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Bakery Mixers: Need A Large Mixer For Your Business? - Make Sure To Buy The Model That Meets Your Needs
Anyone considering getting into the baking business will eventually come to terms with the fact that they need a bakery mixer. The only problem is that there are a wide variety of bakery mixers on the market and it is easy to become overwhelmed by the monumental task of selecting the right bakery mixer for one’s needs.
The task of selecting from the myriad bakery mixers can be whittled down logically. This will ensure that one does not purchase a bakery mixer that is not up to the tasks that will be required of it nor spend too much money on bakery mixers that substantially exceed their needs.
Before doing anything else, realize that bakery mixers are not inexpensive, and they have potentially expensive maintenance requirements. If one is simply looking for a way to bake two or three birthday cakes a day out of their home, then bakery mixers may be an overkill unless there is a very realistic potential for the home business to expand. With that in mind, keep future expansion as part the plan.
The next step to selecting an appropriate bakery mixer is to accurately identify one’s needs. Start by asking: How much dough will one be mixing at a given time? This single question is pivotal and will immediately narrow down the number of bakery mixers under consideration. This figure is usually rated in quarts of dough or in kilograms of flour it can handle at any given time. As a general rule, the greater the volume bakery mixers are expected to work with, the higher their prices become.
Follow this up by asking what the average duty cycle will for the bakery mixer will be? Some bakery mixers can handle bowl after bowl all day long while other bakery mixers have far more limited duty cycles. Duty cycles are not always advertised, but they are an important consideration as electric motors can overheat and burn out if their tolerances are exceeded. Bakery mixers that can work nonstop tend to cost a great deal more than those with limited duty cycles.
Knowing how much and how often one will use a mixer is equally as important as knowing exactly what will be mixed. Will the mixer be expected to work with nearly liquid substances or very robust dough? For example: Will the bakery mixer be working with pizza dough, or will it be working with brownie batter? This is obviously an important factor to know as it will have a direct impact on the final bakery mixer purchasing decision. Again, remember that future considerations should be taken into account; if one is selling cakes today but may add breads to the menu later then it behooves one to make a purchasing decision now that involves all likely possibilities.
At least consider exploring them now as purchasing secondary bakery mixers is often not feasible for growing businesses. Failing to invest in a proper bakery mixer upfront easily can lead to limited expansion options down the road.
The kind of material to be mixed by the bakery mixers will also play a role in determining which speeds the mixer runs at. Rotating a beater/paddle too quickly through a mixture that is more liquid than dough will probably result in a serious mess. This means that consumers with plans on mixing more than one substance need to consider bakery mixers with variable speed settings and/or add-ons that will extend the utility of the bakery mixer.
When it comes to add-ons for bakery mixers, there are plenty to choose from. Everything from specialty bowls to beaters/paddles, hooks, whips, and even bowl-specific covers with built-in whips for high-speed work with liquids. By now the list of potential bakery mixers should be fairly small, so ensuring that there are enough add-on options to meet one’s present and future needs should allow one to easily narrow the search for the perfect bakery mixer even further. This can typically be done by calling a sales representative who will generally be more than happy to either send out a catalog or direct one to a sales site.
Many bakery mixers have special electrical requirements and as such they tend to use 220-230v outlets. There are some bakery mixers on the market that only use standard 110-115v outlets, but they tend to be the less powerful variants. This may be acceptable for those with less stringent requirements and/or consumers looking for bakery mixers that do not require an electrician to pay a visit. It is reasonable to expect higher electrical bills with 220-230v bakery mixers.
A common mistake is made when it comes to making the final selection: selecting based only on price. This is easy to understand as entry level bakery mixers start at over $600 and can easily reach $5000 or more depending on the needs of the consumer. Add to this the fact that individual add-ons can be anywhere from around $50 to over $200, and it is easy to become frugal and start re-evaluating one’s needs. This may or may not be a good idea depending on how honest one was initially with their needs assessment.
It is also never a good idea to overlook warranty issues. If baking is a business and not a hobby, then ensure that the warrant is sufficient. Do this by drawing up a list of possible scenarios and asking the sales person questions. Here are a few examples: How long would it take a service person to do an evaluation? Can I get a replacement mixer while mine is being worked on? What is and what is not covered in the warranty? Who decides what is covered by the warranty, a company representative or 3rd party?
If any of the questions are not sufficiently answered, consider another company and/or an extended coverage agreement. It may be worth the extra money to have a replacement bakery mixer on standby should something unexpected happen. It certainly beats selecting a replacement from all the bakery mixers again while one’s business suffers, doesn’t it?
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