Vegan Kitchen Tool Review
The Cuisinart® Stand Mixer

Pushing the Limits
I started testing kitchen equipment as a youngster. And I was blessed with a gift of pushing the limits of every kitchen tool I've owned. My husband can testify to this fact. I grew up with a stand mixer that my mother owned when I was born. It looked a lot like the one below. The beaters twirled as the mixing bowl spun on the revolving black plate. The head tilted back so you could easily remove the two blades, but it could only mix or whip ingredients. It didn't have much power. This was not a machine that could mix 7 cups of flour plus sugar, butter, walnuts and chocolate chips. I know, I tried many times!

I caught many a spatula in the beaters and tried to create larger batches of cookies than it was ever capable of mixing. It finally died after 35 years of use.

"A Weighty Issue"
Ten years ago, a friend gave me a Kitchenaid Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer and it was a Trojan Horse of a mixer, at least weight wise. That big monster weighed 26 pounds and was back-breaking to lift out of the cabinet and onto my kitchen counter. I couldn't leave it out on the countertop because it didn't fit under the overhead cabinets. It was also hard to add ingredients and remove the attachments because the head didn't tilt back like my mom's old fashioned model. My friend got me the more powerful model with 450 watts of motor power because she knew I always pushed a machine to its all time limits.

I was never able to get the Kitchenaid to perform well on heavy batches of cookie or bread doughs. It just didn't have enough power for my recipes. Needless to say, it didn't get used often. I usually ended up using my large capacity Cuisinart Food Processor to do those jobs.

Time to Purchase the Cuisinart Stand Mixer SM70
If you are like me, you've put off looking for a replacement stand mixer because of all the money you invested in whatever machine you have already purchased. Well, I'm here to tell you that the Cuisiniart Stand Mixer-SM70, released this year, will out-perform anything else on the market and is worth every dollar invested! The Cuisinart Stand Mixer-SM70 is powerful, easy to use, less messy, artistically designed, and a breeze to clean up. It's now my second favorite kitchen machine after the Cuisinart Food Processor.

Cuisinart Customer Service
Thirty years ago, I received my first Cuisinart Food Processor as a wedding gift. It was a revolutionary piece of equipment that changed how I cooked and thought about meal preparation. Cuisinart offered food demonstrations at a local department story where I lived so I learned how to get the most out of this new food processor. My problem was it was the small mode. And you know me --I wanted to double the recipes.

One afternoon I was testing out a bread recipe and decided to double it. Needless to say, it was too much for the machine. The dough got mashed up under the blade and I couldn't get the blade to release. I was so frustrated, I literally stood on the base, knocked the blade top with a hammer. I cried, prayed and even got out channel locks to try and pry the blade and bowl from the machine base. Nothing worked!

Finally I remembered that there was an 800 number on the Cuisinart instruction booklet. I didn't want to tell my husband what I'd done, so I called Cuisinart and asked what I could do, "The blade is stuck and I can't get it to release or get the bowl off!" The voice at the other end of the phone line said, "Do you have the original box that it came in?"

"But you don't understand, I need to KNEAD! And the bowl won't release!"

"Do you have the original shipping box?"

"Yes."

"Pack it up and send it to the address under the 800 number on your instruction manual."

"But, how long will this take, I need this machine!'

"You should get it back within a week."

With sorrow, I packed up my precious machine and sent it off to the factory repair address and waited. Within 5 days, my machine returned with a new blade and a new work bowl. I know those guys at the Cuisinart factory got a good laugh at what I'd done to the machine. And it was rewarding to see that they too couldn't get the gluten mixture to release from the blade and bowl! To top the entire deal, Cuisinart sent me a check for the shipping that I paid. Now THAT is service and I've been a loyal client for 30 years now.

Now, let me tell you all about the features of the newly introduced dramatic Cuisinart Stand Mixer!

The Cuisinart® Stand Mixer Features
• 1000 watt motor -- the industry’s most powerful
• Largest available seven quart bowl
• Twelve speeds
• Three Power Outlets for Optional Attachments (I haven't tested the attachments yet)
• Three-year Product Warranty
• Five-year full Motor Warranty
• Auto shut-off
• 15-Minute Countdown Timer
• Planetary action mixer, the beater revolves around the bowl
• Available in Slick White and Professional Chrome
• Accessories: Stainless Steel Chef's Whisk, Flat Mixing Paddle, Dough Hook, Splash guard with pour spout to prevent spattering
• Recipe Book and How-to DVD
• Bowls and Tools Dishwasher-safe

7-Quart Bowl (The biggest you can get)
Sleek and easy to clean, the 7-quart stainless steel bowl is the largest you can buy. When adding ingredients, the contents stay in the bowl and not on the mixer stand or the countertops. This made my clean up time fast and easy.

