Kenwood Chef: to do or not to do

[Zak33]

Having thought for a long long time about this, I cleared some cupboard space to make sure I really wanted one. You know how it is?... you want one,.... but where does it go? If you can chuck enough stuff out.. and not wince.. then you prolly do want one

Anyway... I did this months ago.. the cupboard has slowly filled a little... but I borrowed a realyl realyl old Chef from the Mo in Law and whilst it really is VERY old.. and smells a bit under stress (like I do) it did the job brilliantly.. and so I started looking again.

3 months ago, the basic Chef was £250 and the top two versions were £350.

Now... the top versions are reduced by £100 and so in Argos either the 1000W version or the 900W with the really huge bowl are at £250 and the cheaper version is down to £230

So the temptation has risen massively.

Does anyone have a real Chef... ? not just any old food processor. I've had a few. I mean the Daddy of them all? A Kenwood Chef.

I wanna be pushed to making the choice while they're value.

Bread and cakes, pastry (which I made this am).... please spill the good (or bad) vibes for me good people

[CAT-THE-FIFTH]

One of my relatives has one and IIRC it is from the 1970s(I could check if you want) and it still seems to the job well. The newer ones are Chinese made so I suspect the much larger wattage motors are to hide the inefficency of the newer motors.

[malfunction]

We (the missus and I) have one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B...ms_ohs_product

It was one of my wife's main xmas presents last year. At first we used it mostly for baking but now, as we're trying not to eat cake *all* the time, we use it mostly when we cook up big batches of food to slice n dice things and to blend home made soup in the winter. Seems to be holding up well - it looks and feels exactly the same as when we bought it overall though the plastic food processor attachment is a bit marked but still functionally fine. Seemed much better value than the equivalent kitchenaid, especially with the bundled attachments.

[GoNz0]

i got the big one http://www.amazon.co.uk/Kenwood-Majo...8799356&sr=8-4

its great

far to heavy to stick in the cupboard so its got pride of place next to the toaster!

pizza dough done in 5 mins flat, to perfection!

you should see egg whites with the whisk

[peterb]

The Kenwood Chef is definately the dog's dangly bits! Sadly the build quality of the cheaper ones has dropped in recent years (cat's point is well made) probably to make them competitive with food processors) but go to the higher end/professional versions and they are outstanding. (As gonz0 says above)

Performance wise though, the lower end ones will be just as good, but maybe not last as long. (top end are alloy castings, wheigh a ton and just feel good, the cheaper ones tend to rely on pressed or plastic moulded parts)

Personally I' go for the best you can afford, because if you do a lot of baking or breadmaking, you'll find it gets used more than you might have thought.

[Saracen]

Yes, got one. For reference, it's an A701A and for those not familiar, they stopped making that one in about 1976. And yes, it's damned useful and still going strong. I've also got the original glass liquidiser and a mincer. Somewhere, I've even got the original ceramic bowl and uncoated aluminium tools (whisk and k-beater, at least).

Noisy beggar, though. It ought to come with protective earplugs.

Oh, and Peter is right. It weighs a ton. I reckon the guys Kenwood hired to build it were battleship smiths during WW2, and used surplus battleship armour plate to make it. You need a crane to get it out of the cupboard.

[tiggerai]

My mum and I have got the old skool A701 too I think... They are the dogs danglies of mixers. Can get one on Ebay for £50-60 and by the standard of my Mums' - it'a bout 20 years old and still going strong - they'd have plenty of life left in them too.

The one I've got has handled cakes, bread etc and i've got the glass liquidiser too.

(My mum wants me to find another one for her for when hers gives up the ghost... I can keep an eye out for one for you)

Actually I lie - I've got the A901... Like this!! http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Kenwood-Ch...-/320776555603

That one is in Poole... might actually bid on that one!

(ooh and mine sits pride of place on the surface... tucks away neatly under the boiler - but then it gets used once a week at least.)

[GoNz0]

got mine from hursts, arrived the next day from the IOW

at the time it was the cheapest for the larger bowl/bigger motor version.

http://www.hurst-iw.co.uk/2.-Electri...-297-298-2489/

the box was about 3 foot long :|

[MaddAussie]

Ooooh the memories, my mum has one and I remember many happy days baking stuff with her. Mums must be almost as old as me (40)if not older and its still going strong

[Saracen]

There's also a company (Somerset, IIRC) that has a very good reputation for repairs and services on just about all models. They also do a full refurb, including stripping off all the old paint and repainting, either in original colours or a colour of your choice. I fancy getting my (now a bit tatty) 40+ year old model repainted and colour-coded to the kitchen colour scheme.

I can't vouch for the company personally, having never (yet) used them, but they do have a good rep. I don't remember the name either, but they can't be hard to find.

[tiggerai]

That's good to know Saracen, thanks.

I might get mine sprayed black, to match my kitchen a bit more.

[Saracen]

It ain't cheap, though, Tigg. I seem to remember it varied depending on model, but was something of the order of £150. Having said that, the full refurb also included full service, but you still pay quite a bit over the cost of the service for the paint job. If that makes sense. You can get just a service a lot cheaper, but the refurb, at £150-ish, also included the service.

Hell, I ought to just find the link.

[tiggerai]

(or rather I'll just get J to spray mine black...)

Still good to know though.

[Zak33]

right... so in order

A) you lot rock

B) the newer ones are prolly a tad lighter engineering than the ones my age

C) you lot rock

D) If I can afford to blow it all, I need the Titanium job.

E) you lot rock

fankooooooo all

[Sair33]

Titanium job also reduced in Amazon to £309.... stainless steel attachments rather than coated aluminium :-)

[g8ina]

Thats it, rub it in you ratbags ....

My KC was another victim of my split up with my ex, it got left behind in Telford

Oh Kenny, I miss you soooo much ....