NB. Taking it meta: investing in processes and methods for training workers (or robots) is better than investing in workers. Investing in managers who can do that for you is even better.
KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
21–30 of 42 posts
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#22I'd say their other key ingredient is the fact that this is a perfect product. It does what it should do perfectly and it will still do it in 50 years and more.
I had to replace snapped dough hooks three times with my KitchenAid and eventually the hinge started to go. Ended up going back to Kenwood and haven’t had any problems since. Anecdata though.
The regular KitchenAid is so-so, but the Pro (with the bowl-lift mechanism) has a significantly better dough hook and a stronger motor; it’s well worth the extra hundred bucks (especially if you bake bread)
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#23I'd say their other key ingredient is the fact that this is a perfect product. It does what it should do perfectly and it will still do it in 50 years and more.
My wife asked for (and got) a KitchenAid mixer as a wedding gift. 21 years later, it's still good as new and gets regular use. Incredible machine.
My mom still uses the same one she had since I was a little kid, which means it's at least 25 years old and possibly older. They're a great piece of machinery, far exceeding today's expectations of how long a product should last with minimal maintenance.
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#24Ave on Youtube has a nice tear down video with commentary on the classic Kitchen Aid mixer.
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#25https://outline.com/kjXw4M
Saved me a click, thank you
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#26Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just to be sure we're talking about the same thing. This is how ours look like after something like a decade: https://imgur.com/a/ozd7MIY There is some use to it as you can see at the bottom and a dent where I guess it fell down. But nothing compared to what you describe. I can't imagine what could break it. Maybe grinding bricks ;)
Yep, same thing. The white plastic chips off in the same way as it did on your base, then eventually the hook snaps. Kenwood equivalent is https://www.kenwoodchefrestore.co.uk/shop/image/cache/data/C...
Sort of tangential: it appears that many KitchenAid mixing blades have substantial lead contamination [1]. I've seen similar results in testing at my local county health office.
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
I had to replace snapped dough hooks three times with my KitchenAid and eventually the hinge started to go. Ended up going back to Kenwood and haven’t had any problems since. Anecdata though.
The regular KitchenAid is so-so, but the Pro (with the bowl-lift mechanism) has a significantly better dough hook and a stronger motor; it’s well worth the extra hundred bucks (especially if you bake bread)
Just don't throw the hook/beater/whisk in the dishwasher like this idiot did...
And that's how I learned about aluminum reacting with dish detergent.
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#28I firmly maintain that the KA stand mixer is pretty overrated. People praise it for being long lasting, but it's a mixer... just a motor and some gears. I've still got my grandmother's sewing machine, and electronic devices that are older than I am still in working condition. It's not like it's a particularly cheap product. It's pretty high up there, so quality should be somewhat expected.
That said, it's not abuse proof either. I've got the pro, and there were a few times in the beginning when I was making stiff doughs that I could see it struggling with. I imagine with bigger batches that it could probably crap out. From what I've read online, there are definitely better quality mixers out there in the price range.
The attachments aren't really worth it either. They're horribly expensive if you don't buy it on sale or as part of a bigger package and now you're locked in with your machine. For things like meat grinding, I would much rather get a dedicated all steel grinder.
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#29The article isn't about KitchenAid Mixers. It's about KitchenAid/Whirlpool investing in its workers through programs such as paying for further education and training.
Please stop talking about your personal opinions regarding the quality, utility, or value of their mixers and other kitchen appliances, and please stop upvoting these posts. That has nothing whatsoever to do with the point of the article and is noise. The article is about the value of a company financially investing in their employees.
Re: KitchenAid’s Key Ingredient: Investing in Workers
#30I firmly maintain that the KA stand mixer is pretty overrated. People praise it for being long lasting, but it's a mixer... just a motor and some gears. I've still got my grandmother's sewing machine, and electronic devices that are older than I am still in working condition. It's not like it's a particularly cheap product. It's pretty high up there, so quality should be somewhat expected. That said, it's not abuse p…
> The attachments aren't really worth it either. They're horribly expensive if you don't buy it on sale or as part of a bigger package and now you're locked in with your machine. For things like meat grinding, I would much rather get a dedicated all steel grinder.
Sure, dedicated tools are superior, however each of the attachments has significantly less marginal space cost they a dedicated powered tool that would replace it, because the motor is shared (as, often, are other parts between attachments, e.g., there are a number of attachments for the grinder attachment.) If you aren't doing heavy volume use on any one attachment, and you don't have a gargantuan kitchen (or even if you are, but you have a small kitchen), space efficiency can be quite compelling.