Are These Expensive Gadgets Worth It? | Gear Heads

These gadgets promise to take your cooking and kitchen skills to the next level. Are any of them worth the price? Hannah and Lisa dive into their top recommendations for stand mixers, portable pizza ovens, blenders, and more.

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[canderson]

Swede here and can verify that Ankarsrum is the real deal. My grandmother received one as a wedding gift, used it for her own little bakery and café business and still uses it to this day.
It's quality through and through.

[jlewis]

I killed a 3 month old kitchen aide pro mixer on a relatively small batch of whole wheat dough (5 cups of flour). I returned it and got an Ankarsrum, never looked back. That machine is a beast. I can make huge batches of bread, or whip one egg white. Not only is it powerful, but it's pretty quiet, and it fits under my cabinets.

If you make bread, this is the machine to get. That roller, which is what you'll use most of the time, mimics kneading by hand beautifully. Easy access to the contents of the bowl is also remarkably convenient. Every detail is thoughtful and well engineered, right down to the bespoke scraper with all the right angles.

It's odd, but it's fantastic

[emmaovergaard]

I inherited my ankarsrum from my grandmother. Hers was from the 50s and I used it for everything, we did invest in a new plastic roller in the 90s. When it finally broke, in 2017, I cried a little, and got a new one within a month.

[davidreaves]

I bought my ankarsrum after burning up 2 kitchen aid mixers while making bread. I love the ankarsrum. I make 2 loafs of bread every 10 days and have never come close to even straining the machine.

[Mariwil]

I have a 45 year old Hobart KitchenAid, plus a lot of attachments that I use regularly.. But I bake bread at least once a week, including low hydration doughs and large batches that my small KA really can’t handle (plus, I live in fear that I’ll burn it out.) So I splurged and bought the Ankarsrum about 10 years ago and that thing is a beast. For me, it’s not an either/or. I consider both the KA and the Ankarsrum to be essentials in my kitchen and well worth the money. I also splurged on All-Clad a few years ago after I realized how much money I’d thrown away on cheap cookware that just didn’t last. Same with the Vitamix. I would actually consider all of them to be frugal purchases, since they’re all built to last and you get your money’s worth.

[mclyman-onkka]

After having three Kitchen Aid high end mixers fail in five years I bought an Ankarsrum. I do not regret it.

[evanvandyke]

"Bakers who have burned out machines know who you are." Yup, that's me. I bought an Ankarsrum 5 years ago, and love it.

[balooc]

my mom got a Ankarsrum as a parting gift when she moved away from home in the early 80's. she still got the machine and it runs just as well as it did 40 years ago!

[markfrankel]

Not only will the Ankarsrum not struggle with bread dough, it will handle a much higher volume of dough. My Kitchenaid struggles with two loaves, the Ankarsrum easily handles four. I make a lot of sourdough bread, and while I usually mix by hand, when I need a machine, the Ankarsrum makes it so easy; especially when working with high hydration or enriched doughs. I have a brioche recipe that is nearly impossible to mix by hand, the Ankarsrum makes it easy.

[TobiasHarms]

When Ankarsrum was first introduced in Sweden around 1940 (then produced by Electrolux) it grew so popular they couldn't keep up with demand.

At one point you needed a doctors note stating you needed one due to aches from kneeding dough to be allowed to buy one.😊

[MrMarkusAberg]

Swede here. I inherited an Ankarsrum (formerly sold under the brand Electrolux) from the 70’s. Use it every week, it has a great meat grinder attachment and it’s also amazing for pizza dough that requires a lot of kneeding. 10/10 would recommend.

[adamfarquhar]

In the 80s, I bought a used Bosch Kitchen Machine in the US and used it for another two decades at least. The Ankarshrum has a design similar to the old Bosch. I even had attachments from my mother-in-law that were perhaps two decades older than mine. It really was a machine to pass on to the next generation. And as others have commented about the Ankarshrum, it could easily knead four loaves of bread in the large metal bowl. Putting the motor in the base lowers the centre of gravity, simplifies the power train, and eliminates the need for the moving arm you find in the Kitchen Aid. These days, I use a smaller Kitchen Aid - love it, but it is not as full-featured or as strong as the old Bosch.

[per-olamjomark]

As a Swede, it's nice to see the kitchen assistant from Ankarsrum getting some attention across the pond. Made and assembled by hand, it has an 80-year history behind it. Would probably buy one if I did not already own an Electrolux (which is also sturdy. And Swedish.)

[carolyncavanaugh]

My Ankarsrum is on its way to me!
I look forward to sharing bread, cupcakes, dozens of Christmas cookies, and fruitcake with my friends.
The KitchenAid will go to a new home but my 1972 Sunbeam Mixmaster (it still works) will stay here. I use it occasionally just because it's an old friend that served me well when my children were home.

[Toothaiker]

We've had an Ankarsrum for about 4-5 years now after using a Kitchenaid and then Bosch before running into the limitations of both with our baking. I am so glad you checked this out and discovered what we have! The Ankarsrum is truly the best for bread baking of all sorts.

[MrCharlieBucket]

Thanks for covering the Ankarsrum. I had a hell of a time finding useful reviews of that machine before I got one, and I'm so glad I did. My KitchenAid was loud, it wobbled and walked, and soft doughs tended to climb up to the head while mixing. The Ank has none of those problems, and it's easier to see and manage your dough with the big open top.

[jamesmurphy]

It’s important to mention how much quieter the Ankarsrum is. Also with the bowl removed it is much lighter and easier to move. I have burned up several KA. This recommendation comes from a retired professional baker.

[lorikruger]

After my 28 year old Kitchenaid broke, I received the Ankarsrum for Christmas. There is a learning curve, but I really like this mixer. It feels stronger, has a great warranty, and performed very well with sourdough bread, cookies, and cakes.

[CrimsonScythe]

I didn’t see anyone mention this, but with my ankarsrum (actually Electrolux) I was recommended adding the bread ingredients “in reverse”. Add the liquid first and then add flour until you get the right consistency. This was much easier than the traditional way, and I didn’t have the problem of the dough climbing the wall as much.

[margaretsiple]

Love the Ank for mixing bread dough. I burned out two KAs and bit the bullet. No regrets.