Reddit reviews KitchenAid KP26M1XER 6 Qt. Professional 600 Series Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer - Empire Red

This is my list:

• kitchen aid mixer ($350)
  
  
• Dutch Oven ($50)
  
  
• good digital scale ($20)
  
  
• good thermometer for the kitchen ($10-20)
  
  
• Mixing Bowl set ($20)
  
  
• Bakers Couche ($15)
  
  
• Banneton ($10) (x2)
  
  
• Commercial Food Storage ($5-10) (x4 because I use these a ton)
  
  
• Bench Scrapper ($5)
  
  
• Measuring Cup (2 cup size)
  
  
• Measuring Spoons
  
  
• Pizza Steel Or Stone ($40-80)
  
  
• Loaf Pan
  
  
  Total = $620 (no tax)
  
  
  add in an awesome workbench table for 300 and you are good to go.

They make bigger ones, but yeah 5 qt is fine assuming yours is bread-capable. If you can spring for a bowl-lift model instead of a tilt-head (or wait for it to go on sale), that's better for heavy breadmaking, but I had to go to a 6-qt for that. Which, I love mine and have no regrets, and I love being able to make a double batch of bread dough at once, but maybe that's a bigger purchase than you were planning. Currently mine is $329 on Amazon. They do go on sale sometimes and also can be a bargain at Costco.

I don't want to try to dictate to you what you need, everybody's mileage varies. Just advising that bread dough isn't "entry-level" mixing work and a bargain-basement mixer probably won't cut it if bread is going to be part of what you regularly use it for. Everybody has to find a balance between overspending in the first place, and having to quickly replace a product that was never up to the job and breaks down under pressure.

That little Sunbeam looks fine for making a cake. I don't know whether it would be fine for bread too, or if it would choke. Sorry, I've just never used that brand so I don't know what to expect.

The household models with the lift are usually designated "Professional Series" but are widely available even at Canadian Tire where I got mine.

KitchenAid KP26M1XER Professional 600 Series 6-Quart Bowl-Lift Stand Mixer, Empire Red https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B000P9CWNY/ref=cm_sw_r_sms_apa_i_pIO4Db2VN8YKS

This is probably not an Antique...

KP26M1XER

KSM150PSER