Cake Mixer or Food Processor?

gildon, Jun 12, 12:41am
My faithful Kenwood Chef has finally died after more than 50 years great service. It was my mother's before me. I don't do nearly as much baking now as I did a few years ago but I still make several large Christmas cakes each year (not all for me! ). Am wondering what would now be the best piece of equipment to replace my old mixer with. I have always used the blender of the mixer quite a lot, that is why I am thinking about a good food processor but would that cope with the larger cakes? Appreciate any suggestions/advice.

harrislucinda, Jun 12, 1:32am
best to go with the cake mixer if still doing large fruit cakes as has beaters as with the food processor that has blades dont think it will cope

lythande1, Jun 12, 3:38am
I've never owned a cake mixer, never will. My old Ralta can handle batter, so a modern blender sure would,

samanya, Jun 12, 4:55am
I've got my mother's old Kenwood, too & it has to be a similar age.
I'd go for another Kenwood or similar as I don't think a food processor would compare for big cakes. I seldom bake big cakes, but always use the mixer, rather than my food processor.

korbo, Jun 12, 5:02am
I would go for a small hand held electric beater and also a medium size proccessor. they both do different things.Lately I use my small beater more than I use the big sunbeam

gildon, Jun 12, 8:57am
That was my first thought too korbo but I wonder if the small hand held beater would cope with large fruit cake mixtures,

duckmoon, Jun 12, 9:02am
If your goal is fruit cakes, then a mixer.
A processor will chop the fruit into a pureee.

oopie, Jun 12, 9:41pm
I have a Kenwood (with mincer and blender attachments) and a Food Processor, with chopping blades, slicer and grater. I use them both regularly and there really isn't much crossover in function. Briscoes often have really good specials on Kenwood mixers and if you're not in a hurry, hold out for a special that includes extra attachments!

fifie, Jun 13, 12:28am
I No longer bake much now, my old kenwood packed it in also. I replaced it with a smaller mixer from op shop. I replaced my old food processor that blew also with a new one, as i seem to use it more these days. No good for making my xmas cakes though, so i drag out the mixer. As someone said watch out for the specials.

gildon, Jun 14, 2:03am
Thank you everyone for your replies. It looks like a new mixer and perhaps what I have been promising myself for sometime, a decent food processor as well.

korbo, Jun 15, 11:24pm
mmmm. I use the small one to do the creaming, then fold the fruit and flour by hand.

fifie, Aug 27, 9:07am
in the past ive used a little gold air electric hand held 2 beater mixer thats years old, for creaming large mixture xmas cakes. Then put mix into a large bowl to fold in flour fruit etc by hand, that worked okay. I can't mix by hand now as my hands are twisted with rhueamatoid arthritis and i no longer have the strength or can hold a large spoon to mix it all together.