1000 Watts (That’s a lot of power!)
Armed with 1000 watts of power, the Cuisinart Stand Mixer was designed to house the strongest motor in the industry. Surprisingly, the machine ran quieter than I expected and had more than enough muscle to mix or knead the largest amounts of flour.

3 Power Ports (Completely versatile)
Each attachment for the Cuisinart Stand Mixer connects to one of three power ports, lending to its sleek design and versatility. I have not test-driven these attachments, but wanted you to know about them. For me, the stand mixer is my prime use of this machine. I already have a 14-cup Cuisinart Food Process and a Bamix Immersion Blender for blending. The Citrus Juicer is an interesting feature that I might test drive later.

High-speed Power Outlet - Blender/Food Processor
For the blender and food processor attachment (sold separately), which connects to the rear power outlet on top of the stand mixer.

Mid-speed Power Outlet - Citrus Juicer
For the citrus juicer attachment (sold separately), which connects to the front power outlet on the top of the stand mixer.

Slow-speed Power Outlet
Meat Grinder Attachment
The Meat Grinder/Sausage Maker (sold separately), which connect to the power outlet behind the slow-speed outlet cover on the front of the stand mixer head.

Now don't get excited, as a vegan I won't be grinding meat, but I could make my own vegan style sausages! But that's another recipe article.

Slow-speed Power Outlet
Pasta Maker Attachment
The Pasta Maker Attachment allows you to create the pasta dough in the mixer bowl and then attach this device to create 6 different fresh pasta shapes.

Video Demonstrations
Cuisinart has a fabulous web site with video demonstrations using real recipes to showcase all the features of the Cuisinart Stand Mixer-SM70. Although the recipes are not vegan, you can still view the features and techniques of how to use the machine for various types of vegan related recipes.

Performance
Locking Tilt-Back Head
My first test drive of the Cuisinart Stand Mixer-SM70 was the Vegan Vanilla Cupcakes and Frosting recipes. The tilt-back head gave me easy bowl access and ease-of-use when attaching the tools. For safety, the head-lift release lever securely locks the stand mixer head into the raised position so it won't fall back into the bowl until you push the release switch.

Operational Noise
The noise level of the Cuisinart Stand Mixer SM70 is considerably less in comparison to my previous machine.

Countdown Timer
The 15-minute countdown timer automatically turns off the stand mixer after my selected time has elapsed. This freed me to measure other ingredients or do other kitchen tasks while the machine whipped the butter and sugar or kneaded my dough recipe. An audible tone signals when the shut-off occurs.

A “pause mode” function for the timer allows me to interrupt the countdown and stop the mixing process to check the bowl contents and scrape the sides of the bowl if needed. Then I press it again to resume the mixing process and the timer continues counting down.

12 Speeds
Twelve speeds make mixing a dream of any recipe. The mixer starts out slow and then increases in speed. The contents stay in the work bowl and not the countertop or on me!!!

The fold action helps with those recipes that need a light folding mode.

Clear the Countertop
The profile of the Cuisinart Stand Mixer allows it to fit under the lowest of upper cupboards and it's narrower footprint takes up less valuable counter space.

Measurements: 14 1/2"L x 8 1/4"W x 14 1/2"H.

Weight: Sturdy die-cast metal unit weighs 20-1/2 lbs. with bowl and attachments.

Basic Attachments
Whisk
The stainless steel Chef’s Whisk whipped SoyaToo into a beautiful whipped topping.

Mixing Paddle
The Flat Mixing Paddle stirs, mixes and beats ingredients. It is the most frequently used attachment and can mix cookie dough, cake batter, frostings, pie crusts, biscuits and shortcakes.

Dough Hook
The Dough Hook mixes and kneads yeast doughs like my basic vegan bread, rolls, focaccia and pizza dough.

Splash Guard
A splash guard also comes with the machine and when used, prevents spatters when mixing and adding ingredients at higher speeds. A convenient side pour spout is especially handy when adding ingredients while mixing.

7 Quart Work bowl.
The shinny 7-quart stainless steel work bowl is beautifully designed with two handles for ease of use. The bottom of the bowl is notched to securely lock it into place onto the sturdy machine base and releases with a twisting motion.

The Bottom Line
Highly Recommended.
The Cuisinart Stand Mixer-SM70 ROCKS and is a great investment for a beginner or seasoned chef! This is the Rolls Royce of stand mixers!

The Cuisinart Stand Mixer-SM70 is powerful, easy to use, less messy, artistically designed, huge in capacity, and easy to clean up. It's now my second favorite kitchen machine after the Cuisinart Food Processor.

Buy the Cuisinart Stand Mixer at Sur La Table.