My new love....

At first I was attracted by his boyish good looks. But when I actually got him home, I discovered that he has all the muscle I knead. (LOL)

He's my new to me Kenwood Chef A700, circa 1950. This is an English mixer, very rare on this side of the pond. Even rarer is the fact that this one was designed for export, so it actually uses 110 electricity. And he is in mint condition. 300 watts of power. Swoon.

So, why does a perfectly sane girl need three mixers? It isn't that I'll use them all at the same time, right?

Well, the story is this: I bought the Hamilton Beach model K at a Salvation Army last fall. It is a lovely, chrome mixer from the 1940s. It is in mint condition. And it is very limited in it's usefulness because it has a pair of beaters that are stuck together as a single unit, which makes them awful to clean. Plus, the old girl doesn't have the ball bearings to get through something like a stiff cookie dough, never mind bread.

So, I convinced my husband to get me a refurbished Kitchenaid Artisan for my birthday. And I was in mixer love: Sir Mix-A-Lot is extremely powerful, has a great paddle that is easy to clean, a huge bowl and the ever-necessary 'planetary action' that means the stuff in the bowl gets thoroughly mixed.

My husband thought I was crazy to want to keep the Hamilton Beach at this point, but I liked her Chromy-ness and put her on top of my cabinet, where she reflects the kitchen light.

So where does the Kenwood come in? Well, I belong, believe it or not, to a vintage mixer club on the internet. We Actually Collect Electric Mixers is a great group, full of knowledgeable and friendly people. People who will act like crack pushers when it comes to mixers. Want a little taste? Here, it's free. And soon you are hooked. HOOOKED.

I swore it was just curiosity when I logged on to ebay that day. I am NOT interested in any mixers. I will never need another mixer.

And then, there was the Kenwood. Pristine. US voltage. Can still get a potato peeler and pea huller attachments. And so. Darn. Gorgeous.

I posted to the group, begging them to talk me down. One friend half heartedly agreed to bid on the Kenwood, but by then, it was already too late. Another friend from England sent me a private email RAVING about the Kenwoods. She has 3 of the vintage ones. Ahem. (Crack, I tell you.)

So I bid. I chose a reasonable amount of money. $32.24 was my bid. I posted it at the last minute. (Yes, sniped, I am sorry to say.) And won.

And waited. I had chosen parcel post, as it was less expensive. But the seller was exceptional and posted it the next morning and within a week he was sitting on my counter next to Sir Mix-A-Lot.

I don't need another mixer. In fact, my english friend, even at this moment, is scouring ebay.uk for a beater and dough hook for it, as it only came with the whip. But in the mean time I'll make meringue and whip some cream and dream of the day I can bake 3 loaves of bread at once, with both mixers whirring away on the counter.....