus, but it is standard with the UM3. There are 2 versions, the newer version has pins on the top, to hold the ring and lid, that are on the inside of the rim. The older version has those pins, on the outside, and has an aluminum ring and lid. I prefer the older version.
steve
David Melgar
Bosch paying for reviews like this does not help them.
You state "The plastic gears on the inside were just not holding up. "
This is FALSE. The Kitchenaid Professional 600 DOES NOT HAVE ANY PLASTIC GEARS!
This is just baseless hating and promoting Bosch. Bosch on the other hand is a plastic device with plastic bowl by default and does use plastic gears at least in their compact mixer.
Rose
Hey there David. So first up - this is not and was not a paid post. When I originally wrote this, I had had no affiliation with Bosch (I do now and I have since added affiliate links). My story about the Kitchenaid mixers is 100% true. But I did a little digging and it seems you are right - the Pro series did not have plastic gears, per se but instead it had a plastic gear housing box and if you google "plastic gears breaking in Kitchenaid", you'll find HUNDREDS of stories identical to mine about them cracking, grinding, tearing up and not working. And by the way, I've now had my first Bosch mixer for 7+ years and the gears (plastic or not) have never given me one minute of trouble. I don't hate Kitchenaid - but I stand by my recommendation that bakers get a Bosch instead. And I'd be making that recommendation, affiliate links or not.
Paul A Binkowski
I completely agree with your assessment of the current kitchen Aids. I bought one in the mid-1980s when they were still made by Hobart. Had not one problem with even when making bread. Then a few years ago we bought a new Kitchen Aid and gave the old one to friends. The first time I tried to make rye bread using it the kneading tool stopped moving and it started smoking. Because I make a lot of bread, I finally bought an Ankarsrum which is essentially a counter top cement mixer. Superb for breads. But we have not mastered cake making with it. We still have the Kitchen Aid, using it for cakes, icing, etc.
joyce jones
I am a retired home baker and made all sorts of cakes, icings, pies, breads, etc. to sale. I bought my Kitichenaide in the early 90's. I used it daily for many years. I never had one minutes problem with it. I've had only one and I used it for everything!! It was pretty, cobalt blue, but more importantly, it could do the job of everything I threw at it! I still have that same kitchenaide today. It still works perfectly, even though I don't use it as often as I use to. I LOVE it and I wouldn't trade it for anything. Don't get be wrong, I'm not a Kitchenaide die-hard, but I do believe in, if it works, why fix or mess with) it! I've heard of the Bosch Mixer, but I would like to see one in person before even thinking about buying one. I'm not against it,I'm sure it's wonderful, But that amount of money is an investment as was my Kitchenaide when I first purchased it and it proved time and time again that it was more than worth the investment I made in it. I would want to and need to see and touch this Bosch Mixer and watch how it performs before I just buy it. If that cannot happen, I'm quite content with my Kitchenaide and I'm sure you can understand that.
Rose
Of course! My 18-year-old Kitchenaid still works great. But the newer ones do not hold up well and I wouldn't buy one today unless they go back to an older internal design.
Chris
I love my Bosch mixer, with one exception. Have any of you folks experienced a problems with the mixers attachments? In particular, the gear teeth at the top of the mixer attachments. Mine alway get worn down, sometimes they actually chip off and end up in whatever I'm making. I'm on my 6th replacement set. Sure wish Bosch would make these out of steel. Would like to know if any of you are having this problem?
Rose
Yes, I do have this same problem! I actually mentioned it in my list of "cons" in the post because it's probably my biggest complaint with the Bosch mixer.
Michelle
I just bought Bosch mixer, but I'm confused with the fabrication one I got is made in Slovenia.
Is mixer bosch universal plus MUM 6N11 is made in Germany or Slovenia?
Susan
This would be a question for Bosch.
Robbie
I just purchased this Bosch mixer and was wondering what setting you use to make your wasc cake?
Rose
Usually a medium speed.
Trish
Hi! I just had my neighbor give me a Bosch mixer that they had only used a couple of times! I was so excited because that’s what my mom used when I grew up! I have a question about the cookie paddles and the dough hook extender. I’ve read some reviews and I’m nervous to buy them. Can you please share how you feel about them? Where is the best place to purchase them? I looked on the Bosch website and they didn’t have the dough hook extender? Thanks so much!!
Rose Atwater
There have been a lot of inventory problems everywhere so I'm not sure where you can find one right now. I'm sorry.
Mo Savant
I don't buy it. I have a bosch, but the kitchenaid pro models do not have plastic gears. The plastic gears are in the tilt-head models, not the bowl lift pro versions. I don't make buttercream often but don't think it would give my kitchenaid any problems? Dough definitely did which the bosch seems more suitable to handle. I also bought a $500 vervor spiral mixer which is in a different league.
Rose Atwater
I've never had a tilt-head - only the lift pro version and it definitely had plastic gears several years ago when I had them.
Gina D from Texas
In reading your post again I noticed you mentioned small batches and maybe the Bosch is not good for that? Can you elaborate? Have you had any issues with it not mixing well (like with KA many times it misses part of what’s being mixed so you have to stop and scrape it to incorporate). Have you used it to make bread? If so can you do only enough for one loaf or does it have to be bigger batches?
Rose Atwater
I have not used it to make bread and I don't do small batches often but it scrapes the bottom of the bowl really well!