In a commercial kitchen, a stand mixer is a true utility player. It kneads. It stirs. It whips. And it beats. Best of all, it operates hands free, allowing kitchen staff to turn their attention to other tasks.
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Yet not every restaurant has one, because chefs and managers wonder if its worth investing the money and the kitchen space. Thats why we made the 8 quart/8 liter CPM800 stand mixer. Its compact, so it saves counter space. Its affordable and seriously durable, so you know itll be a worthwhile investment. And it can do more than you ever dreamed.
5 Creative Ways to Use a Stand Mixer
- Making brioche. You already know that a commercial stand mixer is indispensable for kneading traditional yeast breads. When youre making a sticky, tricky dough thats enriched with eggs and butter, the stand mixer is a superstar. Brioche dough requires lengthy kneading to develop the gluten, which is traditionally done with the slap and fold method. A heavy-duty stand mixer is a much easier (and neater) alternative.
- Shredding boneless chicken or other cooked meats. Shredding chicken by hand for nachos, barbecue or other menu items is a tedious and messy task. Chefs have discovered that a stand mixer can do the job in just one minute! Use the beater attachment, and add the chicken to the bowl after cooking, when its still warm. (This does not work, obviously, if the meat has bones or skin.)
- Mixing pie crust. For some bakers, its heresy to use a stand mixer to combine the fat and flour in a pie crust. Some say a mixer toughens crust. Others say it doesnt flatten the fat in just the right way, writes baker PJ Hamel for King Arthur Flour. Well, Im going to tell you a little secret: Ive been using my stand mixer to make pie crust for years. She recommends beating the butter/flour mixture on a low setting until the mixture is unevenly crumbly, then adding ice-cold water.
- Flavoring butter. Serving flavored, house-made butter is one of those little things thats guaranteed to surprise and delight guests. A stand mixer makes quick work of incorporating ingredients into softened butter: honey, sugar, fruit preserves, spices, dill, basil, chives, roasted garlic A stand mixer can even make butter from scratch by beating heavy cream.
- Beating cake batter. The Great British Baking Show gave the world a sudden craving for sponge cake, and thats what a heavy duty stand mixer was made for. The classic Victoria sponge is leavened by whipped egg yolks and egg whites, and only a stand mixer has the stamina to beat them for long enough. Once youve mastered Mary Berrys recipe, try serving Japanese sponge cake or even a gluten-free version.
Head to Head: Which Machine Does it Best?
As you can see, a stand mixer is incredibly versatile but its not the best tool for every job. Sometimes, you need more specialized equipment.
Whipped cream: While a stand mixer can whip cream (with the whisk attachment), the best and fastest way to make whipped cream for small batch applications is the AirWhip Frothing Jar, an essential accessory for high-performance blenders like the Quantum® and Eclipse. Its specialized cone agitator maximizes aeration to whip cream or froth cold foam in seconds.
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Egg whites: If youre frothing them to top a drink (like a pisco sour), then the AirWhip is your best bet. Stiff, drier egg whites (for a meringue, say) can be made in a stand mixer.
Guacamole: Ooh, tough one. For traditional-style guacamole with luscious lumps of avocado, a stand mixer is probably best. For a smoother, pourable mixture (taco-shop guacamole, or guacamole taquero), run your tomatillos, garlic, onions, chiles, lime and avocado through a culinary blender.
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An industrial stand mixer is one of the most versatile machines for a commercial kitchen. It can mix large quantities of ingredients quickly so that you can prepare foods for many people within a short period. Whether you want to mash thousands of potatoes every day or knead dough to prepare hundreds of pizzas, this type of mixer can make your work a lot easier. If you are planning to buy the mixer, make sure it has the following features:
- It is best if the mixer has PowerCore technology. This allows the mixer to deliver consistent power without building up heat inside the mixing chamber. If the temperature is too high, it may affect the operation of other parts, thus reducing the machines longevity. Mixers that have PowerCore technology usually last longer than the ones that dont as they do not heat up easily.
- Make sure the stand mixer contains the following parts:
11-wire whip
Dough hook
Commercial-grade beater
Stainless steel construction
Commercial-grade attachments make the unit long-lasting. They dont wear down easily so expect repairs to be less frequent.
- The mixer should also come with a bowl guard. Usually, most manufacturers sell the bowl guards separately. Although its an optional component, you may need it sooner or later to protect the ingredients from spilling out.
- You should see whether the mixer comes with optional bowls or not. A few manufacturers provide 5 to 7 quarter bowls that allow you to mix ingredients that you dont require in large quantities.
- Finally, it will be better if the mixer has a J-style handle. This allows you to hang the mixer after you finish using it so that it can dry quickly.
The key to finding the best industrial stand mixer is comparing the features of different models and picking one that fits your budget. Dont be impulsive and buy the first mixer that you see. Spend some time checking out the pros and cons of different models before buying one.